"In their sight"

This week's readings were imposing.  Ezekiel's visions of the four living creatures with their  human, lion, ox and eagle heads are grandiose.  David's preparations, with his organization of Levites, priests, and musicians, on behalf of his son Solomon, who is to build the house of the Lord, are significant.  Even the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua is impressive as it happened before the whole congregation.  A part of me wonders how li'l me could even dare attempt any interpretation of these passages. However, one thing I am confident of is the blessing given to those who seek to understand God.  Proverbs 8:35 states, "Whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor."  So under such encouragement, I will proceed with what stood out to li'l me this week.

"In their sight" is a common phrase that was used.  When Moses is about to pass along his leadership role to Joshua, God requests that the transition occurs in "sight" of the entire congregation (Numbers 27:19).  I'm all but certain that the impressive handover was to make Joshua's authority as official as possible.  There was to be no doubt about who was in charge. 

The phrase "in their sight" is used again when God is instructing Ezekiel about how he is to carry his "exile baggage" -  a symbol for how the rebellious house of Judah will be treated.  It appears seven times within the first seven verses of chapter 12.  The strangeness of Ezekiel's symbolic actions - digging through walls and bringing his baggage through them (Ezekiel 12:5) - loses luster if no one is there to see it.  Through Ezekiel, God is trying to get people's attention.   

"Wait and see."  "Seeing is believing."  "You got to see it to believe it."  All of these clichés communicate the powerful connection between sight and belief.  Sure, we can be told about others' experiences, and this can be quite persuasive; however, there is nothing quite like witnessing it with one's own eyes. 

For example, this weekend, I was visiting with friends, and while we were sitting on the sidewalk of Main Street, eating ice cream, watching the cars go by, a previous student of mine, from a district miles away from where my friends and I were enjoying dessert, stuck his head out of a passing car and shouted, "Ms. Black?!"  I waved, and my friends laughed wholeheartedly after witnessing this coincidental encounter.  My family's response to my retelling of it though was more mild - they smiled and said, "That's nice."  Seeing with one's eyes what would otherwise be heard or read adds a layer of personal experience that can enhance the message. 

I would dare suggest that this is why Paul talks about putting "no obstacle in anyone's way" related to how one acts (2 Corinthians 6:3).  If we are to be God's children, then our actions should demonstrate such, through "great endurance" in afflictions and hardships, by practicing patience and kindness and "truthful speech" (2 Corinthians 6:4-8).  We need to give those around us something noteworthy to pay attention to, so that, as we are "in their sight," they witness the manifestation of God in our lives.