LESSON 1

GOD’S LOVE: AS DABAR

 Pointed out earlier:
The Significance of human words.
For communications: come in two forms, written and spoken.
As a formative force, Language is:
A. Informative: provides truth about
ourselves, about other people, about the
world.
• Words are powerful, kind of
They reveal who we are by the kind of possessing a psychic power:
language we usually use
they can either destroy or
B. Formative: means to shape us, shapes build up persons or
our character as persons relationships.
C. Transformative: transforms persons into
better versions of themselves
 LEARNING POINTS

FUNCTIONS OF THE WORD (WRITTEN) OF GOD

A. Informative
• through His Word, God interprets man/woman, his existence and history
by giving meaning and direction to him/her
• by listening to God’s Word, he/she comes to a knowledge of himself, his
being, and destiny
• 2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching
the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for
right living. This is how someone who is dedicated to God becomes fully
equipped and ready for any good work.”
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

B. Expressive Function
• Through His Word God teaches us about Himself. He reveals Himself to
us because He considers us as His friends.
• Jn 15:15 ‘I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything
that I have learned from my Father.”

• By many names, images, metaphors and examples, God reveals

Himself and His love to all that we may have eternal life.
• Jn 17:3 “Eternal life is this: to know you, and only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom you have sent.”
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

C. Appellative Function
• God teaches and reveals Himself because He summons us to a
response.
• The truth of God’s Word is not to be known (conceptually) but to be
done.
• Lk 11:28 “More blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it/obey it.”
• Mt 7:21 “It is not anyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of
Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in Heaven.”
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

C. Appellative Function (cont)

• In the early Church, the faithful who belonged to the community were
called the kletoi (Rom. 1:6-7; 1 Cor. 1:2, 24), or the “called” because they
had listened to the call.
• Community of the “called:” ekklesia, that is, the assembly of those who
responded and gathered by the Word of the herald.
• Jesus assured them of his presence (Mt. 18:20 “Where two or three are
gathered in my name, there am I in their midst”).
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

(1) Word in Hebrew Scriptures is

“DABAR”; in Greek: “LOGOS”
(2) For the Jews “dabar” is more
than the spoken word. It is a thing,
an affair, an event, an action.
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(3) Dabar is a relational

concept.
God’s dabar is God talking
to us in words.
God wants to relate
Himself to us with and in
love!
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

(4) Power of “dabar” in the Old Testament

4.1. It is LIFE-GIVING: Dt. 32:46-47
• “Take to heart all the words that I am giving you in witness against
you today; give them as a command to your children, so that they
may diligently observe all the words of this law. This is no trifling
matter for you, but rather your very life; through it you may live long
in the land that you are crossing over the Jordan to possess”
(addressed to Moses)
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

4.2. It has POWER TO HEAL: Ps. 107:19-20

• “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them
from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and
delivered them from destruction.” (Ps 107:1 “O give thanks to the
Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

4.3. It is CREATIVE: Wis 9:1

• “O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy, who have made all
things by your word…”
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

4.4. It MAKES THING HAPPEN: Ps. 33:9

• “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
 LEARNING POINTS (cont)

4.5. It is FRUITFUL: Is. 55:10-11

• For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not
return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth
and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so
shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to
me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and
succeed in the thing for which I sent it.