When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. (Exodus 34:30)
I wonder at Moses' radiant face. What is that? I imagine a kind of "left over" glory from Moses' intimate encounters with God.
The Bible gives mixed messages about the relationship between Moses and the LORD. On the one hand Exodus, chapter 33, verse 11a states: "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." On the other hand Exodus, chapter 33, verse 20, reads: "'But,' he [the LORD] said, 'you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.'" Which way is it? Does Moses speak with the LORD face to face, or not? And what happens afterwards? Moses is eager to view God's glory. Does Moses' face shine with the same glory he sees in God's face or in God's backside (Exodus 33:23)?
Who sees so much of God's glory today that others become fearful of their aura? Whose face shines with a kind of divine radiance?
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