Yada

Genesis 4:1 “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”

What does it take to really know something or someone? A heart specialist will say they know all the inner workings of the heart and its related systems. They will take what they know and use the knowledge to keep it working as long as possible. A mechanic knows the inner workings of a car and uses the knowledge to repair and keep it running.

When we say we know someone, it is often implied that we have a relationship with them. Friendship is difficult unless you know the person you are friends with, and marriage would be very hard if you didn’t know your spouse.

Within the context of the Hebrew term, Yada, is the understanding that comes with knowing. The usage of the term moves across several planes, from Adam knowing his wife Eve in consensual intimacy, to knowing good from evil. When it comes to God’s knowing, it expands way beyond our scope.

Psalm 50:10-11 “For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.”

God knows all of His Creation, not just the works of man. Every bird, every wild animal on every hill is His, and He knows all of them. The stars and planets in the cosmos, every constellation, every quark and interaction throughout the universe does not escape His knowledge. Everything in all of creation was formed by God’s hand and He knows it very well.

God knows us. He knows our hearts and He is intimately acquainted with all our ways. What we see on the surface, He knows at the core. We see someone acting in a certain way and try to ascertain motive, but God knows the heart and the motive all in one.

When God enacts judgement, He doesn’t just measure an action or what it is visible or seen, He measures the heart and whether it acts in faithfulness or is self-serving. Many people have judged God based off a very superficial knowledge and interpretation, but the Lord sees to the very intent of the heart and measures the individual.

God knows us.

There is nothing hidden from Him. We can play Him like He is a fool but on the day of reckoning we will be held accountable for all our actions and every intent of the heart.

When Balaam seemed to be following the Lord’s advice to go with Balak, the Lord almost destroyed him along the way. From a human perspective it would seem unjust. If God had cut down Balaam by the sword of an angel, Israel would not have been affected by one iota of a change. Blessing or no blessing, it did not matter, the Lord was leading His nation and no diviner was going to change His plans. It was the heart of Balaam that God was observing and he knew his intent.

How many times have we ruled God unjust without knowledge?

If we want to understand God, we have to know Him. Knowing God isn’t some proclamation of calling oneself a christian. It doesn’t mean we read the Bible here and there or go to church, knowing God is personal, it is experiential, and it requires us drawing near to His heart.

Knowing God begins in relationship with God.

Relational Intimacy

When Adam knew Eve in sexual intimacy, he was united with her physically, emotionally, and in one accord or in purpose. The physical part was connected with the spiritual part. The spirit of man united with the spirit of woman in holy matrimony. This is marriage and this is why it is sacred.

Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

When a couple, i.e. a husband and wife, honor the Lord within the bounds of marriage, God blesses the union. He is united with them and they are given authority on earth. Adam wasn’t the only one ruling, they ruled together, with the Lord as their guide.

In part, this is why marriage is confined to a biblical definition and nothing more. This is why anything outside of God’s intent for marriage is nothing more than blasphemy against God’s name and an affront to His holiness. Marriage is sacred, it was planned by God for His people and anything outside His definition is just a fake.

Good from Evil

When it comes to making right decisions, whether in choosing a spouse or choosing to honor the Lord, understanding what is good (of God) and what is evil (against God), is of utmost importance.

Genesis 3:22 “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

If a person desires to follow the Lord, they must understand what is of God and what is not. The Lord does not hide Himself, but rather expresses openly and often times publicly what is holy, and good, and true. The very law of the Lord is an expression of God’s character and demonstrates the path of righteousness for all who believe. Evil people will have a limited knowledge of right and wrong but they choose to ignore God and follow their own path.

There are all forms of knowledge and sadly there is a trend in society to exalt people who have acquired more of it. Knowing how to help people, how to fix things, navigate complex problems, or solve relationship issues is wonderful and has contributed to society in many ways, but believers are called to follow God and know His ways. There is no greater form of knowledge than to know the keeper of all knowledge.

Proverbs 24:14 “Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Knowing God

To know God is to love Him.

To walk with the Lord in obedience is the process of growing knowledge into understanding.

Hosea 14:9 “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

God alone is good and His way is everlasting. For those who see beyond the superficial and into the divine, a hunger for God grows deeper. The Word of God is the source of all wisdom and Jesus is the key to making it come alive. the Bible is nothing more than stories, poems, and wise sayings when it is looked upon from an external position.

The Lord is the God of the heart. He transforms inwardly and then reveals it outwardly. There is so much to know about God that people search all their lives and find they’ve barely touched the surface. Thankfully, there is much more to come.

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Life is short, and wisdom is found among those who walk with Christ. He knows you whether you trust Him or not, it’s your great loss if you don’t strive to know Him in return.