Have You Ever Tasted God?

There is an e-mail going around that depicts a college professor having an argument with one of his students about the existence of God using mathematical and scientific rules of logic.  Part of there conversation follows.

"Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe e in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice is confident: "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him"

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever actually felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God
for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

---end quote---

Despite the student beating the professor through many other arguments not quoted here, is the above text biblically sound?  I think not.  My Bible says that I can "see" and "taste" God.  Notice...

 

Ps 34:1-9
34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Notice the commentary:
 
Ps 34:8
[O taste and see] This is an address to others, founded on the experience of the psalmist. He had found protection from the Lord; he had had evidence of His goodness; and he asks now of others that they would make the same trial which he had made. It is the language of piety in view of personal experience; and it is such language as a young convert, whose heart is filled with joy as hope first dawns on his soul, would address to his companions and friends, and to all the world around; such language as one who has had any special comfort, or who has experienced any special deliverance from temptation or from trouble, would address to others. Lessons, derived from our own experience, we may properly recommend to others; the evidence which has been furnished US that God is good, we may properly employ in persuading others to come and taste his love. The word "taste" here-Taa`am (OT:2938)-means properly to try the flavor of anything, Job 12:11; to eat a little so as to ascertain what a thing is, 1 Sam 14:24,29,43; Jonah 3:7; and then to perceive by the mind, to try, to experience, Prov 31:18. –(from Barnes' Notes)

When God protects us, blesses us, answers a prayer, heals us, gives us increase and on and on, we taste Him.  One definition of "taste" is...

To perceive as if by the sense of taste.

When these things happen to us, like answer prayer and healing or when we experience unction [1 John 2:20] or get insight on something spiritual, we 'perceive' or taste God.

To perceive is to...

1] To become aware of directly through any of the senses.
2] To achieve understanding of; apprehend.
 
The little word "see" has many definitions and most fit verse 8:

1] To have a mental image of; visualize: They could still see their hometown as it once was.
2] To understand; comprehend.
3] To consider to be; regard.
4] To believe possible; imagine.
5] To know through firsthand experience.
6] To find out.
7] To take note of; recognize.
8] To meet or be in the company of.
9] To share the companionship of.

One can easily see how these apply.

The word "see" used in verse 8 is ra'ah

OT:7200
 
ra'ah (raw-aw'); a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary)

Let us look at the words "transitive", "intransitive" and "causative."

Transitive:  Logic & Mathematics. Of or relating to a relationship between three elements such that if the relationship holds between the first and second elements and between the second and third elements, it necessarily holds between the first and third elements. Examples of transitive relationships are equality for numbers and divisibility for integers.

Example:

If God is the first element and answered prayer [our answered prayer] is the second element, then we are the third element.  Answered prayer is a proof of God.  This has been a teaching of the church from the beginning.  Therefore if we pray to an "unseen" God and He answers the prayer, we immediately "see" the relationship between the first and second element [God and the specific answered prayer].  The answered prayer directly affects us, so clearly there is a relationship between the second and third elements.  Therefore, it holds that there must be a relationship between elements one and three [God and us].  We "see" God.

Intransitive: A concrete example of intransitivity that arises in food chains: wolves eat deer, and deer eat grass, but wolves do not eat grass. Thus the eat relation among life forms is intransitive.
 
Thus, in the case of something we experience from God like answered prayer:

I prayed for a healing from a disease.  I was healed.  I did not perform the healing.  Therefore the healing must have come from the being I prayed to...God.  Therefore I "see" God by intransitive process.

Causative: producing an effect.  Again, using answered prayer or even unction, when we experience these things, an effect has been produced.  Something happened.  We pray to God for something to happen or we have faith in God that something will happen.  When the effect is produced, we "see" God.

Therefore, and getting back to the discussion between professor and student, we see and taste God BY DEFINITION OF TERMS.  The conversation I quoted from professor and student is not sound.  We can see and taste God.

Have YOU ever tasted or seen God?


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