God shows Moses his back parts (Ex 33)

Episode 40: God shows Moses his back parts

(Exodus 33)

A land flowing with milk and honey

¹ God said to Moses,

² I'll send an angel before you to a land flowing with milk and honey.

And I'll drive out the current occupants of the land.

³ But I won't go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I'd probably kill you all along the way.

⁴ When the people heard God's promise/threat, they mourned and took off their ornaments.

⁵ Because God had said to Moses,

Say to the people,

You are a stiffnecked people. I'll come down in a moment and kill you all.

God talks to Moses face to face

¹¹ God talked with Moses, as a man talks to his friend.

¹² He said to God,

Come with us to the promised land.

¹⁷ God replied,

Okay, I'll go with you, because you've found grace in my sight and I know your name.

¹⁸ Moses said to God,

Show me your glory.

¹⁹ God said,

I will make my goodness pass in front of you, and I'll say my name.

²⁰ But you can't see my face. Whoever sees my face will die.

God shows Moses his back parts

²¹ God said to Moses,

Behold, there's a place by me, and you will stand on a rock.

²² And when my glory passes by, I'll cover you with my hand.

²³ Then I'll take away my hand and you will see my back parts, but not my face.

Michelangelo: Sistine Chapel

A few more words about this episode

Show me your glory. (33:18)

"The word used in the Hebrew text and translated as 'glory' is kabod -- but we are not often told that kabod also may be translated as 'liver' and is sometimes used idiomatically to refer to the male reproductive organ." Jonathan Kirsch, The Harlot By the Side of the Road, p.8.

I'll take away my hand and you will see my back parts, but not my face. (33:23)

God shows his back parts to Moses (The Divine Mooning?)

Although God is too shy to let Moses see his face, he does permit a peek at his "back parts."