What Love is this?

   I know my small band of faithful readers are bright and inquisitive and hungry for more of God, so I am choosing to spend some 'setup' time in Greek and Hebrew, trusting you won't be bored.
   Most of us are familiar with the three Greek words translated into English as love:  Agape (unconditional love), Phileo (brotherly love/friendship); and Eros (romantic love between a man and a woman, from which we get the word erotic). However, Chaim Bentorah, in his chapter on love (Study 4), tells us that there are four words in Hebrew, and they are not necessarily parallel:  'ahav (love); racham (usually translated tender mercies); dodi (beloved, as in spousal love); and ra'ah (brotherly love or friendship).  
   Moving between the Greek and the Hebrew can be a challenge, he says, because while most translators use agape for 'ahav; ra'ah for phileo, and dodi for eros, ra'ah has many other meanings, including shepherd and consuming passion, as well as evil (having a consuming passion for something other than God).
  When you mix in the Aramaic, which Jesus and his early disciples are believed to have spoken most of the time, there is the word chav, which is most often translated 'ahav in the Hebrew, or agape in the Greek.  Interestingly enough there is also an Aramaic word, racham, which is identical to the Hebrew word racham..  And now  you will find me finally getting to the point, the buried treasure in this particular study.
   Sometimes we really believe, in our heart of hearts, that God loves some people more than others.  In fact, in John's gospel, he repeatedly refers to himself as 'the disciple whom Jesus loved.'  This often makes us laugh a little to ourselves, doesn't it?  According to our Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaicscholar, however, a better translation would literally be 'the disciple whom Jesus loved following' And thus expressed in English it would be:  'the disciple whom Jesus loved who followed Him.'  
   I hope you will end up purchasing your own copy of this book (and also see other recent posts) to read for yourself his short but powerful explanation. Summarizing, however: the term racham implies a response from the one who is loved.  It is 'a completed love.'  To love and be loved in return.  Adonai loves us with agape or 'ahav.  He loves us whether we respond to that love or not.  Whether we acknowledge Him or not.  Whether we appreciate His loving-kindness or not.  Whether we even recognize His existence.  But ah, when we love Him back...when we gratefully return His love. When we are not only His Beloved, but He is ours.  When we love Him no matter what comes, whether we always understand His ways or not (agape/'ahav). When we consider Him our Best Friend and Brother (Phileo/ra'ah).  When we love Him passionately in return (eros/dodi).  Then there is racham.
   "It is not that God loves one person more than another.  He loves all equally.  It is just that few people will love Him in return and complete His love, bring Him the joy of His love, awaken Him in that love, and cause Him to sing with joy in that love*.  In my exploration of God's heart, I believe the most defining element I have discovered is not only a passion in God's heart to love, chav, but also a longing to be loved in return, racham.  You and I--humble, little frail human beings--have the ability to bring joy to the heart of the God of the universe simply by saying to Him, wholeheartedly, 'I love you.....Do you want to bring to the all-mighty, all-powerful God a feeling of joy and make His day?  Tell Him you love Him."***

***Chaim Bentorah; Hebrew Word Study:  Revealing the Heart of God; p. 39

*[Zephaniah 3:17b:  
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”