Saturday, March 12, 2011

To "know" and then to "KNOW"

OK, so I was thinking....(OH NO!!!! RIGHT???) Anyway, I keep running across this word and I hear people use it and I wonder sometimes if they know what they are saying or maybe they mean one thing and it is coming out wrong. We use words like hope, worship, know and a million others that I wonder if people really use them right. Please understand that I don't use them right either. Please don't think that I do. I am so far but I have found that I am choosing my words a bit more carefully and thinking through them before they come out of my mouth.
So, let's take this word "KNOW" and run with it.
Know- according to Websters means to perceive directly : have direct cognition of (2) : to have understanding of (3) : to recognize the nature of : discern to recognize as being the same as something previously known (2) : to be acquainted or familiar with
So we use this particular word all of the time.
I know how to do that.
I know what her/his name is.
I know who that is.
I know my children.
I know the Lord.
I know the Word.
I know what the Word says.
Now, if you were to look at the meaning behind the word "know" in the context of scripture. At times there is the same know as above. You have knowledge of someone. You know what their name is. You have met them. You may even know their spouse and their children. You have "head-knowledge" of that person. You know them. Does that make sense? You can even know the Lord. You can know the Word. You can even know what the Word says. Now let's look at the word in a different light. Know in scripture can be used in a different way. Looking at the Lexical Aids in my Bible takes it to a whole new level.
KNOW- YADA- to know (Qal) to know 1a to know, learn to know 1a to perceive 1a to perceive and see, find out and discern 1a to discriminate, distinguish 1a to know by experience 1a to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess 1a to consider to know, be acquainted with to know (a person carnally) to know how, be skillful in to have knowledge, be wise (Niphal) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed to make oneself known to be perceived to be instructed (Piel) to cause to know (Poal) to cause to know (Pual) to be known known, one known, acquaintance (participle) (Hiphil) to make known, declare (Hophal) to be made known (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself know for certain4, know with certainty1, know assuredly1, (*This is the Old Testament Word.  If you look in the New Testament it would be Ginosko and the meanings are almost identical)
I realize that was a lot but let's look at it. Stick with me on this one. To know means to know someone or something by experience. As in the way a husband and wife would know one another. You know by a real experience and not just casual, on the surface, it is intimate.
Let's go back to that list again.
I know how to do that (because I have done it in the past and good at it)
I know what her/his name is. (He is my husbands best friend and has been in our home)
I know who that is. (We have been to dinner together before and she is a wonderful person.)
I know my children.(I gave birth to them and they live with me.)
I know the Lord. (I have seen Him work in my life in big and small ways)
I know the Word. ( I read the word and it is alive and active in my life.)
I know what the Word says. (I read the Word and it is being written on my heart and in my head.)
I so hope that I have not totally lost you.  Stick with me.  I promise it will all make sense.  When we know (yada) someone or something we know (yada) by experience.  So this is the way that I look at it and it speaks so loudly at me.
I know, by personal experience, that the Lord loves me.
I know, by personal experience, that He has a perfect plan for me.
I know, by personal experience, that He is my Savior and my Lord.
I know, by personal experience, that His Word is alive and active in my life. 
Does that make sense now?
We can have all the head knowledge in the world but if we don't have that personal experience, yada, of Him, we are missing so very much.
Do you know, by personal experience, yada, the Lord?

I pray that this is something for you to think on today.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Doula Mama Pam

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful thing to YADA the LORD! For most of my life I had only heard bits and pieces of who He was/is--but now I YADA HIM!!! YAHOO!
Joanne