Daily Devotions
Exodus
"...The LORD of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment; And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness." Isaiah 5:16
Text: Exodus 33 : 21-23
A SPECIAL WORD OF CONSOLATION
Was Moses disappointed? There was no need to feel disappointment at all! God would reveal a part of Himself that He had never shown to anybody else!
“And the LORD said,
‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
So it shall be, while My glory passes by,
that I will put you in the cleft of the rock,
and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back;
but My face shall not be seen.”
EXODUS 33:21-23
1. “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock”
This special manifestation of God was fraught with both excitement and danger! Thus God had to give very clear and precise instructions as to how Moses would experience this wondrous manifestation of God’s glory! First, he may stand on a rock in anticipation of the manifestation of God!
2. “While My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock”
As God approached, His glory would go before Him! As God’s Presence is felt more and more, Moses would be put in the cleft of the rock- for his own safety! The second part would see God tucking Moses into the cleft of the rock!
3. “And will cover you with My hand while I pass by”
Moses will have special protection in this manifestation of the Lord! God will cover him to protect him! (Just in case, Moses’ sense of curiosity got the better of him)! The third part was to cover Moses so that he would not be overcome by the glory of God revealed!
4. “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back”
As God’s glory passes by, Moses would sense the majestic Presence of the Lord! He would even be able to see the “back” of God! That would be more than any mortal had ever experienced! That would be enough and more! The last and final part was for God to remove His hand and allow Moses to see “His back”!
5. “But My face shall not be seen”
Moses had to come to terms with this last statement from the Lord! His request could not be fully met! He could not see God’s face of glory in its fullness! The nature of that glory would be so awesome that Moses would literally die in awesome wonder!
How could Moses ask for more than what God had already declared? Prayer is not a matter of looking for “loopholes” by which man coerces God to hearken to him! This is a thought foreign to the Scriptures! Prayer is grateful communion with a great God!