23. Following the Lord (The Life of Moses, 408B-409A;
GREGORY OF NYSSA
fection), the more steadfast and unshakable he becomes in good, according to the counsel of Paul, so much the more quickly will he accomplish his course. His very stability be comes as a wing in his flight towards heaven; his heart be comes winged because of his stability in good.
23. Following the Lord (The Life of Moses, 408B-409A; ed. Danielou, ii.249-256) Thus far has the soul now progressed, protected by the right hand of the Lord according to the promise of the text
(Exod. 35.22). The hand of the Lord would refer to His creative power over all things. Indeed, the Only-Begotten, by Whom all things were made, is Himself the place for those who run; He is, acording to His own words, the very Way of the course, as well as the Rock for those who are well grounded, and the Mansion for those who take their rest. At this point the soul will hear His call and will take its place behind Him; it will follow the Lord God according to the precept of the Law (Deut. 13.4).
This is the call that the great David understood, when he said to him that dwelleth in the aid of the most High (Ps.
90.1) that he will overshadow thee with his shoulders (Ps.
90.4); for this is the same as following God, for the shoulders are at the back. Similarly he cries out, speaking of himself:
My soul hath stuc\ close to thee: thy right hand hath re ceived me (Ps. 62.9). You see how the psalms support our text. For David here says that God's right hand receives him who clings to Him; so too, in our text, the Lord's hand covers
FROM GLORY TO GLORY
Moses who awaits the divine call within the rock and asks to follow Him.
So too the Lord Who spoke this word to Moses, when He came to fulfil His own Law, discoursed in like fashion to His disciples, explaining clearly the meaning of what had been said before in mystery. If any man will come after me, He says (Luke 9.23), and not: If any man will go before me.
And when the man besought him about eternal life, he gave the same command, saying: Come, follow me (Luke 18.18,
22). And he who follows looks at the back.
Moses sought to see God, and this is the instruction he re ceives on how he is to see Him: seeing God means following
Him wherever He might lead. And God's passing refers to His leading of those who follow Him. Anyone who does not know the way cannot travel safely without following a guide.
The guide shows him the way by walking ahead of him. And the one following will not get off the right path if he keeps constantly watching the back of his guide. On the other hand, if he moves off to one side, or tries to bring himself face to face with his guide, he will be setting out on a different path from the one which his guide is showing him. Thus the Lord says to those who are being guided: You shall not see my face (Exod. 33.20), or, in other words: Do not face your guide. For then you will be going in a completely opposite direction. Good does not go in the opposite direction to good, but follows it. And that which is opposed to the good comes face to face with it. Evil looks in a different direction from virtue; but virtue does not come face to face with virtue.
Hence Moses does not see God face to face, but merely looks at His back. Whoever would see Him face to face would not