The Glory of God

...The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished...

Exodus 34:6-7

Have you ever prayed, “Lord, show me your glory”? Have you ever longed to more fully know God’s worth—longed to see more of the essence of God’s being? Moses did.

The Hebrew word for glory means weight or value. No words can accurately define or describe the weight of God’s glory, for in character, worth, and deeds, God is infinitely beyond our comprehension.

Exodus 33 reveals Moses’ relationship to God. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11). Face to face is a figurative expression, for later God said, ...you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live (Exodus 33:20). Face to face describes the open, honest, and close relationship between God and Moses. Moses knew God. Yet, he wasn’t content with what he knew. He wanted to see more of the divine essence of God.

God responded, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence... (Exodus 33:19). God equated His goodness and His name with His glory. He then proclaimed several of His attributes to Moses (Exodus 34:6-7), showing us that the sum of all His perfect attributes is His intrinsic goodness and His glory.  

Have you become content with what you know about God, or do you, like Moses, long to know God more fully? How do you increasingly come to know God? By coming to know what He has revealed about Himself in scripture. So, pick up your Bible. What you learn about God will be glorious!

Lord, help us to never become content with what we know about you. Keep me hungry to know you more fully. Lord, show us your glory! 

Jan Burkhart