17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
18 Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”
19 The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. 20 But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. 22 As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” Exodus 33:17-23 (NLT)
Moses and God had been having a conversation. God was ready to walk away from the Israelites. Moses was talking to him about how important it was that God go with them. Moses wanted a reassurance that God would be with them on the journey.
This reminds me so much of my conversations with God. “God, I know you want me to do this but I need to know that you are in it. I need assurances.”
God responded to Moses’ request for an assurance in an amazing way. Moses could not fully look at God and live. None of us can. God knew this and because he loved Moses and wanted to protect him, he allowed him to see a much diminished version of his glory. He took Moses from where he stood and put him in a place where Moses would be protected.
I don’t know about you but I, like Moses, always want to see more of God. I want to know he’s in this messy life with me. It’s almost like I want him to prove he is there. Admittedly, I probably want more than I can handle. If God answered my prayers and showed me all I told him I wanted to see, I would most likely not survive the event.
And our gracious God knows this. He could just say “Look, you won’t be able to handle it.” But he doesn’t. He shows us who he is in ways we can handle. He shows up so just like Moses we see enough to know it’s him but not so much we are overcome. He demonstrates his love and protection for us so we understand we are loved and that he is protecting us.
Moses’ experience with God did not end in this one encounter. He caught glimpses of who God was all throughout his life. So do we. Knowing God is not a one-time thing. It’s on ongoing adventure. You know the thing I love the most about this? Each time I experience him, it is just as life altering as it was every other time! And each time I am left wanting more.