The Divine Dialogue

For now I know that a God-fearer you are Genesis 22:12

Know – Do I know you?  Do you know me?  The quality of our relationship depends entirely on how you and I answer these two questions.  That is particularly true in Hebrew where the word for “know” is yada, an umbrella verb that covers a significant number of aspects of real relationships.  You can appreciate the immense scope of the meaning of this word when you realize that Jesus uses it to say, “I know my sheep,” and “I know Him (the Father),” and that terrible verse, “I never knew you.”  If we are going to have deeply satisfying relationships with God and with others, we must enter into yada as a way of life.

So what does it mean to live a life of yada?  I suspect that it has something to do with a long conversation in the same direction.  I can’t tell you for sure because, quite frankly, I’m struggling my way through this too.  My guess is that all of us find self-revelation difficult.  Isn’t it nice to know that God is completely willing to make Himself known to us?  He doesn’t withhold His greatest concerns or His deepest emotions.  He tells us everything we need to know in order to trust Him completely.  And, of course, His actions back up His words.  That’s the pattern I want to follow.  I want covenant conversations where I can tell my spouse and my God everything they need to know about me.  I want them to know my life like the open book that God demonstrates to me.  But I’m afraid.  I’m afraid that if I reveal all of my fears and failures and faults, I will be humiliated and rejected.  After all, I know myself and I have enough difficulty accepting how far I am from my own standard.  I simply can’t imagine how anyone else could know all about me and still love me.

That’s when I need confrontation.  Yes, that’s right.  Most of us think that in those moments when we feel most vulnerable, we need consolation.  But I believe the Bible suggests something else.  It suggests that in those moments when I am most hesitant to continue the covenant conversation, I need to confront the holy God.  Why?  Because holiness guarantees that God will never do anything that is not in my best interest.  He is holy.  He has no ulterior motives.  He is not out for revenge.  He will take me by the hand and guide me through the most difficult moments of self-revelation because He knows that the conversation must continue if I am to become myself.  I must be confronted with His holiness if I am going to be able to trust Him.

That confrontation helps me continue the conversation with others.  They don’t know me like God knows me.  That’s obvious.  But unless I am willing to let God’s holiness guide my self-revelation, I will withhold conversation even from God.  I will fear Him and try to protect myself.  That will end the dialogue.  When I know that He is talking with me, then I can begin to talk to someone else.  One conversation leads to another.

If you have as much trouble as I do being an open book in human relationships, maybe you and I need to go back to the divine dialogue with holiness.  Maybe we need to absorb the security God offers us before we can speak words of truth to others.  Maybe we need to start again.  “Lord, can I talk with You?”

Topical Index:  Conversation