Exodus 33:18-23Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”
Moses is once more being bold in his request of God. Before he put pressure on God in his build up to his request. Now he asks to see God’s glory. This is more than seing God. Verse 11 of this chapter says that Moses talked to God face to face. However, it must have been in a filtered manner. Moses wants to see God’s glory. He wants to see Him in all that He is. God says that “no man can see Me and live.”
We are limited beings and we are made of earthly materials. We may want to visit the sun, yet we would be consumed. So, also seeing God in His fulness would put an end to us. There is much that we are incapable of. We can’t be a part of spiritual warfare unless God is with us. The devil could go only so far with Job.
We also need guidance. We have limited understanding and foresight. We need God to have fulness of joy. We were created to be in relationship with Him. When we are not engaged with Him, He is not close and we don’t have His peace and joy. We need Him for forgiveness. We aren’t able to pay our own debt and be reconciled to Him. We aren’t able to make it to heaven without His help. There is plenty we can’t do. We need His assistance.
Moses pushed his limits and asked anyways. God answered in a limited fashion. James 4:2 says, “we have not, because we ask not.” God loves it when we want to get closer or to see more of Him. We should ask the impossible. Peter saw Jesus walk on the water and asked to join Him. We may not get all we ask for, but He will accommodate that request.
This topic was in my head all day. Do I have a desire to deepen my relationship with God? There is something. I wrote a paper about God image. Part of it addressed how I see God. It wasn’t as a father. That wasn’t His fault. I didn’t have a supportive father to pattern Him after. I relate to shepherd . However, I would like to see Him as Father. That’s my prayer.
This topic was in my head all day. Do I have a desire to deepen my relationship with God? There is something. I wrote a paper about God image. Part of it addressed how I see God. It wasn’t as a father. That wasn’t His fault. I didn’t have a supportive father to pattern Him after. I relate to shepherd . However, I would like to see Him as Father. That’s my prayer.
Lord, help us to be like Moses and seek You. To be like David and be a man after Your heart.