ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

SIULAI 17, 2023

 חזון Given Eyes to See

KO E MATA KE MAMATA

1 SAMUEL 3:1

NOW THE BOY SAMUEL WAS MINISTERING TO THE LORD IN THE PRESENCE OF ELI. AND THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS RARE IN THOSE DAYS; THERE WAS NO FREQUENT VISION.

1 SAMIUELA 3:1

PEA ko e tamasi‘i ko Sāmiuela na‘a ne fai ‘a e tauhi ‘o Sihova ‘i he ‘ao ‘o ‘Īlai, pea ko e folofola ‘a Sihova na‘e ma‘ungata‘a ‘i he taimi ko ia: na‘e ‘ikai ha vīsone ‘e pā mai.

Much like our word "vision" is derived from the act of seeing, the Hebrew equivalent, chazon, is from chazah ("see" or "perceive"). Related to this is the title Seer or Ro'eh (from ra'ah, "see"), which was the former name for prophets (1 Sam. 9:9). To have a vision, a chazon, necessarily involves the eyes. But notice: in Samuel's day, "no frequent vision" is synonymous with "the word of the LORD was rare." We link vision to the eye and word to the ear, but in the OT, God's Word is sometimes seen, not just heard. It-or, rather, he - makes himself visible. So it was with Samuel. When God's Word was revealed to him in this vision, "the LORD came and stood" (3:10). This is a coming-and-standing word. This Word is his messenger, his Son, who both speaks and appears.

These appearances of the Word readied our hearts for when "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). No longer a temporary vision, this flesh-and-blood Word got dust on his feet, breathed our air, and emptied out his veins that, in him, we might feast our eyes on the love of God for us.

O Holy Spirit, give us eyes to see the mercy of the Father embodied in his Son.