[TheRealThing]

At the outset, as you say, you didn't qualify your statements as meaning looking at his face. You just said "look" at him.

I can accept that, but the standard is normally taken from the part that I have capitalized. Most scholars agree that if seeing His face is lethal, according to this text any frontal or side view would likely harm in devastatilng fashion. Otherwise perhaps God may have just chosen to put His hand over His face. You will recall that after Moses spent time in the presence of God his countenance, facial appearance, shone due to his exposure to the glory of God. And this effect lasted for some time after he returned to the people of Israel camped below.