Why Seeing God’s Face Could Kill You

Exodus 33:18-20 (NRSV) reads:

18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord,’ and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live.”

This raises a question: why would someone die if they looked at God’s face? The issue seems especially puzzling because just a few verses earlier in chapter 33, we read:

11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp, but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.

One explanation is the scholarly idea that the Hebrew Bible has multiple authors over time, with editors weaving together different traditions into the story we read today. Verse 11 might have been written by a different author, in a different place or time, than verse 18. While this explains the apparent contradiction, it doesn’t fully inspire or shape the hearts of those who read the Bible. Interpretation is about inspiration, not just explanation.

Let us consider another perspective: perhaps the danger in seeing God’s face is less about God and more about Moses—or, more broadly, about us.

When we look someone in the face, we inevitably see ourselves reflected in their eyes—not just metaphorically, but literally. And if you’re like me, seeing yourself in a mirror often triggers harsh judgment:

“You look old and tired. You should eat better. Your hair is thinning, your face has changed, and that shirt doesn’t fit. If others really knew you, they’d reject you.”

We internalize rejection as a “fact.” We resist accepting that we are accepted—by the world, and even by God—because we are conditioned to believe we are worthy only of rejection.

Perhaps when God says, “You cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live,” it is because the danger lies not in God’s face, but in our own self-condemnation. To look directly at God is to see our reflection in God’s eyes, and if we cannot yet receive love, we might judge ourselves so harshly that it leads to self-harm. It is not God who kills us; it is our own fear and rejection of God’s acceptance.

Moses, however, models another way. He shows what it might be like to move from accepting rejection to accepting acceptance. At times, Moses is able to be face-to-face with God—but in those moments, he does not see himself in God’s eyes. Instead, he sees himself through God’s eyes. Moses perceives himself as God sees him: beloved, beautiful, and fully accepted. When he can see himself through God’s eyes, Moses stands face-to-face with Love itself.