The love of God is greater far

1
The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
  God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
  And pardoned from his sin.
  O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.
2
When hoary time shall pass away,
  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
  On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
  All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
  The saints’ and angels’ song.
3
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.
236
Karin Shinn

Salem, Oregon, United States

Rabbi Meir bar Yitzak's Poem: "God's eternal glory could not be described even if the heavens were parchment, and the forest quills; if all the seas were ink, as well as every gathered water; even if the earth's inhabitants were scribes and recorders of initials."

Stanza Four of this hymn is a very good paraphrase of Rabbi Meir's poem. There is a lot of wisdom to be found in early rabbinic literature!


Ana Lara

Tolland, Connecticut, United States

Frederick Martin Lehman was born August 7th, 1868 in Mecklenburg Schwerin, Germany and died February 20th, 1953 in Pasadena, California. He migrated with his family to Iowa at age 4 and came to Christ at age 11. While walking down a country lane, a “cornucopia of glory” descended all around him. The weight of conviction was gone and joy and praise was upon his lips.

He studied to be a minister at Northwestern College, Illinois. He pastored at Audobon, Iowa; New London, Indiana and Kansas City, Missouri. His first hymn was written in 1898 and published hundreds of songs, compiling five song books. In 1911, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he helped found the Nazarene Publishing House. He married Emma Louise Dermyer and had 8 children.

The first two stanzas of this song and the chorus were written by Frederick after having to go back to manual labor in 1917 in order to make a living. His daughter helped him compose the music. The last stanza was found etched on a wall by a patient in an insane asylum who had passed away but was traced back to Rabbi Hertz in his “Book of Jewish Thought “. Hertz borrowed the words from a poem written in 1050 by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai for the synagogue Pentecost celebrations.


Amy

Malabon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Great love from a Great God.... Measureless... Unlimited... Strong...

Thank You Lord Jesus!


Bolgtom

Akute, Ogun

Love of God is indeed measureless. Thank You Jesus.


Rosebud Choto

Dallas, Texas, United States

Reading - None like him for Bible study and this song is referenced in the first chapter. What a wonderful hymn. Praise God.


Rodney Chipman

Everett, WA, United States

This hymn is so fitting with the book I am reading, "The Scarlet Thread".


Dianne Stewart

Carthage, MS, United States

I've never heard anyone sing this song better than George Beverly Shea.


Doug Crabb

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

What an eternal truth. Thank the Lord for my salvation. His love is measureless.


Eileen

Tehachapi, California, United States

Hallelujah! Praise Him for Grace and Salvation!


John Danjuma

Lagos, Nigeria

O the Love of God! O the Love of God! O the Love of God! Hallelujah! Where else would we be Except for the Love of God! Hallelujah for the Love of God!

Piano Hymns