Meditations from Zion

Of all the senses, I find it fascinating that the writer of Hebrews uses taste twice in the same sentence to describe the human experience of the things of God, that is the heavenly gift and word of God. That sense we use every day when eating but rarely do modern believers “taste” God.

Hebrews 6:4-6a
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance . . .

Even back in Psalms [34:8], we are encouraged to “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him,” or in verse 119:103, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! ”

There must be something then about the intimacy of eating and tasting that is particular to the Word of God (both Jesus Himself [“eat of my body and drink of my blood” John 6:52] and the words imparted to us through scriptures), as well as the heavenly gift (which could be any number of things, but in my mind, it’s pure grace).

Just a cursory glance through commentaries about these verses shows many have decried and argued and professed to know what they really mean. I can’t begin to make such a claim. I don’t even want to discuss what it might be to taste these things and then, by virtue of “falling away,” losing access to repentance. The whole idea gives me the heeby-geebies. The texts that fall on both sides of the aisle are numerous from the simplified “once saved, always saved,” to the stricter interpretation of “human will” to the more Calvinist interpretation that all human acts fall under the express sovereignty and rule of God. I realize there are issues here.

But what about this taste business? If I just focus on this one piece of information, this one phenomenon, I believe there is something here for me today that can transcend all of the rhetoric and apologetics.

Taste is a matter of detection, discovery and discernment. Everyone responds to foods differently, depending on the sophistication of their palate. Some people have affinities for certain tastes and aversion to others. On average, the human tongue has between 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds. It’s highly personal and individualistic.

And so, here’s my small point: when we taste the things of God, we all have a different experience. For some, it is a rich, sweet taste and suffuses the mind. For others, something else, like savory [or to use the latest word, umami] and maybe, depending on the circumstances, even bitter or sour or salty.

But in any case, the taste is strong and unique. Like the spelled “turkish delight” that drove Edmund in the Lion, Witch & the Wardrobe to make all kinds of poor choices, the taste of heavenly things is intimately memorable. I’m guessing or supposing that the taste sense somehow brings into sharp focus the other senses so that what is seen or heard or touched suddenly has a much needed added dimension.

Perhaps the next time I sit at a meal and pray a blessing on the food, I might add a silent prayer to expand my understanding of tasting the things of God.