The Holy Bible communicates God’s divine love and care for us through a variety of analogies from different kinds of human relationships of love:
Analogy of the love of a mother and father: the prophet responds to those who say, “The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me,” saying “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?” (Isa. 49:14–15). It is as if he is saying, It is impossible for the mother to forget her nursing child; even moreso, the Lord cannot forget humanity . Our Lord confirms that His love for us exceeds the love of a
549 St. John Chrysostom, On the Providence of God by St. John Chrysostom , (St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2015): pp. 39–41, amended.
550 St. John Chrysostom, On the Providence of God by St. John Chrysostom , (St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2015): pp. 42–43.
551 St. John Chrysostom, On the Providence of God by St. John Chrysostom , (St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2015): pp. 43–44, amended.
father for his children when he says, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:9–11).
Analogy of the love between sweethearts : the Psalmist says, “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:11). In the spirit of love, the Lord did not draw back from saying, “So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Ex. 32:14).
Analogy of matrimonial love: “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:5). Love is at its pinnacle at the beginning of the relationship between newlyweds. God uses this analogy so that we can experience the intensity of His true love.
Analogy of the love of a craftsman for his handwork: when Jonah was angry at the destruction of the gourd, the Lord comforted him, saying, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left?” (Jonah 4:10–11).