The face of God is encountered in the Temple; it is sought while the believer is on the way there. Nevertheless the meaning of the verse goes far beyond the merely cultic reference. In Hosea 5:14-15 this becomes even clearer. There God says about Israel: “I will rend and go away. . . , until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.” This seeking and keeping watch is an attitude that involves the whole man; only when he becomes “righteous” with his whole being, that is, godly, is he on the way to encountering God’s face.
