[Note:  The following is the prepared notes for a sermon given to the Dalles, Oregon congregation on Sabbath, December 6, 2025.]

Introduction: The Depth of Hebrew Words and the Challenge of Translation

The Hebrew Scriptures are composed in a language whose genius lies in its concreteness. Hebrew words are not static labels, but living roots that branch outward, forming families of related meanings. Each term carries layers of sensory, moral, and theological resonance. Translation into English, precise though it strives to be, can rarely capture the full range of what a Hebrew word implies in its native soil. The translator must decide between multiple shades—between the physical and the relational, between the spatial and the spiritual.

Few words demonstrate this complexity as clearly as the Hebrew term most often rendered “before.” In Hebrew, this word is פָּנִים (panim), derived from a root that literally means face. It can signify “before,” “in front of,” “in the presence of,” or “toward.” Yet panim is always plural in form, even when referring to a single face. This plural form hints that presence is multifaceted: a face reveals and conceals, blesses and judges, welcomes and withdraws. To be “before” someone in Hebrew thought is not merely to occupy space ahead of them, but to stand relationally in their awareness, under their gaze, within their favor—or, at times, beneath their displeasure.

When the English Bible says, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, NKJV), the word “before” translates al-panay—literally, “upon My face” or “in My presence.” The implication is not chronological, as if other gods might come before or after the Lord, but relational: nothing is to stand in His presence, competing for His face-to-face relationship with His people. To explore this word is to explore the nature of divine presence, human defiance, and spiritual allegiance.

Part I: The Hebrew Concept of “Before” (Panim, Lifnei, and Related Forms)

The root פנה (panah) means “to turn,” and from it we derive panim, “faces,” and lifnei (from le- + panim), meaning “before” or “in the presence of.” The act of turning one’s face implies attention, acknowledgment, and response. Thus, in Scripture, God “turns His face toward” someone to bless, or “hides His face” to signify judgment or distance (Numbers 6:25; Deuteronomy 31:17).

The Hebrew prepositional phrase “לִפְנֵי” (lifnei) literally means “to the face of” or “before.” It can describe spatial position (“before the tabernacle”), relational stance (“before the Lord”), or moral standing (“before men”). It can also denote priority, as when something happens “before” another event.

This range of meaning reflects the relational world of Hebrew thought. To be “before” someone is to live in relation to their face—under their authority, under their observation, and within the moral field defined by that relationship. This is why Hebrew prayers often ask God to “cause His face to shine upon us.” The opposite condition, to have God’s face turned away, is to exist in exile, in alienation, in the absence of divine favor.

Part II: The First Commandment—“You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me”

Let us now read the passage as it appears in the New King James Version:

Exodus 20:1–3 (NKJV)
“And God spoke all these words, saying:
‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before Me.’”

At first glance, “before Me” might suggest a ranking: “no gods that take precedence over Me.” But this reading misunderstands the Hebrew al-panay. The commandment does not mean “I must come first among many.” Rather, it asserts the exclusivity of divine presence: “You shall not have other gods in My presence.” Since God’s presence fills heaven and earth, the commandment excludes all rivals, anywhere.

In the ancient Near Eastern world, the gods of nations were believed to inhabit particular territories. Each deity had its domain; to cross a border was to enter another god’s sphere. But Israel’s God declares Himself universal and jealous: His face is everywhere, and nothing may stand in His sight as a rival. The issue is not sequence but space—the sacred space of relationship between God and His people.

To have another god “before” Him is to bring an idol into His very court, to introduce competition into a covenant meant for exclusive devotion. The offense is not only disobedience but insult—the equivalent of turning one’s face from the Bridegroom to flirt with another before His eyes.

The face motif deepens this understanding. In the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24–26), we read:

“The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

Here, divine favor is expressed as the lifting of God’s face toward His people. To introduce other gods “before His face” is to obscure that light, to interpose a shadow between God’s gaze and His people’s hearts. Thus the First Commandment teaches relational exclusivity: faithfulness to the One whose presence defines our very being.

Part III: Nimrod and the Rebellion “Before the LORD”

The next major occurrence of before that reveals moral weight comes in the story of Nimrod. Let us read the text:

Genesis 10:8–10 (NKJV)
“Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.’
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”

At first, the phrase “before the LORD” could seem commendatory—as if Nimrod hunted under God’s approval. But the moral tone of Genesis soon reveals otherwise. The same root appears again in the Tower of Babel narrative, where humanity says:

Genesis 11:4 (NKJV)
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face (al-penei) of the whole earth.”

Here, “over the face of the earth” uses the same panei root. The builders act defiantly in God’s presence; they attempt to construct an autonomous order that stands “before” Him in challenge rather than in worship. Thus, Nimrod’s being a “mighty hunter before the LORD” can also mean “in opposition to” or “in defiance of” the LORD.

The Hebrew lifnei can bear this adversarial sense: to stand “before” someone as a rival, an accuser, or an opponent. The same preposition is used when David comes “before Saul,” when adversaries stand “before judges,” and when Satan appears “before the LORD” in Job 1:6. Context determines whether “before” signifies fellowship or confrontation.

Nimrod personifies the archetype of political power that seeks to dominate the earth “before” God—that is, in His face, disregarding His sovereignty. His city, Babel, becomes the emblem of humanity’s attempt to construct a kingdom without divine sanction. Thus, “before” here expresses both visibility and rebellion: Nimrod’s deeds occur openly in God’s sight, but defiantly so.

Part IV: Other Biblical Uses of “Before” That Illuminate the Concept

1. Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:16 (NKJV)
“Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.”

The word for “presence” is milifnei—“from before the face of the LORD.” Cain’s exile is defined spatially and relationally: he no longer lives “before God’s face.” His punishment is not mere distance but alienation from communion. Thus, “before” can describe both the blessed proximity of fellowship and the tragic loss of it.

2. Noah’s Favor

Genesis 6:8 (NKJV)
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

To find grace “in the eyes” of the LORD is to live rightly “before His face.” Noah walks “with God” (eth-ha-Elohim), meaning in alignment with His presence. The moral universe of Genesis contrasts Cain, who leaves God’s presence, with Noah, who lives within it.

3. Abraham’s Walk

Genesis 17:1 (NKJV)
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.’”

Here again, “before Me” (lefanai) commands relational integrity. To “walk before God” is to live transparently, aware that one’s steps are visible to the Divine. The commandment joins morality to presence: blamelessness arises not from self-perfection but from continual awareness of God’s gaze.

4. Jonah’s Flight

Jonah 1:3 (NKJV)
“But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”

The same phrase appears—Jonah flees “from before the face of the LORD.” His disobedience is not merely a geographic escape but an attempt to live without confronting God’s face. Yet, as the Psalmist later observes, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). The omnipresent face of God makes flight impossible.

5. The Priestly Service

The tabernacle and later the temple are filled with the refrain “before the LORD.” Offerings are made lifnei YHWH; lamps burn before His face; priests minister in His presence. These acts define Israel’s worship as an encounter of faces: the people appear before the Lord to renew covenant fellowship. The moral and liturgical lives of Israel are both “before God”—public, accountable, illuminated by divine attention.

Part V: The Greek Equivalents—Enōpion, Emprosthen, and Katenanti

When the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek (the Septuagint), translators faced the same challenge we face in English: how to convey the full resonance of panim. They employed several Greek prepositions and compounds to express the range of meaning:

1. ἐνώπιον (enōpion) – literally “in the face of,” “before,” or “in the presence of.”
   This is the most direct equivalent of lifnei. It appears in the New Testament as well: “Walk before God” becomes peripatein enōpion tou Theou.
2. ἔμπροσθεν (emprosthen) – “in front of” or “ahead of.” Often spatial, but can be relational. For example, “John the Baptist came before the Lord” (Luke 1:17) uses this term.
3. κατενώπιον (katenōpion) – an intensified form meaning “directly in the sight of.” Paul uses it to describe ministry done transparently before God (2 Corinthians 2:17).

Each of these Greek terms retains a visual, spatial root—prosōpon in Greek also means “face.” Thus, even in translation, the biblical sense of relational visibility remains: to live “before God” is to live in His sight, under His moral gaze.

When Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them,” He uses enōpion. The contrast is deliberate: the believer must choose before whom he stands—before God or before men. The question of audience becomes a question of allegiance.

The Greek prosōpon parallels Hebrew panim: both mean “face,” and both serve as metaphors for presence. The Apostle Paul speaks of seeing God’s “glory in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The incarnation thus restores the intimacy lost since Eden: humanity again beholds the divine face.

Part VI: The Theology of Divine Presence

The theology embedded in the word before reveals a profound truth: God’s presence defines moral reality. Every act occurs before His face, whether in reverence or rebellion. The righteous live coram Deo—“before God”—in humility and obedience; the wicked live in His face as adversaries.

This dual possibility is woven through Scripture:

• Blessing: “The LORD bless you and keep you… make His face shine upon you.”
• Judgment: “I will set My face against that man” (Leviticus 20:3).
• Exile: “They shall be as fugitives from before My face.”
• Restoration: “They shall see His face” (Revelation 22:4).

To live before God is both a privilege and a responsibility. It is the awareness that every word, deed, and thought unfolds under divine observation. The Hebrew worldview leaves no room for a private moral sphere sealed off from God’s gaze. Even secret sin is performed “before the LORD.”

This idea confronts the modern illusion of autonomy. Contemporary culture encourages living “before men”—curating appearances, performing identities, measuring worth by social visibility. Yet Scripture calls believers to live before God, where motives, not impressions, define righteousness. The believer’s task is not to appear good, but to be seen by God as faithful.

Part VII: Case Study—Israel “Before the LORD” in Covenant Life

Throughout Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts Israel to remember that their obedience and their ceremonies take place before the LORD. Consider:

Deuteronomy 12:7 (NKJV)
“And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.”

Here, “before the LORD” defines the space of joy. The covenant meal is eaten under divine observation, turning ordinary eating into sacrament. To eat “before the LORD” is to acknowledge that He is the Host, the Source of all provision.

By contrast:

Deuteronomy 31:17–18 (NKJV)
“Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them.”

When Israel sins, God “hides His face,” withdrawing the blessing of presence. The consequence is confusion, fear, and defeat—existential exile. Thus the entire covenant drama revolves around the visibility of God’s face. The people are blessed when they stand before Him in holiness, and cursed when they turn aside or attempt to bring idols into His presence.

Part VIII: The Prophets and the “Face of the LORD”

The prophets echo this theme repeatedly:

• Isaiah 63:9 speaks of the Angel of His presence (panav) who saved Israel. God’s face is personalized as His redemptive agent.
• Jeremiah 7:15 warns that Judah will be cast out “from before My face,” echoing Cain’s expulsion.
• Ezekiel 39:29 promises restoration: “I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel.”

The hiding and revealing of the divine face becomes a metaphor for covenantal rhythm—sin and exile, repentance and return. To see God’s face is to know His favor; to be “before” Him rightly is to dwell in peace.

Part IX: Christ and the Restoration of the Divine Face

The New Testament continues this theology in Christ. The incarnation is the supreme revelation of the divine face:

John 14:9 (NKJV)
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

In Jesus, God’s face becomes visible. The Greek term prosōpon (face) now bears incarnational meaning: Christ is the prosōpon tou Theou, the face of God turned toward humanity in grace. Paul celebrates this in 2 Corinthians 4:6:

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face (prosōpon) of Jesus Christ.”

The redemptive arc of Scripture thus moves from Eden’s lost presence to Revelation’s restored vision: “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). The faithful end where humanity began—living openly, unashamed, before the unveiled face of God.

Part X: Living “Before God” Today

1. Worship as Presence

To worship is to come “before the Lord.” Psalm 95:2 invites, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.” Worship is not performance but audience: we appear before God, not man. Every gathering of believers reenacts Sinai’s moment of encounter—God speaks, and we stand before His face. The physical orientation of ancient worship (toward the sanctuary, toward Jerusalem) symbolized this relational orientation toward the divine presence.

2. Prayer as Face-to-Face Communion

Moses spoke with God “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). In Christ, this privilege extends to all believers, for the veil has been torn. Prayer is thus the act of placing one’s soul “before His face,” confessing, petitioning, and listening. Authentic prayer requires awareness of being seen.

3. Ethics of Visibility

Because all deeds are done “before the LORD,” secrecy provides no shelter for sin. Integrity is the habit of remembering the divine gaze. Joseph, tempted by Potiphar’s wife, declared, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Even in a foreign land, far from witnesses, Joseph knew he stood before God’s face. His refusal was not born of fear of discovery, but of reverence for presence.

This awareness transforms morality from a system of external prohibitions into a relationship of loyalty. When a believer lives before God, conscience is not merely an internal voice but the continual recollection of divine awareness. The true test of righteousness, then, is how one behaves when unseen by men but seen by God.

4. Public Life and Witness

In public affairs, the same principle applies. The prophets often condemned those who “did evil before the LORD.” They were not condemned because their acts were public, but because they were presumptuous—performed in defiance of divine sight. The believer’s witness must therefore be marked by transparency and humility. We act not to impress the multitude, but to please the Master whose face we cannot escape.

5. Suffering Before the Lord

There is also comfort in this awareness. To suffer before the LORD is to suffer in His company, not in abandonment. Hannah, when barren and distressed, “stood before the LORD” and poured out her soul (1 Samuel 1:15). Hezekiah, when facing death, “turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD” (2 Kings 20:2). Their tears were not unseen; their words rose in His presence. Even when no human witness understands, God’s face is turned toward His own. The believer who suffers before God never suffers alone.

6. Judgment and Accountability

Yet the same truth warns of judgment. Scripture repeatedly says that the wicked will be destroyed “from before the face of the LORD.” His holiness is intolerable to those who cling to evil. Just as light annihilates shadow, so the unveiled presence of God consumes deceit and rebellion. For this reason, Revelation speaks of the unrepentant crying for mountains to fall upon them “and hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne” (Revelation 6:16). Those who refused to live before His face in life cannot endure it in eternity.

The Gospel’s call is therefore both gracious and urgent: to return before the LORD now in repentance, before His face becomes a consuming fire. The same face that shines with grace upon the penitent burns against the proud.

Conclusion: The Face That Shines and the Face That Sees

In the beginning, humanity hid from God’s face. At Sinai, the people feared to see it. In Christ, that face was revealed in mercy, and in eternity it shall be our everlasting light. Between these two moments—our fall and our glorification—lies the life of faith: learning to live before His face with gratitude, humility, and courage.

The Hebrew word translated “before” thus teaches us that faith is not primarily about direction or precedence, but about presence. To stand “before” God is to acknowledge His sovereignty, submit to His scrutiny, and rejoice in His fellowship. To reject Him is to stand “before” Him in defiance, as Nimrod did, and to perish under the weight of our own pride.

As believers, we are called to recover the awareness of His face in every sphere of life—family, work, worship, and witness. When we remember that all we are and all we do unfolds before His eyes, the trivial gains significance, and the mundane becomes holy. The task of the believer is not to escape the gaze of God but to be transformed by it.

Let us, then, take to heart the words of Psalm 27:8 (NKJV):

“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’
My heart said to You, ‘Your face, LORD, I will seek.’”

May we live as those who have heard that call, who seek His face continually, who walk before Him with integrity and joy, and who look forward to that day when faith shall become sight and we shall behold Him as He is.