In Exodus we read the account of Israel’s redemption from Egypt, and their subsequent wandering in the wilderness. God provided for Israel’s needs despite their complaining and murmuring. Their needs were met; they had water, food and protection for 40 years. What more could they ask for when even the promised land was before them as well? Moses was a strong and courageous leader but he needed direction.
We read the petition of Moses, who asked, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, shew me thy glory (Ex. 33:1213,18).
Moses’ request was to know the way and the glory of God. God’s response was that Moses would be permitted to see God’s goodness. This allows us to conclude that both the way and the glory of God, may be seen in the qualities of God’s goodness. But we also observe that this revelation of God’s glorious goodness was to be limited. He would only see the “back parts,” and would not be permitted to see the “face” of God. By this means, the great prophet Moses was permitted to behold a degree of divine goodness.
And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.. .And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed., The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth., keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation (Ex. 34:5-7).
Moses requested to see the glory of Israel’s God, but what was revealed to him was not what could be seen, but what was heard. It was the proclamation of the various aspects of His divine character which comprised the “goodness” of Yahweh; and it is in those several attributes that the “way” of Yahweh is seen.
Mankind’s highest goal should be to follow the pattern of His character in seeking to become like Him, and so mirror His “image and likeness” (Gen 1:26).
This is what the Lord revealed to Moses: a declaration of the way and glory of the Creator by His spoken word proclaiming the qualities of divine goodness.
The radiant face of Moses
While Moses was there experiencing and beholding that wonderful revelation, standing in the presence of the angel had a most dramatic effect upon Moses’ own face: Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him (Ex. 34:29).
In the days following, when Moses emerged from the divine presence, he placed a veil over his face, so that the people could not see the brilliance of the glory being reflected there, and he was able to speak with them (v. 33).
There is another reason why the veil was placed upon Moses’ face. With the covering of the veil they would not be aware that the glory was fading. The glory which shone in Moses’ face was a fading glory, which diminished the longer he was absent from the divine presence — Israel could neither behold that glory, nor perceive when it had faded away.
New Testament commentary
But what are we to make of all this? What are the spiritual lessons which these things are intended to convey? The answer comes from the apostle Paul many centuries after this event.
Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters of stone, came with such splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses ‘face because of its brightness, fading as it was, why should not the dispensation of the spirit be attended with greater splendor? For if there was splendor in the dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor (II Cor 3:7 – 15 RSV).
The point of comparison is that the glory which came through Christ has a “greater splendor,” a greater glory, which so greatly surpassed the glory of the old covenant, that it makes that glory appear as nothing!
These very principles are illustrated in Moses’ face; for just as the glory of the law was to fade away, being replaced by the New Covenant, even so Moses’ face, which shone with glory when he went into the presence of God, faded as time went on. But Israel could not see the fading glory of the divine law. They did not recognize that within that law were to be found glorious principles which could enlighten them concerning the greater glory to come in Christ.
What do we learn?
Moses wanted to see the “way” and the “glory.” This was proclaimed to him in qualities of divine attributes. They were to be found in the characteristics of God revealed to Moses, and seen in fullness in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is said to be “The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3), being also described as “God manifest in the flesh” (I Tim 3:16). In him were to be found all the attributes of his Father’s goodness, as he declared, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
It is in the Lord Jesus Christ then, that we behold the fullness of divine glory. But notice the form by which we receive it — like Moses, not by seeing with our eyes, but through the eye of faith through the words expressed to us. “The glorious gospel of Christ” shines brightly into an otherwise darkened world, and is clearly visible to those who look unto it, and allow it to enter their hearts. And just as Israel could not behold the glory shining in the face of Moses, even so many today cannot receive the glorious gospel which believers behold in the face, the ultimate expression of character and intent, of our Lord Jesus. Let us look to the day when God’s Son will come again, when all nations shall look unto him, and see the wonderful attributes of Yahweh’s goodness in full manifestation in his countenance.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One