Exodus 34

A Shining Face

Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone. Exodus 34:29.

Have you ever seen a picture of a statue of Moses chiseled by the great Italian sculptor and painter, Michael Angelo? It is one of the artist's greatest statues. More than that, it is one of the greatest statues in the world. It shows us Moses as he is returning from Mount Sinai after receiving from God the Ten Commandments. He holds the tables of stone clasped in his right hand and arm. His face is beautiful and majestic, but very stern, and you can tell from its expression that he has seen what has been happening during his absence on Mount Sinai. He has just discovered the golden calf, which the poor foolish children of Israel had made, and which they were worshipping as a god. You can easily imagine Moses breaking these tables of stone in his wrath and disgust at the faithlessness and foolishness of the people.

That is one face of Moses. Our text describes another. You know that we all have several faces, and some days we wear one and some days another. today we may wear a face that is sulky or angry, and tomorrow we may wear one that is happy or smiling. This other face of Moses was so strangely beautiful that the Hebrews, gazing on it, whispered to each other, “Look! He has been with God!”

Boys and girls, you all want to have beautiful faces at least I have still to meet the boy or girl who would like to be ugly and today I am going to tell you how to have a really beautiful face. You have often heard people say that beauty is only “skin deep.” But the beauty for which I am going to give you the recipe is not skin deep.

It is deeper than skin deep. It is so deep that no accident, or illness, or chance, or age can mar its loveliness. It is the beauty that is heart deep. It is the beauty that shines on the face of those who so love God that they are often with Him, speaking to Him and communing with Him. They live in His presence and they try to do what they feel He would like. They are always doing some loving deed for another, for they know that loving their brother on earth is one of the best ways of loving God. Their features may not be faultless; their nose may be snub and their mouth may be too wide, but you never remember these things when you look at them. You know only that their faces are faces you love to look upon, for tenderness and sympathy and love are shining there.

A good many years ago there was born in Russia a boy who thought himself so ugly that he could never be happy. He had a wide nose, thick lips, small grey eyes, and big hands and feet. When he grew to be a man he became a famous writer. In one of his books he tells that he was so anxious about this ugliness that he besought God to work a miracle, to turn him into a beauty. If God would do this the boy promised that he would give God all he then possessed, or would possess in the future.

That Russian boy was the great Count Tolstoi. Happily as he grew older he discovered that the beauty for which he sighed was not the only beauty, nor the best beauty. He learned to value more the beauty of a character strong and great and good in God's sight.

One word more. Did you notice that the text said, “Moses wist not”? “Wist” is a quaint word which has now gone out of use. It is the third person singular of an old Anglo - Saxon verb to “wit,” which just meant to “know.” So Moses knew not that his face shone. The people looking at him saw it, but he himself was quite unconscious of the shining.

That is like beauty of heart. It is always unconscious. The boy or girl who says, “I shall be kind to So-and-so,” or, “I shall do such-and-such because people will take notice of it and say, ‘Look at Johnny! Isn't he a generous boy?' or, ‘Look at Winnie! Isn't she a sweet girl?'” that boy will never have real beauty of heart, and that girl's face will never shine with genuine beauty of soul. Instead they will gradually get a self-conscious look, a look that tells they are acting a part. No! People who pretend to be loving or gentle or sympathetic for the sake of appearance never have the truly beautiful face which comes from real heart beauty.

The only way to get that beauty is to forget yourself, to think so much of God and your fellow-men that you have no room left in your thoughts for a little selfish self.

Then your face will shine, though you know it not, with a radiance not so very unlike that which shone on the face of Moses.

Once I knew a little girl,

Very plain;

You might try her hair to curl,

All in vain;

On her cheek no tints of rose,

Paled and blushed, or sought repose;

She was plain.

But the thoughts that through her brain

Came and went,

As a recompense for pain,

Angels sent;

So full of many a beauteous thing,

In her young soul blossoming,

Gave content.

Every thought was full of grace

Pure and true;

And in time the homely face

Lovelier grew;

With a Heavenly radiance bright,

From the soul's reflected light,

Shining through.

So I tell you, little child,

Plain or poor,

If your thoughts are undefiled,

You are sure

Of the loveliness of worth,

And this beauty, not of earth,

Will endure.