The Light of Your Face: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:07, 3 February 2013

There is a certain tension in the biblical tradition about the face of God. On the one hand, there are very strong statements that no one can see the face of God and, on the other hand, there are several accounts of people doing so. The desire that God would "make His face shine" on His people is expressed in many passages.

Theologically and philosophically, we must remember that all of this language is metaphorical and anthropomorphic. God is pure spirit, and therefore He does not have a human face at all. But it is practically a requirement for us to imagine the face of God in our prayer and adoration, because this is how we know and love persons. God is the Tri-Personal origin of all other persons, angelic and embodied. We might say that God makes a face for Himself in order to speak with us in terms that we can understand. He does this not only in the poetry of the Old Testament but in the reality of the Incarnation of God the Son: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9).

We cannot see God face-to-face

Exodus 33:18-23

¹⁸ Then Moses said, â€œPlease let me see your glory!â€

¹⁹ The LORD answered: I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim my name, â€œLORD,â€ before you; I who show favor to whom I will, I who grant mercy to whom I will.

²⁰ But you cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.

²¹ Here, continued the LORD, is a place near me where you shall station yourself on the rock.

²² When my glory passes I will set you in the cleft of the rock and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

²³ Then I will remove my hand, so that you may see my back; but my face may not be seen.

[ Ex 20: 19]

[ Dt 4: 33]

[ Jgs 13: 22]

"No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Fatherâ€™s side, has revealed him" (Jn 1:18).

God shows His face to a few

God does lunch with Abraham

God saves Hagar and Ishmael

Gen 16:13

To the LORD who spoke to her [Hagar] gave a name, saying, "You are God who sees me"; she meant, "Have I really seen God and remained alive after he saw me?"

Jacob and the Mysterious Stranger

After wrestling with an intruder all night long, Jacob realizes that it was God. He then took the name "Israel," which can be translated, "He fought God" or "God-fighter."

Gen 32:31

Jacob named the place Peniel [Face of God],* "because I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."

Gen 35: 1-7

[ Hos 12]

Moses

The shining face of Moses after meeting with God--covered with a veil.

Samson's parents

¹⁷ Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, â€œWhat is your name, that we may honor you when your words come true?â€

¹⁸ The angel of the LORD answered him: Why do you ask my name? It is wondrous.

¹⁹ Then Manoah took a young goat with a grain offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, who works wonders. While Manoah and his wife were looking on,

²⁰ as the flame rose to the heavens from the altar, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground;

²¹ but the angel of the LORD was seen no more by Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah, realizing that it was the angel of the LORD,

²² said to his wife, â€œWe will certainly die, for we have seen God.â€

²³ But his wife said to him, â€œIf the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands! Nor would he have let us see all this, or hear what we have heard.â€

²⁴ The woman bore a son and named him Samson, and when the boy grew up the LORD blessed him.

²⁵ The spirit of the LORD came upon him for the first time in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Shining Faces

This is not an exhaustive list, just illustrative.

××•Ö¹×¨ Make to shine, enkindle.

Num 6:25	The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
Ps 34:6	Look to him and be radiant, and your faces may not blush for shame.
Ps 31:17	Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your mercy.
Ps 67:2	May God be gracious to us and bless us; may his face shine upon us.
Ps 80:4	O God, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.
Ps 80:8	O God of hosts, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.
Ps 80:20	LORD God of hosts, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.
Ps 104:15	[You make] wine to gladden their hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread to sustain the human heart.
Ps 119:135	Let your face shine upon your servant; teach me your statutes.
Ps 4:7	Many say, "May we see better times! LORD, show us the light of your face!"
Dan 9:17	Now, our God, hear the prayer and petition of your servant; and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary.
Ecc 8:1	Who is like the wise person, and who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom illumines the face and transforms a grim countenance.

New Testament

Transfiguration of Jesus

Face of Stephen during martyrdom?

Priestly blessing

Wikipedia, "Priestly Blessing"

May the LORD (YHWH) bless you and guard you -

("YebhÄrÄ“kh-khÄ AdhÅnÄy weyishmerÄ“khÄ ...)

May the LORD make His face shed light upon you and be gracious unto you -

×™Ö¸×Öµ×¨ ×™×”×•×” ×¤Ö¸Ö¼× Ö¸×™×• ×Öµ×œÖ¶×™×šÖ¸, ×•Ö´×™×—Ö»× Ö¶Ö¼×šÖ¸Ö¼

May the LORD lift up His face unto you and give you peace -

("YissÄ AdhÅnÄy pÄnÄw Ä“lekhÄ wiyÄsÄ“m lekhÄ shÄlÅm.")

NAB

Numbers 6:23-25

²⁴ The LORD bless you and keep you!

²⁵ The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

²⁶ The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Our culture

Beaming with pleasure: children on Christmas day, a proud parent watching a child perform well, "the look of love."
Happiness makes our faces "light up." "Women aglow."
Halos.
New age religion: auras. (Just a parallel, not something I affirm.)
Beatific vision.

"Smile," Lyrics by Parker and Watson

Sung by Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Michael Buble ...

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.

References

Links

Wikipedia, "Divine countenance."

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+There is a certain tension in the biblical tradition about the face of God.  On the one hand, there are very strong statements that no one can see the face of God and, on the other hand, there are several accounts of people doing so.  The desire that God would "make His face shine" on His people is expressed in many passages.
+Theologically and philosophically, we must remember that all of this language is metaphorical and anthropomorphic.  God is pure spirit, and therefore He does not have a human face at all.  But it is practically a requirement for us to imagine the face of God in our prayer and adoration, because this is how we know and love persons. God is the Tri-Personal origin of all other persons, angelic and embodied.  We might say that God makes a face for Himself in order to speak with us in terms that we can understand.  He does this not only in the poetry of the Old Testament but in the reality of the Incarnation of God the Son: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" [http://usccb.org/bible/jn/14:9 (Jn 14:9).]
 == We cannot see God face-to-face ==
@@ Line 15: / Line 18: @@
 <sup class="versenum">23</sup> Then I will remove my hand, so that you may see my back; but my face may not be seen.
 </div>
+:; [ Ex 20:19]
+::
+:; [ Dt 4:33]
+::
+:; [ Jgs 13:22]
+::
 : "No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Fatherâ€™s side, has revealed him" [http://usccb.org/bible/jn/1:17 (Jn 1:18).]
-== Jacob and the Mysterious Stranger ==
+== God shows His face to a few ==
+=== God does lunch with Abraham ===
+=== God saves Hagar and Ishmael ===
+:; [http://www.usccb.org/bible/gn/16:13 Gen 16:13]
+:: To the LORD who spoke to her [Hagar] gave a name, saying, "You are God who sees me"; she meant, "Have I really seen God and remained alive after he saw me?"
+=== Jacob and the Mysterious Stranger ===
+After wrestling with an intruder all night long, Jacob realizes that it was God.  He then took the name "Israel," which can be translated, "He fought God" or "God-fighter."
+:; [http://www.usccb.org/bible/gn/32:30 Gen 32:31]
+:: Jacob named the place Peniel [''Face of God''],* "because I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."
+:; Gen 35:1-7
+::
-Jacob wrestling with the Angel is a biblical story commonly depicted in art. The story appears in chapter 32 of Genesis, and chapter 12 of the Book of Hosea. In Genesis 35:1-7 there is again a reference to the story.
+:; [ Hos 12]
-Peniel = "Face of God"
+::
-Israel = "He fought God"
-== Moses ==
+=== Moses ===
 The shining face of Moses after meeting with God--covered with a veil.
+=== Samson's parents ===
+<div class="hang">
+<sup class="versenum">17</sup> Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, â€œWhat is your name, that we may honor you when your words come true?â€
+<sup class="versenum">18</sup> The angel of the LORD answered him: Why do you ask my name? It is wondrous.
+<sup class="versenum">19</sup> Then Manoah took a young goat with a grain offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, who works wonders. While Manoah and his wife were looking on,
+<sup class="versenum">20</sup> as the flame rose to the heavens from the altar, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground;
+<sup class="versenum">21</sup> but the angel of the LORD was seen no more by Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah, realizing that it was the angel of the LORD,
+<sup class="versenum">22</sup> said to his wife, â€œWe will certainly die, for we have seen God.â€
+<sup class="versenum">23</sup> But his wife said to him, â€œIf the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands! Nor would he have let us see all this, or hear what we have heard.â€
+<sup class="versenum">24</sup> The woman bore a son and named him Samson, and when the boy grew up the LORD blessed him.
+<sup class="versenum">25</sup> The spirit of the LORD came upon him for the first time in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
+</div>
 == Shining Faces ==