Preparing to See God's Face

We place a high value on seeing.

I am not thinking about sight itself, but being in the presence of someone or something. It is one thing to see high quality photos of the Grand Canyon or to see it on the big screen. It is quite another thing to see the Grand Canyon in person, to actually see it with your own eyes.

I once saw President Regan. (Well, actually I saw his motorcade as it passed through town. With tinted windows, no one really knew which car was his.) But I did see President George W. Bush in person! I was in the presence of the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world.

We like to tell family and friends and new acquaintances about our sightings. For many of us our special sightings give us a sense of pride, perhaps even, a sense of identity.

There were no more than a hundred people in attendance when I saw President Bush. He came to our school district to announce the enactment of a new education bill. Only those with tickets were allowed a seat at this event.

I had only recently been hired by the school district to oversee the district’s student data system. Because of my job I was housed in the district’s central office. Along with the school board, those of us in central office were given a ticket, so also a number of city dignitaries and a few others.

We were all told how to dress, what to bring, what to leave behind, when to arrive, and where to sit. For security reasons we didn’t drive; we were transported. The press conference was held in a high school gymnasium, but it was all very formal. I felt very important. (In reality, I was just lucky enough to have an office in the right building in the district).

I guess you might say that that’s my claim to fame. The President never looked straight at me, but only in my direction as he scanned the crowd. Still, I saw the President, in person.

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When Moses approached the burning bush, God told him to remove his sandals because he was he was standing on holy ground. Even then, it was an angel of the Lord that appeared to him in the burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-5)

When the Israelites were camped at Mt. Sinai, God told Moses that He wanted to speak to the people. However, they had to be consecrated. That means that they had to be set apart to God before this meeting could take place. They were to wash their clothes before approaching the mountain where God would come down to speak to them. A boundary was set and a warning was issued: Neither the people nor their animals should cross the boundary when the Lord came near. Anyone crossing the boundary would die. The reason? God is holy. (See Exodus 19.)

The Psalmist once asked who could stand in the holy place of God, that is, in the presence of God. The answer:

The one who has innocent hands and a pure heart; the person who does not delight in what is false and does not swear an oath deceitfully. 

—Psalm 24:4

Jesus brought this psalm forward in a beatitude:

Blissful are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

—Matthew 5:8

In our day, those who are pure in heart and who avoid falsehood are rare.

Do you long to see God’s face?

Do you understand how to prepare your heart and your lips?

Mark Stinnett

January 30, 2022