Didn't Moses see God face to face?

[Pieman333272]

[BIBLEDRB]Exodus 33:11[/BIBLEDRB]

If Moses saw God face-to-face, doesn’t this conflict with the Church’s teaching that the Beatific Vision cannot be taken away?

 

[TrueLight]

[BIBLEDRB]Exodus 33:11[/BIBLEDRB]

If Moses saw God face-to-face, doesn’t this conflict with the Church’s teaching that the Beatific Vision cannot be taken away?

Moses asks to see God’s Glory and his request is denied, but God shows him a part of his essence.

Later on in the same chaper of Exodus:

Exodus 33:
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Elijah also experiences God passing by,

Exodus

11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then God spoke to Elijah.
No man can see God and live, so even though God was speaking to Elijah, Elijah knew better than to try to look.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

So God was there with Elijah and Moses. And they spoke to him who was standing right there. In a sense that is talking “face to face”. One is not looking up into the clouds or at a statue. His holy presence was right there with them.

 

[Jerome81]

When scripture says that Moses speaks to the Lord face to face as with a friend, it is emphasizing the closeness of their relationship.

To add to what TrueLight said,

Moses wants to see God on a mountain (Sinai/Horeb) but can’t see his face
Elijah is on a mountain (Sinai/Horeb) and when God passes, Elijah covers his face (1 Kings 19:11)

Im not 100% sure if there is a connection but it’s interesting that Both Moses and Elijah appear on another mountain (Matt 17, Luke 9), where they are ‘‘Talking with’’ Jesus and as Jesus said to Phillip…

John 14:9
"Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Col 1:15
He is the image of the invisible God.

 

[TimothyH]

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:4-6)
They were face to face but Moses closed his eyes and covered his face. He didn’t look out of fear.

 

[Cruxis117]

This is a very interesting post. Pope Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth begins his book with this idea of how Jesus has fulfilled the position that Moses was. Where Moses was considered to be the greatest Prophet, as it says in the end of Deuteronomy, “And there arose no more a prophet in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face”, Jesus (also being the Son of God, God himself, and the Paschal Lamb) was also this Prophet who would know God face to face, and could have perfect communion with him, without fear. I would suggest reading Pope Benedict’s book, it’s well written.

 

[Neo_The_One]

God chose Moses to take Israelites out of Egypt. Spiritually Moses has always been with God for the sake of Israelites, including ten commandments, also his brother Aaron the priest. God and Moses has never seen face to face, but Moses built the altar according to God.