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12 Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” (Exodus 33:12-23 NIV Bible)
There is a ride at Disney Parks called the Jungle Cruise. Give them a couple of weeks and it will become the Jingle Cruise. But the ride features animatronic animals as if one were on a real safari cruise and also features corny, but sometimes hilarious, skippers of each boat. One of the classic line is, and read ahead if you're not wanting a spoiler if you're planning on going on a Disney trip in the future; but as you go behind the waterfall, the skipper says you're seeing something rarely seen and that's "the back side of water!" Bada bump. I thought it was funny that Moses wants to see the glory of God and God hides him and allows him to only see His back. And we will get into that in this devotional! Welcome!
There are things that we sometimes need to see or hear over and over again before we truly begin to beli peve or accept. Remember when you first heard from your spouse or significant other the words I love you? Was that not a great thing to hear? Or, if you're a student and you've studied hard for an exam, you take it and you get your exam handed back and you see the word PASSED; wasn't that also an awesome feeling? I remember taking my state health and life insurance and knowing that I needed a 70 to pass. I studied hard, Nellie helped me study (and she knows it way better than me!) and finally to make it real, I set the date for me to drive to San Antonio to take the exam. It was a difficult environment in which strictness is the rule of the day. I could not get up once I sat down and only with the raising of my hand would I be allowed to get up, and if I needed to visit the facilities, I would have to raise my hand, await the proctor to accompany me and before I was even allowed in I had to remove everything from my pockets and even had my glasses checked to make sure that I wasn't able to receive messages or information that might help me cheat on the exam. I had studied. I had prayed and I did all I could and I turned the exam in. The proctor ran the exam and placed it face down on the counter and told me I could turn it over. PASSED! And with a good score, too, thank God!
And here we find Moses doubting just where he was, and who he was. He asks for someone to accompany him.
Moses, the leader of the Israelites, boldly approached the Lord with a heartfelt plea: "Please show me your glory." He desired a deeper knowledge of God, a more profound encounter with His presence. For Moses, his desire is to know God more intimately, and for him knowing God's presence is just what he desires. Moses' words in verse 15 reveal a deeper truth: "If Your presence will not go with us, do not bring us up from here." God being with them made them stand out among the other people of the region. Without God, they would be just like any other nation.
God responds with a promise filled with grace and favor: "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." It is a reassuring affirmation of God's commitment to His people. Moses was granted his request to see God's glory, but with a divine disclaimer – "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." Despite the limits placed on the human encounter with God, Moses was granted a glimpse of His goodness. The truth was that anyone who saw God would die, thus what we read in verse 23, "Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."
As we journey in faith, we, too, long for a deeper understanding of God's presence. We desire to see His glory and experience His grace. Just like Moses, we recognize the importance of God's presence in our lives. We know that it is in His presence that we find rest, grace, and favor.
As we reflect on this passage, consider your own longing to experience God's presence and glory. Remember that, like Moses, you are known by name and have found favor in His sight. Take comfort in His promise to go with you and grant you rest. May you seek His presence and, in that seeking, find all you need.
PRAYER: Loving God, we are grateful for the promise of Your presence and the assurance of Your favor. Just as Moses longed to see Your glory, we, too, desire to know You more deeply. May Your presence go with us on this journey of faith, and grant us rest, grace, and favor. In our seeking, reveal Yourself to us, and fill our lives with Your goodness. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Seek to know God's presence more in your life.
Receive my blessings of love and joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
