Fiery Shine

"And behold the skin of his face shone . . .Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak to Him, he would remove the veil and speak to Him face to face." (Exodus 34:30-35)

What a story! Before the cross, Moses spoke with God face to face! Amazing! Let’s look at this man whose face shone with God’s presence. Moses, being rescued from death as a baby by the daughter of Pharaoh, grew up as royalty in the palaces of Egypt. He fled the palaces, hiding as a shepherd in the desert, herding the flocks of his father-in-law. This is where God first spoke with Him. Moses was a broken, fearful, shameful man. The fire of trials and tribulations had consumed him. Now he was to meet the fire of the presence of God. God speaks to Moses from a fiery bush. The people being trapped in a slave mentality, feared the fiery glow shining from Moses’ face. They desired a religion, knowing God through Moses, not a personal relationship. Moses veiled his face. Moses would leave the camp of the Israelites (Joshua would go with him), enter the Tent of Meeting desiring to commune with God face to face. As Moses left the tent, his face would shine like fire.

Moses' heart was tried by the fire of conflict of body, soul, and spirit—taken from his natural family, raised wealthy but pagan, murdered another, became a hunted criminal disguised as a lowly shepherd, went from riches and power to poor and meager, owning nothing. Assuredly, he felt barely alive. It was in this condition that God came in the fire of His holy presence and Moses SAW God. Put this in perspective. Moses encountered the manifested Holy Fire of the presence of Almighty God before the crucified and resurrected Jesus made an avenue of relationship. The fire of trials, tribulations, and persecutions purified Moses heart so that he could stand before God and not be destroyed by the holy fire of God’s presence. Moses SAW God.

ACTIVITY

Read Exodus 34. See what God shows you through the scriptures. Then again, stand ready to receive a blessing. Hear these words In your heart. May the Lord bless you with the shine of His presence that Moses carried. May the Lord bless you with the grace to sustain a pure heart and to SEE Him.