seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 34:29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
These comments are from GodVine.
The skin of his face shone - קרן karan, was horned: having been long in familiar intercourse with his Maker, his flesh, as well as his soul, was penetrated with the effulgence of the Divine glory, and his looks expressed the light and life which dwelt within. Probably Moses appeared now as he did when, in our Lord's transfiguration, he was seen with Elijah on the mount, Matthew 17. As the original word קרן karan signifies to shine out, to dart forth, as horns on the head of an animal, or rays of light reflected from a polished surface, we may suppose that the heavenly glory which filled the soul of this holy man darted out from his face in coruscations, in that manner in which light is generally represented. The Vulgate renders the passage, et ignorabat quod cornuta esset facies sua, "and he did not know that his face was horned;" which version, misunderstood, has induced painters in general to represent Moses with two very large horns, one proceeding from each temple. But we might naturally ask, while they were indulging themselves in such fancies, why only two horns? for it is very likely that there were hundreds of these radiations, proceeding at once from the face of Moses. It was no doubt from this very circumstance that almost all the nations of the world who have heard of this transaction, have agreed in representing those men to whom they attributed extraordinary sanctity, and whom they supposed to have had familiar intercourse with the Deity, with a lucid nimbus or glory round their heads. This has prevailed both in the east and in the west; not only the Greek and Roman saints, or eminent persons, are thus represented, but those also among the Mohammedans, Hindoos, and Chinese.
I got this from bible-commentaries.com
The last section of this chapter, vs. 29-35 describes the effect the encounter with God had upon Moses. We read: "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD." Moses did not see in himself what others saw in him. Oswald Chambers once wrote: "We want to be conscious saints and unconscious sinners; God makes us conscious sinners and unconscious saints." It might have been better for Moses had he not become a conscious saint, because then he would not have felt the need to wear a veil.
Superficial reading of these verses would give the impression that Moses used the veil to protect the Israelites from the radiance of his face, but this is not the case, since the veil is put on after Moses spoke to them. Moses knew that the glory would wear off and he desperately tried to hang on to it. The veil served to protect Moses, not the people. The apostle Paul penetrates the core of the problem when he says: "We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away." The veil hides the fact that Moses is vulnerable. When Moses wore the veil, people had the impression that the glory was always there, but it wasn't! And Moses did not want them to know that. He wanted to project the image of the man of God, whose fellowship with God was not subject to ups and downs. He did not want them to see that the real Moses needed to be recharged from time to time.
Superficial reading of these verses would give the impression that Moses used the veil to protect the Israelites from the radiance of his face, but this is not the case, since the veil is put on after Moses spoke to them. Moses knew that the glory would wear off and he desperately tried to hang on to it. The veil served to protect Moses, not the people. The apostle Paul penetrates the core of the problem when he says: "We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away." The veil hides the fact that Moses is vulnerable. When Moses wore the veil, people had the impression that the glory was always there, but it wasn't! And Moses did not want them to know that. He wanted to project the image of the man of God, whose fellowship with God was not subject to ups and downs. He did not want them to see that the real Moses needed to be recharged from time to time.
This is a picture of what comes to my mind when I think of these verses. I sincerely believe the veil was to allow Moses to interact with the people. Sure.... the shine would fade after a while, but I just don't believe that Moses was afraid of that.
