It's tantalizing and temps you to go after them to get a clearer view because all you saw was a foggy image......their essence.
It might have been the essence of their body shape,
their hair,
the way they move,
or the sound of their voice.
Whatever it was, there was a connection that left you wanting more.
Exodus 33:18-23:
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
Moses didn't just seek the anointing of God which was already available to him......he went a little further and asked to see the glory of God. He thirsted for the sight of the one who was pouring His anointing out on him. He wanted the EXPERIENCE of God.
God obliged Moses
God obliges us too
The definition of "Glimpse":
1. A brief or incomplete view
2. A vague indication
3. A glimmer of light
The definition of "Experience""
1. A direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge
2. Skill or knowledge you get by doing something
3. The length of time you have spent doing something
Have you ever caught a glimpse of God?
Its not a coincidence that we catch that glimpse in hindsight.
God told Moses that he would place his hand over him until he had passed by and then he would reveal himself to Moses but only from behind
only a glimpse.
He does that to us too.
How many times have you went through something in life or experienced an event and then looked back and said
Wow......God was there!
That can be considered a kind of a superficial analysis of that passage, but still rings so true. I love this passage because there are a couple applicable layers and there is even a touch of prophetic in it. Hopefully you can follow me through this (I'm sure incomplete) dissection. It certainly makes sense in my head but getting it into words can be very difficult for me sometimes.
~God laid out the plan and boundaries.
1. He identified and confirmed the plan......and Himself......to Moses so there was no doubt
2. He promised to proclaim His name. There is some importance here but I have only a "glimpse" of it right now. Im sure there is a historical gravity to this besides the spiritual gravity. I figured it was worth mentioning even if I couldn't explain it.
~God asked Moses to come near him. (Get near Him friend!)
~When Moses came near to God, He protected him in the crevice or cleft of the Rock because to see God's face is to die.
1. God commanded that anyone who looks upon his face will die......to break His commandment is to die. Its not about actually seeing Gods face, its about obeying God.
2. But then there is also the angle of confronting/challenging God or following Him. If you are facing God (looking into His face), you are not following......or allowing Him to lead.
3. We don't ultimately need to know why God's face is off limits. You know He is an omniscient, good, just God. Humble yourself and understand that God knows more than you and has your best interest in mind. He's not out to be an overbearing, manipulative jerk. Trust Him!
4. Jesus is our Rock who protects us from a death or separation from God. God provided that Rock for Moses to stand on. How did Moses know what rock was near God if he had yet to see God? He opened his eyes when God told him to. He obeyed in "blind" faith.
5. Its not lost on me that there were many "crevices" in Jesus by the time he was taken off the cross. The blood that poured out of the "cleft" in the "Rock" was to protect us from a death that separated us eternally from God.
~When Moses allowed God to place him in the cleft of the Rock......God placed his hand over him......to shield him.
1. In prophetic terms, I believe this signifies and confirms that the cleft is the will of God......or to be more direct, it was the hand of God.
2. In hindsight, we can look at the situation of Jesus' death and see a "glimpse" of the glory of God. To us, its huge......but it is still only a "glimpse". How awesome is that?!?
Unimaginable
3. In a more "applicable today" way, this refers to the idea above, of not being able to see God's hand in the moment but in hindsight. Also, not being able to see God's hand in a situation literally, but merely a glimpse.
How can you experience the glory of God?
1. You have to look for God......seek him through prayer and through everyday activities......open your eyes.
2. You have to know God through his doctrine in order to know that you are truly seeing God and not just natural worldly things. Learn about His character and His promises.
3. Don't give up......Moses didn't just stop when God gave him His word. Doctrine wasn't and isn't enough. Seek it wholeheartedly and it shall be given! His timing is perfect.
I really wish you were all at my church last night. This is a spin off of what we talked about and Im sure you would have gotten a better picture of "experiencing God" than I could give you. I could give you the outline (Pastor had 7 bullets, I have 3 haha ) but to understand it more deeply, you'd have to hear what was said. My three bullets are the brief important basics......for me anyway. We didn't have time to get into the whole glory and anointing aspect as planned so it was suggested that we go home and read the remaining verses ourselves. Exodus 33:12-18 was one of the verses that we were supposed to cover......I just read a little further and was struck by verses 18-23. Mostly because I identified with seeing God in hindsight. I've seen Him move in huge ways (and little ways too) in my life and I love seeing how God moves in other peoples lives. It also struck me as prophetic and I had not seen that before. Funny how that works and I love it when that happens!
Thank you God for revealing your glory to us......even if it is just a "glimpse"......thank you for letting us "experience" you. Thank you for revealing yourself to Moses. Thank you for revealing to us the way you move through your word, and the sound of your voice through the Holy Spirit. Thank you for this connection that keeps us thirsty for you and strengthens our resolve and faith. You know our weaknesses and inabilities more than we do. You knew them before time began and provided for those weakness and inabilities before we even knew we needed provision. You are Jehovah-Jireh!
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