SEEK HIS FACE CONTINUALLY
Light, Grace, Presence, and the Face of Elohim
The heart of Scripture is not merely obedience, law, ritual, or even blessing.
At its center is something far more intimate and far more dangerous:
The face of Elohim.
To seek Elohim is ultimately to seek His face.
Not His hand.
Not His benefits.
Not His protection alone.
But His presence.
Psalm 105:1–4 — Seek His Face Continually
English (ESV):
1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4 Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Hebrew:
דִּרְשׁוּ יְהוָה וְעֻזּוֹ
בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָיו תָּמִיד
The phrase “seek His face continually”
(בַּקְשׁוּ פָנָיו תָּמִיד)
does not describe a momentary prayer or a religious act.
It means:
Pursuing presence, not just provision
Living with ongoing awareness, not occasional attention
Turning toward Elohim again and again, in every season
And continually (תָּמִיד) does not imply perfection.
It implies rhythm.
A life oriented toward Elohim — returning, refocusing, re-seeking.
The Priestly Blessing: A Process, Not Poetry
Numbers 6:22–27
English (ESV):
22 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel:
24 The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
27 So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Hebrew (key lines):
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָ
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
This blessing is not random.
It is processional — like moving through stations.
You cannot skip them.
Station One: Blessing and Keeping
“The LORD bless you and keep you”
(יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ)
This is external blessing:
Protection
Provision
Guarding
Rain in its season.
Sunshine in balance.
A land flowing with milk and honey.
As Deuteronomy says, Elohim watches the land:
“From the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”
Many people want to stay here.
But this is only the entrance, not the destination.
Station Two: Face Shining and Grace
Light Before Peace
“The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you”
(יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָ)
This is the hardest station.
Because light is not comfort first.
Light is revelation.
You cannot recognize a face without light.
Scripture says:
“In Your light we see light”
(Psalm 36:9 | בְּאוֹרְךָ נִרְאֶה־אוֹר)
When Elohim’s face shines, nothing is hidden.
And then comes the word וִיחֻנֶּךָ (viychuneka) —
from חֵן / חָנַן:
Grace.
Unearned favor.
Pardon freely given.
Grace is not given instead of seeing sin.
Grace is given because sin is seen.
This is why order matters:
Light → recognition → grace
Isaiah understood this.
Isaiah 6:5
English:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips… for my eyes have seen the King.”
Hebrew:
אוֹי־לִי כִּי־נִדְמֵיתִי כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא־שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי
כִּי אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת רָאוּ עֵינָי
Isaiah does not confess before seeing Elohim.
He confesses because he sees Elohim.
The light reveals the dirt —
not to shame,
but to heal.
Coal.
Altar.
Pardon.
Mission.
Light always precedes sending.
Why We Fear the Face of Elohim
We prefer shadows where flaws blur.
But Elohim does not shine His face to destroy us.
He shines His face to say:
“Now that you see — let Me cleanse.”
If Elohim’s face shone without grace, it would destroy us.
If grace came without light, we would never change.
The Priestly Blessing holds both:
Revelation without annihilation
Exposure without rejection
Station Three: Lifted Countenance and Peace
Numbers 6:26
“The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Hebrew:
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
The verb יִשָּׂא (yisa) means:
to lift
to carry
to move toward
This is motion — not static favor.
Peace (shalom) is not calm feelings.
It is wholeness.
An undivided life.
You cannot reach this station without passing through light and grace.
Seeking the Face and Protection of the Land
Exodus 34:24
English:
“No one shall covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.”
Hebrew:
וְלֹא־יַחְמֹד אִישׁ אֶת־אַרְצְךָ בַּעֲלֹתְךָ לֵרָאוֹת אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה
As Israel seeks the face of Elohim,
Elohim protects what they leave behind.
Presence produces protection.
Common Grace: Sun and Rain
Matthew 5:45
“He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
The land blessings come to all.
But face-to-face relationship belongs to those who seek Him.
The Greatest Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:5 / Matthew 22:37
“You shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, soul, and strength.”
Love is not emotion alone.
It is exclusive allegiance.
Which is why Yeshua says:
“No one can serve two masters.” (Matthew 6:24)
Divided loyalty fractures peace.
When the Face Is Hidden
Deuteronomy 31:16–18
“I will hide My face from them…”
Hebrew:
הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי
Why?
Because the people turned their face elsewhere first.
This produces the cry:
Psalm 13:1
“How long will You hide Your face from me?”
The Paradox
Isaiah 45:15
“Truly You are an Elohim who hides Himself, O Savior of Israel.”
The Elohim who hides
is the Elohim who saves.
Messiah and the Face of Elohim
Matthew 1:21
“You shall call His name Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), for He will save His people from their sins.”
Salvation is not first from enemies —
but from sin.
Yeshua is the face of Elohim turned toward sinners.
2 Corinthians 4:6
“The light of the knowledge of the glory of Elohim in the face of Yeshua the Messiah.”
The light has a face.
Not a force.
A person.
Peace at Last
Romans 5:1
“Having been justified by faith, we have peace with Elohim.”
This is Station Three in one sentence.
The Final Promise
John 14:23
“We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Presence dwelling within.
Matthew 28:20
“I am with you always.”
The Name Placed Upon the People
Numbers 6:27
Hebrew:
וְשָׂמוּ אֶת־שְׁמִי עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרֲכֵם
The blessing flows downward —
from Elohim to the people.
We are called to live not from deficit,
but from overflow.
Not afraid of tradition,
but knowing tradition cannot save.
The Kehilah is a royal priesthood,
called to bless the nations —
not sell blessing,
not mask the face,
but reflect His light.
Final Truth
You are not blessed because you are clean.
You are made clean because you are blessed.
Seek His face continually.
