Exodus 30:11-34:35 "Can a man look upon the "face" of God and live?

PARASHA: “Ki Tisa” (when you elevate) EXODUS 30:11-34:35


Here’s an interesting question; “Does God have faces? If yes, how many? Think about this question and we’ll come to the answer later on in this study. Can a man look upon the "face" of God and live to tell about it? we'll soon find out.

This parashah starts out by numbering the people, those who are 20 years old and older, Each person has to give one-half shekel of silver. (about $4.50). Since it is not appropriate to count “people” perhaps as to not trust in “numbers” for strength, which might lead to pride, YHVH tells Moshe to collect silver, and for each half-shekel of silver, one person is represented. The silver is to be used for the Mishkan, for repair and maintenance. The count was also to determine those eligible to be part of the army of Israel, a fighting force that would conquer the pagans of Canaan in the future.

Every born-again believer is “numbered” in the eyes of YHVH for HIS army of adopted sons and daughters, we are fighting a spiritual battle against a hardened enemy, HaSatan, who has his own army of demons, devils, and unsaved humans working for him. Even though there will be many battles, the war has already been won, it was won 2000 years ago, on Calvary’s cross. YHVH came down in flesh and blood and paid our sin price in full.

We are fighting against an enemy who has lost the war, but he has an attitude and will not relent, He wants to cause havoc among all believers.

YHVH commands Moshe to prepare incense and anointing oil. The incense is to be used in worship, burned on the table of incense, which is before the “Kadosh-Kedoshim” (Holy of Holies), and also, on the bread, and on the sacrifices. Incense is still used today in religious services, it has a calming effect on the emotional and nervous systems of those who are around it.

There are many distinct aromas, the aromas that are similar to the incense that was used in the tabernacle and temple would be frankincense and some even say “musk” scent, however, no one can be sure of the original ingredients, what they are today, besides, YHVH prohibits an exact duplication of the formula. Some people light incense before going to bed at night. We do, using frankincense and Myrrh.

The anointing oil was used to anoint the Levites and priests “on their heads” and not on the flesh, the ingredients were sweet cinnamon, calamus, cassia, myrrh, and olive oil, there are oils today that are used for anointing, yet it was prohibited to replicate the “exact” recipe.

In Remez, the incense symbolizes our prayers that go upward toward heaven, and the oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit who is with us all the time. Through the Ruach HaKodesh, our prayers go up and are heard by our Messiah Yeshua.

We see later on in this parashah that Moshe goes up Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of the Mitzvoth, and as we all know the story, after a while, the people wonder; “and Moshe? What happened to him?” their faith was weak, and when faith is weak, the enemy HaSatan will take advantage, Aaron who was left in charge was pressured into relenting, with gold earrings, the people made a “golden Calf”. “This is our god,” they said, could one think that they replaced YHVH with this false god? The Egyptian god “hapis” took the form of a cow or bull, and perhaps, they had a miniature one of those gods with them.

I would think they still believed in YHVH but they wanted to “See” with their eyes, some kind of form, breaking of course the commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”. True faith is “believing” even if we cannot see something that is invisible. Yeshua said to his talmidim; “Blessed are those who do not see yet believe”.

Do we trust Adonai, even when we cannot see the immediate results? That is what testing is all about, He will try our faith, will we trust HIM even unto the end? YHVH lives in the infinite dimension of time and space, while we live in the finite dimension. He can see the end while we can’t even see around the corner. He has everything under control, we just have to believe and wait on him, as the Israelites should have done. It would have saved a lot of grief, lives, and dishonor.

Moshe comes back down only to witness the disaster, and breaks the tablets as a sign of a “broken covenant” between YHVH and the people. It is like getting married and on the same wedding night, the bride goes out and commits adultery. YHVH wants to DESTROY the people and start over with Moshe. YET, Moshe intercedes before YHVH for Am Israel. Just as Moshe interceded, so did YESHUA intercede before the Father on our behalf, and still does.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Yeshua’s words). “Yet now, if you will forgive their sin, and if not, blot ME out of thy book” (Moshe’s words) and…. YHVH forgave them. Just like YHVH forgives us of our sins, when we confess and turn from our wicked ways.

Now we will answer the question; Does God have faces? If yes, how many? First of all, we know that this is not literal, since God is not human, so as to say He has a face or faces. So, this must be a Derashic question, with a spiritual or symbolic answer. The reason for this is because we read in Exodus 33:11; “YHVH would speak to Moses face to face, as one man speaks to another..” Yet in another part of scripture, we read: “You can not see my face, for man may not see me and live” (Exodus 33:20) So, how did Moshe and God speak “face to face?”

The English reads, “face to face” but in the original Hebrew, it reads; “Panim El Panim” or “faces to faces” The word “El” could also be read as “God” because that is one of His names. So we could also look at it as; “faces God faces” It makes no sense in English, but in Hebrew, it does make sense.

When a person has mood changes, the face changes as well. We can make “sad faces’ “happy faces” “ angry faces” etc… So, let’s read on and see if we can understand “Panim El Panim”.

Moshe wants to see the glory “HaKavod YHVH” he goes back up for a second copy of the commandments.

“Show me thy glory!” the LORD responded; “I will make all my goodness go before thee” yet, he said that no one could see the “face” of YHVH, who can look upon the pure essence of YHVH? For it would drive the spirit out of the body, So, as YHVH passed by, Moshe saw the “after-effect” the “tail end”. Yet 70 elders and Moses "saw" God on his throne, and saw the emerald floor beneath the throne. So, they "Saw" God, yet lived to tell about it.

It could be like trying to look a the mid-day sun in full summertime. You can't it is too bright. However, you could look at the sunrise and the sunset with no problem. It's the same sun yet at different times, with different potentials. Perhaps, what the elders saw was the "glory" of God in a less powerful and pure state.

It could be similar to my experience in seeing Haley’s comet back in 1987. While I was in college, I went to Lynchburg College Observatory which was open to the public, we could see Haley’s comet going back out into space and I saw the “tail end” of the comet, which was just a faint glow at that time.

Now Moshe gets the second set of tablets, and YHVH gives them to him with these words:

“YHVH, YHVH God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and their children’s children……”

Could we dare say that these “attributes” or “personalities” could be expressed in the words “Panim El Panim” The “faces of God’s character?” He has the face of mercy, the face of Grace, the face of long-suffering, the faces of goodness and truth, the face of forgiveness, yet He also has the faces of judgment, punishment, wrath, and jealousy “El Kana” (Jealous God) This is something to think about and ponder over.

These are good descriptions of our God. He IS full of mercy and showed us grace, in that we were yet sinners, He came to earth in human form and died for us all. He is “long-suffering” in that he puts up with our “stuff’ our “attitudes” and “rebellions” and gives us second, third, and fourth “chances” to repent, He could have wiped out Israel in one second, but he didn’t. He gave us his Torah, the Bible which is full of “goodness” and IS the TRUTH, he forgives sin, but ONLY when we come to him as repentant sinners and trust Yeshua as our Savior and LORD. He does not clear the guilty ONLY WHEN the guilty DO NOT REPENT! And yes, the sins of the fathers can affect the children, just look at the public schools today, the students are rebellious, and disrespectful because they have learned that from THEIR PARENTS!

If the kids hear the parents fuss and cuss, they will too, If the parents smoke dope, they will have the tendency to do the same, children will copy their parents in all ways, HOWEVER, the blood of Yeshua can heal all of that, the generational curses can be cut short when YESHUA comes into the lives of families.

Moshe returns to the congregation with the new set of tablets, and YHVH instructs him and reminds him of his commandments, “Yes, I will go before thee…only observe all that I am commanding thee this day…. And toward the end, YHVH mentions, “thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk” which is a repeated commandment, this was discussed before, it symbolizes a separation between, “life and death” of the “clean and unclean”

Moshe comes down “glowing” like a thousand-watt light bulb, why? He has been in the presence of YHVH right there, in the middle of the Shekinah glory! If he glowed with God’s glory, Moshe being a sinner like all of us, can you imagine how Adam and Eve glowed before the fall? Being in constant fellowship with Elohim? It was only after the fall that the “light covering” left, and they found themselves “naked!”

In stead of seeing the "glory" of God, which passed by within a few seconds maybe, he received a revelation in His NAME! The WORD and revelation last forever, while an image or vision is temporary.

Yeshua said; “Ye are the light of the world” Yes, we are, yet we have no light of our own, we reflect the light of Messiah Yeshua, in our own lives. Is our light bright, like that which reflected from Moshe? Or…dim?



Moshe asks YHVH a very interesting question; “You say bring this people up, but who is going with me?”

Without guidance, we can go nowhere. It is like walking in the dark without a flashlight or being in the middle of the ocean without a compass. Where will we go? Who will lead us? Adonai has the answer Moshe is searching for;

“My presence goes, and I shall give you rest” (vs 14) The “Ruach Elohim” will go with the people, and they will receive “shalom”. There are two kinds of rest, “physical rest” from our labors, and “spiritual rest” that is from within us. Before, we were burdened with the curse of sin, but once we accept Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) as our LORD and Savior, we have his “presence” inside of us to give us “peace” (shalom)

Moshe wants to experience the “essence” of YHVH, but who can know who He really is? Can we grasp the meaning of the universe? The mind of God? We are limited, to what we can fathom as fallen beings, but YHVH listens to Moshe and gives him an answer;

“I shall cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I shall proclaim the Name of YHVH………See, there is a place with me, and you shall stand on the ROCK……. (vss 19,21)

There was a special place, a special ROCK, where Moshe was placed, he “Stood” upon the ROCK” (HaTzur)

In the picturesque/symbolic ancient Hebrew, the letters can symbolize, “The first Tzadik to receive the nail” The ROCK symbolizes YESHUA, who IS the TZADIK (the righteous one) who received the Nail and paid our sin price in full, and thus…giving us SHALOM (rest) from our spiritual torment of being lost, sinners. The name YHVH proclaimed is HAVAYAH, (the essence of existence) who is “Haya” (the past) Hoveh (the present), and “Yiyah” (the future) and who is YESHUAH (salvation of YAH)

Ben Avraham

Me, at the radio station (KYST, 920 AM) during our Saturday morning Bible Study in Spanish, from 6:30 am - 8:00 am