Exodus 33:20
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exodus 33:20 (KJV)
Context
This verse comes shortly after Israel’s sin with the golden calf. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the people made and worshipped an idol, provoking God’s anger and His threat to destroy them (Exodus 32:9-10). Moses interceded, and God relented from destroying the nation, but He declared that His presence would no longer go with them (Exodus 33:1-3). Distressed by this, Moses pleaded for assurance of God’s favour, and in Exodus 33:12-17 God promised that His presence would accompany them.
In Exodus 33:18-19, Moses makes a bold request: “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” God’s answer in verse 20 explains that no human can see His face and live. The phrase “my face” here does not refer to God’s form or essence, but to the brightest displays of His grace and goodness, which are too much for mortal man to fully receive in this present state.
Meaning
God’s response emphasises His absolute holiness and transcendence. His divine nature is beyond the capacity of human beings to comprehend or withstand fully. Because God is holy and humans are sinful, encountering His unveiled glory would consume us. This is consistent with Isaiah 6:1-7, where the prophet’s vision of God’s glory leads him to cry out in awareness of his own uncleanness.
Moses had a unique relationship with God, unlike any other person in the Old Testament. God spoke to him “face to face” as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11). Yet even Moses was not allowed to see God’s face in its fullness. This shows that no human relationship, however intimate, can bridge the infinite distance between the Creator and the creature.
God’s mercy and grace are also evident here. Although no one can see His face and live, He still chooses to reveal Himself in ways we can bear. In the following verses (Exodus 33:21-23), God mercifully places Moses in the cleft of the rock, covers him with His hand, and lets His glory pass by, so that Moses sees His back parts but not His face. This provision demonstrates both the seriousness of approaching God and His care in protecting those He allows near Him.
Biblical connections
The New Testament confirms that no one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son has declared Him (John 1:18). Jesus Christ, as both fully God and fully human, serves as the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). Through Christ, we can have a relationship with God and experience His presence without being consumed by His holiness. The verse points forward to this revelation: the God who is unapproachable in His full glory makes Himself known through His Son.
Application
This verse calls us to humility and awe. Recognise the vastness and incomprehensibility of God, and approach Him with reverence, acknowledging His holiness and greatness. Like Moses, we should seek God’s presence and desire to know Him more intimately through prayer, reading His Word, and cultivating a personal relationship with Him.
Understand the role of Jesus Christ as the bridge that allows us to approach God. Through faith in Christ, we can have a relationship with God and experience His presence in our lives. Remember that God’s grace permits us to know Him even though we cannot fully comprehend Him, and live in gratitude for the ways He has revealed Himself to us.
Reflection
Exodus 33:20 reminds us of the majesty and holiness of God, which is beyond human comprehension. It also highlights the privilege of having a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, who enables us to approach God’s presence and experience His love and grace. The God who hides Moses in the cleft of the rock is the same God who reveals Himself fully in His Son, so that we may know Him and live.
