Who d
o you think had the most recognizable face in history? Some might answer Jesus, although we have no accurate depiction of him other than artists’ renderings. Hitler had an important face that most would easily recognize. Nearly two million people a year travel to South Dakota to see the giant faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Mona Lisa had an artistic face that few could ever forget.
Many people spend their time paying lots of money to pamper their faces. White teeth, trimmed facial hair, smooth skin, designer eyeglasses, nose operations, and removing wrinkles are just a few of the obsessions people have with their faces, not to mention the fortunes spent on store-bought products that hide, cover, remove, replace, and enhance those facial parts that need special attention.
Have you ever wondered about the face of God? What do you think God looks like?
There was a man in Scripture who nearly caught a glimpse of God’s face. Moses was many things to many people, including that of statesman, leader, speaker, writer, historian, and judge. But perhaps his greatest accomplishment in life was that he got to know God.
God had chosen Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land, a mountainous task. While on that journey, God would periodically come and “speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). In many of these meetings Moses would plead with the Lord to tutor him in the Lord’s ways. “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you” (33:13). Yet these face-to-face meetings never literally came true. The Bible figuratively says that Moses and God saw one another face-to- face. Yet Moses always hoped to see God’s glory. This was not to be. The Lord told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live” (33:20). Yet there came a time that the Lord did consent to give Moses a rare glimpse of himself. God said to Moses, “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” (33:21-23).
God gave Moses a special glimpse of his glory, one that Moses would never forget. It was written of Moses when he died, “No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, who the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10).
In our lifetime, we may never be given the opportunity that Moses enjoyed, but there will come a time when we will fare even better. In heaven we will see God in all his beauty, grandeur, and glory. In heaven our eyes will be opened and we will see God as he is, the God of love, joy, peace, and justice.
The book of Revelation makes two interesting statements about God’s face. Of the unbelievers it is said that they will be heard crying out to the mountains, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne” (Revelation 6:16). Yet of God’s children we read, “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads . . . and they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:4,5).
For now, like Moses, we must be satisfied with a glimpse of God’s back. We see God in the beauty of a sunrise, the warmth of an infant’s smile, the freshness of a summer breeze, the aroma of a budding flower, the assurance of an eternity in heaven, and the comforting peace of forgiveness. But there will come a time when God will reveal himself to us in all his glory, and we will be able to say with Job, “I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:27).
Prayer thought: Thank the Lord for revealing himself in his Word.
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