For anyone who loves God, there can be no higher ambition than a face to face conversation with Him. This was Moses' experience during one of his mountaintop moments. Desiring a little more personal certainty, Moses pleads with God, "Now, show me your glory". As a result God compromises with Moses and agrees to let His goodness pass before him, proclaim his name with his own voice, but prevent Moses from seeing His face. Instead God will let him see his back.
In reflecting on this awesome account, I realize that "seeing God's back" doesn't mean that God is turning his back on his people, but rather it is another assurance of His promised presence. He is there with Moses ~ listening and responding to him as friend to friend. We also know for sure that it means that God is moving ahead of the people ~ leading them. That’s something Moses needed to know. And it is something we need to know too. We need these two things in our weapon store for living. We need to know that God is there, listening and responding ~ to be assured that God is out there in charge, leading the way.
But wait, there's more... another powerful truth this odd and haunting story of seeing God’s back tells us is that we sometimes see where God has been by looking back. Not by seeing God’s face, but by seeing where He has been ~ where the glory of God has passed by.
We pray sincerely the words of chorus 98:
Show us thy glory, Christ of the mount. Thou art of light and wisdom the fount. We would adore thee, make known thy power. Stay with thy people, hallow this hour.
Exodus 33:22-23 (NKJV) ~ "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
