Show Me Your Glory

One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Monday, February 11, 2013: Exodus 32:1-33:23

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” ¹⁸ Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”   Exodus 33:17-18 (NASB)

There are two parallel stories unfolding in the Book of Exodus.  One is, of course, the story of God's deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.  The other is the making of the man Moses.  The big picture is Israel.  The particular picture is Moses.  Both stories are important.

In fact, at one point, God says He will get rid of Israel and keep Moses!  He tells Moses, "Let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them (Israel) and I may consume them.  And I will make of you (Moses) a great nation" (Ex. 32:10).  God says that He will start all over again and make a better nation for Moses. 

There are few stronger places in the Bible when it comes to prayer and intercession.  Moses actually forestalls God's wrath and tell Him, "Hey, You can't do that!"

The story of the life of Moses is a study in and of itself.  It is about a friendship with God.  It is also about how God built a flawed man into one of the greatests leaders in history.

We catch a glimpse of this in the interchange between Moses and God in Exodus 33.  Such bold praying!  Such direct communication!  Moses wants God to show Him all His glory.  Wow!  That's a prayer we each should be praying today.  Moses wanted to have an unmitigated view of the grandeur of God.

In short, God answers by telling Moses that he can't take it just yet.  God places Moses in a "cleft of the rock" so that he would only see the afterglow of such brilliance. 

What was God after in Moses?  What did God want to accomplish in this man?  I think the story of Moses speaks to us today.  God set up an IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION.  He told Moses to go forward, but He told Him that His presence would no longer accompany the journey.  Moses was between the proverbial "rock and hard place."

In desparation, Moses cried out for more of God.  Such was the crucible that made Moses into a man who changed history. 

Does your history need changing?  Has God brought you to a place of desparation?  His desire is to give you more of Himself -- to show you His glory.  In order to do that, He is asking for more of you.  If you will call, He will answer.  And He will show you things beyond anything you could imagine.