014. Prayer Of Moses That He May See The Glory Of The Lord.
Prayer Of Moses That He May See The Glory Of The Lord. The Prayer as recorded.—Exodus 33:12-13. The Answer.—Exodus 33:14-16. The Prayer continued.—Exodus 33:15-16. The Answer.—Exodus 33:17. The Prayer.—Exodus 33:19. The Answer.—Exodus 33:19-23.
Moses still knew and felt the power of importunate prayer. God had granted favor after favor, and, encouraged, he still prays. God had hitherto given to Israel that symbol of his presence, the pillar of cloud and fire, but because of their sin and rebellion he has removed it and left them to choose out their own paths. The thought of being deserted by the Almighty, of being estranged from him who had led them thus far, filled the soul of Moses with sorrow.
He knew his people had deservedly lost the favor of God, but he earnestly pleads the return of it, pleads like one who will not be denied; his prayer is full of love to Israel and zeal for the honor of God; it is one that prevailed; his spirit was calmed by the divine answer; the promise, “My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest,” encouraged Moses; he would still inquire and implore knowledge of the Most High. The believing soul is never satisfied with present attainments in divine life. Moses had not forgotten the glory displayed to him in the bush at Horeb, the still more awful glory at Sinai, his close communion when in the tabernacle; he had met the Lord as it were face to face, but he has the spirit of an earnest seeker; he has the desire which angels are not reproved for indulging—a desire to see more of the glory of the Almighty.
Man in his present state could never bear a full discovery of the glory of God; to have been answered according to the letter of his desire would have proved fatal to the prophet. The Lord returns an answer suitable to his condition; he shows his glory to him by filling his soul with a sense of his goodness, points out to him what was presumptuous in his prayer and approves what was right God holds back, in compassion to our weakness, the face of his throne, and draws before it his cloud, as if to shield us from its too dazzling glory; our mortal eyes could never behold it and live.
He covers us with his protecting hand while he is passing by, and his presence can only be known by the tokens he leaves in every renewed heart—a heart which will ever be bursting with the desire expressed in this prayer of the prophet, to know more of the glory of the Lord. To enjoy the vision of God’s goodness as it passed by, Moses re-ascended the mount to draw nigh to God; he went to meet him as a friend—one that could protect him from himself as from his worst enemy. “Man, imperfect, is momently sinning.” There is provided a cleft in the rock for every soul—a refuge of safety; it is a type of Him who is a covert from the tempest, and a hiding-place from the storm.