As the world struggles to control this new virus, new research has emerged regarding images of micro droplets emitted while speaking, that remain suspended in the air for hours. What is amazing is that the Bible references the intimacy of sharing micro-droplets and Social Distancing.
In the modern world we are likely much more intimate with strangers than in the ancient world of protocol. The realm of kings and queens has retained this distance. British period dramas show it. Just as languages have become simpler, with the structure of Modern Italian simpler than Latin, so have rules of social engagement and distance relaxed. We are told in the Bible, in an aside, that in the ancient world only a friend would speak closely face to face:
The LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:11)
The record in Exodus says Moses spoke to the God of Israel, Yahweh Elohim, face to face: but the writer didn't think this was enough of an explanation as surely all spoke normally in the market and at the gate 'face to face', or facing each other at a normal social distance. The record of Exodus adds in explanation that it was not according to normal social distance, but as a friend confiding in another!
What then is shown is that the Creator was close enough to share His breathing out in words with Moses. This breathing out was in a closed space of the Tabernacle…
Then Moses speaks to Yahweh Elohim on the Mount for 40 days and nights. The thing to note is that after speaking to the Creator face to face for 40 days Moses' face shone.
It came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Exodus 34:29-35)
Now note that seeing the face shine- scared the people as if Moses had caught something like leprosy from the Creator, something deadly. Aaron and the people are scared.
So Moses puts on a mask.
Moses' mask allows him to speak to the people without these fine droplets that might have led them also to glow. Why didn't Moses say, 'look, you idiots it's not deadly!'? We are told why, by the Apostle Paul. The glory of the shining Moses face seemed too bright to the sight, in the era before sunglasses.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:5-8)
They were judging by sight, looking at the outward appearing, not closing their eyes and hearing the words of Yahweh Elohim spoken from the mouth of Moses. So the veil is in effect as closed eyes, but it also covers the mouth. There is no plain speech..it is all filtered.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:12-17)
Paul says that the plain speech, not muffled in a mask, is our relationship with Yahweh Elohim in Christ. There we hear intimately, as face to face, sharing the tiny micro-droplets of the Spirit of Glory that causes the face to shine. In that there is liberty, or better rendered 'unrestrained', or 'free without a barrier' – or without a mask. Physically, we have only a book we can read - it is how that word is heard in the mind of the heart.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
The veil, or mask, is also a partition
But
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and
hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Ephesians
2:13-14)
The mind of the heart can only understand what we read, and it is nothing compared to the future when we will be as Moses.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1Corinthians 13:12)
As it is now known, through advances in the technology which sees the 'invisible', that those that speak face to face closely share droplets, as each breathe in the micro-droplets of the other speaking, so we can see that the Bible anticipated this discovery. The glory of the spoken word of the God of Israel, the glory Moses had inhaled from speaking face to face, that Aaron found too bright as he was trying to listen with his eyes, is the very glory Aaron is told to speak out to bless the people with! Yahweh's face shining was the words from out of the face of the God of Israel. The Name is the Purpose to fill the earth with the Glory of listening hearts, that do not judge by sight, but hear and breathe into their body the word spoken and breathed out..without a mask.
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:23-27)
