“…what is capable of strength must be made strong. This is the Divine Law throughout all of life…”
The Expositors Bible.,
“The world is ‘a vale of soul making,’ a great sculptors shop, and we are the statues.”
“…the statues must endure many blows of the chisel and be hardened in the fire.” “This is not optional.”
“…without it we have no face with which to face God.”
Kreeft quotes C.S.Lewis from one of his allegorical books, “How can we meet the gods face to face till we have faces?”
“That is the meaning of life: getting a face, becoming real…” Peter Kreeft.
A person acquires a face?
“Aaron, the high priest, went into the Holy of Holies once a year, he had to burn incense on the coals coming out from the outer altar so that he couldn’t see the mercy seat. He had to look up, because he wasn’t allowed to see the mercy seat. Dr. Carl H.Stevens
Moses, however, was able to go into the holy of holies, in Exodus. He could look right at the mercy seat, and Jesus would teach him doctrine. Stevens
Exodus 33:11 says this: “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend.”
What made Moses different than Aaron?
Moses had gained face! How?
Moses had sought seclusion at the desert’s far side, running from Pharaoh and evading God but then there appeared a burning bush. “…the elaborate self vindication, the impassioned egotism, the vehement self-gratulation, the lengthened arguments in self defense—all is laid aside.” C.H.Macintosh
40 years accomplished this.
Then, that amazing bush burned up all Moses’ face to face hindrance that day; Moses drew near and God spoke from the bush. The Great “I AM” called Moses by name!
Guilt and fear burned that day, regret and shame too. Restoration and hope blossomed and Moses did not die, only his inhibitions.
In His presence Moses received mercy; He found grace. He activated the precise timing of succor,
and God promised, “surely I will be with you.”
Moses got a face; he quit forsaking mercy by beholding vanity. He moved from judgement’s condemning, to holy rejoicing against judgement.
Moses had looked at God and lived.
Isaiah “saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. ” The result was, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” But then, “one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” Isaiah 6
Isaiah got face and dialogue with The One “High and Lifted up.”
David had an encounter with God, “When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” “Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. Psalm 27:8-9
As a result David, saw “the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” And tells us:
“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage,
“And He shall strengthen your heart.” Psalm 27:13-14
Friends, face to face was purchased by blood, the blood of God in Christ shed for us. The mercy seat has opened to all who will apply that blood to their purging, and dead works of inhibited secluding burn there. Sprinkle that precious blood seven times before the mercy seat, that is our place of acceptance. Look straight upon the mercy seat itself because blood covers all restricting accusers. We talk to Our Father here. love ya
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