GOD'S FACE
DRAPER’S PAPER ROUTE
GOD’S FACE
by Adam Carroll Draper
For around six months last year, I read the passage about God putting Moses in the cleft of the rock every morning. This is odd behavior (reading the same thing over and over and over), but I cannot be deterred by an admission of the obvious at this late juncture. The gist of the encounter is that God was done with the children of Israel because they were acting like, well… us. The English word for what God called them in the King James version is “stiffnecked.” God told Moses that he would send some angels to lead them into the promised land, but He was not going. He was done.
Moses was cheeky. He told God something like, “Well if you’re not going, I’m not going.” Are you kidding me? If we were to study the etymology of chutzpah, I’ll bet you a beer it comes from this moment. Moses tells God that it’s not going to look good for Godbiz (my term) for him to do that. Loosely Moses said, “So you lead us out of Egypt to leave us in the desert? How’s this going to look to the neighbors?”
Moses changed God’s mind. That’s not really possible. (Selah). It’s like God was setting Moses up with a sweet one over the plate, and Moses went yard on him. Chutzpah!
That is not why I read this over and over and over again. Once Moses knew he had God’s favor, he seized the moment as if he thought, “Here’s my chance, got to go for it.”
Moses said, “Show me your glory.”
God answered, “You can’t see my face; no man can see my face and live.”
Did I just miss something? Moses wants to see God’s glory (kavod), and God says you can’t see my face. What? This is in chapter 33 of Exodus. I copied the passage from the Orthodox Jewish Version (OJV), and stuck some translations in that from Strongs Concordance to get the following:
“15 And he said unto Him, If Thy Presence (Paneh) go not with me, bring us not up from here [Sinai]. 16 For how then shall it be known (yada) that I and Thy people have found chen (grace) in Thy sight (ayin)? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? So shall we be made distinct as separate, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face (paneh) of ha’adamah (the earth). 17 And Hashem said unto Moshe, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found chen (grace) in My sight (ayin), and I know (yada) thee by shem (name). 18 And he said, show (ra’a– also means realize, know) me now Thy kavod (glory). 19 And He said, I will make kol tuvi (all My goodness) pass (abar) in front (al paneh) of thee, and I will call out (b’qara) with the Shem of Hashem (literally: Name of The Name) before (l’paneh) thee; and will be gracious (chanon) to whom I will be gracious, and will show rachamim (mercies) on whom I will show rachamim. 20 And He said, Thou canst not see (ra’a) My face (paneh); for there shall no adam (man) see (ra’a) Me, and live. 21 And Hashem said, Hinei (behold), there is a place (maqom) near Me, and thou shalt stand (nasab) upon the tzur (rock); 22 And it shall come to pass (haya), while My kavod passeth (abar) by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the tzur, and will cover thee with My yad (hand) until I pass (abar) by; 23 And I will take away Mine yad, and thou shalt see (ra’a) My back (ahor); but My face (paneh) shall not be seen (ra’a).” Exodus (Shemot) 33:15-23.
God tells Moses, you can’t see my face, but I will show you the trail of my glory. Notice how the Father sort of associates his face with his glory, that the word for face is the same as the word for front. It’s like God is saying that Moses cannot see what’s coming (what’s in front), but he can see where God’s been. Later, when God puts Moses in the cleft of the rock and passes his glory in front (paneh) of Moses, God speaks his name (the divine nature) out.
I am going to leave this right here for the sake of digestion. I double dog dare you to read this passage over and over and over. It’s trippy.
If you got anything out of this missive, please give it a thumbs up, comment and/or share it. It helps. I sincerely appreciate that you took the time to read it.