Exodus 33:12-23
Moses said to the Lord, ‘See, you have said to me, “Bring up this people”; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.” Now if I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.’ He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.’
The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.’ Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, “The Lord”; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But’, he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ And the Lord continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’
Reflection
Oh how we want to see God! We want to be assured of God's presence with us as we live our lives. We want God to be with us to lead us and guide us. The future seems so unsure. We can't predict what will happen in the next moment let alone know what will happen in the next week, month or year. Yet, we yearn to control each and every circumstance in our lives. We love to plan it out and get upset when the plans don't work out exactly as we had planned.
But that's life I think. There are always twists and turns. There is always something to battle for or against in life. Nothing goes exactly as we had planned.
There is a beauty in this failure to know each detail in our life now and in the future. We realize that we need God in our lives. We need God to lead and guide us down the unknown paths of life. We look for God and are joyful even if we only see the back of God. In fact... if I see the back of God... I rest assured that I am going in the direction that God would have me go.
This passage seems to assure Moses that God will go wherever Moses is lead by God to go. It assures Moses that God is with him as Moses follows God's direction.
Our God is a God of presence. God came to this earth in Jesus to be present with us and God's creation. God saved us graciously through Jesus. God remains on this earth and with each of us as we believe in God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes... God is present in what God has created, in flesh and in spirit. God is present in ways seen and unseen. God is always with us.
God knows what God has created and knows each of us by name. God knows all of the details that we could never fathom. Therefore... we look to God for favor and mercy and love and direction.
Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU4U8_wMdRs
Prayer
Lord, show me your glory... show me your way... lead me and guide me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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