StrawberryBoots
New member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2016
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- 407
I wonder what the relationship between "knowing someone" in the Biblical sense and the question of God's existence is.
To "know someone" Biblically means to have a sexual intimacy with that person, but I find it interesting that sexual intimacy leads to "knowing" someone.
In my opinion, the idiom or figure of speech you're referring to as "sexual intimacy" is a narrow misrepresentation of the meaning of Genesis 4:1, "Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived."
I understand, many of the English Bible translations for the word "know" (yada') is "sex," as it appears in Genesis 4:1, but after I studied Strong's Hebrew definition from the original Hebrew text, I've come to an alternate conclusion on the meaning of the word "know" (yada').
As is the case in English, the Hebrew word for "know" can indicate one is cognizant of something; however, in Old Testament Hebrew, the concept of knowing something or "knowing someone" takes on a particular meaning that has to do with relationships that are founded on the making of a covenant.
With that in mind, I think when Moses writes in Genesis that Adam "knew" (yada') Eve, he's talking about a monogamous, committed covenant-relationship, as in a marriage.
A physical relationship between a couple doesn't exhaust the meaning of the word "know" in the covenant sense. I think sexual intimacy in marriage is only a small part of God's plan for a couple to demonstrate love to each other.
And if that's the case, materialists/denialists who lack intimacy with God would have no knowledge of Him. With no knowledge of God comes no evidence of God.
And they wouldn't be lying from their view as they have no experience of God. In the same way, Photographs of your loved ones wouldn't be the evidence of (Storge) love. The evidence of (Storge) love would be in our daily lived experience of them.
In my experience, the evidence of God is the Fruit of the Spirit, made possible by God's covenant with us through Christ. It's life changing.