God Haters

Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people.

 - From Psalm 105

This is an intriguing, and troubling, turn of phrase. And the same idea is rather prominent throughout the Old Testament - 

...The idea that God turns the hearts of His enemies, or the enemies of His chosen people. Does he, like make them hate His people? Is it a Calvinist sort of predetermined fate? It can't be turned around, or changed, or reversed. God just decides to make one person hate another. Is this plausible? Is it done?

Or perhaps God knows the hearts of people. He knows that we're jealous, that we're made to react and not respond after reflection. He knows how prone we are to hate others, for jealous and superficial reasons. He knows that, if He doesn't act, we'd probably kill each other. But He also knows that if He does act, it will create another form of contention because we're so envious of each other, in a way that leads to violence.

God knows this about us, because He made us.

In Egypt, God made Israel prosper. The net effect was that Egypt began to hate Israel. Now, we know this is totally plausible.

A friend of mine was a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees. He loved them because they were, historically, "Number One." And he loves that so many people hated the Yankees. He said "Do you know why people hate the Yankees? Because they're Number One."

And then he continued: "That's why other countries hate the US. Because we're Number One. Yes we bail them out of disasters and wars. But they will hate us anyway, because we're Number One, and people don't like Number Ones."

So this is how it happened. Out of the goodness of their hearts, Egypt welcomed Israel. But within a few generations, Israel became more prosperous than the Egyptians . . . in Egypt! 

And we all know what is bound to happen next. 

Our politics today, is like that. Both sides hate the other because of a perceived advantage the other side has. They are driven more by jealousy than they are by sound values.

But let's presume, for a moment, that God actually is on one of the sides. Maybe one of our political movements is "God's People." If it is true that God blesses His people, which makes their enemies jealous, then that means that a God hater may actually be doing God's will, by hating.

Even an act of defiance towards God plays right into His plan.

God's people should be loving, anyway.

But God's enemies, by hating, are doing exactly what He wants. So maybe they should love their enemies, out of spite!

There is plenty of reason for us to love. And we should go out of our way, not to be a people that God has turned against Himself!

Your Bare Feet

Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

 - From Exodus 3

There is a lot to unpack in Exodus 3. So much symbolism that we could dwell on. But for further explication, today I choose the part about taking off your shoes, when on holy ground.

I thought about this for a while, and wondered to myself: "Why should we remove our shoes, if we're on holy ground?" What is it about holy ground, that makes us remove our shoes? This is still in practice in many eastern religions. Some serious Christian groups might have a foot-washing, which would require the removal of shoes. But for the most part, we do not experience this obviously meaningful practice in most churches today.

And of course, you have some unspoken, TMI-type questions. What if a person has really bad foot odor? Would that be a distraction in church?

I know that, if someone attempted to do a "Take Your Shoes Off" service . . . just one special single event . . . it would be received as vaguely scandalous to some. When we refuse to, or even just avoid, any custom that was prominent anywhere in the Bible, like this, shouldn't we wonder why, and maybe see if our pride is in play?

I have some friends that, when you go to their house, the front entryway just fills up with shoes. People learn the rule of that house - you take off your shoes here. The main reason for this is so that their floor and carpet does not get dirty. But biblically speaking, there's more to it than that. 

I feel way more comfortable taking off my shoes in my own home, or in that of my parents. Maybe, just a little, I'm okay with taking them off in a sibling's home. But it has always seemed just a little too familiar for me. It bespeaks a group of people that are very, very comfortable with each other. It's something that families do. It's very easy, and natural, to go around in your parents' home, with your shoes off. You do it automatically, when you're home. Home.

I like this perspective. Is this what "holy ground" is? Is the closeness and trust of a family, a holy thing? Was God saying to Moses "Take off your shoes and relax. Get comfortable. You are about to enter into my living room. Let's sit down and talk"?

Moses felt extremely awkward. He hid his face from God. He was like a shy pre-schooler entering your home for the first time. He grabs his mother's pantleg and hides behind her, trying not to make eye-contact with you. We can't believe someone is that willing to open up their home . . . their life . . . to us. Moses had an extreme case of this type of shyness. 

And there's the trust factor. When your shoes are off, your feet are exposed to new threats. A splinter. An insect bite. A crazy Yorkshire terrier that likes to attack the feet of passersby. You inhibit your ability to run away if you have to. Shoeless people are trusting people.

So, like everything else in Scripture. So much has been left out, that if it's still in there, it must be very important.

And so it is with the ancient practice of removing your shoes. 

Unity

...and individually we are members one of another.

 - From Romans 12

The ideas of teamwork, unity, of putting others ahead of yourself: I have come to believe that they are impossible to see in practice, in our present age.

You will not even see good teamwork, or unity, or selflessness, in the Church.

Oh sure, there are hints of the practice of these high principles, here and there. A high-performance team that soon breaks up from its own internal conflict, or that is broken up by short-sighted management; A church that grows like wildfire as everyone is all working as though from the same script, but that is stalled ultimately by some mini scandal or otherwise dissatisfied group of parishioners.

We have seen excellence in action. Almost everybody knows what it's like to be in a "zone" with your teammates, family members, or Church body.

But the point is, it doesn't last long. Something brings it to an end, or to a permanent plateau.

I simply don't think we have it in us. Because we love being partisan, so much.

Partisanship is a system of teamwork that aligns people with others that will embrace their attitudes and ways that are dysfunctional in the greater society. Real teamwork, real unity, and real selflessness, is going to hurt a little bit.

The current crisis in western culture, for instance, can only be reversed if extreme partisans begin to own their own contributions to the problem:

This does NOT mean "I am at fault for not speaking out when the haters were getting organized."

It DOES mean "I am at fault for pushing the haters away, and marginalizing them, before they became haters. I was hateful, too."

Yes . . . that would be more like it.

If the Church had true unity, that refused to let politics separate members from one another, then it would serve as a great catalyst in society, to bring healing to so many warring factions. The Church divided feeds hate. The Church unified destroys it.

Shadow

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty.

 - From Psalm 91

ISIS.

Ebola.

Terrorism.

Random violence.

AIDS.

Measles.

Violent crime.

Drought.

As I read through Psalm 91, I jotted down some modern manifestations of the bad things listed by the Psalmist.

Or, you could just go read a newspaper. Or worse yet, look at Facebook.

The same things have caused fear in the hearts of humans, for millennia. Cain killed his brother Abel, and that was the start of it.

Or was it?

No, it actually started when Adam disobeyed God, and set the universe out of balance.

Is God's ego really that fragile? No . . . not at all. But He created everything and made the rules. He said: "Just stick with me, and this will go well." But we kept wandering off. We kept thinking we knew better than God.

How much better things could have been . . .

But in the Psalms, as these horrors are listed out, there is one simple solution to it.

Just stay in God's shadow. Stay hidden from the evil. Let Him protect you.

Not the government. Not politicians. Not partisans. Not your hundred friends that "like" your inflammatory posts within five minutes (as opposed to the thousands that are insulted by it, that never respond . . . publicly).

This is a call-out to Christians, to believers, to evangelicals, Conservatives and Christian Liberals. Do you need a reason to band together? How about this:

You should have faith to believe that God really is in control, and that He writes the final chapter. You can give up and let go of your temptation to let partisanship divide you. 

In the end, nobody's going to care about political parties if the list of bad things starts happening to us. We'll wind up together in God's shadow, where there are far more important things than what "45" said last night, or what group showed up to counter-protest an extremist group.

Serve

If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more...

 - From Deuteronomy 18

Why doesn't God just drop the middlemen and women, and just speak to us directly? Why doesn't He just intervene and save us?

Scripture is full of answers to this question. God has said, repeatedly, that if we just follow His commandments, there would be peace, prosperity, justice, equality, and life.

So why don't we just follow His commandments?

Yeah. Right. As if humanity has ever . . . ever . . . once . . . done just that!

But we have seen what happens when people come face to face with God. Moses' face shone so brilliantly, that he had to wear a mask. When Jesus was being transfigured, he shone, probably nearly as bright as the sun.

God is so brilliant, so overwhelmingly majestic, that humans can't handle it for a period of time . . . especially those that lack the faith of Moses, which is all of us. 

So God started sending His messengers, know as "prophets" to speak to us on His behalf. That's where the whole idea of prophet, and even preacher, teacher, Apostle, and pastor, comes from. We can't handle being face to face with God. And we wouldn't listen to Him anyway. Just as well, to send a human.

And elsewhere in Scripture, God defines the authority figures that we should listen to, follow, and heed:

• Government
• Teachers
• Public safety 
• Pastors
• Parents
• Elders
• Any authority figure

Do I really need hard, scientific evidence, that would prove that society, and all of us, would be better off if we simply followed authority?

But there's more to it than that. The people in that list, also have to serve us.

And we're supposed to treat everybody else as an authority over us. We're supposed to serve others, and treat them as better than ourselves. 

...which brings us back to modern times, and our current problems in society. 

Everybody is okay with the Church being divided. "God calls on us to resist evil."

Yes, He does. But above and beyond that, He wants us to serve others. 

And I don't see anybody willing to do that. 

Unity and Love

...life for evermore.

 - From Psalm 133

"Life for evermore." This is the blessing that God bestows. At a certain place and time. Under certain conditions. And what are these?

Well it all starts with "when brethren live together in unity."

The Psalmist exults: "How good and pleasant it is!"

Yep. Think about it. Think about a time when you were working together with your mom and dad, and siblings, on some project. Maybe getting your house ready for a Christmas party. Maybe starting off that first day on a family vacation. Do you remember the last trip your family all took, together? I do! Summer, 1972, to Texas.

Think of a team you once worked with, in your day job. You just knew you were a high performance team. You all worked together so well. Everybody loved the boss . . . nobody backtalked to her, or gossiped about her. It was so wonderful . . . and it was over way too soon.

In the summer of 1980 I helped roof the Shamrock, Texas, Advent Christian Church, in record-breaking heat. It was miserable, sweaty, gritty work. But we had such a great time! I may have wished it would end, at the time. But my memories of it are only positive, only filled with joy.

We love, love, love when we are in a group that works well together. Hard work becomes thrilling. The process becomes more notable than the end-product. I am constantly aware of this, in managing several on-line discussion groups. With all due modesty, I use an iron fist to control any comments that may derail the goodwill among us.

But in this era of severe division, I frequently promote a no-quarter attitude, that the Church must remain unified. I get ridiculed and mocked for suggesting this. People insist that if I am silent, then I am consenting to evil. But I have not been silent.

They say they are tired of all my kumbaya talk about listening and serving others. But unconditional love is what is missing, and it is the hardest love of all! 

It is not about false tolerance. Not about compromise. Not about shying away from what's wrong.

It's about calling people to a much higher pinnacle than anything they've ever been on. When one's highest principles have been attained and protected from all threats, there remains a higher pinnacle yet: The one where you get above the strife and look down, and risk being harpooned by the angry throngs of people.

Scripture is chock-full of references to God's passionate desire that we be unified. World religions, and philosophies echo that sentiment. 

No qualifiers. No if, ands, or buts. No conditions! Be unified! And then I have no doubt, that even the most disparate group of people, where the members are committed to one another, can solve any problem; any problem - - - even the ones tearing America apart right now. 

The Church could take the lead in solving our problems. But it won't solve anything if it lets political parties, universities, the Press, Hollywood, and pop culture tear it apart.

Every family has its characters: it's clowns, it's problems, it's rogues, it's criminals. There is a particularly difficult aunt that died years ago, that left in her wake of multiple marriages and dysfunctional child-rearing, a host of unresolved problems. Drug abuse. Serial divorce. Even suicide. 

But a certain niece of this woman, in the middle of a discussion about the aunt, finally ended the discussion with: "Well I don't care. She's family and I love her."

From out of that comes healing. Not the drawing of lines. Not ganging up. Not a continuation of reciting all of the aunt's failures and foibles. That solves nothing. 

"I don't care . . . I love her." That's it. That's healing. That's what would have prevented the whole mess, in the first place. 

Unity and love are almost exactly the same thing. 

Words Divide. Yes, even THOSE words.

You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt.

 - From Genesis 45

There is so much to unpack in the story of Joseph. Most of it is timely, to what is going on in the world today . . . as in, this week.

We think we understand everything so clearly.

 - Agree with me, or you are a hater.
 - If you don't denounce such-and-such, you are the problem.
 - Silence is consent.

Words, just words. Words divide. Slogans add fuel to the flames. Everybody is supposed to choose sides. And they do so, by way of words.

Actions don't matter. Love is not elevated. Feed hate, and use words to do it. 

We focus on the surface of things, and not on the depth. We want instant gratification for our sudden, impulsive urges; as well as for our presently hurt feelings. And it's all about words. My group has insulted your group for decades, and now I expect you to assent to my demands for words that you must now use, that indicate you are no longer on the other side. Yes, I can insult you with intensity, and then expect you to run and embrace me, because I have demanded it. 

And then there's the whole issue of the Hebrews, first becoming wealthy, and then falling into ruin, thanks to the famine; but then being elevated, just like that, into the 10% (if not the 1%) of Egyptian life. But within two generations, the jealousy of the people will drive the Hebrews into a base form of slavery. People want justice now. And justice usually means "take that other group down."

Things are not what they seem. The savage selling of Joseph to slave traders, and the lie told to his father, that a lion killed him . . . and his treatment in the house of Potiphar; the ups and downs of his life; the violence that attended him, almost every step of the way, did not destroy his pure temperament and clear faith. He kept moving forward. He did not use words to tear down others. (Angry words were the arena of his brothers!). He simply kept doing what was right, what was respectful to others, including those that did not deserve it. And look at the outcome!

Talk is talk. And Talk is cheap. Slogans do more harm than good.

Show, don't tell. Serve others. Express kindness and love. 

Let your answer to this week's sickness and evil be: not words (for even the best-intended words can divide). No, let your response be acts of love and service. Actions speak louder than words.

So speak, loudly. 

Seven Words

I will listen to what the Lord God is saying . . . 

 - From Psalm 85

Peace, salvation, glory, mercy, truth, righteousness, and prosperity.

These are the seven words in this selection from the Psalms - the seven words that should get people's attention.

The Psalm begins with "I will listen to what the Lord God is saying."

Why?

Well . . . these seven words are what God has been talking about. Cynics and atheists will have their laughs, pointing out inconsistencies, and archaic concepts that they say were written by long-dead males.

The clever (but far from original) observations of the cynics aside (they are letting a smoke-screen drive their thinking); they're missing the point. Look again:

• peace
• salvation
• glory
• mercy
• truth
• righteousness
• prosperity

Don't miss the point by focusing on trite nitpicking of the Bible and it's sixty-six or so distinct observations of the same basic, simple concepts. 

Read the words again. Isn't this what people talk about? Don't they argue over these concepts? Aren't these principles the things that matter most? 

Then stop what you're doing, read them again. It's what the Bible, both testaments, is all about. 

And since that's the case, why don't you go back, read, and listen?

Don't miss the point. Seven words. A word for each day. Read, study, and listen. You might as well, since chances are you think that you take these concepts very seriously. 

Face

...continually seek his face.

 - from Psalm 105

The Psalmist is singing praises to God: His glory, His majesty, His greatness....

But then takes most of the Psalm to summarize the life of Joseph:

* a youngster enslaved
* He predicts things that come to pass
* Pharaoh sets him free
* He becomes great in Egypt
* His wisdom is spread throughout the land

We don't all start out as slaves. But we don't all end up in charge of entire countries, either. 

And those of us that do become king, or President, or Prime Minister never . . . never . . . become known for our superhuman wisdom. 

How can we put things together, and have an ending like Joseph? 

Well, it says right there in the Psalm: "Continually seek His face."

Who among us does that? 

Nobody, nobody.

Your face gives off light. Imagine that light in God's face! He must be very, very easy to find. And if we fail in finding Him, the problem must be ours. We must not be looking hard enough, or in enough places. Or perhaps we go about it with blinders on. 

Even humans, like Moses, or Christ, have bright lights, because they had been with God. Their radiance was obvious, and in the case of Moses, it became a problem. You could not avoid it . . . Moses' face was shining!

Therefore, so does the face of God. The Christian walk is not about works. The gift of eternal life is a free gift. We did not earn it. All you have to do is accept it. But good things happen to them that seek God . . . not only in the next life, but in this one as well. 

So, seek Him. Seek His face. Continually. 

A Quiet Moment with Elijah

...and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 

 - From 1 Kings 9

And so we have what could possible have been Elijah's experience with God, that intersected with the Transfiguration. 

We have a scene that is similar to the Transfiguration of Christ. A great wind, an earthquake, and then a fire. Elements of the end of time and the Return of Christ. But the Lord was in none of it. Immediately following all of it, everything got quiet. And finally the Lord spoke to Elijah, and gave him some answers. 

Elijah was in an intense encounter with the Lord. He was on a mountain . . . he was hiding out, but God sought him. 

Elijah's role was similar to that of Moses. Moses handed the Law down to the people. Elijah represented the prophets: he was the great prophet pronouncing judgment upon Israel and Judah.

The closing scene of the Transfiguration was Jesus sitting, quietly, when a voice comes from out of the clouds: "This is my Son." And the closing scene here, was "the sound of sheer silence." Or, the sound of no sound at all. A lot of people have a ringing in their ears: tinnitus. Most people cannot sit still in the silence. They have to fidget, or make some little stir, to break up the silence. And even then, there is often something in the distance - a breeze, an animal, a far-off brook. But here with Elijah . . . there was nothing. 

Maybe it was like the silence before God created. God shows His splendor and power to Elijah (to Moses, to Peter, John and James) . . . but finishes with silence. Because it's not about the show. It's not about the pageantry. We don't have to have our senses constantly stimulated. 

God brings it down to silence, to nothing . . . so that all that is left is Him and me,  or you. And then He can do something. Then, He tells us what we've really been needing to hear. 

Just like the Transfiguration.

This Dreamer

. . . a man found him wandering in the fields . . . 

 - From Genesis 37

If we look at the clues about the personality of Joseph enough, fill in the blanks, connect the dots, I think we can get a pretty accurate take on him. We know the type, very well.

His brothers called him "this dreamer." He did dream dreams. He told stories. He was ridiculously naive . . . not knowing how socially inept it is, to go telling your older siblings such things; especially when their father, Jacob preferred Joseph. 

Joseph was not favored because of his good looks, his charm, his hard work, his good grades. 

Jacob just loved Joseph. He wasn't even the baby of the family: that would be his little brother, Benjamin. Why is any kid favored? Why do most parents show such lack of wisdom in picking their favorites? (Why do teachers and coaches do the same?)

For whatever reason, Jacob thought Joseph could do no wrong.

Or maybe it was this delicate aspect to his personality. He seemed unable to function in normal society. When sent out to check on his brothers, he was found, just wandering around, aimlessly. Jacob saw this and kept a close eye on Jacob . . . he gave him extra attention and protection.

What was Joseph doing out in the fields? Thinking? Dreaming? Daydreaming? He certainly wasn't plotting evil, as his brothers did. 

Out of this unpromising background, God rose up a reflective and empathetic leader for Egypt, at just the right time.

Keep that in mind, when you can't help but be totally mystified and frustrated at the behavior of some really odd person. 

Shining Face

...the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

 - From Luke 9

How did Peter, John, and James know that the two men with Jesus, were Moses and Elijah?

The Bible leaves so many details out, that what remains must be very, very important. We can use our imaginations, or maybe just our common sense, to fill in the blanks.

The three disciples, who we might call "The Inner Circle" were experiencing a moment in time. Or perhaps more accurately, a moment outside of time. God intersected our time and space with the eternal realm, where time is of no consequence. Five important figures from history were brought together in that moment, with the Son of God:

Peter, John, James, Moses, and Elijah. 

It says later on in the New Testament, that in the Kingdom of God, we shall "know as we are known." I think that means that all knowledge is available to us, in eternity.

As that single moment opened up for the Inner Circle, suddenly they became part of it, and they just knew. 

And even if they didn't, the context made it clear to them: this is Moses, and that is Elijah. And it wouldn't be too far-fetched if a sort-of introduction happened. 

"My friends: behold Moses, and Elijah!"

Remember how Moses' face shown when he came down from the mountain, after 40 days and night with God? The same thing happened to Jesus at His Transfiguration. Except, many times over. 

After walking as a man . . .as only a man, for all of His life, now God the Father finally showers divine Glory upon Him. The Lamb is Worthy. He has been obedient. The Disciples (or at least these three), finally get it. They sort of see what's happening to them, and for them. They are ready to see the glory of God and Jesus, their friend, in the midst of it. He is changed before their eyes. He is above and beyond the time-line and physical space. 

This is what it's all about. God's Kingdom is here!

Change We Must Believe In

 ...but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.

 - From 2 Peter 1

When Peter wanted to share a time that he had witnessed the majesty of the Son of God, he chose, from all of his memories, the Transfiguration.

Peter therefore becomes a witness, that the Transfiguration was a singular event in the life of Christ.

The On-line Oxford Dictionary defines "Transfigure" in this way:

"To transform into something more beautiful or elevated."

And the definition of "transform" is:

"To make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of . . . "

Now think about these words: "thorough" and "dramatic."

Jesus was already sinless. He already had holiness, and a sort of glow about Him. He already was a compelling figure that drew people of all ages to Him.

The Transfiguration made Him something even more . . . more powerful, more beautiful, more holy, if that's possible. 

We know that "Christ the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow." We know that He never changes. But a Transfiguration is nothing if not a dramatic change. And it is a change on the positive side. Up on that mountain while chatting with Moses and Elijah, Jesus changed. 

We all want to be more, to be better, prettier, stronger, more athletic, more talented, more wealthy. Even our politics are infected with people's addictive yearning to be different, to be what they're not. 

But in this central event of the New Testament, Jesus did change. He did become better.

We always hear "She deserves to be happy," to justify this or that dramatic change in someone's life, or appearance. But only Jesus fundamentally changed. He was the only one in history that actually deserved to change, because He was already good.

Christ, always paving the way for us: the way to eternal life, the way to happiness, the way to God. But on the Holy Mountain of Transfiguration, He paved the way to our glorified, eternal bodies. Things were different from now on. We could become as Him  . . . but how?

Take the words of the Father of Jesus: Listen to Him.

!

...he is high above all peoples.

- From Psalm 99

As we proceed through the Old Testament, we see distinct development of the character of God. Like any good novel, we learn more about Him as we go along. At the beginning, he is walking with Adam and Eve, in the Garden. He communes with them. He laughs with them. He taught them. He shared with them. He was very familiar to them. It is the paradigm of how God wants to be with us. A literal reading of John chapter 1 would say that the Word "was returning" to God. There is a return . . . a going back to the way God longs for it to be: just walking, fellowshipping, with Him, in His garden.

He had personal connections with Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, with whom He wrestled. But as time goes on, as humans reject Him, He shows different sides to His character. He shows traits that would not make sense in a human. He becomes what He needs to be, for us to grow and prosper.

By the time of David, we read Psalms of His majesty, his immense presence. His omnipotence. His greatness. We see Him high and lifted up. We see Him upon a throne. He is King, Creator, war-maker, peacemaker.

He is Love. He is Justice. He is equality. He is excellence. He is purity and holiness.

He is superlative, in every comparison to humanity He is what He hopes we aspire to.

And at the Transfiguration of Christ . . . He displays all of that, around and among His Son. He places Moses and Elijah with Him, in conservation. The full splendor of God's greatness is shining all around Christ. And Peter, John, and James are there to see it.

Having shown our need, and then identified the One in History that will satisfy our greatest need (life and holiness), God then puts an exclamation point on it, by way of the Transfiguration.

A Crazy Assertion

... because he had been talking with God.

 - From Exodus 34

There are many thoughts swirling about in my mind, about this reading of the appearance of Moses, after he returned from Mt Sinai, having been up there for a period of time. 

He spent all that time talking with God. 

If you had been with God for 40 days and nights, speaking to Him directly, being spoken to by Him; being taught, being enlightened; think about the vast extent of knowledge that you could gain. As Archie Woods shared once, our faces give off light. When Moses had been with God, the light emitters in his face had been so energized, that his face literally shone. Did God show Moses the end from the beginning? Did He use something like a video projector, to make Moses a witness to Creation? Did Moses get virtual live coverage of the crucifixion? 

He was so shiny that it was a total distraction to the people. It troubled them, and made them fearful, to the point that it became a problem. Moses had to veil his face. 

He put on a veil, not because he wanted to practice modesty. Not because he did not want the eyes of the ladies to follow his handsomeness. 

He had to veil his face because the people could not handle even the sight of someone that had been with God. 

The spirit of God enlivened and enlightened Moses. It was a sampling of our glorified bodies when Christ returns and eternity is initiated. 

Our imaginations cannot even begin to fathom the sights Moses saw, and the things he heard, while spending 40 days and 40 nights on Mt Sinai. The time flew by. Moses probably did not even realize he had not slept, or eaten, during that time.

Consider this:

Imagine God showing Moses the entire human timeline, observing it as we would a large map on a dining room table. Their extra-dimensional realm enabled God and Moses to look at all of it, all at once. 

And then, at some point, God sends Moses personally to a moment in time. 

The Transfiguration of Christ.

And there, at the other side of the Lord, is Elijah. And Moses knows him at first sight, although Elijah himself will not live until centuries later. They begin talking. A conversation takes place, for the ages. Part of Moses' experience as He talked to God, for 40 Days and 40 Nights, is to have this moment with Christ, and the great prophet Elijah.

Moses looks down at the ground, and sees three friends of Jesus: Peter, John, and James. He knows who they are . . . but his attention is laser-focused on the Son of God. 

Moses gains understanding of everything, like few others have, in all of history. He is brought back to the present. He regains his bearings, and descends down Mt. Sinai. Most of what he has witnessed, cannot possibly be shared with the people. Especially . . . when he learns that they have rejected their God and made their own, out of molten gold. 

Sound crazy?