Sunday, October 07, 2007

Exodus 33

   Verses 1-14 divide into three parts:



  1. The first three verses are a description of the withdrawal of the blessing of the presence of God. The whole purpose of God’s instruction to Moses on the mountain, for the building of this tabernacle, was that as the children of Israel journeyed on their way into this blessed land of promise, God was going to be right smack dab in the middle of them, surrounded on every side by His people. And He was going to go up like with them into the land. But in the first three verses we learn that something drastic is going to be changed about that plan.

  2. In verses 4-6, there is the response of Israel to this announcement, and they are contrite. There is repentance here, no doubt about it. It is obvious not only from what they do, even if their taking off their ornaments was only in response to what Moses has said, for the passage seems to intimate that their action was a response to not only what Moses said but also an automatic response on their part. Certainly, from the way they treat Moses at the end of the passage, a change of heart can be seen. The same people who, just a few hours earlier, had been saying to Aaron, “This man who brought us up from Egypt,” have suddenly changed their attitude. We see contrition here. There is repentance.

  3. In verses 7-14, this favored presence, this communion, this fellowship with God has with Moses at the tent of meeting outside of the camp, and it speaks of the relationship that the people of God have lost. And it also exalts Moses in the eye of the people as God disciplines them with His distance. - I Will Not Go in Your Midst: www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons/exodus/Exodus%20Vol%205%20&%206/39bExo.htm


(1) The Lord said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people *you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’


*you brought up: God's handing them back to Moses at this place - they are Moses' people.


(2) And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, *Amorites, **Hittites, ***Perizzites, ***Hivites, and ****Jebusites.


*Amorites: Meaning: highlanders, or hill men. the name given to the descendants of one of the sons of Canaan (Genesis 14:7). On the early Babylonian monuments, all of Syria, including Palestine, is known as "the land of the Amorites." The southern slopes of the mountains of Judea are called the "mount of the Amorites" (Deuteronomy 1:7, 19,20). The five kings of the Amorites were defeated in a great slaughter by Joshua (10:10). They were again defeated at the waters of Merom by Joshua, who smote them till there were none remaining (Joshua 11:8). It is mentioned as a surprising circumstance that in the days of Samuel there was peace between them and the Israelites (1 Samuel 7:14). The Amorites were warlike mountaineers. They are represented on the Egyptian monuments with fair skins, light hair, blue eyes, curved or hooked noses, and pointed beards. They are supposed to have been men of great stature; their king, Og, is described by Moses as the last "of the remnant of the giants" (Deuteronomy 3:11).


**Hittites: The Hittites were an ancient nation that occupied the general area of Asia Minor and Syria. Although not as well-known as other ancient empires (e.g. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Persia, Rome), at the peak of their power the Hittites challenged the Egyptians and Assyrians for control of what is now the land of Israel. They are mentioned prominently in early Bible History. After Sarah died, it was from the Hittites that Abraham bought the cave in Hebron, known today as the "Tomb of the Patriarchs," in which Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob/Israel and Leah are all buried. Two of the wives of Esau were Hittites. The incident of adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and Uriah's murder to cover it up, was one of the greatest personal failures of King David.


***Perizzites: Meaning: villagers; dwellers in the open country. They were the farmers and peasants of the time. They were to be driven out of the land by the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8, 17; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11). They are afterwards named among the conquered tribes (Joshua 24:11). Still lingering in the land, however, they were reduced to servitude by Solomon (1 Kings 9:20).


****Jebusites: the name of the original inhabitants of Jebus, mentioned frequently among the seven nations doomed to destruction (Genesis 10:16; 15:21; Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5, etc.). The Jebusites were the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the hills round about. They were defeated by Joshua, and their king was slain; but they were not entirely driven out of Jebus till the time of David, who made it the capital of his kingdom instead of Hebron. The site on which the temple was afterwards built belonged to Araunah, a Jebusite, from whom it was purchased by David, who refused to accept it as a free gift (2 Samuel 24:16-25; 1 Chronicles 21:24, 25).


Exodus 3:8: So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey--the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live.


(3) Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”


   The verse is saying that because of the people’s bent to rebellion, Yahweh would not remain in their midst as he had formerly said he would do. Their lives would be at risk if he did. Notice our wall chart with the Tabernacle in their midst.


   This was a challenge to Moses and the nation as a whole. God told them they could have the Promised Land, but He would not remain with them in a close, personal way. If they were satisfied with that arrangement, it would prove they only loved God's blessings and not God Himself. If they challenged God - pleading with Him for His presence, not only His blessings - it would show a genuine heart for God Himself. This was the first step towards revival in Israel.


(4) When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes.


   Not wearing jewelry and "fine" clothing is part of their repentance and mourning and should not be used to say that we gentiles today are to avoid jewelry, "fine" clothing, make-up, etc. as is practiced by some Christians. The people would rather have risked divine discipline than to go without Yahweh in their midst. So they mourned, and they took off the ornaments. Such had been used in making the golden calf, and so because of their association with all of that they were to be removed as a sign of remorse. They cared about their relationship with the Lord, not only what He could give them. This was a significant issue for Israel, because they could see the presence of the Lord in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. If God withdrew His presence it could be clearly seen.


   They receive that as if God had given them a death sentence. And I want to ask you a question: If God dangled that proposition in front of you, how would you respond. “I’ll give you everything you want. I’ll give you joy in this life. I’ll give you happiness in this life. I’ll give you a good marriage. I’ll give you a good career. I’ll give you wonderful children. I’ll give you power. I’ll give you glory. I’ll give you influence. I’ll give you a lasting legacy. I’ll even give you heaven in the hereafter, but you can’t have My presence.” How many evangelicals would love that bargain today? Was it Samuel Rutherford who said, “Heaven would not be heaven, if He were not there.” Didn’t he say in another place, “Heaven would be hell, if He were not there.” The greatest blessing we have is God Himself, and one of the sublimest enjoyments we can have of Him is in the assurance of His presence and His nearness and His concern and His favor, and when God says, “I’m not going to be in your midst,” the people of God realize precisely what they’re losing. Without the presence of God, without the favor of God, without communion with God, nothing else matters. Because what is worship? It’s glorifying and enjoying god forever, and if you can’t have His presence, how can you glorify and enjoy Him?
- I Will Not Go in Your Midst: www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons/exodus/Exodus%20Vol%205%20&%206/39bExo.htm


(5) For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.”


(6) So from the time they left Mount *Sinai, the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes.


*Sinai: Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai.


(7) It was Moses’ practice to take the *Tent of Meeting and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting **outside the camp.


*Tent of Meeting: This “Tent of Meeting” is different from the Tabernacle described in chapters 26 and 36. The plans for the Tabernacle have been described, but it's not yet built!


**outside the camp: Hebrews 13:13: So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore.


   The point is that sinfulness prevents the active presence of the Lord leading his people. But then the rest of chapter 33 forms the development. In verses 7-11 there is the gracious provision: the Lord reveals through his faithful mediator. The Lord was leading his people, but now more remotely because of their sin. Then, in verses 12-17, Moses intercedes for the people, and the intercession of the mediator guarantees the Lord’s presence. The point of all of this is that God wanted the people to come to know that if He was not with them they should not go. Finally, the presence of the Lord is verified to the mediator by a special revelation (18-23). The point of the whole chapter is that by his grace the Lord renews the promise of his presence by special revelation. Now the people were before this, sort of all circled around this place of the meeting of God, the tribes in each order all around it. Now they remove it, and they put it completely outside of the camp; meaning, that the people have to now come outside of the camp in order to meet God. Now there is an interesting spiritual sequel in this, in that Jesus was crucified outside of the city of Jerusalem, people have to come out of Judaism to meet with God through Jesus Christ. They can no longer meet with God through the system of Judaism, but outside of Judaism. Now a new covenant that God established, the covenant that was established with Israel, being disannulled because of the people's failure to abide by that covenant. So having abolished the old covenant, God has now established a new covenant, which is outside of the Judaism itself. So to meet with God it is necessary to come out. For the Jew it is necessary for him to come out from Judaism and to meet God outside of a national kind of a relationship. Now the relationship to God is available to every man. There is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We must all come to God now through Jesus Christ, and that is outside of the camp, really, of Israel itself. - Blue Letter Bible - Chuck Smith Commentary on Exodus 33-34: www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/chuck_smith_c2000/Exd/Exd033.html


   By making the place of worship outside the camp, Moses clearly drew a line to see who really wanted to draw close to the Lord.


(8) Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all *watch Moses until he disappeared inside.


*watch: Watch implies a casual look, while the Hebrew term is one that conveys great concern and interest. It is the term used, for example, for the “looking” of the Israelites at the bronze serpent, so that they can be healed (Numbers 21:9). Zechariah used this term to describe those who will “look upon” the Messiah, whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10).


   In chapter 32, when Moses had been gone for some time, the Israelites were not really concerned for his life or safety. They did not pray for him or send out a search party. They just concluded that he was gone and not coming back. Thus, they unofficially appointed Aaron to lead them, and to make a golden god for them to worship. The people could care less about Moses at the time of their rebellion against God. Now, however, it is a vastly different story. Whenever Moses went out to the “tent of meeting” the whole congregation stood at the entrance of his tent and intently watched Moses, until he had entered the tent.


(9) As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses.


(10) When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents.


   The idea is that the people would get up (rise) when the cloud was there and then worship, meaning in part bow down. When the cloud was not there, there was access to seek God. Moses went outside and entered into this tent, and when he did, the people standing in their tent doors and watching saw this pillar, that had been leading them, descend to the door of that tabernacle; the presence of God, symbolic really of God's presence with him. As they saw this phenomena, they all began to worship God there in their own tent doors. Now of course, Moses was there making intercession once again for the people. The cloud descending at these times, and at none others, was a full proof that it was miraculous, and a pledge of the Divine presence. It was beyond the power of human art to counterfeit such an appearance and let it be observed that all the people saw this.


John 4:24: For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”


   Worship, which is our response to God, is what we give in our devoted service. The worship of God involves the totality of life, therefore it cannot be confined to a particular location. Earlier, Jesus says, "Neither in Samaria, nor in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem." He means that God is not confined to any one place, nor is the worship of Him confined to any one place. Likewise, it cannot be confined to just an hour or two on a particular day because in a biblical sense the worship of God is our response to Him in all of life. So He cannot even be isolated to an hour or two on the Sabbath. We have to respond to Him in our home: in the way we speak, act towards one another, rear our children, conduct our homemaking practices. Worship has to do with the way we work, with the way we drive our cars, with the way we dress, with the way we use our eyes, ears, nose, mouth—everything! It involves the totality of life, because religion is a way of life. Christianity is a way of life that impacts on every area of our being. The second commandment deals with how we worship God. The focus of our worship is to be on imitating Him. We are to use no material aids in doing this because no man can capture God in a work of art, a statue, a picture, or a symbol. God wants us to concentrate on what He is and not on what He looks like. Except within the context of a passage, the Bible never clearly defines worship, yet understanding what it is is critical. God is even now measuring His Temple and its altar to see who worships there in truth (Revelation 11:1-2). We are the temple of God, so we are being measured to see if we are truly worshipping God or not. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for "worship" is shachah, defined as "to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God)." This word is also translated in the Authorized Version as "bow down, crouch, fall down, humbly beseech, do obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship." Worship, then, is reverencing God, adoring, honoring, and bowing down before Him. But a deeper study of worship shows that it is more a thing of the heart and mind than a physical action or position. Jesus says worshippers worship Him in vain when "their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 15:8). Perhaps we can say worship means having a bowed-down head and heart as we adore and revere our Maker! It is an attitude of totally and unconditionally surrendering to the One we call our Master, our Lord, our God. Worshipping thus becomes a relationship with our holy God, characterized by a bowed-down heart in total surrender. It reflects one poor in spirit and one who mourns as he recognizes his abject spiritual bankruptcy. As we bow our hearts and heads to God in worship, crying out for mercy and to be filled with God's attitudes, we are comforted and filled. Worship, then, is a constant attitude of yieldedness and humility before God, but there are certain times and occasions when we worship pointedly and in earnest. - bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/26181/eVerseID/26181


(11) Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses *face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would **remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.


*face to face: God's goal for our relationship with Him! Of course, God has no "face". This should be our goal in our relationship with Him. It was just like a dialogue rather than a monologue. I mean, he would talk to God, God would speak right back to him, but he did not actually see the face of God.


**remain: Joshua remained to guard the Tent of Meeting. Moses did not live in the tent. But Joshua remained there most of the time to guard the tent lest any of the people approach it out of curiosity.


Moses Sees the Lord’s Glory


(12) One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’


   God previously promised to send an angel with Israel in verse 2. Moses presses God on this point, wanting to know exactly whom God will send.


(13) If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”


   Moses wanted to know more of God’s dealings with people, especially after all that has happened in the preceding chapter. Of all the things that Moses could have prayed for, why does he pray for intimacy with the Lord? This is the key to leadership, ministry, and all of life, for that matter: relationship with the Lord. Why is relationship with the Lord so important? Because it enables us to face up to the pressure. The pressure creates fear of failure, fear of failing people, perhaps hundreds of people. But intimacy with the Lord teaches us that failure, amazingly enough, doesn't matter. If we know the Lord intimately, we know of his goodness, his faithfulness, his sovereignty -- his ability to turn failures into victories. Growing intimacy with the Lord, then, is the one thing we need most as we move forward in our relationship with Christ. This should ever be my prayer and yours!


(14) The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”


   This represents the presence of Yahweh going with the people. The “presence” probably refers to the angel of the presence or some similar manifestation of God’s leading and caring for his people. The expression certainly refers to the peace of mind and security of knowing that God was with them. But the expression came to mean “settle them in the land of promise” and give them rest and peace from their enemies. My Presence will go with you is literally "My Face will go with you." This helps us to understand what it means when it says Moses met with God face to face (Exodus 32:11). It has the sense of "in the immediate presence of God."

(15) Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.


   In other words, "If Your presence doesn't go with me, Lord, I don't want to go. I don't want to leave here. I don't want to leave without Your presence." That is perhaps about the wisest thing that Moses could ever do is just stick right where he was unless he had God's presence going with him. You're foolish to venture anywhere apart from the presence of God. You're foolish to venture out in your own, on your own. We need the presence of God wherever we go. "If Your presence doesn't go with me, then Lord, don't send me from here."


(16) How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”


(17) The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”


(18) Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”


   Moses now wanted to see the glory of Yahweh, more than what he had already seen and experienced. Paul got a glimpse of the glory of God, the glory of God's dwelling place, as did John. Paul's glimpse revolutionized his life, changed him completely. It created a continual dissatisfaction with earthly things from then on. How could you be happy in this mess when God has such a glorious place prepared for us? "Lord, just let me see Your glory. This hunger for more of God - for more of an experience with God - is a mark of true revival and restoration of relationship. Whatever Moses had experienced with God, he now wanted more. What Moses evidently has in mind is a full-blown exposure to all of who the Lord is. He's seen the glory cloud, and he even walked into the middle of the Lord's presence on Mount Sinai (24:18). Moses has known the Lord; the Lord grants his request for further knowledge; now Moses seeks further knowledge, perhaps ultimate knowledge. Moses is saying, "Lord, I want all of you." Intimacy with the Lord breeds the desire for more intimacy with the Lord.


   Later, after Moses’ request to see the glory of God, the glory of God would fill the newly constructed tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35). On various occasions during Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness, God’s glory would be manifested to the people. On a number of these occasions, the glory of the Lord appeared to stop the people from sinning. For example, in Numbers 14:10 the glory of the Lord appeared, stopping the Israelites from stoning Moses and Aaron. On the other hand, the glory of God also appeared in response to Israel’s sacrifices. After describing the sacrifices which God required of the people, Moses said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” (Leviticus 9:6). A little later in this account, after these sacrifices were offered, we are told in Leviticus 9:22-24, After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. Fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.


   Moses craved an assurance of God's love. In a time of crisis we often feel deserted. Moses saw 23,000 of his people die from a plague. He watched as brothers killed brothers. Moses saw things that were forever embedded in his mind. Moses sought God. He worshipped God. But he still needed more.


(19) The Lord replied, “I will make all my *goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, **Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.


*goodness: The granting of Moses’ petition would include God’s causing of all His goodness to pass before Moses. As the term goodness is employed in the Old Testament, this meant that God’s benevolence, God’s graciousness and generosity would be seen by His servant Moses. This term, rendered “goodness,” is used in Genesis 24:10 of the “good things” which Abraham sent with his servant, as a present to the family of the future bride of his son. It is used of the “good things” which Pharaoh provided for Jacob and his family, as they traveled to Egypt from Canaan (Genesis 45:18, 20, 23). It also refers to the “good things” which the Israelites will enjoy in the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 6:11). Especially in the Book of Psalms, the goodness of God is emphasized. Here, the emphasis of “goodness” falls not on the things which God gives, but on the goodness and generosity of God as the giver of good things.


**Yahweh: In addition to having all His goodness pass before Moses, God also promised to proclaim His name, the “name of the LORD,” before Moses. The specific name which God will proclaim is the name YAHWEH. This is the name by which God identified Himself to Moses at the burning bush, and by which God was to be known to Israel. YAHWEH was the name which spoke of God as Israel’s Savior and Deliverer. YAHWEH is the name of the God who made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Exodus 3:13-15: But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name,
my name to remember for all generations.


Romans 9:15: For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”


   "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose” - In other words, the grace and mercy of God are bound up in His own will. Obviously, in this passage the recipients of that favor are the penitent Israelites who were forgiven through Moses’ intercession. The two words are at the heart of God’s dealings with people. The first is khanan (“to be gracious, show favor”). It means to grant favor or grace to someone, grace meaning unmerited favor. All of God’s dealings are gracious, but especially in forgiving sins and granting salvation it is critical. Parallel to this is rakham, a word that means “show compassion, tender mercy.” It is a word that is related to the noun “womb,” the connection being in providing care and protection for that which is helpless and dependent – a motherly quality. In both of these constructions the verbs simply express what God will do, without explaining why.


   The scribes, when they would come to these consonants YHWH, before they would write them in the text, they would go in and take a bath, put on fresh clothes, wash their pen completely, dip it in fresh ink, and then write the consonants. Now can you imagine how many baths you'd have to take in some of these passages where the Lord's name is mentioned several times? Yet that is the kind of reverence in which they held the name of God, feeling that it was such a holy name that it should never pass the lips of man. Thus it was never to be pronounced by man. So in reading the text, when the readers would come to the name, rather than attempting to pronounce the name, they would bow their head in reverence and they would just whisper the name. It was an unpronounceable name.


   Moses’ petition for the people was a petition for God’s grace. There was absolutely nothing Israel could do to earn God’s favor. Israel had done enough already! The bottom line was that Moses could not, by his mediation, claim that God had any obligation to be gracious to this sinful, stiff-necked people. Sovereignty and grace can never be separated. Thus, whenever grace is shown, it is done at the exercise of God’s sovereign will. The reason for this is that grace has no reason for being manifested on a person except for the graciousness of the giver. Whatever is not of grace is of merit, and no one can ever be saved on the basis of his or her personal merit before God. Surely no Israelite at this point in Israel’s history would have dared to claim that he deserved God’s favor.


(20) But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.”


(21) The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock.


(22) As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and* cover you with my hand until I have passed by.


*cover you: Note the use in Exodus 40:3, “and you will screen the ark with the curtain.” The glory is covered, veiled from being seen.


(23) Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”


   The meaning of this word could just as easily be rendered “after effects” of his presence. While this may indicate just the “afterglow” that he leaves behind him, it was enough to suggest what the full brilliancy of his presence must be.


John 1:18: No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.


John 14:8-9: Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?


1 John 4:12: No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.


2 Corinthians 3:18: So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.


1 Timothy 6:16: He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.


   Isaiah had a glimpse of the glory of God, and it moved him to mourn his own sin and unworthiness (Isaiah 6). John experienced some of the glory of God and fell at the feet of Jesus like a dead man (Revelation 1:17). Paul experienced the glory of God on the Damascus Road and also in the experience described in 2 Corinthians 12. It was such an amazing experience that he could only barely describe it. We also should have an earnest desire to experience God deeply. Paul made it clear that we cannot fully see the glory of God - we see it as in a piece of polished metal, dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12) - but we can see something of it. Paul didn't say we see nothing of the glory of God, only that we can't fully see it or comprehend it.


   Had God granted Moses all he had asked for, Moses would have been struck dead by the presence of the living God. It is only in heaven, when we are rid of all sin, that we shall behold God face to face (Revelation 22:4). Thus, God will grant Moses the privilege of seeing more of Him than he (or any other man to this point, I believe) has ever seen before. He will see part of God’s glory, but not all of it. He will see, in human terms, God’s back, but not His face.


Revelation 22:4: And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.



On-Line Sources:



Off-Line Sources:


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)