Writings by Barri Cae Mallin

The Pursuit

Thursday 26 August 2004 - 13:20:59

There is a beautiful hidden verse in an obscure book of Hosea, in the
Old Testament. Hosea was a prophet, called by God, to love a woman who did not love him. It is a beautiful story of love and future redemption. But the hidden verse is one to note.

In the sixth chapter, third verse, it says:
Let us therefore know, let us follow on to know the LORD....

it reads in Hebrew
v'nayd- ah neer-d'fah l'dah-aht et Adonai

Within the verse, the use of the word YADA is found. According to a
concordance I use, it says that YADA in hebrew is one of the most important Hebrew roots used in the Old Testament, because it expresses a broad variety of meanings of various types of knowledge which are gained through the senses.

Hmmmmm? knowledge gained through the senses?

And YADA can mean learning, lamentation, skill in hunting; it can
describe one's relationship to the true God or false gods.

YADA is also known for sexual relations in the Bible. YADA can be to acquire knowledge, be acquainted with, intimate with, familiar with, aware of.

Then there is a word - rah-daph, although it is somewhat disguised:
neer-d'fah. That word means to run after, chase, hunt, pursue.

So when I go back to the verse, and i read :
Let us know
to hunt
to know
the LORD (ADONAI)

it reads pretty strong! What an application for today. When I stop to
think of the 'gods' that I chase, truly there is only one God worthy of my chased time - Yeshua Jesus. Do I find myself 'hunting to know' the latest current events? the current trends? the latest gossip?
Or am I hunting to know the ONE who loves me most?

He came as a baby, walked among us, died, lives again. And He is so ALL -
that even today, yes, even today -
wise men still seek (YADA-rah-daph) Him.

Let us therefore know, let us follow on to know the LORD: his going
forth is sure as the morning, and he shall come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth.
Hosea 6:3

Copyright © Barri Cae Mallin.