Moses' REQUEST!

“Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favour with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” ~Exodus 33:12-18 NIV

What an amazing encounter between Moses and the ONE who met him initially in a burning bush experience. At this point in the journey Moses has become a “friend” of God and the storyline is full of Moses placing requests before God.

BUT in verse 18 Moses makes a BIG ASK!

Moses asks God to show him His glory! In an older translation of the New Living Translation this verse is translated in this way: 

“Then Moses had one more request. “Please let me see your glorious presence."

WOW. I don’t know if anyone of us today would be totally comfortable with this request. I know that we sing of God revealing Himself to us, about wanting to see His face, but do we truly want such an encounter?

The reality is through Christ we have seen God but that was then, and this is now. And as I read through this passage I could not help but ASK myself;

“Would I make the same request?”

Moses’ request was to see the manifest glory of God. He wanted assurance of God’s presence with him and the Israelite people! REALLY! Didn’t he see enough in the “burning bush”? Didn’t he see enough in the 10 plagues brought against Egypt? Didn’t he see enough in the walls of water that allowed them safe passage? Didn’t he see enough in the waves that swept over the entire Egyptian army? Didn’t he see enough as he met with God and received the Law and the 10 commandments?

SERIOUSLY!

I guess one could spend a lot of time, maybe waste a lot of time is a better description, trying to figure out the logic of this request in verse 18. BUT instead maybe the “moral” of the storyline is simply:

“We can NEVER ASK too much… or too many times!”

Jesus put it this way:

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”                                                           ~Luke 11:9-13 NLT

NOW… it is no coincidence that this text above comes right after Jesus’ teaching on prayer. We as God’s people are called to ASK BOLDLY! We are NOT to shrink back from a God sized vision of what He wants for our lives and the lives of those around us!

IF Moses after all he had seen still was able to request more of God then maybe we need to follow his example. God longs to show “HIS FACE” to us; to lead, guide, and direct our lives and that requires us seeking Him! It requires that we ASK Him to engage our lives in every area. And ultimately it requires TRUST which is something that underlies Moses’ request.

And in the end, I love God’s response, a response I believe He wants us all to hear no matter the time of year:

“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.” ~Exodus 33:19 NLT

Seeking Him this Christmas season…

Rev Trev