Exodus 33:17-2317And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. 19And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. (Exodus 33:17‑23)
“AND the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beech Thee, show me Thy glory.”
The Lord’s goodness to Moses only produced in him the desire to know God more, for he said, “I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.” And this is the effect of God’s grace on a soul, for to know Him is to want to know Him better.
Moses’ longing to see God’s glory was the effect of intimacy with the Lord. No doubt he felt that anything of man was so utterly ruined and hopeless, and his heart turned to the glory of God as something that was above all the ruin and sin of man. God rewarded him for wishing to know Him, by letting him see what no other man had seen.
Moses had learned a great deal about God during those forty days on the mount. He had seen the lovely pattern of the mercy seat above the ark with the cherubim stretching out their wings on high. It had taught him there was mercy in the heart of God to count on, so he felt encouraged to go to Him and plead for his people. He had perhaps also learned in the golden altar of incense that God would hear intercession for a people who could not have been able to speak to Him at all if He had not opened this way.
Moses asked to see His glory, but this was impossible yet. That waited the coming of a greater than Moses. The Son of God must go to Calvary’s cross, there accomplish redemption and glorify God as to the question of sin, before the glory of God could shine out.
The Lord would, however, grant Moses’ request as far as it was possible. He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before thee... Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and live... Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts; but My face shall not be seen.”
What a privilege it was for Moses to have such an experience! How gracious of God to show His servant such grace! Yet how different the case of Moses from that of the believer. The believer looks back on the work of the cross as an accomplished thing, and now the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners. With unveiled face we behold the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)). And that which fits us for that glory is the precious blood of Christ.
ML-03/21/1971