6 The Face of God

“The Face of God” is the sixth track on the album, Glory. It is a narrative worship ballad that follows the biblical stories of Moses (Exodus 33–34) and Jacob (Genesis 32) — two men who encountered God in mysterious and terrifying ways. Both longed to see His face, but neither was granted full access.

The song contrasts their partial visions with the revelation of Jesus Christ — in whom the full glory of God is revealed. The veil that once hid God’s face is torn. The cleft in the rock has become the cross. The mystery is made known.

Musically and lyrically, the song transitions from awe and yearning to clarity and fulfillment, ending in worshipful wonder: "Now unveiled, we behold the Face of God."

Lyrics

Verse 1 – Moses’ Plea
Up on the mountain, the fire still burned,
Tablets broken from a people unlearned.
Moses stood in the tent of meeting, alone,
Crying out to the God he had known:
“If Your presence doesn’t go with us,
Don’t send us on from this wilderness.
You’ve called me by name, You’ve shown me Your ways—
Now let me see the light of Your face.”

Verse 2 – God’s Reply
And the voice of the Lord like thunder spoke,
“I’ll show you My goodness, cloaked in smoke.
I’ll be gracious to whom I choose to be,
But no one can look on My face and see
And live So stand in the cleft of the rock,
When I pass by, I’ll cover you up.
Then I’ll proclaim My name to you—
The LORD, the LORD, faithful and true.”

Chorus 1
Glory in mercy, power restrained,
Righteous and kind, slow to bring pain.
Compassion and justice walk hand in hand—
This is the glory of the great I AM.
Not in the blaze, not in the storm,
But in a whisper His heart is sworn.
He hides us still when the fire draws near—
The Face of God is mercy and fear.

Verse 3 – Jacob’s Struggle
With stolen blessing, on the eve of woe
He waited alone ere greeting his foe
In the dark he wrestled through the night,
Gripping mystery with all his might.
No name was given, yet blessing came,
A touch, A limp, and within a flame.
“I’ve seen God’s face and I have not died—
This place is Peniel,” he cried.

Verse 4 – Two Men, One Cry
Moses in glory, Jacob in fight—
Both reached for God with trembling might.
One in a cleft, one in the dust,
Both marked forever by mercy and trust.
Each knew a glimpse, each bore a scar,
But still the fullness was held afar.
The Face they longed for, veiled and vast,
Would one day shine through shadows past.

Chorus 2
Glory in weakness, strength worn thin,
The touch that wounds to free from sin.
A whisper of love, a wound that stays—
This is the glory that leads our praise.
Not in escape, not without cost,
But in the grip of grace we’re lost.
He breaks us down to lift us near—
The Face of God is mercy and fear.

Bridge – Fulfillment in Jesus
Then came a man with no place to lay,
Who bore God's image in flesh and clay.
He touched the leper, He stilled the storm,
He wept with the grieving, His back was torn.
He climbed a hill with a cross of wood,
No hand now shielded where glory stood.
The light of the knowledge of God on display—
Love and justice met that day.

Verse 5 – Our Answered Prayer
Now we, like Moses, have seen His face,
Full of truth and abounding grace.
We, like Jacob, have wrestled and bled,
But found new names where old ones fled.
The veil was torn when He breathed His last,
And every foretaste fulfilled at last.
Now with unveiled hearts we sing aloud—
The glory of God is the face of the Son.

Final Chorus
Glory in Jesus, risen and scarred,
The Shepherd, the Savior, the Morning Star.
He shows us the Father, He lifts the veil—
The mercy that justice could not quell.
Not in the blaze, not in the storm,
But in the Lamb who bore our scorn.
He holds us close, and now it's clear—
The Face of God that draws us near.

Outro
“The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
Maintaining love to thousands, forgiving wickedness,
Yet not leaving the guilty unpunished…
All fulfilled in the face of Christ.”

Devotion

• Exodus 33:18–23 — “Please show me Your glory…”
• Genesis 32:30 — “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
• John 1:18 — “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.”
• Hebrews 1:3 — “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature…”

From the beginning, humanity has longed to see the face of God. Moses, God’s intimate friend, dared to ask, “Show me Your glory.” Jacob wrestled in the dark and emerged astonished: “I saw God’s face and lived.” These ancient encounters stir a deep longing in us — the ache to be known, to be seen, and to behold divine beauty without fear.

But both Moses and Jacob were shielded. They saw glimpses — not the full radiance. God’s glory was too holy, too dangerous for sinful man.

And yet, on a hill called Calvary, Jesus — the true and better Moses, the true and better Israel — stood exposed to the full weight of God's justice. The One who is the very image of the invisible God became the cleft in the rock. He bore the wrath so that we could see the face of God and not perish.

This song traces the arc from shadow to substance, from mystery to fulfillment — revealing that in the face of Jesus Christ, we behold the glory Moses longed for, the presence Jacob feared, and the grace we now stand in.

Let your longing rise — and know that in Christ, that longing is not denied. It is fulfilled.

Themes

• The Glory of God
• Divine Revelation
• Substitution and Atonement
• Longing and Fulfillment
• Veil and Unveiling
• Shadows and Substance (Hebrews/Colossians language)
• The Face of God in Jesus Christ
• Mercy and Justice in Harmony
• The Old Testament revealed in the New
• Worship through Storytelling

7-Day Scripture Reading Plan

Theme: Longing for God’s Glory — Seeing His Face in Christ

Day 1: The Glory Desired

Exodus 33:12–23
Moses asks to see God’s glory. God responds with both intimacy and limitation.
Reflection: What does Moses’ bold request reveal about a heart that longs for God?

Day 2: The Name Proclaimed

Exodus 34:1–8
God reveals His name and character — compassionate and just — as He passes by.
Reflection: How is God’s glory tied not just to His power, but to His mercy?

Day 3: Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:22–31
Jacob wrestles in the dark and emerges limping but transformed.
Reflection: Why does Jacob name the place “Peniel” — and what does it mean to see God and live?

Day 4: Shadow and Substance

Hebrews 8:1–6 & Colossians 2:16–17
The old covenant is a shadow; Christ is the substance — the fulfillment of every glimpse of glory.
Reflection: How does Jesus clarify what was once mysterious?

Day 5: The Glory Made Flesh

John 1:14–18
“We have seen His glory... full of grace and truth.” Jesus makes the invisible God known.
Reflection: In what ways is Jesus the answer to Moses' ancient prayer?

Day 6: Veil Torn, Access Granted

Matthew 27:45–54 & Hebrews 10:19–22
At the cross, the veil is torn. In Christ, we boldly enter the Holy Place.
Reflection: What does it mean that the veil has been torn — for you personally?

Day 7: Beholding the Face of God

2 Corinthians 3:7–18 & Revelation 22:1–5
We behold God’s glory with unveiled faces now — and one day we will see Him face to face.
Reflection: How is your life being transformed as you behold His glory today?