journey onWord with us

We say that expectant mothers have “a glow” about their faces.  Some may glow when they are in love.  Others buy the manufactured glow of a tanning bed!  But one of the most intriguing glowing faces in all of Scripture, is that of Moses.

From the time his life was spared as a baby, through the wilderness wandering, to receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the life of Moses reads like one of the greatest adventures ever written.  But it’s the account of Moses and the Glory of God, that gave me the most pause for thought.  In Exodus chapter 33, we learn that the relationship Moses has with the Lord is so close, so extraordinary, that God calls him a friend.  He knows him by name.

Exodus 33:11 & 17 (NIV)
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.
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, in response to this blessed declaration by God, Moses asks the unthinkable, the incredible … ”Now show me your glory.”

And even more incredibly, God honors his request and protects Moses from the death that would result from looking directly into His face.  The Lord passed by, as Moses stood shielded by God’s hand in the cleft of the rock; and he was only allowed to see the back of the Lord.   After 40 days and nights on the mountain with God Himself, Moses returned to the Israelites.  He returned completely unaware that his face was actually glowing.

Exodus 34:29
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.

The Glory of God was reflected on the face of Moses!  God’s glory!  What will it be like for us to see His glory … when we arrive in Glory?!  It’s not the sun, moon, or stars that make Heaven so bright … it’s God Glory.  It’s not the essence of an angel that makes them brilliant and shining. It’s the fact that they live where God lives, and His Glory is reflected upon them!  The name seraph means “burning one” or “shining one.”  It is believed that these angels dwell in such close proximity to God that they burn with holy brilliance!  Isaiah Chapter 6 describes these angels as using two wings to cover their faces – even the angels must protect themselves from the brilliance of God’s Glory when they are in His presence.

My words are purposed to offer encouragement in the daily journey that we all travel in this world. Encouragement in the face of storms, elections, pressures, worries, and upsets. If you are having a day today that is anything like one day I had last week, think on this … one day, all who know Christ as Savior will look on the face of God in all His Glory.  There will be no need to hide in the cleft of the rock, no need to cover our faces, and no need to fear.  In that day, I believe our faces will reflect His Glory.  I wonder if our faces will glow?  I think they will.