“Show Me Your Glory” by Steve Lawson
We need to make sure we know what Moses sought when he asked God to show him His glory. We can use words without understanding their meaning. A dictionary describes glory as “fame…renown…worshipful adoration…radiant beauty.” Those definitions make sense to us, but fail to grasp the depth of what glory, literally “heavy” meant in Hebrew.
Steve writes, “In ancient times, the greatness of a man was determined by the weight of his assets. The richer the man was, the weightier was the accumulation of his silver, gold, and precious jewels. The word represented the greatness of a man in his surrounding community. The weight of his wealth determined the measure of the influence he had.”
God has much greater glory than any human. “The word glory represents the infinite weightiness of who He is. The glory of God reflects the sum and substance of His holy character. It encompasses His divine perfections, attributes, and essence…In short, the glory of God is the display of His infinite grandeur and vast greatness.”
Shortly before Moses made his request for God Israel had grossly sinned against God by making and worshipping a golden calf. After God struck the people with a plague (Ex. 32:35) He tells Moses to lead Israel – “a stiff-necked people” – on to “the land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses wonders if he has the ability to lead them to the Promised Land. God assures him in Ex. 33:14, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” God’s clearly stated promise should be enough, yet Moses wants clear evidence that shows more of the greatness of God. We live in a crazy world that tests our faith and have us wanting reassurance just as Moses desired. Note Steve’s observation and how practical seeing God glory can be for us.
“Moses is confronted with the mounting challenges of his ministry. He is facing the pressures of leading a group of rebellious Israelites through the wilderness. With an expanded knowledge of God, he can withstand any difficulty in the long journey ahead. With a more intimate knowledge of God, he can persevere through the toughest times. If God will show him His glory, he can endure the fiery trials and afflictions that are to come.”
May God show us His glory so we may persevere as we live by faith in Him. Pastor Gillikin