Love is the most talked about topic but the least understood. Today we will be discussing “Human love”. Basic to all these meanings is the love relationship between man and woman. The first thought that comes to mind when love is mentioned is a relationship between a man and woman. It has sexual connotations but mostly includes affection, loyalty, and admiration. Jacob’s love for Rachel indicates the spontaneous nature of this love (Genesis 29:18). The sexual meaning of the term is emphasized most in Ezekiel but is also prominent in Hosea and Jeremiah (Ezekiel 16:33,36; 23:5,9,22; Jeremiah 2:25; Hosea 3:1; Ezekiel 16:8).
The OT much more frequently refers to the love of one person for another or brotherly love. This love characterizes a wide variety of person-to-person relationships: between man and man (1 Samuel 18:1; 2 Samuel 1:26; 1 Kings 5:1), woman and woman (Ruth 4:15), man and woman (Genesis 29:20; 1 Samuel 18:20; Proverbs 5:19; Ecclesiastes 9:9), and parents and children (Genesis 22:2; 25:28; 37:3).
Examples of human love between persons listed in the Bible include Shechem and Dinah (Genesis 34:3), David and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:26), Isaac and Rebecca (Genesis 24:67), bride and groom (Song of Solomon 3:4), friends (Proverbs 17:17), and neighbours (Leviticus 19:18).
One thing I would like you to note is that human love is centred on man (for both sexes). Human love gives no place for God and is mostly selfish. People who walk in this form of love always expect something in return for their good deeds. Although this form of love is good, a better one exists which will be discussed later.