Exodus 32-33
Then Moses had one more request. "Please let me see your glorious presence," he said. – Exodus 33:18 NLT
Moses and God had a unique relationship. God told Moses, "you have found favor with me, and you are my friend" (Exodus 33:17 NLT). They had been through a lot together. Moses had spent a lot of time alone with God. They talked together regularly at the tent of meeting. God had chosen Moses to lead His people out of slavery. He had given Moses the Ten Commandments. He had listened to Moses when he interceded on behalf of the people and begged God not to destroy them for their having made the golden calf. Moses knew how important the presence of God was to their future. He had come to rely on God's presence and direction. He knew that it was the very presence of God that set them apart as a people. When God assured Moses "I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest – everything will be fine for you" (Exodus 33:14 NLT), Moses responded, "If you don’t go with us personally, don’t let us move a step from this place" (Exodus 33:15 NLT). It was the presence of God in their midst that set them apart. "If you don’t go with us, how will anyone ever know that your people and I have found favor with you? How else will they know we are special and distinct from all other people on the earth?" (Exodus 33:16 NLT). Without the presence of God, they would have been just another people group. Without the presence of God, a local church is just another gathering of people. It is God's presence that sets us apart.
And Moses couldn't get enough of God. He didn't want to move a muscle without God. In fact, he wanted even MORE of God. Here is a man who had spent countless days and hours alone with God, and what does he request? "Please let me see Your glorious presence!" He wanted to see God's glory. And God grants His request. God tells Moses, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, ‘the LORD,’ to you. I will show kindness to anyone I choose, and I will show mercy to anyone I choose" (Exodus 33:19 NLT). The glory of God Himself passed before Moses in the form of His goodness. But Moses would not be the only one to enjoy this unique privilege. God would also reveal His glory and His goodness to men hundreds of years later in the form of His Son Jesus Christ. John tells us, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14 NIV). We have seen the glory of God through Jesus Christ. He has given us a glimpse of God Himself. "No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him" (John 1:18 NLT). Jesus is God. He has revealed Himself to man. What Moses experienced that day, we can experience every day. And when God told Moses, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14 NASB), it is just what Jesus invited us to experience, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29 NLT). We can enjoy the presence of God and the rest that comes from knowing God through our relationship with Jesus Christ. We can see the glory of God each and every day.
Father, I can enjoy Your glory and Your rest through Your Son – every day of my life. May that become a reality each and every day of my life. Amen.