Exodus 33 Study Notes
General
According to Exodus 33:11, how did the LORD speak with Moses in the tent?
Answer: Face to face, the way a man talks with his friend
The narrator says that the LORD spoke face to face with Moses, like one friend talking with another (33:11). This describes how direct and personal God's communication with Moses was. God Himself later explains it: with other prophets He might speak in visions or dreams, but with Moses He spoke plainly, without puzzles (Numbers 12:6-8). Deuteronomy says that no later prophet in Israel matched Moses in this closeness to God (Deuteronomy 34:10). Jesus uses the same language of friendship for His disciples, because He has made known to them what the Father told Him (John 15:15).
- Exodus 33:11 (BSB)“Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.”The narrator describes the intimacy of the LORD's speaking with Moses in the tent.
- Numbers 12:6-8 (BSB)“He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?””God explains what this means: unlike other prophets, who receive visions and dreams, Moses is spoken to directly and clearly, not in riddles.
- Deuteronomy 34:10 (BSB)“Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—”Moses' unique intimacy with God set him apart from every later prophet in Israel.
- John 15:15 (BSB)“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.”Jesus calls His disciples friends because He has made known to them what He heard from the Father.
Theological
How does Exodus 33:11 characterize the LORD's communication with Moses?
Answer: Face to face, the way a man talks with his friend
The LORD speaks with Moses directly, in the manner of friends conversing (33:11), an idiom for direct, personal, unmediated speech. Numbers 12:6-8 glosses the expression: God speaks with Moses plainly rather than enigmatically, in contrast to the visions and dreams given to other prophets. Deuteronomy 34:10 marks this intimacy as unparalleled among Israel's prophets. Christ extends the language of friendship to His disciples on the ground that He has disclosed to them all He heard from the Father (John 15:15); friendship with God is thus bound up with His self-revelation.
- Exodus 33:11 (BSB)“Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.”The narrator describes the intimacy of the LORD's speaking with Moses in the tent.
- Numbers 12:6-8 (BSB)“He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?””God explains what this means: unlike other prophets, who receive visions and dreams, Moses is spoken to directly and clearly, not in riddles.
- Deuteronomy 34:10 (BSB)“Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—”Moses' unique intimacy with God set him apart from every later prophet in Israel.
- John 15:15 (BSB)“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.”Jesus calls His disciples friends because He has made known to them what He heard from the Father.
General
What reason did God give for granting Moses' request (Exodus 33:17)?
Answer: Because Moses had found favor with Him and God knew him by name
God told Moses He would do exactly what he had asked, because Moses had found favor in His eyes and God knew him by name (33:17). God's answer rested on His own gracious favor and His personal knowledge of Moses, not on anything the people had paid or done. The Bible often speaks of God knowing His people personally: Jesus says He knows His own sheep (John 10:14), Paul says the Lord recognizes His own (2 Timothy 2:19), and God tells Israel He has called them by name and they are His (Isaiah 43:1).
- Exodus 33:17 (BSB)“So the LORD said to Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.””God agrees to Moses' request, grounding it in His favor toward Moses and His personal knowledge of him.
- John 10:14 (BSB)“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,”Christ, the good shepherd, knows His own sheep personally.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 (BSB)“Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.””God's firm foundation bears the seal that the Lord knows those who are His.
- Isaiah 43:1 (BSB)“But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!”God tells Israel that He has called them by name and they belong to Him.
Theological
On what ground does the LORD grant Moses' request in Exodus 33:17?
Answer: Because Moses had found favor with Him and God knew him by name
The LORD grants the request because Moses has found favor in His sight and He knows him by name (33:17). The ground is God's own grace and His personal, covenantal knowledge of Moses, not any satisfaction rendered by the people. This knowing is not mere awareness but gracious, distinguishing acknowledgment, the same sense in which Christ knows His sheep (John 10:14), the Lord recognizes His own (2 Timothy 2:19), and God calls His redeemed by name as His own (Isaiah 43:1).
- Exodus 33:17 (BSB)“So the LORD said to Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.””God agrees to Moses' request, grounding it in His favor toward Moses and His personal knowledge of him.
- John 10:14 (BSB)“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,”Christ, the good shepherd, knows His own sheep personally.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 (BSB)“Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.””God's firm foundation bears the seal that the Lord knows those who are His.
- Isaiah 43:1 (BSB)“But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!”God tells Israel that He has called them by name and they belong to Him.
General
True or False: When Moses went back into the camp, his young helper Joshua stayed behind at the tent (Exodus 33:11).
Answer: True
This is true. After speaking with the LORD, Moses would go back into the camp, but Joshua, Nun's son, his young helper, would stay at the tent (33:11). Joshua had already served Moses as his attendant, even going up the mountain with him (24:13), and Numbers describes him as Moses' helper since his youth (Numbers 11:28). His devotion at the place where God met Moses fits the man God would later choose to lead Israel after Moses, a man in whom the Spirit was (Numbers 27:18).
- Exodus 33:11 (BSB)“Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.”After Moses returns to the camp, his young assistant stays behind at the tent.
- Exodus 24:13 (BSB)“So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.”Joshua had already served as Moses' attendant, going with him up the mountain of God.
- Numbers 11:28 (BSB)“Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!””Confirms that Joshua son of Nun had been Moses' attendant from his youth.
- Numbers 27:18 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.”God later chooses Joshua, a man with the Spirit in him, to succeed Moses.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 33:11 notes that Moses' young attendant Joshua remained at the tent when Moses returned to the camp.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses would go back among the people, yet his young attendant Joshua, Nun's son, stayed on at the tent (33:11). The detail fits Joshua's established role as Moses' attendant (24:13; Numbers 11:28) and quietly foreshadows his future office: the LORD later designates him, a man in whom is the Spirit, as Moses' successor (Numbers 27:18).
- Exodus 33:11 (BSB)“Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.”After Moses returns to the camp, his young assistant stays behind at the tent.
- Exodus 24:13 (BSB)“So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.”Joshua had already served as Moses' attendant, going with him up the mountain of God.
- Numbers 11:28 (BSB)“Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!””Confirms that Joshua son of Nun had been Moses' attendant from his youth.
- Numbers 27:18 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.”God later chooses Joshua, a man with the Spirit in him, to succeed Moses.
General
After the golden calf, what did God tell Moses about the journey to the promised land (Exodus 33:1-3)?
Answer: He would send an angel ahead and give them the land, but He Himself would not go among them, lest He destroy them on the way
God told Moses to set out with the people for the land He had promised on oath to the patriarchs, Israel's founding fathers (33:1), a promise going back to Genesis 12:7. He would send an angel ahead of them, drive out the nations living there, and bring them into a rich and fertile land (33:2-3), the same land He had described at the burning bush (3:8). But then came the shock: God Himself would not go in their midst, because the people were so stubborn that He might destroy them along the way (33:3). God was keeping His promise about the land, but His holy presence among a rebellious people would be deadly for them. As Habakkuk says, God is so pure that He cannot look with approval on evil (Habakkuk 1:13).
- Exodus 33:1-3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.””God commands Israel to set out for the promised land but announces that He Himself will not go among them.
- Genesis 12:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”The land promise God cites goes back to His word to Abram.
- Exodus 3:8 (BSB)“I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”At the burning bush God had described the same good land and the same peoples living in it.
- Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB)“Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”Shows why a holy God's nearness is dangerous to sinners: His eyes are too pure to look on evil.
Theological
What does the LORD announce concerning Israel's journey in Exodus 33:1-3?
Answer: He would send an angel ahead and give them the land, but He Himself would not go among them, lest He destroy them on the way
The LORD reaffirms the land oath sworn to the patriarchs (33:1; cf. Genesis 12:7) and promises an angel to go before Israel and dispossess its inhabitants (33:2), the same land described at the bush (3:8). Yet He withholds His own presence from their midst, because the people are stiff-necked and His nearness would consume them on the way (33:3). The promise of the land stands, but the covenant's central blessing, God dwelling among His people, is suspended. The problem is the collision of divine holiness with unatoned sin: God is too pure to behold evil with favor (Habakkuk 1:13). This sets up Moses' intercession for the restoration of God's presence.
- Exodus 33:1-3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.””God commands Israel to set out for the promised land but announces that He Himself will not go among them.
- Genesis 12:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”The land promise God cites goes back to His word to Abram.
- Exodus 3:8 (BSB)“I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”At the burning bush God had described the same good land and the same peoples living in it.
- Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB)“Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”Shows why a holy God's nearness is dangerous to sinners: His eyes are too pure to look on evil.
General
In Exodus 33:19 God declares His freedom to show mercy and compassion to whomever He chooses. How does Paul use this verse in Romans 9?
Answer: God's choice to show saving mercy rests on His own free and sovereign will, not on anything in the person, which Paul uses to teach unconditional election
As God promises to proclaim His name, He also declares that He shows mercy and compassion to whomever He chooses (33:19). Paul quotes this exact verse in Romans 9:15 and draws the lesson in the next verse: God's saving mercy is not based on what a person wants or works for, but on God, who shows mercy (Romans 9:16). He repeats the point: God shows mercy to whomever He wills (Romans 9:18). This is the doctrine of unconditional election, which means that God's choice of whom to save rests entirely on His own free will and grace; the reason for His choice lies in God, not in the people He chose. Paul teaches the same truth elsewhere: God chose His people in Christ before the world was made (Ephesians 1:4-5), and He saved them not because of their works but because of His own plan and grace (2 Timothy 1:9). Moses himself is an example: God grounded His answer to Moses in His own favor toward him (33:17).
- Exodus 33:19 (BSB)““I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.””As part of proclaiming His name, God declares His sovereign freedom in showing mercy and compassion.
- Romans 9:15-16 (BSB)“For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”Paul quotes this very verse and concludes that salvation depends not on human desire or effort but on God's mercy.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul draws the conclusion that God has mercy on whom He wills.
- Ephesians 1:4-5 (BSB)“For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,”God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world, according to the good pleasure of His will.
- 2 Timothy 1:9 (BSB)“He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.”God saved and called His people not because of their works but by His own purpose and grace, given before time began.
Theological
Exodus 33:19 declares God's freedom in mercy and compassion. What doctrine does Paul establish from this verse in Romans 9:15-16?
Answer: God's choice to show saving mercy rests on His own free and sovereign will, not on anything in the person, which Paul uses to teach unconditional election
In the very act of proclaiming His own name, the LORD declares that He shows mercy and compassion to whomever He chooses (33:19). Paul cites this verse in Romans 9:15 as the direct scriptural ground of unconditional election and states the inference explicitly: God's choice rests not on what a person wills or strives for but on God, who shows mercy (Romans 9:16), and therefore God shows mercy to whomever He wills (Romans 9:18). The sovereign freedom of divine mercy belongs to God's very name, so electing grace is not an exception to His character but an expression of it. The ground of God's choice lies wholly in God Himself: He chose His people in Christ before creation, in love and according to His own gracious pleasure (Ephesians 1:4-5), and He saved and called them according to His purpose and the grace He gave them in Christ before the ages began (2 Timothy 1:9).
- Exodus 33:19 (BSB)““I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.””As part of proclaiming His name, God declares His sovereign freedom in showing mercy and compassion.
- Romans 9:15-16 (BSB)“For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”Paul quotes this very verse and concludes that salvation depends not on human desire or effort but on God's mercy.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul draws the conclusion that God has mercy on whom He wills.
- Ephesians 1:4-5 (BSB)“For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,”God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world, according to the good pleasure of His will.
- 2 Timothy 1:9 (BSB)“He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.”God saved and called His people not because of their works but by His own purpose and grace, given before time began.
General
What did Moses ask of God in Exodus 33:12-13?
Answer: That God would show him His ways so that he might know God, and that God would keep in mind that Israel belonged to Him
Moses reminds God that He has told him to lead the people but has not told him whom He will send along, even though God has said He knows Moses personally and is pleased with him (33:12). So Moses asks God to teach him His ways, so that he may know God and keep enjoying His favor, and he adds that this nation belongs to God (33:13). Notice that Moses calls Israel God's people, even after God had called them the people Moses brought up (32:7). Psalm 103:7 says God did make His ways known to Moses. Knowing God personally is at the heart of true life, as Jesus teaches (John 17:3), and Paul longed for it too (Philippians 3:10).
- Exodus 33:12-13 (BSB)“Then Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have found favor in My sight.’ Now if indeed I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know Your ways, that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people.””Moses asks God to show him His ways so that he may know Him, and reminds God that Israel is His people.
- Psalm 103:7 (BSB)“He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.”Recalls that God did make His ways known to Moses.
- John 17:3 (BSB)“Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and the One He sent.
- Philippians 3:10 (BSB)“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,”Paul expresses the same longing to know Christ personally.
Theological
What is the substance of Moses' request in Exodus 33:12-13?
Answer: That God would show him His ways so that he might know God, and that God would keep in mind that Israel belonged to Him
Moses presses the question of who will accompany Israel, appealing to God's own declaration that He knows Moses by name and that Moses has found favor (33:12). He asks to be shown God's ways, that he may know God and continue in His favor, and urges God to remember that Israel is His own people (33:13), reclaiming the covenant relationship that God had rhetorically distanced in 32:7. Psalm 103:7 records that God did make His ways known to Moses. The request centers on knowing God Himself, which Christ identifies as eternal life (John 17:3) and Paul names as his supreme desire (Philippians 3:10).
- Exodus 33:12-13 (BSB)“Then Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have found favor in My sight.’ Now if indeed I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know Your ways, that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people.””Moses asks God to show him His ways so that he may know Him, and reminds God that Israel is His people.
- Psalm 103:7 (BSB)“He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.”Recalls that God did make His ways known to Moses.
- John 17:3 (BSB)“Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and the One He sent.
- Philippians 3:10 (BSB)“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,”Paul expresses the same longing to know Christ personally.
General
True or False: In Exodus 33:14, God answered Moses by promising that He Himself would accompany him and would give him rest.
Answer: True
This is true. In reply to Moses' request, God promised that His own presence would accompany Moses and that He would give him rest (33:14). This begins to reverse the earlier announcement that God would not go among the people (33:3), and after Moses pleads for the whole people, God confirms it (33:17). Isaiah later remembers how God's presence saved and carried Israel in the old days (Isaiah 63:9), and the promised rest came when God gave Israel peace on every side in the land (Joshua 21:44). Moses cared about this so much that he asked again for God to go with them (34:9).
- Exodus 33:14 (BSB)“And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””God answers Moses with a promise of His own presence and rest.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”The prophet recalls that the Angel of God's Presence saved Israel and carried them all the days of old.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”Records the fulfillment of the promised rest when God gave Israel rest on every side in the land.
- Exodus 34:9 (BSB)““O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as Your inheritance.””Moses presses the same plea again, asking the Lord to go in their midst, which shows how central the promise was.
Theological
True or False: In Exodus 33:14 the LORD promises Moses that His own Presence will accompany him and that He will grant him rest.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD answers Moses' intercession by promising His own Presence and rest (33:14), beginning to reverse the withdrawal announced in 33:3, a reversal God confirms for the whole people after Moses' further plea (33:17). Isaiah 63:9 recalls this saving Presence that bore Israel through the ancient days, and Joshua 21:44 records the fulfillment of the promised rest in the land. Moses' renewed plea in 34:9 shows that the Presence, not merely the land, was the heart of the covenant blessing he sought.
- Exodus 33:14 (BSB)“And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””God answers Moses with a promise of His own presence and rest.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”The prophet recalls that the Angel of God's Presence saved Israel and carried them all the days of old.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”Records the fulfillment of the promised rest when God gave Israel rest on every side in the land.
- Exodus 34:9 (BSB)““O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as Your inheritance.””Moses presses the same plea again, asking the Lord to go in their midst, which shows how central the promise was.
General
Exodus 33:11 describes the LORD speaking with Moses as directly as one friend speaks with another, yet in 33:20 God says no human may look on His face and survive. How do these fit together?
Answer: Face to face describes God's direct, personal speech with Moses, not a sight of God's unveiled glory, which no living person can see
Both statements are true, and they describe different things. Face to face in 33:11 is a way of describing how directly and personally God spoke with Moses, like friends talking; God Himself explains that it means He spoke with Moses plainly, without puzzles (Numbers 12:8). But in 33:20 God tells Moses that he cannot see His face, because no human being can look on God in His full glory and survive. Even when the elders were given a sight of Israel's God on the mountain, the text only describes what was under His feet (24:10), a real but limited vision. The New Testament agrees that no human being has looked on God in this way (1 Timothy 6:16), and adds that Jesus, the only Son, has revealed Him (John 1:18).
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God tells Moses that he cannot see His face, for no one can see Him and live.
- Exodus 33:11 (BSB)“Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.”Earlier in the chapter, the LORD speaks with Moses face to face, as with a friend.
- Numbers 12:8 (BSB)“I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?””Defines face to face as speaking clearly and not in riddles, showing that the phrase describes directness of communication.
- Exodus 24:10 (BSB)“and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.”The elders saw the God of Israel, yet the text describes only what was under His feet, a real but limited vision.
- John 1:18 (BSB)“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son has made Him known.
- 1 Timothy 6:16 (BSB)“He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”God dwells in unapproachable light, and no one has seen Him or can see Him.
Theological
What distinguishes the face-to-face speech of Exodus 33:11 from the sight of God's face that 33:20 says no mortal could survive?
Answer: Face to face describes God's direct, personal speech with Moses, not a sight of God's unveiled glory, which no living person can see
The two verses address different realities. Face to face in 33:11 is an idiom for immediate, personal communication, glossed in Numbers 12:8 as speech that is clear rather than enigmatic. The prohibition in 33:20 concerns the direct vision of God's unveiled glory, which no mortal can behold and survive. Even the elders' vision of Israel's God on Sinai is described only in terms of what lay beneath His feet (24:10), a genuine but mediated and limited seeing. The New Testament confirms that God lives in light no one can approach and has never been seen in this sense (1 Timothy 6:16), while the only Son, Himself God, has revealed Him (John 1:18). There is no contradiction; the text distinguishes intimate revelation from the vision of the divine essence.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God tells Moses that he cannot see His face, for no one can see Him and live.
- Exodus 33:11 (BSB)“Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.”Earlier in the chapter, the LORD speaks with Moses face to face, as with a friend.
- Numbers 12:8 (BSB)“I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?””Defines face to face as speaking clearly and not in riddles, showing that the phrase describes directness of communication.
- Exodus 24:10 (BSB)“and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.”The elders saw the God of Israel, yet the text describes only what was under His feet, a real but limited vision.
- John 1:18 (BSB)“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son has made Him known.
- 1 Timothy 6:16 (BSB)“He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”God dwells in unapproachable light, and no one has seen Him or can see Him.
General
How did the people respond when they heard that God would not go with them (Exodus 33:4-6)?
Answer: They grieved and wore no ornaments, and from Horeb onward they went without their jewelry
On hearing this painful news, the people grieved, and no one wore any ornaments (33:4). God had told Moses to have them remove their jewelry while He considered how to deal with them (33:5), and from Horeb on the Israelites went without it (33:6). Taking off jewelry was an outward sign of sorrow and humility, and it fits the situation, since gold rings had been used to make the calf (32:2-3). Scripture calls God's people to return to Him with mourning, because He is kind and full of pity (Joel 2:12-13), and promises that those who humble themselves before the Lord will be lifted up (James 4:9-10).
- Exodus 33:4-6 (BSB)“When the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.”The people mourn at God's words and remove their ornaments from Horeb onward.
- Exodus 32:2-3 (BSB)“So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.”Gold rings taken from the people had been the raw material of the calf.
- Joel 2:12-13 (BSB)““Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.”Calls God's people to return to Him with mourning, trusting that He is gracious and compassionate.
- James 4:9-10 (BSB)“Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”Urges sinners to mourn and humble themselves before the Lord, who will lift them up.
Theological
How does Israel respond to the announcement of the LORD's withdrawn presence (Exodus 33:4-6)?
Answer: They grieved and wore no ornaments, and from Horeb onward they went without their jewelry
The people mourn at the grievous word, and no one puts on ornaments (33:4). The LORD commands the removal of their finery while He determines what He will do with them (33:5), and from Horeb onward Israel goes unadorned (33:6). The stripping of ornaments is an outward sign of penitent humiliation, especially apt when gold rings had supplied the metal for the calf (32:2-3). Scripture consistently joins such mourning over sin with hope in God's compassion (Joel 2:12-13) and promises exaltation to those who humble themselves before the Lord (James 4:9-10). The loss of God's presence is rightly felt as the greatest loss of all.
- Exodus 33:4-6 (BSB)“When the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.”The people mourn at God's words and remove their ornaments from Horeb onward.
- Exodus 32:2-3 (BSB)“So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.”Gold rings taken from the people had been the raw material of the calf.
- Joel 2:12-13 (BSB)““Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.”Calls God's people to return to Him with mourning, trusting that He is gracious and compassionate.
- James 4:9-10 (BSB)“Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”Urges sinners to mourn and humble themselves before the Lord, who will lift them up.
General
What happened whenever Moses went inside the tent, and how did the people respond (Exodus 33:8-10)?
Answer: The pillar of cloud came down and stood at the tent entrance, and the people rose and worshiped at the doors of their own tents
Each time Moses headed for the tent, the people stood at the doors of their own homes, watching him until he went inside (33:8). Then the pillar of cloud came down and stayed at the entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses (33:9). Whenever they saw the cloud there, they stood and worshiped, each at his own tent door (33:10). The pillar of cloud had been the visible sign of God's guiding presence ever since the exodus (13:21-22). God would come down in the cloud at the Tent again later (Numbers 12:5), and the psalmist remembers that He spoke from it (Psalm 99:7).
- Exodus 33:8-10 (BSB)“Then, whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand at the entrances to their own tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.”The people watch Moses go to the tent, the pillar of cloud descends, and they worship.
- Exodus 13:21-22 (BSB)“And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.”The pillar of cloud had been God's visible sign of His guiding presence since the exodus.
- Numbers 12:5 (BSB)“and the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them had stepped forward,”Later the LORD again comes down in the pillar of cloud and stands at the entrance of the Tent.
- Psalm 99:7 (BSB)“He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.”The psalmist recalls that God spoke to Israel's leaders from the pillar of cloud.
Theological
What pattern does Exodus 33:8-10 describe at the tent outside the camp?
Answer: The pillar of cloud came down and stood at the tent entrance, and the people rose and worshiped at the doors of their own tents
As Moses heads for the tent, the people rise and watch from their own doorways until he enters (33:8); the pillar of cloud then descends to the entrance as the LORD speaks with Moses (33:9), and the people, seeing it, rise and worship, each at his own tent door (33:10). The cloud, the abiding sign of God's guiding presence since the exodus (13:21-22), marks the tent as the place of divine communication (cf. Numbers 12:5; Psalm 99:7). The people worship from a distance while Moses goes in to speak with God on their behalf, an arrangement that fits the strained state of the covenant after the calf.
- Exodus 33:8-10 (BSB)“Then, whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand at the entrances to their own tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.”The people watch Moses go to the tent, the pillar of cloud descends, and they worship.
- Exodus 13:21-22 (BSB)“And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.”The pillar of cloud had been God's visible sign of His guiding presence since the exodus.
- Numbers 12:5 (BSB)“and the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them had stepped forward,”Later the LORD again comes down in the pillar of cloud and stands at the entrance of the Tent.
- Psalm 99:7 (BSB)“He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.”The psalmist recalls that God spoke to Israel's leaders from the pillar of cloud.
General
According to Moses in Exodus 33:15-16, what would set Israel apart from every other people on earth?
Answer: God's own presence going with them
Moses told God that if His presence would not go with them, He should not send them up from there at all (33:15). The land without God was not worth having. Moses asked how anyone would know that he and the people had God's favor unless God went with them, and said that God's presence was what made them different from all other peoples on earth (33:16). Moses later says no nation has a god as close to it as the LORD is to Israel (Deuteronomy 4:7). God's covenant promise was to live among His people as their God (Leviticus 26:11-12), and Paul applies that same promise to the church (2 Corinthians 6:16).
- Exodus 33:15-16 (BSB)““If Your Presence does not go with us,” Moses replied, “do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?””Moses insists that without God's presence Israel should not move, since His presence is what marks them out.
- Deuteronomy 4:7 (BSB)“For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him?”Moses later says no nation has a god as near to it as the LORD is to Israel.
- Leviticus 26:11-12 (BSB)“And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.”God's covenant promise is to dwell among His people and walk among them as their God.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 (BSB)“What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.””Paul applies the same promise of God's dwelling presence to the church.
Theological
What does Moses identify in Exodus 33:15-16 as the mark that distinguishes Israel from all other peoples?
Answer: God's own presence going with them
Moses refuses to go up without the divine Presence (33:15): the land without God is not worth having. God's accompanying Presence alone evidences His favor and distinguishes Israel from every other nation in the world (33:16). Deuteronomy 4:7 celebrates this unique nearness, Leviticus 26:11-12 sets God's dwelling among His people at the heart of the covenant, and 2 Corinthians 6:16 applies the same promise to the church. The identity of God's people consists not in their resources or achievements but in God's gracious presence with them.
- Exodus 33:15-16 (BSB)““If Your Presence does not go with us,” Moses replied, “do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?””Moses insists that without God's presence Israel should not move, since His presence is what marks them out.
- Deuteronomy 4:7 (BSB)“For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him?”Moses later says no nation has a god as near to it as the LORD is to Israel.
- Leviticus 26:11-12 (BSB)“And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.”God's covenant promise is to dwell among His people and walk among them as their God.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 (BSB)“What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.””Paul applies the same promise of God's dwelling presence to the church.
General
When Moses asked to see God's glory, what did God promise to do (Exodus 33:18-19)?
Answer: To let all His goodness pass by Moses and to announce His own name, the LORD
Moses made a bold request: he asked God to show him His glory (33:18). God answered that He would make all His goodness pass before Moses, announcing His own name, the LORD, before him (33:19). In other words, God would reveal who He is mainly by declaring His character. God kept this promise in the next chapter, when He passed by and announced His name as compassionate, gracious, and just (34:5-7). The New Testament says God's glory is seen most fully in Jesus, the Word who became flesh, filled with grace and with truth (John 1:14), and that the knowledge of God's glory shines out in Christ's face (2 Corinthians 4:6).
- Exodus 33:18-19 (BSB)“Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.””Moses asks to see God's glory, and God promises to pass His goodness before him and proclaim His name.
- Exodus 34:5-7 (BSB)“And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.””God fulfills this promise, passing before Moses and proclaiming His name and character.
- John 1:14 (BSB)“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”The glory of God is seen in the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth.
- 2 Corinthians 4:6 (BSB)“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”The light of the knowledge of God's glory shines in the face of Jesus Christ.
Theological
How does the LORD answer Moses' request to see His glory (Exodus 33:18-19)?
Answer: To let all His goodness pass by Moses and to announce His own name, the LORD
To Moses' petition to behold His glory (33:18), the LORD responds that He will make all His goodness pass before him and announce His own name, the LORD, before him (33:19). The revelation of glory is primarily verbal and moral: God discloses Himself by declaring His name and character, a promise fulfilled in the proclamation of 34:5-7, where mercy and justice are joined. The New Testament locates the fullest display of this glory in the incarnate Word, filled with grace and with truth (John 1:14), and in the person of Christ, whose face reveals it (2 Corinthians 4:6).
- Exodus 33:18-19 (BSB)“Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.””Moses asks to see God's glory, and God promises to pass His goodness before him and proclaim His name.
- Exodus 34:5-7 (BSB)“And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.””God fulfills this promise, passing before Moses and proclaiming His name and character.
- John 1:14 (BSB)“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”The glory of God is seen in the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth.
- 2 Corinthians 4:6 (BSB)“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”The light of the knowledge of God's glory shines in the face of Jesus Christ.
General
Moses named a certain tent the Tent of Meeting. Where did he set it up, and who went there (Exodus 33:7)?
Answer: Outside the camp, some distance away, where anyone seeking the LORD went
Moses regularly took a tent and set it up outside the camp, some distance away, and he gave it the name Tent of Meeting; anyone who wanted to seek the LORD went out to it (33:7). This was not yet the finished tabernacle, which is built in chapters 35-40. Its location away from the camp fits the moment: God had said He would not dwell in the middle of the rebellious people (33:3). God had already promised that a Tent of Meeting would be where He met and spoke with Israel (29:42-43), and when the tabernacle was completed His glory filled it (40:34-35).
- Exodus 33:7 (BSB)“Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it at a distance outside the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting, and anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.”Moses pitches a tent at a distance from the camp, and those seeking the LORD go out to it.
- Exodus 29:42-43 (BSB)“For the generations to come, this burnt offering shall be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you. I will also meet with the Israelites there, and that place will be consecrated by My glory.”God had promised that the Tent of Meeting would be the place where He would meet and speak with Israel.
- Exodus 40:34-35 (BSB)“Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”When the tabernacle was later completed, the cloud covered it and God's glory filled it.
Theological
Where is the tent Moses names the Tent of Meeting located in Exodus 33:7, and who resorts to it?
Answer: Outside the camp, some distance away, where anyone seeking the LORD went
Moses pitches the tent outside the camp at a distance, gives it the name Tent of Meeting, and everyone who seeks the LORD goes out to it (33:7). This provisional tent is distinct from the tabernacle whose construction follows in chapters 35-40. Its placement outside the camp embodies the situation of 33:3: the LORD's presence is not in Israel's midst. It anticipates the promised meeting place of 29:42-43, fulfilled when the glory filled the completed tabernacle (40:34-35).
- Exodus 33:7 (BSB)“Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it at a distance outside the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting, and anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.”Moses pitches a tent at a distance from the camp, and those seeking the LORD go out to it.
- Exodus 29:42-43 (BSB)“For the generations to come, this burnt offering shall be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you. I will also meet with the Israelites there, and that place will be consecrated by My glory.”God had promised that the Tent of Meeting would be the place where He would meet and speak with Israel.
- Exodus 40:34-35 (BSB)“Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”When the tabernacle was later completed, the cloud covered it and God's glory filled it.
General
What arrangement did God describe for showing Moses His glory (Exodus 33:21-23)?
Answer: He would set Moses in a gap in the rock, shield him with His hand as His glory went by, and then let him glimpse only His back, never His face
God told Moses there was a place near Him where Moses could stand on a rock (33:21). When God's glory passed by, God would put Moses in a crack in the rock, shielding him with His hand until He had gone past (33:22). Then God would take His hand away, and Moses would see His back, but not His face (33:23). The text does not describe exactly what Moses saw. The point is that God graciously protected Moses and let him see as much as a living man could bear. God kept this promise in the next chapter (34:5-6). The New Testament says believers now see only in part, but one day will see fully and directly (1 Corinthians 13:12), and in the new creation God's servants will behold His face (Revelation 22:4).
- Exodus 33:21-23 (BSB)“The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.””God describes how He will shelter Moses in a rock while His glory passes, allowing him to see only His back.
- Exodus 34:5-6 (BSB)“And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”God carries out this promise when He descends and passes before Moses, proclaiming His name.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 (BSB)“Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”Believers now see only in part but will one day see face to face.
- Revelation 22:4 (BSB)“They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”In the new creation God's servants will see His face.
Theological
What provision does the LORD make for Moses in Exodus 33:21-23?
Answer: He would set Moses in a gap in the rock, shield him with His hand as His glory went by, and then let him glimpse only His back, never His face
The LORD appoints a place beside Himself where Moses will stand on a rock (33:21); as His glory passes, He will set Moses in a crevice in the rock and shield him with His hand (33:22), then remove it so that Moses sees His back, while His face remains unseen (33:23). The language is anthropomorphic, and the text does not specify the content of what Moses saw; its point is God's gracious accommodation, granting a real but partial and protected revelation suited to a mortal. The promise is carried out in 34:5-6. What was withheld from Moses is promised to God's people in the consummation: now partial sight, then face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12), when His servants will behold His face (Revelation 22:4).
- Exodus 33:21-23 (BSB)“The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.””God describes how He will shelter Moses in a rock while His glory passes, allowing him to see only His back.
- Exodus 34:5-6 (BSB)“And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”God carries out this promise when He descends and passes before Moses, proclaiming His name.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 (BSB)“Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”Believers now see only in part but will one day see face to face.
- Revelation 22:4 (BSB)“They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”In the new creation God's servants will see His face.