Exodus 34:29-35 (ESV)
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Devotional Meditation
When Moses descends from Mount Sinai a second time, we are told that “the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” Moses himself wasn’t initially aware that anything about his appearance had changed, but everyone else was a little freaked out. Moses looked…scary. No one wanted to approach him. But Moses calls out to them and says, “No, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid. Come near.” They come near and he speaks to them all the commands of God.
Now there is a lot of mystery surrounding what exactly is going on with Moses' face here. Some of this is caused by the ambiguity of the vocabulary (which has resulted in at least one historically bad mistranslation.)
For example, the word that we translate as “shine” here is very rare. It’s not the usual Hebrew word chosen to describe light. It’s actually related to the word for “horn.” Like the horns of a bull or a goat. That’s why you’ll sometimes see Moses depicted with two little horns on his forehead in some Renaissance-era art (like that of Michelangelo).
Others suggest that this rare word could indicate that Moses’ face was disfigured in some horrific way by his close contact with God. (Think along the lines of what happens to a piece of bread when it's in the toaster for a little too long.) Some say that Moses skin may have been hardened and even blistered by his close exposure to God’s divine presence.
Still others say that the “horn” on Moses’ face could be a way of saying that the radiance of God’s glorious light projected from his face in visible rays--that what's being described here is some kind of visible halo or aura.
But what really matters is not so much what Moses’ face looked like, but what it meant. It meant that Moses was the man chosen to be the mediator of God’s face, God’s glory, God’s presence to God’s people. Another way to say it is that Moses isn’t just Moses anymore. Rather, he has now been made into God’s embodied representative. The one who reflects God’s glory. Speaks God’s Word to the people. And who visibly manifests the assurance that, even despite the great sin that these people have just committed with the Golden Calf, God is still present.
But unlike Moses, who merely reflected God’s glory, Jesus embodies it directly. In his Transfiguration, Jesus shines with the brilliance of a light that comes from his very person. In his crucifixion, Jesus manifests the hidden glory of God’s plan of salvation. And now, in this Easter season, we see that the risen Christ manifests God’s victory over death and hell. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, we see "the light of the gospel" in Jesus’ face, revealing not just a reflection but the very image of God.
Jesus is better than Moses, because he embodies the fullness of God’s word and presence. He comes down from heaven to initiate a better covenant—not a covenant of the law inscribed on stone tablets but a covenant of grace offered through His own body and blood. Like Moses, Jesus calls out to us with words of peace. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus says. “Come near.” But unlike Moses, Jesus’ light never needs to be veiled because it shines into our hearts to reveal that they have been sprinkled clean by his atoning blood.
And now, because of all this, something wonderful and unexpected and marvelous also happens to us. Because we can now be near to the presence of God in Christ Jesus, we too begin to shine. We begin to be transformed into his witnesses. Into those who are called to reflect the light of his name, his image, his word, and his presence into the darkness of a world whose eyes are still blinded by sin and unbelief.
In a beautiful way, Christ makes us into his embodied representatives and sends us out to shine with the light of his gospel. In him, we are children of light. Ambassadors of reconciliation. Witnesses who carry the good news of peace and who let the light we have been given shine through the works of love that we bring to our neighbor.
So today, remember that, if you have been with Jesus (and you have), then you are, in some way, going to be shiny. You may not be aware of it at first. People you encounter may even be a little freaked out by how much you look like Jesus. But be patient with them. Serve them. Speak the gospel of peace to them. Reflect Christ to them. Don’t hide your light—let it shine.