Pursuit

In January of 2016 the Lord gave me a scripture to study. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be at least a year-long study. Honestly, it’s still stewing in my heart. It has become a filter for my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers, as the springs rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:3

I was pretty excited about this verse. I love learning more about the Lord, and it seemed like a refreshing, dreamy type of year ahead of me. Well, not exactly. 2016 was a tough year. Like, in the top three of hard years. I was hoping for a stroll through botanical gardens, but what I got instead was a Bear Grylls’ episode. Pressing on to know the Lord was a lot like eating grubs and climbing the worse-case-scenario side of a hill while wearing soaking wet clothes. Okay, sure, there are some highlights. I’m alive to tell the story—thanks to the grubs; I made a new life-long friend; and I saw some great “scenery”. Oh, yeah, and I know the Lord better today than I did in January of 2016.

So, I thought I’d write about some of the things I’m learning as I’m pressing on to know the Lord. Being the nerd that I am, I enthusiastically started my study with context and original language.

Context

There is a parallel given in the book of Hosea between God’s relationship with an unfaithful Israel and that of Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute. It contains some of the most graphic, even shocking, use of the Hebrew language in the Old Testament. Because God’s word to Israel mirrors Hosea’s marriage / love for his wife, the affections and desires of God can be relatable and personal. God intensely loves his people and he wants us to pursue the covenant that he provides—it is abundant life.

I definitely wondered if the Lord was pointing out unfaithfulness in my life. I’m not perfect, incredibly flawed actually, but I wouldn’t describe myself as unfaithful. However, the more I press on to know the Lord, the other loves in my heart, soul, mind, and strength are becoming painfully obvious. Without a doubt, I heard the Lord’s cry to be my First Love and I’ve had to renew that place for him.

Original Language

I am limiting myself to four words so I don’t geek out on you. But I would like to encourage you to dig into the original language when you study scripture. Sometimes our English translations barely tap into the treasury of meaning within the Hebrew and Greek languages. Here are couple of my favorite resources: www.blueletterbible.org and Mounce’s Dictionary of New and Old Testament Words. On blueletterbible.org, look up a verse, click on a word / phrase to see its original language, meaning, and other uses. In Mounce’s Dictionary of New and Old Testament Words, you’ll get a more in depth look at the original languages.

• Hosea means “deliverance” and is derived from the Hebrew word for salvation. The name Jesus or Yeshua is a form of the name Hosea. So, one could say there are shadows of Christ in both the book and person of Hosea.

• Let us know — “Know” is translated from the Hebrew word yada. Yada has a couple of unique layers that separate it from other words translated as “know”. One, it involves both sensory experience and intellectual perception. Two, this type of knowledge comes from intimate relationships. It’s used to describe the knowledge a husband and wife have of each other, and the knowledge that comes from being in covenant with someone. When we press on to “know” the Lord we are gaining knowledge that can only be gained in covenant, and that knowledge will be both heart and head—full understanding.

• Press on – the Hebrew word radap means to “pursue, follow after, from behind, and even harass.” The positive use of this word carries the notion of seeking something zealously, like a hunter seeking game (William Mounce). The two things that stood out to me as I studied were “from behind” and “harass”. I will talk more about this in the weeks ahead, but how much fun is it to have permission to “harass” the Lord. I’ve taken it to heart too. But always mindful to stay behind him and not to get ahead of him. Fun find: radap is also used to describe God’s pursuit of us—goodness and mercy “follow” me all the days of my life (Psalm 23). That totally leads me to the last words.

• His going out and he will come to us – I love the picture and the promise here of two-sided pursuit. The verse starts off by God calling us to repent and to press on to know him, but ends with a double emphasis of his pursuit toward us. The Hebrew word motsa is used first and its meaning denotes the leaving of one place and going to another. Hosea describes God’s going out to be as faithful as the sunrise. Then, in the next line, he will come to us as the showers, the Hebrew word bo is used. Bo involves moving toward a specific goal. Isn’t that great?!? God’s pursuit of us isn’t random or chaotic, it is purposed and specific. Of course, the description of showers and water points to Jesus being Living Water, we are washed in the Word, baptism, and more. What else do you see?

So, that’s how this study got started. I explored the four themes seen in the context and language above—first love, intimate knowledge, pressing (harassing) the Lord, and how he meets us—more and more throughout the year. I can’t wait to share more with you.

As I was writing I was reminded of these lyrics from a song called “Pressing On” by Kelanie Gloeckler.

“The blaze in Your gaze is drawing me into You,
I’m being chased by the very one that I pursue”