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Description

Moses convening directly with God in the tempests of the mountain often had gone without food for extended periods, even up to forty days, yet he did not experience the pangs of hunger. He was not tormented by a wicked adversary. In this manner, Moses was elevated beyond human limitations, enveloped in the glory of God, and divinely sustained.

In the presence of the Divine, a radiant splendor surrounded him. On his return from the mountain, the people saw the intense brilliance that radiated from Moses' face as he carried two tablets of sapphire stone. This caused the Israelites to fear him greatly such that Moses had to wear a veil in their presence. It was upon that tempestuous mount were these tablets were bestowed, where the brilliance of God's glory was veiled by darkness, shielding mortal eyes from the overwhelming radiance of the Creator, akin to how the luminous countenance of Moses was concealed behind a veil upon his descent from the mount, having communed with the Divine.

Interestingly, the tablets were inscribed not merely upon ordinary stones, but upon sapphire stones, as is recounted in Jewish tradition. In the sacred texts, sapphire frequently conveys notions of beauty, purity, and divine revelation. One notable instance is found in Exodus 24:10, where it portrays the ground beneath God's feet as akin to “… apaved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.” This depiction signifies the majestic and celestial nature of God's presence. Moreover, sapphire is at times associated with wisdom and insight, symbolizing the brilliance and lucidity of divine truth. Additionally, within certain Jewish customs, sapphire holds significance as one of the twelve stones adorning the breastplate of the high priest, each stone representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In sum, sapphire in the biblical narrative often embodies ideas of spiritual clarity, divine presence, and the exquisite beauty of God's creation.

Even more intriguing is the correlation between the sapphire beneath the feet of the Almighty and the symbolism of the Ark of the Covenant. Just as the lid covering the ark was termed the "mercy seat," signifying the throne of the Divine, beneath which rested the original tablets of the Decalogue inscribed by the finger of God. This signifies that His Sovereign Realm is sustained by the Commandments that regulate the ethics of His Sacred community throughout the cosmos.

Exodus 34:29-35, “Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.”

While on the mountain, as Moses received the law, he was also shown the Coming One, Christ's work, and His mission to Earth. He saw the Son of God taking on humanity to become a teacher and guide to the world and ultimately offering Himself as a ransom for their sins. When the perfect sacrifice was made for humanity's sins, the symbolic sacrificial offerings ceased. Christ's advent removed the veil of uncertainty and brought illumination to the understanding of His people.

Moses, captivated and entranced by what he saw, praised God. The divine glory that accompanied the giving of the law was so evident on his face that it became almost unbearable (Exodus 34:29-30). Again, due to their transgressions, the Israelites could not gaze upon his shining countenance, and Moses wore a veil to avoid terrifying them (2 Corinthians 3:7-8).

If the Israelites had perceived the gospel light revealed to Moses and had the faith to look steadfastly at the fulfillment of what was symbolized in the law, they could have endured the radiance reflected from Moses' face; however, their minds were blinded (2 Corinthians 3:14-15), and to this day, a veil remains over their hearts, obscuring the good news of salvation through the merits of the crucified Redeemer.

This serves as a lesson to nominal Christians in the present generation who choose to retain their wickedness:
Should a wicked man enter into the gates of heaven, there he will find no comfort or harmony in the communion of holy beings who shall, “…shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matthew 13:43). The Light of God’s Holy presence would, to him, be a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29) and the character of the city’s holy inhabitants (whose beautiful faces reflect God’s glory) would be painfully foreign to him; thus, he would shrink with wailing and gnashing of teeth. He will find no shadow within the heavenly city with which he could hide from the One who sits on the throne (Rev 6:16). Sadly, there are those today who, in their willful depravity, already do this like cockroaches exposed to the lesser light. How much more could the sinner stand in the glorious Light of God (“Shekhinah”) in His full and unveiled majesty?

Isaiah‬ 33‬:14‬-16‬, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’ He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.”

Hebrews‬ 12‬:29‬, “For our God is a consuming fire.”

Description

Moses convening directly with God in the tempests of the mountain often had gone without food for extended periods, even up to forty days, yet he did not experience the pangs of hunger. He was not tormented by a wicked adversary. In this manner, Moses was elevated beyond human limitations, enveloped in the glory of God, and divinely sustained.

In the presence of the Divine, a radiant splendor surrounded him. On his return from the mountain, the people saw the intense brilliance that radiated from Moses' face as he carried two tablets of sapphire stone. This caused the Israelites to fear him greatly such that Moses had to wear a veil in their presence. It was upon that tempestuous mount were these tablets were bestowed, where the brilliance of God's glory was veiled by darkness, shielding mortal eyes from the overwhelming radiance of the Creator, akin to how the luminous countenance of Moses was concealed behind a veil upon his descent from the mount, having communed with the Divine.

Interestingly, the tablets were inscribed not merely upon ordinary stones, but upon sapphire stones, as is recounted in Jewish tradition. In the sacred texts, sapphire frequently conveys notions of beauty, purity, and divine revelation. One notable instance is found in Exodus 24:10, where it portrays the ground beneath God's feet as akin to “… apaved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.” This depiction signifies the majestic and celestial nature of God's presence. Moreover, sapphire is at times associated with wisdom and insight, symbolizing the brilliance and lucidity of divine truth. Additionally, within certain Jewish customs, sapphire holds significance as one of the twelve stones adorning the breastplate of the high priest, each stone representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In sum, sapphire in the biblical narrative often embodies ideas of spiritual clarity, divine presence, and the exquisite beauty of God's creation.

Even more intriguing is the correlation between the sapphire beneath the feet of the Almighty and the symbolism of the Ark of the Covenant. Just as the lid covering the ark was termed the "mercy seat," signifying the throne of the Divine, beneath which rested the original tablets of the Decalogue inscribed by the finger of God. This signifies that His Sovereign Realm is sustained by the Commandments that regulate the ethics of His Sacred community throughout the cosmos.

Exodus 34:29-35, “Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.”

While on the mountain, as Moses received the law, he was also shown the Coming One, Christ's work, and His mission to Earth. He saw the Son of God taking on humanity to become a teacher and guide to the world and ultimately offering Himself as a ransom for their sins. When the perfect sacrifice was made for humanity's sins, the symbolic sacrificial offerings ceased. Christ's advent removed the veil of uncertainty and brought illumination to the understanding of His people.

Moses, captivated and entranced by what he saw, praised God. The divine glory that accompanied the giving of the law was so evident on his face that it became almost unbearable (Exodus 34:29-30). Again, due to their transgressions, the Israelites could not gaze upon his shining countenance, and Moses wore a veil to avoid terrifying them (2 Corinthians 3:7-8).

If the Israelites had perceived the gospel light revealed to Moses and had the faith to look steadfastly at the fulfillment of what was symbolized in the law, they could have endured the radiance reflected from Moses' face; however, their minds were blinded (2 Corinthians 3:14-15), and to this day, a veil remains over their hearts, obscuring the good news of salvation through the merits of the crucified Redeemer.

This serves as a lesson to nominal Christians in the present generation who choose to retain their wickedness:
Should a wicked man enter into the gates of heaven, there he will find no comfort or harmony in the communion of holy beings who shall, “…shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matthew 13:43). The Light of God’s Holy presence would, to him, be a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29) and the character of the city’s holy inhabitants (whose beautiful faces reflect God’s glory) would be painfully foreign to him; thus, he would shrink with wailing and gnashing of teeth. He will find no shadow within the heavenly city with which he could hide from the One who sits on the throne (Rev 6:16). Sadly, there are those today who, in their willful depravity, already do this like cockroaches exposed to the lesser light. How much more could the sinner stand in the glorious Light of God (“Shekhinah”) in His full and unveiled majesty?

Isaiah‬ 33‬:14‬-16‬, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’ He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.”

Hebrews‬ 12‬:29‬, “For our God is a consuming fire.”