Andrea Sims Ph.D. : A Morning Page: Unfolding Ya’da

 

A Morning Page: Unfolding Ya’da 

(Hebrew for “to know”)

Andrea L. Sims Ph.D.

You might recall from my first blog that “unfold” means to reveal, disclose, or to open up. For me, during this season of my life, I’m being asked to open up and share more of myself than I have, perhaps, in the past. And then there is the “morning page” thing. I wrote a bit about that in the second blog: it’s my way of thinking through and exploring words or thoughts or ideas that won’t leave me alone. So, what you have in my blogs is my personal journey of exploration as it comes to me over time. Oh, if you could just see my desk at this moment! It’s covered with notes of this and that for this particular unfolding. I hope you can stay with me as I attempt to gather my “ocean clutter” of tidbits on this idea of “to know” that have been floating around in my mind since mid-June (6/14/23 to be exact). 

Here we go: Ya’da!

Ya’da (yaw-daw) is Strong’s H3045 and occurs at least 947 times in the KJV. It means to know, known, knowledge, perceive, tell, understand, consider, declare. Further, to learn to know, to perceive, discern, discriminate, distinguish, to know by experience, to recognize, to be wise.

At first glance, you may not see the connection between “ya’da” and Jeremiah 15:16, but, trust me, there is one. 

“Your words were found

and I did eat them;

and your Word was unto me

the joy and rejoicing

of my heart:

for I am called by your name,

O Yahuah Elohai Tseva’oth.”

“Your words”: Notice, not just any words are stated here. The Prophet Jeremiah is narrowing down his subject to just Yah’s words. Man has written and spoken many things about Yah’s words, but does anything really take the place of Yah’s? I think not. Jeremiah is being very specific here. 

“. . . were found”: Notice, too, that Yah’s words were found. Is the implication here that Jeremiah had been searching for them? I guess we can stumble upon things and “find them” but I don’t believe that is the case here. “Seek and ye shall find” comes to mind. Purposeful, intentional, even needful can be implied, too.  

“. . . and I did eat them”: Okay. Here we are getting to the connection. In Hebrew, the word for eat is akala. It’s Strong’s number 398 and literally or figuratively means to consume or devour. Brown-Driver-Briggs adds another level of meaning: “to eagerly receive”.

I was flooded with questions at this point as I attempted to begin connecting the idea of “eating” and “knowing”, but I will spare you the “ocean clutter”—that tangled mess of thoughts, ideas, quotes, etc.—that plagues me at times. I finally came to what was brewing: By using the word “eat” to take in Yah’s words, Jeremiah provides us with a metaphor: Metabolism. Here’s the definition of what happens in the natural:

Metabolism refers to the whole sum of reactions that occur throughout the body within each cell and that provide the body with energy. This energy gets used for vital processes and the synthesis of new organic material. (digest, soak in, consume take in, assimilate).

I have heard, and believe, that what is first is natural and then spiritual. As I went to bed, I began to think about the process of eating in spiritual terms. I have said many times (quoting 1st Corinthians 13:9-12) that I only know in part, that I look through a glass darkly, and that I know nothing yet as I ought. But I woke up this morning feeling like I’m peeking into a mystery. 

What’s involved in the preparation of a meal? We know from experience that it takes time for what we eat to be turned into the energy that we need to be alive. There’s a process involved—a whole series of reactions that leads to transformation. I had to ask myself some serious questions at this point? You might have your own, though.

Is there a corresponding preparation of the heart? Can we compare the process of metabolism to the process that might be occurring as we read or hear Yah’s words that transforms our very lives? How do the words (heard or read) turn into the “knowing” that shows up as joy (an inward experience) and rejoicing (an outward expression of that inward joy)?

Is my time in Yah’s word intentional? Purposeful? Am I seeking information? Did I clear my own thoughts that I might hear Yah’s? Am I able to “taste and see that Yah is good”? Am I hungry for what Yah has for me in his word? Do I receive it eagerly? Do I realize that his word is “alive and active”? Am I stopped in my tracks at times to just soak in his word? 

Or do I “eat and run”—onto the next thing on my to-do list? Do I gobble up a chapter or two without “chewing” on it? Do I just grab what’s handy – open it randomly and read the same way? Or do I eat someone else’s portion posted on-line?

I’m beginning to see that Yah has a design for natural metabolism as well as spiritual metabolism. He would have us commune with our own hearts upon our bed and be still; to meditate on what he shows us; to write them upon our heart (memorizing them); to take notes and post where we can read and reread (repetition is a learning tool). He admonishes us to “remember” and to “forget not” over and over. 

It takes times to metabolize the food we eat. And it takes time for Yah’s word to become the spiritual knowing that leads to belief and trust and that joy that Jeremiah talks about. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Leave me a comment!