“And YHWH would speak to Moshe face to face, as a man speaks to his neighbor."

“Giving all I am to seek your face” sings in the background.

Moses had a relationship with God that was distinct from others. While others would stand at armslength distance back from God and worship at the entrance of their own tent, Moses would seek to be up close and personal with God, speaking with God as a friend face to face.

He sought not only for himself to have a personal relationship with God but for others as well. He established the Tent of Meeting outside of the camp where by Jewish tradition, was a place for outcasts. Besides creating a place outside the camp where people could worship God, he would also bring Joshua along with him, who would continue to linger in the Tent of Meeting with God long after the meetings

Moses had a strong desire to encounter and know God, seek Him wholeheartedly and have God dwell among them where others could experience Him for themselves.

“Moshe said to YHWH: See, you, you say to me: Bring this people up! But you, you have not let us know whom you will send with me! And you, you said: I have known you by name, and you have found favor in my eyes! So-now-- if I have, pray, found favor in your eyes, pray let me know your ways, that I may (truly) know you, in order that I may find favor in your eyes: See, this nation is indeed your people!”

He said: If my presence were to go (with you), would I cause you to rest easy?

He said to him: If your presence does not go, do not bring us up from here! For wherein, after all, is it to be known that I have found favor in your eyes, I and your people? Is it not (precisely) in that you go with us, and that we are distinct, I and your people from every people that is on the face of the soil?

YHWH said to Moshe: Also this world that you have spoken, I will do, for you have found favor in my eyes, and I have known you by name.

Then he said: Pray let me see your Glory!

He said: I myself will cause all my Goodliness to pass in front of your face, I will call out the name of YHWH before your face: that I show-favor to whom I show-favor, that I show-mercy to whom I show-mercy. But he said: You cannot see my face, for no human can see me and live.”

(Exodus 33:12-20)

“Show me your heart, show me your ways, show me your glory” sings in the background.

It was Moses' close personal relationship with God that influenced God in intercession to forgive and go with them to the Promised Land. Commentary notes, “Only one who is accustomed to speaking to God face to face can effect forgiveness for Israel's crime.”[1]

In sharing intimacy with God and being His friend, Moses cared about what God cared about. It wasn't that God did not want to forgive and go with them, but He allowed Moses, as He allowed His own Son, to intercede on behalf of the people for their forgiveness, sharing His heart and His ways.

James 5:16 says, “The heartfelt supplication of a righteous man [one approved by God] exerts a mighty influence.”

What is more amazing than this, is that in Jesus we have this face to face access to God to walk and talk with Him as a friend. In His sight, through Jesus, we have open access to share His heart and influence Him through intercession.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:11, “Amen, I say to you, that among them born of women there has not arisen a greater than Yohannan The Baptizer, but a little one in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”

Moses seeing that he had great favor in God's eyes, he became bold to ask for His heart desire, to see God's glory. Glory is the Hebrew word kabod, Strongs #3519. It means weightyness, reputation or wealth [1]. It is the essence of what one presents outward that is of significant value. Children's children are the glory of their grandparents (Prov. 17:6). When Jacob was in Egypt leading under Pharaoh and invited his father to come, he told his brothers to tell him about all his glory in Egypt.

Commentary notes, “When applied to God, the word represents a quality corresponding to Him and by which He is recognized. Joshua commanded Achan to give glory to God, to recognize His importance, worth, and significance (Josh. 7:19). [2]

“All glory and honor and praise... not to us, but to Your Name be the glory” sings.

“YHWH said: Here is a place next to me; station yourself on the rock, and it shall be: when my Glory passes by, I will place you in the cleft of the rock and screen you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand; you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.

Then YHWH said to Moshe: Carve yourself two tablets of stone like the first-ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed. And be ready by the morning: go up in the morning to Mount Sinai, station yourself for me there, on top of the mountain. No man is to go up with you, neither is any man to be seen on all the mountain, neither are sheep or oxen to graze in front of this mountain.

So he carved two tablets of stone like the first-ones. Moshe (started) early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as YHWH had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone. YHWH came down in the cloud, he stationed himself beside him there and called on the name of YHWH.

And YHWH passed before his face and called out: YHWH YHWH God, showing-mercy, showing-favor, long-suffering in anger, abundant in loyalty and faithfulness, keeping loyalty and faithfulness, keeping loyalty to the thousandth (generation) bearing iniquity, rebellion and sin, yet not clearing, clearing (the guilty), calling-to-account the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons and upon the sons' sons, to the third and fourth (generation)!”

(Exodus 33:21-34:7)

What I noticed was that in an outburst of anger, Moses had smashed and destroyed the two stone tablets that contained God's commandments for His people that were revealed by God during a 40 day fast up on the mountain of God. Too often when I mess up significantly, I think the damage is irreparable and I become devastated about it.

Here Moses in his anger destroyed the very oracles of God written by God's own hand --totally irreplaceable. God demonstrates that there is nothing that is not fixable. He tells Moses to bring up new carved stones so He can replace them.

Not only this, but instead of receiving punishment for his mistake and outburst of anger, or in some way being held back or kept at an arm's length from God, God reveals His glory to Moses. God does not condemn him but looks to fully restore Moses.

Since the time of Adam and Eve, God has not looked for ways to banish us for our sin or shame and condemn us, but to fully restore us back to a place of walking and talking with Him in intimacy.

YHWH placed Moses on the rock (Jesus) and passed by Moses with all His glory. He protected Moses by placing him in the cleft of the rock and shading him with His hand until He had passed by. When God revealed Himself, it was by characteristics in His relationship with man that He considered His weightyness, wealth or glory.

One commentary writes, “In contrast to the scenes given in other ancient literatures, where, for instance, the texts speak of physical brightness too great to bear, or of epic descriptions of the gods, our passage is remarkably brief and devoid of physical description. All that is ventured here is a statement of God's essence, or, more precisely, of his essence for human beings: merciful but just....

it is almost as if the text is saying, 'This is all that can be known, intimately of this God, and this is all one needs to know.” There is no shape, no natural manifestation … only words, which describe God's relationship to human beings.” [3]

In Psalm 103:1-13 David praises God for revealing Himself in such a way.  He proclaims, "Praise Yahweh, my soul!  Praise his holy name, all that is within me.  Praise Yahweh, my soul, and never forget all the good he has done:  He is the one who forgives all your sins, the one who heals all your diseases, the one who rescues your life from the pit, the one who crowns you with mercy and compassion, the one who fills your life with blessings so that you become young again like an eagle.  

Yahweh does what is right and fair for all who are oppressed.  He let Moses know his ways.  He let the Israelites know the things he had done.  Yahweh is compassionate, merciful, patient, and always ready to forgive.  He will not always accuse us of wrong or be angry with us forever.  He has not treatated us as we deserve for our sins or paid us back for our wrongs.

As high as the heavens are above the earth -that is how vast mercy is toward those who fear him.   As far as the east is from the west -that is how far he has removed our rebellious acts from himself.  As a father has compassion for his children so Yahweh has compassion for those who fear him."

In another place in the Bible God reveals Himself in His glory by His actions towards man out of these characteristics. He tells John's disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you have seen and heard: Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear the Good News. Whoever doesn't lose his faith in me is indeed blessed.”

What is interesting is that God defines what has value to Him and significance in His existence by His characteristics in relation with the people He created. And the way He describes what defines Him as God to John and his disciples is not by creating the stars or or ruling the angels but by His actions of compassion toward man of cleansing, healing, and restoring.

Lord, I don't know what point I am trying to make other than amazement at Your love for us. Since time began, You have brooded over us and sung a song of love and restoration over us. More and more every day I am coming to believe what You told me years ago, I (we) were created at the center of Your heart. Show us the fullness of Your glory.

I love you in my life everyday. I love that your eyes are continually on me. I am so grateful that You do not only make Yourself available to the select few “Moses's but to all who seek You.

1-2. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 1:114-115

3. Fox, Everett. The Five Books of Moses. Schocken Books, New York. 1983