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Embracing the Face of the Lord in Adoration

Hear the longing and passion expressed by two great men who knew their God. “Show me Your glory!” (Moses in Exodus 33:18). “Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide Your face from me…” (King David in Psalm 27:8, 9). These are common responses from those in Scripture who experienced a visitation from the Lord. Embracing the Lord’s feet in repentance and his hand in obedience are woefully insufficient and unsustainable for them—they are not enough—they must “see his glory”, they must “see his face”. They are consumed with a desire to respond intimately and persistently to God’s living, all-encompassing presence.

This desire to behold the beauty of the Lord face-to-face in loving adoration is seen in the prophet Habakkuk as well.

Interspersed among Habakkuk’s agonizing questions, “Why do you make me look at injustice?” “Why do you tolerate wrong?” “Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Habakkuk 1:3, 13) are exclamations of awe and adoration: “Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One?” “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Habakkuk 1: 12, 2:20).

After asking God to revive his works during the prophet’s remaining years on earth, Habakkuk meditates on God’s glory: “His glory covers the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light” (Habakkuk 3:3, 4). This sounds like Peter, James and John’s experience when they saw Christ “…transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Revelations 22:5 records the Apostle John’s vision of the new Jerusalem: “…there will no longer be any night . . . because the Lord God will illumine them.”

Perhaps the clearest example of Habakkuk embracing the Lord face to face is when he reveals his source of joy. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18). His attitude is reminiscent of the many faith-filled Old Testament men and women described in the latter verses of Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11: 27 tells us that they endured and persevered in adversity “as seeing him who is invisible”.

In Habakkuk 3:17 the prophet describes a farmer’s worst nightmare:  failing crops and dying flocks and herds—a portent of what is ahead. But in the very next verses he declares, “…I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” The Lord’s joy and strength gave him supernatural stamina and certainty—like a deer ascending a steep mountain. Habakkuk surely was “seeing” the invisible God, seeking his face, and drawing great strength from the experience of his loving presence. Hayford writes, “Although everything is terribly wrong in Habakkuk’s external world, he is leaping for joy over his fellowship with Yahweh.”[1] The embrace of the face of the Lord is sustaining his life and joy.

In World Vision’s ministry among the poor, there are no guarantees of success. We continually face many uphill battles against poverty, injustice, apathy, sickness, and physical and spiritual death. Thankfully, progress is seen on many fronts. But in the midst of overwhelming circumstances, Habakkuk offers World Vision staff a model of hope:  Find strength in embracing the invisible Christ. Dance for joy in his presence. Seek new levels of intimacy in heart-to-heart, honest communion. Cling to him like the great cast of “overcomers” described in Hebrews 11, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1).

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[1] Ibid., 1344.

 

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