Chavurat Derekh HaMashiach

When Glory Returns and the Name Is Revealed

Part One of Ki Tissa ended with Moshe standing in the aftermath of Israel’s greatest national collapse—the Golden Calf. The covenant was shattered, the tablets broken, and the people unsure whether HaShem would remain with them.

Moshe interceded, pleaded, and then asked the boldest request any human ever made:

> “Show me Your glory.” (Exodus 33:18)

HaShem agreed—but with a boundary. Moshe was placed in the cleft of the rock, covered by the hand of God, and allowed to see only the afterglow of divine presence. HaShem said:

> “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

That moment prepares us for one of the most important revelations in all Scripture.

The First Time God Reveals His Name Fully (Exodus 34:6–7)

When Moshe returns to the mountain with new tablets, HaShem descends in a cloud and proclaims His Name—not just the four letters, but the meaning behind them.

> “YHVH, YHVH, El compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in lovingkindness and truth, keeping mercy to thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet by no means clearing the guilty…” 
> (Exodus 34:6–7)

This is the first time in the entire Bible that HaShem defines His Name.

– Compassionate — He feels the suffering of His people. 
– Gracious — He gives what is not earned. 
– Slow to anger — He restrains judgment. 
– Abounding in covenant love — His loyalty outlasts human failure. 
– Faithful — He keeps His promises. 
– Just — He does not ignore sin.

This becomes the most quoted description of God in the entire Tanakh (Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 103:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2).

The prophets don’t invent new theology—they echo this moment.

But Didn’t HaShem Say No One Can See His Face?

This is the tension many readers feel.

Exodus 33:20
“No one can see My face and live.”

Yet Scripture also says:

– Jacob: “I have seen God face to face” (Genesis 32:30) 
– Moses: “HaShem spoke to Moses face to face” (Exodus 33:11) 
– The elders: “They saw the God of Israel” (Exodus 24:10–11) 
– Isaiah: “My eyes have seen the King, YHVH of Hosts” (Isaiah 6:5)

Is this a contradiction?

No—because “face” has two meanings in Scripture.

1. “Face” as God’s unfiltered essence

This is what Exodus 33:20 refers to.

No human can behold the infinite, unmediated, unshielded glory of the Eternal One. 
This is why Moshe is hidden in the rock. 
This is why Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:5). 
This is why Ezekiel collapses (Ezekiel 1:28).

The fullness of God’s essence is too overwhelming for mortal flesh.

2. “Face” as God’s manifested, relational presence

Throughout the Tanakh, HaShem appears in visible, embodied forms:

– The Angel of HaShem who speaks as God and receives worship (Exodus 3:2–6; Judges 6:11–24). 
– The Man who wrestles Jacob (Genesis 32:24–30). 
– The Commander of HaShem’s armies who receives worship from Joshua (Joshua 5:13–15). 
– The Glory of HaShem appearing in human-like form (Ezekiel 1:26–28).

These are not metaphors. 
The text describes physical encounters.

The B’rit Chadashah clarifies the pattern:

– “No one has ever seen God; the only Son… has made Him known.” (John 1:18) 
– “He is the exact representation of His being.” (Hebrews 1:3) 
– “The Messiah is the visible image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)

The invisible essence of HaShem cannot be seen. 
But HaShem can and does reveal Himself in visible, embodied form.

This is how Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and others survive.

They are not seeing the infinite essence—they are seeing HaShem as He chooses to reveal Himself.

Elijah and the Haftarah: When HaShem Vindicates His Name (1 Kings 18:1–39)

The Haftarah mirrors Ki Tissa’s themes:

– Israel sins. 
– A mediator intercedes. 
– HaShem reveals Himself. 
– The people return to the covenant.

On Mount Carmel, Elijah confronts a nation that has made its own “golden calf”—Baal.

Just as Moshe stood between Israel and judgment, Elijah stands alone against 450 prophets.

And HaShem answers with fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38).

The people fall on their faces and cry:

> “YHVH—He is God! YHVH—He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39)

The Name revealed in Exodus 34 is vindicated again.

The B’rit Chadashah: The Glory Returns in Yeshua

Paul directly references Ki Tissa when he writes:

> “If the ministry that came with glory… 
> how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit?” 
> (2 Corinthians 3:7–18)

Moshe’s face shone with reflected glory. 
Believers are transformed by indwelling glory.

John echoes the same theme:

> “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, 
> and we beheld His glory.” 
> (John 1:14)

The glory that passed by Moshe now walks among people. 
The Name proclaimed in Exodus 34 is embodied in Yeshua:

– Compassionate (Matthew 9:36) 
– Gracious (John 8:11) 
– Slow to anger (Luke 9:54–56) 
– Abounding in steadfast love (John 13:1) 
– Faithful (Revelation 19:11) 
– Just (Acts 17:31)

The God who hid Moshe in the rock now reveals Himself through the Son.

Living This Today: The Name That Shapes Us

1. HaShem’s character is the anchor, not our performance
Israel failed spectacularly with the Golden Calf. 
Yet HaShem revealed His Name after their failure.

Your worst moment does not cancel His covenant love.

2. HaShem still meets us in the “cleft of the rock”
We often want full clarity, full answers, full revelation. 
But HaShem gives us what we can bear—enough to trust Him, not enough to control Him.

3. Glory transforms us more than effort
Like Moshe, we reflect what we behold. 
Transformation flows from presence, not pressure.

4. Mercy and justice are not opposites
Exodus 34 holds both together. 
A mature walk embraces compassion and accountability.

Choose one area of your life where you feel like Israel at the Golden Calf—ashamed, impatient, or spiritually scattered.

Bring it before HaShem, using the Name He revealed:

– Compassionate 
– Gracious 
– Slow to anger 
– Abounding in steadfast love 
– Faithful 
– Just 

Ask Him to reveal His glory—not the full face you cannot bear, but the afterglow that guides your next step.

Then choose one practice this week that places you in the “cleft of the rock”:

– Ten minutes of Scripture meditation 
– A Sabbath pause 
– A journal entry naming where you’ve seen His compassion 
– A conversation where you extend grace 
– A moment of worship where you simply sit in His presence 

Let the glory that transformed Moshe begin to transform you.