Boosted by God’s promise to be with Israel on their long-awaited journey into Canaan, Moses boldly says to God in Exodus 33:18, “Now show me your glory.”
Which seems like an odd request, because hadn’t Moses seen a ton of God’s glory already? He’d had God speak to him through a burning bush, seen God blast Israel out of Egypt with ten amazing plagues, seen the pillars of fire and cloud protecting Israel through the desert, and seen and heard the frightening racket when God came down to Mount Sinai. What more did Moses need for God to show his glory?
There’s a clue back in verse 13, when Moses says to God, “If I’ve found favour in your eyes, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you.” God’s miracles had been a marvellous show of his power and his love for Israel, yes – but what Moses was after from God in verse 16 was, “I need to know from you personally that you’re pleased with me and with your people, and that you truly have singled us out from all the other people on the face of the earth.”
It’s an understandable request, because God had been so angry at the “stiff-necked” Israelites for totally dismissing him in favour of a homemade golden cow, that he told Moses he’d had it with Israel and he was wiping out the lot of them (32:7-10). And soon after that, God had also announced to Moses he would not be accompanying the Israelites into Canaan, because if they got stiff-necked again on the journey there, this time he really might destroy them (33:3).
So Moses had no idea what God might do. On the one hand, God had promised Moses he’d see things through, so not to worry (33:14). On the other hand, did God really approve of Moses himself, and still see Israel as his specially chosen people? To which God replies, “Of course I’ll be with you, because I’m really pleased with you” (17). And that’s when Moses jumps in desperately with, “Then show me your glory” (18). Not in more words of assurance, or in more promises, or in more burning bushes – he’d had all those from God already – this time it had to be in a show of “the Lord” himself in person.
And the Lord’s reply is amazing, because he tells Moses in verse 19, “I’ll cause all my goodness to pass in front of your eyes, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.” But was that all there was to “What God meant by glory”?….(next blog)
