(20)  But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”  (21)  And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,  (22)  and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Let’s take a look. Does this suggest that Moses got less than he asked for, or less than he had hoped for? Who did Moses see when he saw the backside of God? Clearly, Exodus 33–34 is not informing us that Moses had a glimpse of God’s literal body but only saw his back. But note that Moses couldn't see God's face for He said that 'no man shall see me and live!' To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. YHWH God visited Moses in Mount Sinai but Moses could see only the back side of God. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’” (Exodus 33:19–23). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland recounts the story of Moses and his encounter with the Lord on the mountain. (2)    Since angels differ in rank, then perhaps some angels (or maybe just one angel) is so highly ranked that these rules about dying apply to them (or him), but not to lesser angels. And so Moses, cowering beneath the umbrella of God's palm, waits, surely with face bowed, eyes covered, and pulse racing until God gives the signal. Moses certainly was in God’s presence, just as he was in His presence when he walked up on Mt. 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. It is like turning on the spiritual lights: when we know God personally, we begin to know the truth about God, ourselves, and our world. God is present throughout the events of the exodus. In this sweet scene, Moses wants to see God’s glory, and God protects him, by showing his “backside.” The good news for us is that we live in the new covenant. This passage prompts several questions. God then places Moses in a cleft in the rock, covers Moses with his hand until God passes by, then removes his hand so Moses may see only his back. Exodus 33:18-23  Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  (19)  And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face! But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” – Exodus 33:20. © 2021 // Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church - Richfield, WI. Teams, Task forces, Councils and Committees, Lifeway Spiritual Gift Survey and Resources, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), July 12: The Sower and the Good Soil (Guest Pastor Jake Taxis). We can see an angel without being killed. Moses was allowed to see the back view of God as He passed by. God's would reveal to Moses His self sufficient, eternal unchanging nature through the meaning of His name. 18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. Exodus 33:18-23. It does not explain why Abraham saw the LORD, not just any angel. What could be the shape of God in this context? We can let God’s face shine on us, without getting burnt, because in baptism, we are covered by the pure garments of Christ. Ouch! 33:12–18). Three times prayer asks “let your face shine, that we might be saved.” When God’s face shines on us, it means we are in a personal, face-to-face relationship with God. Generally, we tend to think of the backside of anything as its worst side. 15 For Gregory of Nazanius, what Moses saw was not Jesus, but "the back parts of God, which he leaves behind him as token of himself, like the shadows and reflections of the sun in the water, which show the sun to our weak eyes, because he is too strong for our power of perception." That is, Moses could learn about God's glory through God's name as well. Moses saw the back of God's true and divine and that does not mean Jacob got punked. And yet Moses is said to see the “backside” of God in our text. Anonymous. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! In this more intensive meeting, described in Exodus 34:5–28, As is usual with theoph… Psalm suggestion: Psalm 80: In addition to the readings below, try reading and reflecting on Psalm 80 each day this week. Moses was not focused on personal success, but on the God who could be known. Did God exist before he was born to Mary? Here we see that Moses and others saw God with their own eyes. Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Shepherd of the Hills, a Lutheran Church, located in Richfield, Wisconsin serves the surrounding communities including Hubertus, Colgate, Slinger, Germantown and Menomonee Falls. Scripture can be used, however, to pinpoint the year—1446 BC—in which the Exodus is likely to have occurred. Little wonder that YHWH and Moses have become so close, after Moses convinced his God not to destroy the people in spite of their evil at the base of God's mountain (Ex. This personal relationship changes everything in our world. There are other Bible passages where people saw an angel’s face without any harm. Everyone is welcome! Do we die if we see God’s face, but not if we only see his back? YHWH God visited Moses in Mount Sinai but Moses could see only the back side of God. 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