Exo 33:21-22 | KingComments | STEP | Moses has not finished asking questions yet. He has assured himself of God’s presence for the way he must go. There is rest. From that rest he now asks to see the glory of the LORD. This goes beyond asking for His way. Going the way of and with God is the way that gives sight of the glory of God. Seeing God’s glory is also more than what he saw of God on Mount Sinai. There he saw the holiness of God. God tells him that he will see His glory. Moses asks: “Show me Your glory!” The LORD answers that He will show all His goodness. God’s goodness is His glory. He wants us to know Him by the glory of His grace, more than by the glory of His majesty. The prophet Hosea speaks of a time when the Israelites will “come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness” ( ). The special thing about the glory of God’s goodness is its sovereignty. We see this sovereignty in that He will be gracious to whom He will be gracious. He is the sovereign Owner of every human being and completely free to make distinctions in granting His grace. Nowhere do we read that He says “I will be angry with whom I will be angry”, for His anger is always righteous and holy. Never does He predestine a man to judgment, for that man does that himself. Paul quotes what God says of Himself to Moses here in response to those who accuse God of injustice. They find it unjust that He gives His grace to some, while righteously withholding that grace from others ( ). Yet Moses does not get to see the glory of the LORD in full, but only a part of it, and standing on the rock in the cleft of the rock. In the Old Testament, God’s glory can only be seen in a limited way. At that time God cannot yet show what He showed in Christ later on. In Him God’s righteousness and God’s love have become fully visible. Christ can say: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” ( ). The rock is a picture of Christ ( ). Moses must stand on that basis to see God’s glory. He has to disappear completely in it. Christ is “the image of the invisible God” ( ). Moses can only see the glory of God if He has passed him by. We can only see the glory of God when He has gone His way. We also see that in Christ. We look back at an accomplished work on the cross where the full revelation of God as light and love has become visible.

‏ Exodus 33:21-22

A Place by the LORD

Moses has not finished asking questions yet. He has assured himself of God’s presence for the way he must go. There is rest. From that rest he now asks to see the glory of the LORD. This goes beyond asking for His way. Going the way of and with God is the way that gives sight of the glory of God. Seeing God’s glory is also more than what he saw of God on Mount Sinai. There he saw the holiness of God.

God tells him that he will see His glory. Moses asks: “Show me Your glory!” The LORD answers that He will show all His goodness. God’s goodness is His glory. He wants us to know Him by the glory of His grace, more than by the glory of His majesty. The prophet Hosea speaks of a time when the Israelites will “come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness” (Hos 3:5).

The special thing about the glory of God’s goodness is its sovereignty. We see this sovereignty in that He will be gracious to whom He will be gracious. He is the sovereign Owner of every human being and completely free to make distinctions in granting His grace. Nowhere do we read that He says “I will be angry with whom I will be angry”, for His anger is always righteous and holy. Never does He predestine a man to judgment, for that man does that himself.

Paul quotes what God says of Himself to Moses here in response to those who accuse God of injustice. They find it unjust that He gives His grace to some, while righteously withholding that grace from others (Rom 9:15 ; 18).

Yet Moses does not get to see the glory of the LORD in full, but only a part of it, and standing on the rock in the cleft of the rock. In the Old Testament, God’s glory can only be seen in a limited way. At that time God cannot yet show what He showed in Christ later on. In Him God’s righteousness and God’s love have become fully visible. Christ can say: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).

The rock is a picture of Christ (1Cor 10:4). Moses must stand on that basis to see God’s glory. He has to disappear completely in it. Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).

Moses can only see the glory of God if He has passed him by. We can only see the glory of God when He has gone His way. We also see that in Christ. We look back at an accomplished work on the cross where the full revelation of God as light and love has become visible.