Monday 16 February 2026

Psalm 139

Background
In the previous chapter of Exodus, the Israelites have lost their spiritual direction while wandering in the wilderness. While Moses is on the mountain meeting with God, the people, led by Aaron, make a golden calf and worship it as the god who brought them out of Egypt. Moses pleads for the people, God listens, and when Moses returns, he destroys the idol and begins to restore order.

In today’s passage, Moses is again with the people and has set up "the tent of meeting", where he speaks with God. The text says he talks with God "face to face". (v. 11) Later, though, God tells Moses that no one can see God’s face and live, and places Moses in a cleft of the rock, covering him with a hand as God passes by. (v. 20)

At first this sounds like a contradiction! However, when speaking of the divine, we naturally tend to use human language and imagery. Genesis tells us that humanity is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Although it does not simply mean sharing physical features, it can lead us to personify God to express how we relate to the divine.

The phrase “face to face” in verse 11 is used alongside “as one who speaks to a friend” together a way of describing intimacy, and not necessarily a literal physical meeting. The writer uses human images to help us understand the deep relationship between God and Moses. Just as the pillar of cloud shielded Moses from seeing God’s full glory, God’s 'hand' protects him again as God passes by, because no one can look directly on God’s glory.

In John’s Gospel, Philip asks Jesus to “show us the Father” (John 14:8), and Jesus replies that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. The glory that could not be revealed directly to Moses is made known in Jesus, in whom God is seen and known. God passing before Moses declared God’s presence with him and the people; God revealed in Jesus allows us to see that glory and follow where it leads.

To Ponder:

• Moses creates the “tent of meeting”, a place where God meets people. Where do you feel you meet God in your own life, and are there moments when God has surprised you?
• The passage describes Moses speaking with God “as one speaks to a friend.” What might intimacy with God be like for you, and how do you experience that kind of closeness in your relationship with the divine?

Prayer
Holy God, you met Moses in the tent of meeting and surprised your people with your presence in the wilderness of their lives. Meet us too, in the places we expect and in the moments we do not. Teach us to recognise your nearness and to speak with you as a friend speaks to a friend. Draw us into deeper intimacy with you, that our lives may be shaped by your presence, your mercy, and your quiet guiding love. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd David Hardman
David Hardman is currently serving as the Methodist Liaison Officer, Jerusalem for the Methodist Church in Britain. Ordained in 1994, he has served churches and circuits in the city centre and in the inner city and suburbs of Manchester and London. He has also worked for Christian Aid as Senior Regional Coordinator in the North West of England and most recently was the Methodist Team Leader of the Joint Public Issues Team. Justice and peace have been at the heart of David’s ministry; he is an accredited mediator with Place for Hope and a committed activist.