Face to face
When my kids were little and trying to tell me something important, sensing that my attention was divided or entirely elsewhere, they would employ the “face grab.” They would reach up and grab one side of my head with each hand, turning my face—and my attention—squarely toward them. From their earliest days they wanted to be face to face. They had figured out that we had the best chance of hearing each other and understanding each other face to face.
It’s the same with each of us as we endeavor to know God better. We want to hear and understand God. We long to be assured that we are heard and understood by God as well. We yearn to be face to face. God reveals himself to us in many ways: the beauty, wonder, and sheer genius of the created world; the spirit in each human soul; the complexity of our bodies; the whisper of his Holy Spirit; and of course, Jesus incarnate. God is nearer than the air we breathe, but at the same time, waiting to be discovered in deeper and deeper measures.
The Bible, God’s inspired Word, is one big invitation to dive deeper as we discover him. As we read the pages of Scripture we are encouraged to savor the words God spoke, visualize how he interacted with his people, feel his pleasure, contemplate his holiness, and rest in his tenderness. One of my favorite pathways to deeper intimacy with God is to ponder the human attributes used to describe God. This is called anthropomorphism. Human characteristics cannot be used to define God, for to do so would be to camouflage his omniscience, diminish is omnipotence, and ignore his vastness and complexity. But the use of human characteristics can reveal aspects of who he is by using language and images we understand, giving us a handle to grab hold of as we open our hearts and minds to know him better.
God is not human. He is spirit and as such, is not confined to the parameters of a human body. But in his Word we read about God’s face, ears, eyes, mouth, hand, arm, feet, and more. These descriptors help us navigate our journey as we hunt for treasure leading to a greater understanding of the character and purposes of God. They guide us toward the heart of the Father. We will visit these human attributes of God from time to time on this blog, with our hearts open to how God might use them to draw us closer.
What, then, does it mean when the Bible refers to the “face” of God?
The word “face” doesn’t always mean exactly the same thing from verse to verse. For instance:
The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. Deuteronomy 5:4 NIV
In this verse Moses is reminding the Israelites that they heard God’s actual voice as he spoke to them after he descended on Mount Sinai in fire. The word face in this verse implies in front of or before. We might say God spoke to them directly or personally. It doesn’t mean they literally saw the face of God as he spoke. But the intent of the passage is the same as when you or I insist on speaking with someone face to face. What we have to say is important and we know that communicating it directly and personally imbues the words with more weight.
What about these verses?
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:16 NIV
Psalm 31 is one of King David’s prayers for deliverance from the hands of his enemies. The word “face”points to the presence and countenance of God. David is asking for God’s favor and blessing, for the loving and kind deliverance that flows from the heart of God. He is secure in God’s unfailing love and knows that because of that love God will not abandon him.
Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. Psalm 80:3 NLT
Asaph, one of King David’s Levitical choir leaders, wrote Psalm 80 as a prayer for Israel’s restoration. Seems like he is almost asking God to do a “face grab” with Israel, to turn them toward him to be face to face. Asaph implores God to bestow his favor, acknowledging that only by God’s power and through God’s lovingkindness would they be saved.
The face of God is the presence of God. It is an invitation to intimacy, a path to untold riches, a light that leads, guides, and saves. It is a refuge and a resting place. Being face to face with God is what we desire and what God desires, too! It is the essence of our daily journey and is worth pursuing with all we’ve got.
How are you seeking God’s face today?
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4 NIV
Omnipotent Heavenly Father, we long to be face to face with you. Guide us as we humbly but confidently seek your radiant face. Let your face shine upon us. Shower us with your unfailing love and mercy as you lead us into a deeper relationship with you. Amen.