The Long Nose of God

Moses

When Moses came down the mountain (Exodus 32) he found the Israelites worshipping a golden calf.  In his anger, he cast the tablets which he received from God, and broke them at the foot of the Holy Mountain.

After meting out a swift and severe punishment upon those who sinned against God, in which 3,000 people fell that day, Moses meets with God once again (Exodus 33).

Face-to-Face

In verse 11 of Exodus 22, it is said that “the LORD spoke with Moses face to face” (Heb. p’anim al p’anim). Face-to-face is a very intimate position.  P’anim not only means face, but “interior”, or “inside.”  A face exposes a person. Unless you are a good actor, your face reveals the intimate character of your heart.

Kissing

When one kisses, it is face to face, and very intimate.  Shulamite stated, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (SOS 1:2).  She was desirous for Solomon to be close and personal.

Breathing

As God “breathed” into his “nostrils” Adam became a “living being”, (“breathed”, Heb. Naphach, to blow, puff, inflate; “nostrils”, Heb. root is Apf, {af}, nose; “living being”, Heb. nephesh chayee, living soul).  This early episode was a very intimate face-to-face moment between the Creator and the Creature (Genesis 2:7).

Essence

Similarly, when God spoke to Moses, “face to face”, it was a very intimate – an otherworldly moment. Moses asked the LORD, “Please, show me Your glory!” – He further said, “You cannot see My face, for mankind shall not see Me and live!” Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:18 – 23).

God was about to reveal something about His character – a manifestation and glimpse of His essence. We easily see the evidence of His work or His “energy” in the creation of the stars, planets, all material life and substance.  However, only in part do we understand His essence, His otherness.  He is about to divulge something profound to the Prophet.

Long Nose

“And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering…” (Exodus 34:6).

Here we find God’s response to a rebellious people.  However, I want to focus upon the word translated “longsuffering”, or “slow to anger”.  In Hebrew it is two words, arek aph, which literally means, “long nose”.

Aph, or nose/nostrils, is associated with the face.  When a person is angry, his nostrils flare, and you know he is angry.  His face shows what he is feeling on the inside.  God is saying to Moses, I have a “long nose”.  In other words, it takes me a very long time to flare my nostrils. Thus, I am “slow to anger”, or “longsuffering.”

Once this mysterious revelation of God’s essence was made clear to Moses, he “bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped”.

God is a merciful God, slow to anger, slow to wrath – “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  

It Doesn’t Matter

Beloved, it doesn’t matter have far off course we have gone.  Nor, what we have done, or haven’t done.  God has a “long nose” and is slow to anger, He is longsuffering, and like the father of the son gone astray, as you return to Him, God will see you afar off, and will have “compassion” on you and fall on you and kiss your face (Luke 15:20).

Trust Him, for “The LORD, the LORD God, [is] merciful and gracious, longsuffering.”

Shalom and Blessings,

Until He comes, we are

Together Under His Wings,

Dr. Jeff

Time is short, Life is precious and Jesus is coming soon!