“Five Best Bible Love Stories”
John 3:16

Introduction

• John 3:16 is a verse that everyone knows as the “God so loved” verse. It s the verse that best gives a “God like love” description to mankind.
• You are never more like God when you… what? FORGIVE.
• This verse explains the “BEST” love story ever told. Look at it… John 3:16 (KJV)

1. For God so loved the world, An “Agape (Deep)” love for His creation
2. “…that he gave his only begotten Son,” He sacrificed with the best He had to offer.
3. “… that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,” His sacrifice was action taken to prove His love towards man because He did not want to sever (divide) the relationship.
4. “… but have everlasting life.” Therefore He offered an eternal relationship with His beloved.

• Wouldn’t it be great if marriages today had the same principles?
• For God to offer His best gift to us after what man had done to Him in the past… is true love, true forgiveness.
• This morning on Sunday February 11^th, 2018 I want to give to you “Five Best Bible Love Stories.”
• Now I don’t know if they really are the “BEST” exactly, but we have to start somewhere. I mean there really are many good love stories in the Bible.
• There are many good relationships and bad relationships. But let us look at these five this morning that I believe may “rekindle your love.”

I. Adam and Eve (Genesis 2,3)

  A) The original couple

• Genesis 1:27…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
• Verse 28…And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:
• This couple had everything going for them. They were God-like creations, Holy, and without sin, and without flaw. Perfect.
• Can you imagine a perfect husband? How about a perfect wife? Not in million years could you find a perfect mate.

  B) Many blessings in the garden

• Can you think of the blessings they had in the Garden of Eden?
• What about Divine wisdom, fellowship with God and each other without argument, or fighting. No problems in daily activities, and no mistakes made.

  C) Made a bad choice

• How many of us married couples have made a “bad choice” that affected several people?
• This couple made a choice so bad that it affected every single solitary soul upon the earth to be born thereafter. WOW.
• In fact, their choices did not really improve much. Their choices turned out to haunt them as their children made bad choices too.

1. Bad choice by Cain to offer vegetables to God rather than a spotless lamb.

• Bad choice by Cain again in taking his brother’s life out of jealousy.

  D) Learn as they went

• Adam and Eve like most marriages “Learn as they go.”
• Adam and Eve were a little different in that they had no examples to follow.
• Today’s society has millions of examples both bad and good to follow.
• The problem with today is that no one wants to follow anyone good or bad, not even God.
• Everyone wants to do their own thing no matter what people try to tell them.
• Have you ever noticed that when you get sick and tell others about it they always give you their doctor voice and uneducated opinion as to what you should take for medication, and maybe offer some old remedies and etc.
• When young couples get married they are also given a lot of advice as to how to do this or that. But mark my words… “Not one stitch of advice is heeded.”

  E) They were committed

• Of all the years of their marriage they stayed together through thick and thin.
• Adam lived to be 930 years old (Gen. 5:5)
• Eve was maybe 200 years old or so when she died. No one truly knows as the bible says no more about her after Genesis 4:25.
• But they were committed to a life-long relationship while on earth.

 

II. Mary and Joseph (Matthew 1)

  A) Started out with Scandalous Courtship

• Matthew 1:18…Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph (They were engaged to be married), before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
• Before they were married, Mary had become pregnant with the Son of God.
• Their relationship was in turmoil for awhile until the angel of the Lord spoke to both Mary and Joseph.
• There are marriages today that start out scandalous and do not survive the scandal.
• True love will survive any test put to it…IF God is centered in the marriage.
• However, if God is not center focus and becomes a novelty placed on the shelf to be taken down once and awhile to be looked at…the marriage dies.

  B) Moved around a lot

• Mary and Joseph early on in their marriage moved around a lot due to the command of God for the protection of their son and the risk of life.
• I was born a “military babe” meaning that we moved around a lot. We moved from Beloit, Kansas to San Antonio, Texas to Enid, Oklahoma, back to San Antonio and then up to Wichita.
• We were told that moving was good. Children will have many new friends.
• Today they tell parents that moving is not good as it creates an unstable ground for kids to build upon.
• I can see the truth in both. When God is in leadership in the marriage and upbringing of your children, then moving should be the last “worry” on our minds. God will see to it that His will is carried out no matter the situation.
• Mary and Joseph first started out in Nazareth, then to Bethlehem, after His birth then moved to Egypt for fear of Herod’s new edict of slaying every first born. Now then they move again to Jerusalem so the Jesus can become circumcised.

  C) Blessed with more children

• Mary was blessed with (what we know of) 2 more sons (James and Jude) and two more daughters.
• Joseph we believe died early in Mary’s life but it never hindered her mothering of the children blessed to her.

  D) Their favored Son was crucified

• Mark 15:25…And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
• No mother wants to see her son tortured, or put to death. Joseph was dead already and Mary had to face it alone.
• Both Mary and Joseph were very close through all their marriage.

III. Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4)

  A) Ruth’s first husband died

• THE WORLD’S PERSPECTIVE….This sweet and humble tale is interpreted by many as a love story mainly between Ruth and Naomiinstead of Ruth and Boaz. “Of course, the straight world fights a gay interpretation,” explains  John McNeill, psychotherapist and author of Sex As God Intended. “But there is a reason Ruth’s speech to Naomi is included in so many lesbian weddings. The Bible treats a loving gay relationship as good.”
• Can you believe that these people claim to be Christians?
• REALLY? Ruth and Naomi lesbians? I don’t think so. God must be puking right now.
• Ruth’s first husband (Elimelech) was a devout man of God and highly regarded in Moab. He died in Moab 

  B) Lived with Mother in law

• The verses of Ruth 1:16 and 17 are the basis for traditional wedding vows today.
• Ruth 1:16…And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17) Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

1. Don’t force me to leave you
2. Where you go, I will go
3. Where you live, I will live
4. Your people will be my people (or your friends will be my friends)
5. Your God will be my God
6. Where you die, I will die.
7. I will be asked to be buried by you.
8. Nothing or nobody will separate us except death.

• Now this is serious love, Agape love. This between two women.
• It is not said that Ruth’s love towards her husband Elimelech was of that nature.
• Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem-Judah and Ruth married Boaz, a relative of Naomi. Together they were the great-grandparents of the great king David.

  C) Boaz attracted to Ruth’s loyalty

• Boaz was possibly attracted to Ruth by her beauty outwardly, but most would think more so along the lines of her inward beauty. That was “Loyalty.”
• Her loyalty was to her first husband until he died, and then that most popular loyalty was to Naomi.

  D) They served one another

• Ruth and Boaz served one another before and after they were married.
• Ruth served Boaz first in the fields, then in his home.
• Boaz served Ruth by buying her late husband’s property to keep all that Ruth and her husband had before his death.
• Most women (As the case of Ruth) were taken advantage of when their husband died. The widow lost everything. If the husband did not have any brothers then it went to the church. The widows would become like beggars or orphans. Sad it was.
• God took care of the widowed Ruth because Ruth honored God with her work ethic, her tithes and offerings, and her strong love to Naomi.
• Marriages today need to have servanthood as a primary goal in the marriage. Servants to God first and then servants to one another second, and then servants to others last.

IV. Jacob and Rachael (Genesis 29)

  A) Jacob’s deep love for Rachel

• After Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, he went to live with his mother’s family in Haran. While looking for his uncle Laban, Jacob met Rachel, Laban’s daughter. She was caring for her father’s sheep. Rachel took Jacob to Laban who gave Jacob a job and a place to stay.
• Jacob negotiated with Laban to work for him for seven years. In return Laban would give his daughter Rachel to Jacob as his wife. The Bible says in Genesis 29:20, “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.”
• At the end of the seven years Laban offered his daughter’s hand in marriage. However, at the wedding Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah, the older sister. Because, he said, it was not right for the younger daughter to marry first. The Bible says that Jacob continued to work for Laban another seven years to be able to have Rachel as his wife.
• Jacob originally consented to a seven year contract to wed the girl he loved. Even after the deception, he continued to work another seven years for the hand of Rachel.

  B) Rachel not always happy

• She had to share her love for Jacob with her sister Leah.
• Leah could have children but Rachel could not.
• Genesis 30:1..And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
• Then Rachel still impatient with God gave several of her maids (Bilhah and Zilpah) to Jacob to bare sons unto him.
• When Rachel died, Jacob (Israel) honored her in Genesis 35:20…And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

 

V. Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17, 18)

  A) The couple that traveled together

• From Ur they went to Haran the land of Canaan.
• Then God called Abram and Sarai away out of their idol worshiping to the land of Sichem.
• Famine struck the land of Canaan so they wimped out and headed for Egypt.
• Trouble comes to their doorstep when Abram (a big coward, chicken) tries to pass his wife off as his sister. The king kicks them both out of Dodge.
• Now then they travel south to Bethel (The house of God).

  B) The couple that got in trouble together

• They got in trouble in Egypt and then again when Sarai laughs at God for telling her she will have a baby at 99 years old.
• God changes their names Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah.
• The name “Sarah” means “princess.” Sarai was a personal name for God that meant “My princess.”
• But when she laughed at God then God took away His personal relationship with Sarai and called her just “princess.”

  C) The couple that dreamed big

• They had always hoped for a big family based on God telling Abram to move and prepare for the future of a big huge family.
• They weren’t patient. God brought judgment on them for their lack of patience and caused them to wait even longer for the family promised.

  D) The couple that grew spiritually together

• They started out worshiping idols, then built several altars along the way to gain more in their lives towards God.

If you could chose a couple in the Bible, which one would you choose to copy?