In Exodus chapter 34 verses 29-35, Moses comes down from Mount Sinai with the two (new) tablets of the covenant. Can you imagine what he’s thinking? After all, the last time he came down from the mountain with tablets, he wound up smashing them after seeing the golden calf the Israelites had built to worship while he was gone. Exodus 32:19 says, “Moses’ anger burned hot.”
I think that’s probably an understatement.
So here is Moses coming down from Mount Sinai for the second time with tablets. Is he angry? Is he holding that anger back right under the surface, ready to explode? Or is he resigned? Is he tired? I tend to think at this point, he’s probably pretty tired. Praying to God can be exhausting in and of itself. But actually meeting God? Standing in His presence, taking notes as God lays the foundation for an entire civilization.
It sounds exhausting.
Moses comes down from the mountain and is undoubtedly so fatigued he doesn’t even notice something very important. Exodus 34:29-30 says, “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking to God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.”
Maybe Moses thinks they are afraid to come near him because they are worried he might throw something again. Maybe he sees them all take one giant step back from him and sighs. Clearly, he is unaware of how being in the presence of God had changed him. Exodus doesn’t say who tells Moses to figuratively powder his nose, but it’s probably Moses’ go to guy, Aaron.
From that day on, Moses wears a veil. When he speaks to God, he removes the veil. And after he shares God’s word with the Israelites, he replaces the veil, because otherwise he is almost impossible to look at.
Yesterday, during the Eucharist preceding the election of our next bishop, I received Holy Communion from Bishop Hugo and I realized something then about Bishop Hugo and about some other people I have met in my life, like Sister Julie, the nun I adored as a child. I realized that there are people today who still shine.
There are people who, much like how a nail becomes magnetized if you rub it against a magnet, spend so much time with God that some of His divine presence rubs off on them.
People like Bishop Hugo and Sister Julie don’t have to say anything. All they have to do is look at you and there is something in their eyes that tells you they have seen God. When Bishop Hugo looks at me, I feel he is looking straight to my soul. When Sister Julie looked at me when I was a child, I felt God’s loving kindness in a way that was pure and perfect and unsullied by the sins of the world.
Moses was chosen.
Matthew 22: 14 says, “For many are all called, but few are chosen.” The only thing that separates us from the saints is our willingness to say yes, our willingness to move forward, to check out strange sights like a burning bush that doesn’t consume the bush, branches or leaves, our willingness to spend time in God’s presence and listen, really listen, and stay for a while there with Him.
And then we too can shine.
God doesn’t just command saints.
He commands us all. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Do not cover yourself as Moses did. But that light shine.
