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Answer
Before the official tabernacle was constructed, Moses used to set up a tent outside the camp at a distance, naming it the ‘tent of meeting.’ Anyone seeking the Lord would visit the tent of meeting outside the camp «And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. », (Exodus 33:7). As Moses went to this tent of meeting to plead for the people of Israel, “the pillar of cloud would descend and remain at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses” (verse 9). Moses’ favored position with God is evident in the fact that “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (verse 11).
However, later in the same chapter, Moses asks to see God’s glory, and God responds, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. . . . But . . . you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:19-20). To shield Moses, God places him “in a cleft in the rock” and covers him with His hand as He passes by (verse 22). “Then,” God assures, “I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (verse 23).
This passage raises several questions. Does God truly have a “hand,” “face,” and “back”? Why could Moses converse with God “face to face” in verse 11 but could not see God’s “face” in verse 23? What is f
Are you curious about seeing God’s “face”?
We learn from Scripture, for example, John 4:24, that God is spirit. Spirits do not have physical bodies. Therefore, when Moses conversed “face to face” with God in Exodus 33:11, there are two possible interpretations: either Moses was speaking to the pre-incarnate Son of God (a Christophany), or the passage is using anthropomorphism, a figure of speech where human characteristics are attributed to God. While a Christophany is feasible, it is likely more accurate to interpret the chapter as utilizing figures of speech. The terms face, hand, and back in Exodus 33 should not be interpreted literally, and face to face, being idiomatic, is also metaphorical.
In verse 11, the expression face to face can be understood simply as “intimately.” Moses conversed with God in a familiar manner, like a person talks to a friend. In verses 20 and 23, face and back refer to God’s “glory” and “goodness” (verses 18–19). As God is spirit, and since glory and goodness are both intangible, we can interpret face and back as representing different “levels” of glory. God’s hand (verse 22) clearly symbolizes God’s “protection.”
In the Bible, God frequently communicates using terms that humans can easily comprehend. God’s use of anthropomorphism in Exodus 33 was an effective way to explain what was occurring. As humans, we understand the significance of a person’s face. To recognize someone, we observe their face. A person’s face reveals a great deal about their character, mood, and personality. However, if we only see someone from behind, we lack crucial information. It is challenging to identify someone from behind; we learn very little about a person if we only see their back.
When God informed Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” «And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. », (Exodus 33:20), He was saying that truly seeing God as He is, in the fullness of His glory, is more than mortal man can tolerate cf: Isaiah 6:5. Therefore, to protect Moses, God was only going to reveal that portion of His majesty and power that was humanly possible to absorb. God communicated this plan to Moses in a way we can all understand: “You cannot look Me full in the face [it is impossible for you to know everything about Me], but I will allow you to see my back [I will reveal to you a small portion of My nature so as not to overwhelm you].”
All of this makes Jesus’ words to Philip all the more amazing: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” «Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? », (John 14:9). When Jesus walked this earth, His glory veiled, we could look Him in the face. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” «For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. », (Colossians 2:9). On one brief occasion, Jesus’ glory was revealed in this world, at the transfiguration «and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. », (Matthew 17:2). Interestingly, Moses was there, speaking to the glorified Lord, face to face «And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. », (Matthew 17:3).
