12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? We can let God’s face shine on us, without getting burnt, because in baptism, we are covered by the pure garments of Christ. (23) Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”. 13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. What could be the shape of God in this context? Ouch! That is, Moses could learn about God's glory through God's name as well. Of Asaph, a Psalm. 18 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! So, Moses saw God's glory passing by, which means a change of position. 9 years ago. 80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. God did not show his glory to Jacob if you read God was in the form of a man and not in his true divine form. This personal relationship changes everything in our world. Shortly after his vision, Moses is tempted by Satan. That is possible, but less likely than the next possibility. Did God exist before he was born to Mary? 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. YAHWEH said to Moses: “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 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; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” Restore Us, O God God is present throughout the events of the exodus. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! Good News Translation Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back but not my face." Is God a physical person with literal body parts including a face, a hand and a back? Exodus 33:12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou … Because of this, we cannot see God’s face and live: God’s holiness would meet our sin, and destroy the sin, and us in the process! (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. In the New Testament, we learn that Moses and Jacob did not see God in some abstract, intangible way. Moses saw the back of God's true and divine and that does not mean Jacob got punked. What, then, does Exodus 33:11 mean by saying God and Moses spoke “face to face”? In this sweet scene, Moses wants to see God’s glory, and God protects him, by showing his “backside.” The … Luke 1:11 – An angel appeared to the father of John the Baptist. Sinai and saw the bush burning. This is not a satisfactory answer for two reasons that I can think of. One of them bore the name of God (Gen 18:23). 18); and, further, he shall be so placed as to see as much as mortal man can behold of "his glory" - God will pass by him, and when he has passed, Moses shall be allowed to look after him, and see what is here called "his back." The devil, we are told, gets the hindmost. 5 1. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on … God knew him, as we saw from Deuteronomy 34 at the beginning, God knew him face-to-face - and actually God's glory rested upon his face. Whatever he saw of God’s nature transformed into blazing light is referred to as “God’s back” and was never subsequently described by Moses … Elder Jeffrey R. Holland recounts the story of Moses and his encounter with the Lord on the mountain. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’” (Exodus 33:19–23). 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. Moses was not focused on personal success, but on the God who could be known. Some examples (and there are more): Genesis 18 – Three angels spoke with Abraham and Sarah. To protect Moses, God put him “in a cleft in the rock” and covered him with His hand as He passed by (verse 22). 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. 8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. And does God need such things as literal hands with opposable thumbs? Clearly, Exodus 33–34 is not informing us that Moses had a glimpse of God’s literal body but only saw his back. He was seeing the pre-incarnate Christ. 32: 11-14). 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 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. Psalm suggestion: Psalm 80: In addition to the readings below, try reading and reflecting on Psalm 80 each day this week. And yet Moses is said to see the “backside” of God in our text. Enter your email address to subscribe to the SOTH blog and receive new posts by email. Moses could see God’s back, but not His full glory (that is, His face). Yet, the first verse states that he saw God’s face then continued to live. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us!3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. 4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 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. Using Human Traits to Describe God Unraveling the problem begins with a simple truth: God is spirit. “Then,” God promised, “I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (verse 23). Scripture can be used, however, to pinpoint the year—1446 BC—in which the Exodus is likely to have occurred. But later, Moses was not allowed to see God's face. 16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face! But if we see the face (but not the back or hands) of God then we will die. Joshua 5 – An angel who was “commander of the LORD’s army” appeared to Joshua. International Standard Version Then I'll remove my hand so you may see my back, … This passage prompts several questions. Maimonides on Moses Seeing God’s Face / Back Guide to the Perplexed: Part One, Chapters 37 and 38 On Exodus 33:12-23 Samuel Ready I) Introduction Exodus 33: 12-23 presents a conversation between Moses and G-d shortly after the incident of the golden calf, after which Moses returns enlightened. He shall see "all his goodness" - he shall have another revelation of the name of God (ver. There are other Bible passages where people saw an angel’s face without any harm. Do we die if we see God’s face, but not if we only see his back? Who did Moses see when he saw the backside of God? GOD'S WORD® Translation Then I will take my hand away, and you'll see my back, but my face must not be seen." 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.’ Ouch! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15 the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. The Bible doesn’t tell us the name of the Pharaohs in power when Moses was being raised in the palace, or when he returned years later to lead the Israelites to freedom. What could be the shape of God in this context? Hardly! Does God really have a “hand,” “face,” and “back”? Because God is holy, God cannot tolerate sin. (3) On this particular occasion when Moses witnessed God’s glory, God chose to exhibit such a glorious light that it would have caused death if seen directly. But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” – Exodus 33:20. 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. The person who brings up the rear is the loser. The Moses Sees God's Back Bible scriptures located in Exodus 33:12-23 explains directly from God's Word the Moses Sees God's Back topic. A person from the back woods is viewed as ignorant and poorly educated. A Testimony. 17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. Does this suggest that Moses got less than he asked for, or less than he had hoped for? Everyone is welcome! 9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 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. The result was that God used these events to raise Joseph up to be the head of Egypt and lead many to faith in God and escape from famine. 18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. It was for Moses’s benefit that he received the vision, but it is not a literal description of God. Let’s take a look. 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.
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