'Show me your glory' [Exodus 33:18]
This was Moses' request to God, but I'm not sure if he even fully understood what all it entailed.
I believe that Moses genuinely wanted to see the glory of God revealed to him. Moses met with God on a consistent basis. They had a relationship, something unheard of throughout the Old Testament. But God showed this servant to spend time with and to guide his people.
The amazing part about this story isn't the request by Moses. It's the way God responds:
'You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.' And the Lord said, 'Behold, there is a place where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.' [Exodus 33:20-23]
This absolutely blows my mind. Every time I read it, I get chills. God let Moses see something that no other human had ever seen before. God revealed a part of himself to his servant. He did not reveal Himself entirely, but the stuttering leader Moses was privileged to see the back of the Lord.
I think there are some awesome things we can learn about the mystery of God and his revelation to us. First, we can never understand the whole being of God. God is a god of mystery. Paul even writes about this mystery in Ephesians 3. There is no way that humans can understand God in our limited human knowledge. It's just not possible. If there is one thing I know, without a doubt, it's that I will never be able to understand the full capacity of my God.
Second, it is only through a relationship with God that He provides revelation of parts of his glory. The more time we spend with God, the more He will reveal to us. After all, this is the best father in the universe that we're talking about. We can never understand the mysteries of heaven on our own, but the more time we spend in the presence of the God the father, the more God will reveal to us, his children. He loves us and will allow access to some great mysteries because they will bring us into a deeper place with him.
This gives me so much hope and joy. God is willing to reveal himself to me. God didn't show Moses his glory in its fullness, but He revealed a new part of himself to him. I want to see the glory of God. I would be completely overcome just to see the back of God. It would be the most beautiful back in the world.
So, God, please show me your glory. That's my heart's desire.
