Exodus 33:7-23 (ESV): 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. 12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 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. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Let this sink in a minute. Moses sought God intimately in the Tent of Meeting asking God to “Show me your ways that I may know you in order to find favor.” Moses sought to know God in a more intimate and personal way, seeking to know God’s ways, seeking to see God’s glory. Nothing else will do. If God doesn’t go with Moses then Moses doesn’t want to go. See his commitment to living in the presence of God? Today we will look at Moses’ requests and God’s answers in this amazing passage and find how we too can have an intimate relationship with the Lord of the Glory.
Verse 7-11: The Tent of Meeting
Imagine the tent (Tabernacle) pitched outside the camp, where Moses would retreat to seek the Lord. This Tent of Meeting became a sacred space where God’s presence descended, and Moses communed intimately with Him. It’s a reminder that we, too, need our own “Tent of Meeting”—a quiet place where we can retreat to encounter God. Do you have a “quiet” space for personal prayer and reflection, a modern-day Tent of Meeting? It can be a corner in your room or a cozy chair—anywhere you can seek God undisturbed.
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places for prayer (Luke 5:16). Just as Moses sought God’s presence, our Savior exemplifies the importance of intimate communion with the Father.
Verse 12-16: Moses’ Bold Request
In this passage, Moses, in his humility, pleads with God for His continued presence. He recognizes the weight of leadership and understands that without God, the journey is impossible. It’s a poignant moment, as Moses boldly asks, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Moses was seeking God’s guidance BEFORE going forward. How often do we embark on our endeavors without seeking God’s presence? Let’s emulate Moses’ humility, acknowledging our dependence on God in every aspect of our lives.
Jesus promises His perpetual presence: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Our journey, like Moses’, is empowered by the abiding presence of our Savior. We can be confident as we seek guidance that He is with us. The Holy Spirit with guide us into all truth for He is truth. But we must be in a quiet place to hear His voice. We must listen and obey when He speaks. So often we pray prayers that ask God to “bless our mess.” We need to be still and know that He is God. Settle for nothing less than God’s perfect will. You will be grateful as you too will see His glory.
Verse 17-23: The Unveiling Glory
Moses, hungry for a deeper encounter, asks God to reveal His glory. God’s response is both captivating and mysterious—He allows Moses to see His back but not His face. Yet, this encounter leaves an indelible mark on Moses, radiating God’s glory. Are we hungry for a deeper experience of God’s glory? Let’s yearn for moments of divine revelation in our lives, seeking encounters that transform and illuminate our journey.
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul speaks of us being transformed into God’s image “from one degree of glory to another.” Our journey mirrors Moses’—a continuous unveiling of God’s glory in our lives.
How does God Reveal His Glory to Moses?
Notice that God “made His Goodness to pass by.” I can’t explain this but I too experience the goodness of God every day. I can’t define how Moses felt or how the Goodness of God looked to him, but I can tell you how I feel and how His goodness appears to me. God also made His grace evident to Moses. Unmerited favor with God. Moses, a murderer, shepherd, and man who couldn’t speak well, knew something about grace. So do I, as an undeserving sinner saved by the glorious grace of God. God also made His mercy evident as He spoke to Moses “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” Mercy, not getting what I deserve. Grace getting what I didn’t. These are the ways God is revealing His Glory. But let’s not miss this “I will put you in a cleft of the rock.” God put Moses in the rock and covered him there. God put me in The Rock too. The picture of this is so profound.
Psalm 18:2 (ESV) reads: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Let’s not merely be spectators of Moses’ journey but active participants in our own. Craft your Tent of Meeting, boldly seek God’s presence, and hunger for the unveiling of His glory in your life.
In the words of the Psalmist, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). May our journey through life be a testament to the joy and fulfillment found in God’s abiding presence. “Lord, show us your Glory”