/lit/ - Literature

The much desired face of the Lord once passed Moses by, and thus the soul of the lawgiver kept ongoing
outside its present condition as it followed the Word who led the way. Who does not know those ascents
which Moses attained? He was always becoming greater and never stopped in his growth. He had
attained growth even at the beginning when he considered the reproach of Christ more exalted than the
kingdom of Egypt, and chose to be ill-treated in company with God's people rather than to enjoy for a
time the pleasures of sin.
He grew again when, at the time the Egyptian was oppressing the Hebrew, he
fought on behalf of the Israelite and killed the foreigner. Surely you perceive the spiritual meaning in this
history. Once more he excelled himself when he devoted a long time to the philosophical life as a solitary
in the wilderness. Next, he was enlightened by the fire upon the bush, and his hearing was illumined with
the beams of life by means of the Word. There he stripped from his feet the dead coverings of skins. He
destroyed the Egyptian snakes with his rod and removed his people from the tyranny of Pharaoh. He was
led by the cloud, divided the sea, drowned the tyrant, sweetened the waters of Marah, struck the rock, was
nourished with the food of angels. He heard the trumpets, braved the burning mountain, touched the peak,
came under the cloud, entered the darkness where God was, received the covenant, and became an
unapproachable sun to those who came near because light radiated from his face. Indeed, how could
anyone relate all his ascents and various theophanies? Nevertheless, this man who had experienced such
things, this very Moses who through such attainments had been elevated to divinity, still was not satisfied.
He besought God to see him face to face, although Scripture had already testified that he was counted
worthy of speaking with God face to face. But neither his speaking as friend with friend nor the intimate
conversation with God stopped his desire for more. Rather, he says, If I have found favour in your sight,
make yourself known to me. God granted the requested favor. He who said, I have known you above all
men, passed by him while he was shadowed by God's hand at that divine place in the rock so that after
God passed by he could only see his back. Scripture teaches by this, I think, that he who desires to behold
God sees the object of his longing in always following him. The contemplation of his face is the unending
journey accomplished by following directly behind the Word