To Know His Glory

September 1, 2014

Devotions:

        Moses asked to know the ways of the Lord and then that the Lord's presence would not depart.  These two were essential for his third prayer.

        “And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And 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 shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, 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 clift 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."  ‭Exodus‬ ‭33:18-23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        Moses asked to see the glory of God.  God identified His glory as His goodness.  Moses was told that he could not see the fullness of God's goodness, it would destroy him, he was sitll in his sin.  

        “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:29-30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        The result of seeing even the hinder part of God's glory was that Moses' face shone, he radiated the life of God even though he was sitll in his sin.  God wants to display His goodness, His glory, to us.

        “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.” ‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:7-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        Here Paul says that we have a more glorious covenant.  Do we want to know the ways of God?  Do we want His presence above everything else?