by Karin Syren
(Charity) beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth:
1 Corinthians 13:7-8a KJV
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes,
is ever ready to believe the best of every person,
its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances,
and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].
1 Corinthians 13:7-8a AMP
Throughout the Old Testament, we are witness to the constant struggle of God’s own chosen ones, the Israelites, to keep faith with Jehovah God, to maintain the special relationship He Himself initiated and into which He invited them.
The Law, beginning in Exodus 20, was given to them for this very purpose – relationship. Observance1 was intended to keep them holy, set apart from all others as God’s own, in unbroken familial relationship with Him. Full observance was meant to brand them, not only as His peculiar treasure, His precious possession (Psalm 135:4; Deuteronomy 26:18; Malachi 3:17), but as righteous in His sight. As we well know, they never did arrive at full observance. Though righteousness eluded them and they were certainly less than loyal, Jehovah remained faithful.