~ The Face of the Lord and the Face of Moses ~

Moses said to the Lord,
"You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,'
but You have not let me know
whom You will send with me.
You have said, 'I know you by name
and You have found favor with Me.'
If You are pleased with me,
teach me Your ways
so I may know You
and continue to find favor with You.
Remember that this nation is Your people."

The Lord replied,
"My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest."

Then Moses said to Him,
"If Your presence does not got with us,
do not send us up from here.
How will anyone know
that You are pleased with me and with Your people
unless You go with us?
What else will distinguish me and Your people
from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

And the Lord said to Moses,
"I will do the very thing you have asked,
because I am pleased with you
and I know you by name."

Then Moses said, "Now show me Your glory."

And the Lord said,
"I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you,
and I will proclaim My name, the Lord,
in your presence.
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion.
But, "He said, "you cannot see My face,
for no one may see Me and live."

Then the Lord said, "There is a place near Me
where you may stand on a rock.
When My glory passes by,
I will put you in a cleft in the rock
and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back;
but My face must not be seen."

. . . When Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands,
he was not aware that his face was radiant
because he had spoken with the Lord.
When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses,
his face was radiant,
and they were afraid to come near him.
But Moses called to them;
so Aaron and all the leaders of the community
came back to him, and he spoke to them.
Afterward all the Israelites came near him,
and he gave them all the commands
the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses finished speaking to them,
he put a veil over his face.
But whenever he entered
the Lord's presence to speak with Him,
he removed the veil until he came out.
And when he came out
and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
They saw that his face was radiant.
Then Moses would put the veil back over his face
until he went in to speak with the Lord.

(Exodus 33:12-23; 34:29-35)