Did Moses see God?

Until Christ came it could be said, "No man has seen God at any time." Yet bright rays of divine light shone through the gloom into the hearts of men, and where those bright rays got an entrance a great longing for more light was created. Moses was a man greatly favoured of God, and God spoke face to face with him; but the light with which he was so greatly favoured of God only made him cry out for more. He says, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." Moses wanted the perfect light of God. This is what is meant by His "FACE." God answers him, "No man can see my face and live." The meaning of that is that no one could meet God in the revelation of Himself. If God had revealed Himself to Moses, He must have given Moses to know His hatred of sin, and how could Moses have stood before Him had He let loose His wrath against sin? But God showed him His back parts. Moses never saw His face while upon earth; but even a sight of His back parts made the skin of his face to shine.

But Moses could come closer to God than the elders of the people. He went into the midst of the cloud and was allowed to speak with God face to face. As Numbers 12:8 puts it: “With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold”. But in spite of this very privileged position, God remained hidden in the sanctuary and to some extent He was still an “unknown God” even to Moses. Although he saw the form (or similitude) of God, this did not imply full knowledge of God. This is obvious from the well known passage in Exodus 33, where Moses asked to see God's glory. The Divine answer was: “Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and live” (v. 20).

The people watched Moses as he went out to the tent of meeting, and when he entered it the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door, and there the Lord spoke with Moses (vv. 8-9). The sight of this so affected the people that they worshiped, whether out of fear or whether in humble sincerity. We are not told what the Lord said to Moses, but He spoke to him as to a friend, face to face (v. 11). This does not mean that Moses saw God's face (Ex. 33:20), but that there was a close intimacy.

Verses 9-11, record what was seen by Moses and the privileged company that began the ascent of Sinai. They "saw the God of Israel" and this is not contradicted by 1 Timothy 6:16, which refers to God in His essential being and glory. As Ezekiel saw, "the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (Ezek. 1:28), and as John in Patmos saw One who sat on the throne, who was "like a jasper and a sardine stone" (Rev. 4:3) so these saw a manifestation of God. We note that no attempt to describe Him is made. We are only told that what was beneath His feet had the appearance of "paved," or "transparent" sapphire and the "clearness" of heaven. To this extent they "saw God," and were sufficiently sustained in their spirits to eat and drink before Him.

(3) But for the moment all seems well with the people, though they are not brought nigh. But how little man thinks really of being brought nigh! how well content he is to be in the sufferable distance, if only he may escape wrath! So the representatives of the people worship in the far-off place, and all is well. And they see the God of Israel, — not as Moses, "face to face," — nor must we speculate as to the vision. What is "under His feet" is what is dwelt on for us, — the sapphire work, like the clear transparent depths of the heavens themselves, which a comparison with Ezekiel's vision, as well as also the language here, would seem to show as really meant: that "terrible crystal" vault, suggesting with its immeasurable depths the infinite to the finite, yet which God transcends by His whole Being: — for whom they are but the footstool for His feet. Wondrously this reveals Him whom yet we see not; for there is no likeness of Him, and they saw none (Deut. 4:12). Yet we have seen Him, marvelous to say, in the likeness of the Son of Man! (Rev. 1. 13.)

The elders saw God on His throne. In fact, they did not see much more than the foundation of the throne. For we read that there was under His feet as it were a paved work of (blue) sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity (v. 10). Ezekiel goes much further and describes something of the appearance of the One who was seated on the throne (Ezek. 1:26ff). In short, the elders of Israel saw God as the God of heaven in its clarity and purity.

"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God and did eat and drink." This was the manifestation of "the God of Israel," in light and purity, majesty and holiness. It was not the unfolding of the affections of a Father's bosom, or the sweet accents of a Father's voice, breathing peace and inspiring confidence into the heart. No; the "paved work of a sapphire stone " told out that unapproachable purity and light which could only tell a sinner to keep off. Still, "they saw God and did eat and drink." Touching proof of divine forbearance and mercy, as also of the power of the blood!

The covenant ratified, "Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel," go up; and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness. And upon the nobles of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. (vv. 9-11) Moses alone was permitted to draw near before the covenant was established, but now the representatives of the people have this special grace accorded to them; and they draw near in safety. Two things in this scene are marked. They saw the God of Israel. God displayed Himself in the majesty of His holiness to their gaze. The paved work of a sapphire stone (see Ezek. 1:26; Ezek. 10:1), and the additional description, "as it were the body of heaven in its clearness," speak of heavenly splendour and purity. God therefore revealed Himself to these chosen witnesses according to the character of the economy which had now been established. Moreover they did eat and drink. It was in virtue of the blood that they were admitted to this singular privilege, for privilege it was to see the God of Israel and enter into relationship with Him, albeit the very character of the revelation vouchsafed told of distance rather than nearness. Still as men in the flesh they ate and drank in the presence of God, and, as another has remarked, "continued their terrestrial life." They saw God and did not die. For the covenant was only now inaugurated, and failure not having yet come in, God could thus on that foundation permit their access to Him as the God of Israel.

While, however, the revelation is progressive there can be no change, no advance, in the nature of, and the relations between, Divine Persons. In Exodus 33:18, Moses longs for a full manifestation of God. He says, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory." In reply he is told that the goodness of the LORD should pass before him, and the name of the LORD would be proclaimed. But he is also told, "Thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen." The face speaks of the full disclosure of a person. The time had not yet come for the Son to declare the Father, or for the Son to be sent. All that had hitherto been declared — the back parts — Moses is permitted to see and appreciate, but the "face" could not at that time be revealed. Nevertheless, the face was there. The Father was there but awaited the coming of the Son to be revealed. Can we admit the thought that Divine Persons are dependent upon Incarnation in order to enter upon the sweet and hallowed relationships of Father and Son! Incarnation can add nothing to Divine Persons as such, or to the relationships that exist between them. The relationships must be as eternal as the Persons.

The first request, then, of Moses was, "Show me now Thy way," and this was granted, as we read in Psalm 103:7, "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel." The people saw the wonderful things He did but Moses was permitted to know the end God was pursuing in the doing of them. But when Moses made his second request, "I beseech Thee show me Thy glory," he met with a refusal. He was permitted to see the "back parts" of the Lord but not His "face," for no man could see that and live. Moses was only to see God when He had passed by as it were, and thus discern Him in the way He had taken.

How great is the contrast when we come to the New Testament. We open John's Gospel and we read, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father." We pass on to the Epistles to read of, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). The Christian today is given to know something of the "glory," as well as of the "acts" and the "way." It is delightful to know that though Moses could not then see the glory, he did see it in the face of Jesus when he was with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. And then he knew right well what it would cost the Saviour to make that glory available for him and for us all, for he spoke of His decease.