What is it you long for? We all have something deep inside us. The roadmap of our hearts leads us there, to the place where our treasure is found—the place where our hope, wonder, and worship reside.
God had promised to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and bring them to a new home, a land of freedom and abundance. But His bigger promise was this: He would bring them back into relationship with Him, back into His presence. He would dwell among the Israelites and be their God (Exodus 29:45–46).
But God’s people put all of that in jeopardy by building the golden calf and inciting God’s anger with their idol worship. They were set to experience separation from Him again. Yes, He would still bring them into the promised land, but He would not accompany them there (Exodus 33:1–3).
Because of their sin, Israel could not be in God’s presence—but Moses could. The Lord spoke to Moses “face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend” (v.11). And so on behalf of the Israelites, Moses pleaded with God to reconsider:
“If your presence does not go…don’t make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth” (vv.15–16).
Moses knew what was really at stake for the Israelites: the true promised land, God Himself. Moses knew that God was not merely a means to an end, not just the path to blessing. God is the blessing. God’s presence was the very identity of His people. If He wasn’t in the new land, then there was no point in going. Without Him, there would be no real blessing, no peace, no rest.
So what does your promised land look like?
Mine looks like a land of abundant provision, free from shame and fear, melancholy, sickness, and loneliness. Scripture tells me all of these needs and more are met now, in Jesus Christ, though He is far more than a means to an end. He is Alpha and Omega, beginning and end—and everything in between (Revelation 22:13).
He doesn’t just provide. He is our provision (Genesis 22:14).
He doesn’t just make us righteous. He is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6).
He doesn’t just give us peace. He is our peace (Judges 6:24, Hebrews 13:20).
He doesn’t just heal us. He is our healing (Exodus 15:26).
And if we know Jesus, we are never truly alone. He is always with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). His promise to each of us is this: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).
In His attributes God reveals Himself to us—His character, His nature, and His heart. Like Moses, we can boldly ask to know more of God, to see more of His glory. This is why God delivered the Israelites, and it’s why He sent His Son to deliver us. God came near so we could truly know Him and never be separated from His presence again.
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32 thoughts on "The Lord’s Glory"
Lord, I love you. Thank you for hiding me in the cleft of the Rock and letting your goodness pass before me.
What unspeakable grief to have lost the sort of intimacy and presence with God that Adam and Eve experienced every day in the garden! The fact that Moses had to ask to see God’s glory yet could only see His back gives such a snapshot of how far mankind had fallen and lost in their sin. Yet the most beautiful and powerful story of all time continues in God’s relentless pursuit of obtaining that same vulnerable relationship with us once more. Thank you, Immanuel. You are more than we could ever ask for or imagine.
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” thats enough for me. ❤️ #selah
❤️
I love how God changed Moses! In 33:18 he boldly said, “Please show me your glory.” Reference the following verses in Exodus (4:1, 4:10, 4:13, 6:30) & it’s undeniable how unsure Moses was of God calling him. He was quick to tell God why he wasn’t qualified & even asked God to choose someone else. What changed Moses? It surely wasn’t this new dessert environment, his family, or the people of Israel. He didn’t change Himself either. His time with God transformed Him. The more He got to know God, the more God changed Him. So, it is the same with us. God help us to seek you continually, just like Moses, so that we can be transformed in Your Presence.
He is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end… so much truth to that! One of my abdomen favorites.
Amen
@ Danielle B. I looked up a message about Exodus 33. It is from Leonard Ravenhill and as I was listening, I thought about what you wrote. He talked about spending time in His Presence and that He speaks to us through His Word. He said so much more that I started longing for! Ladies, this is a message to listen to! I don’t think I can put the link, but I searched commentary on Exodus 33, if you scroll down you will find it.
I like this bible.
Father thank You! Your presence is everything. Amen.
He knew him by his name. I’m so thankful because when we have no one on earth we still have him.
I agree with Dorothy how good the devotional today is. Thank you Kara for such a beautifully-written and truth-beaming devotional. I love how Kara gave us a glimpse of her promised land, and I see the resemblance with mine. Mine used to be so different, but as this open journey progresses, I have learnt to let go of many futile options on the way. The list is more condense now, and is comprised of things that money cannot buy, and solely by the power and grace of God. May we be encouraged by the example of Moses through this reading (the only one allowed in His presence, face to face). May we learn to boldly ask God to let us know more of Him with such intimacy and trust, essentially eternal life is to know Him (John 17:3). Two years ago I asked Him to let me experience the supernatural realm and He did, little by little, with such grace and subtleness He did, to not freak me out. My little ones usually played so rough and incurred little personal injuries, like all the time, but the strangest thing is the next day none looked so bad, and I always thought to myself phew how did we get out of this. Just peace. No frenzy. On hindsight and to His glory, it’s God answering my request. He is so discreet in the way He answers and sometimes we can miss it. That’s supernatural for me and I thank God for bringing me to new level with Him slowly day by day. Be blessed dear sisters.
Awesome. He is with us always!!!
@Danielke B. I looked up a message about Exodus 33. It is from Leonard Ravenhill and as I was listening, I thought about what you wrote. He talked about spending time in His Presence and that He speaks to us through His Word. He said so much more that I started longing for! Ladies, this is a message to listen to! Here is a link: https://youtu.be/hH2WIy_HW40
WOW!!! What a powerful devotion today!!! It reminds me that all I need to do is turn to God and Christ in my times of need, hardship, sorrow, grief, happiness, thankfulness and joy. In other words, God and Christ are my GO TO, my TURN TO, my ONE AND ONLY. They will ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE THERE.
My sister went to a rehab hospital yesterday evening. A friend has, I hope, has talked her into an apartment over a townhouse. I will know more later today. I’m going to see her today. I was going to go yesterday but had to get a tire replaced — a nail found my tire. Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray.
Sisters be blessed and say a kind word to those around you today.
Some mornings the getting up and the coffee making and the sitting down to read are all a bit habitual, and, dareIsay, mundane. But today…this passage was riveting for me! My heart felt so alive and excited reading about Moses meeting God face to face, like a friend. And then the explanation of how to see the Glory of God – the fact that God agreed to show Moses! What a gift! My Bible has a note about Moses’ request: “Moses’ prayer was fully answered on the Mount of Transfiguration centuries later.” It reminded me that I may seek something from God, and may struggle with the response I get, this side of heaven, but that the fullness of it may be “centuries” later. It makes me long for the fullness of that relationship, the face to face with a friend fullness. I often wonder what God is waiting for, but today I am reminded that His timing is good – no matter if I understand it or not. Just the lengths God goes to to have relationship with such “obstinate people.” I am so thankful I live on this side of the New Covenant and can be in the cleft of THE Rock, always! It really does make you want to sing and praise and dance and yell it out for all to hear:
The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you,
and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
and give you peace.
All I need is in Jesus!! Thank you, Father!!
@Angie Mills Thank you for what you wrote about Jesus being our Rock and that we must be hidden in Him. I never made the connection to Moses standing on the rock and that he had to be hidden! God is Holy and we would have no chance if Jesus would not have endured all that He did! May we always be amazed and grateful for His finished work and the grace of God. I’m definitely not deserving. I was reading this devotional and our little cat was snuggling up on me! I thought how having his snuggles is a grace and gift from God. ( I have been afraid of animals. Our cat was found at my husband’s job in another state at the worksite. He told my girls that He was bringing him home. My thought was no way! Now I’m so grateful!) I pray we all are more aware today of His grace and blessings all around us and May we give Him praise as we do! Bless you all!
So many wonderful journal prompts in today’s devo!
Something I have never noticed before v11… his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent”. The Lord was preparing Joshua long before. Joshua was literally next to Moses and therefore witnessing the presence of God. Beautiful
Thank you “Jenifer loves Jesus”. I got so much out of your prayerful thoughts this morning. To God be the glory!
Thank you, Kara! Today’s devotional is excellent reminding us that God “isn’t just…”.
This was so good! God is our blessing, our rest, our peace. Every desire is to be for Him & met in Him!.
*drawn :)
When I see something beautiful my heart is drawns in by recognition. The swelling of awe and wonder makes me feel more alive. God’s glory is His beauty and my heart knows Him. Glory and beauty are joined together in God’s creation and we were made in His image. Beauty is our love language. We hold a special honor in His eyes. There is no shrinking back or hiding when we accept Him as our Savior. Adam and Eve hid themselves from Him in shame and turned away from God’s beauty. They were fearful of His presence and could not bear to see Him. We do the same in our feelings of unworthiness. The truth of our worth is in Jesus. The ultimate price was paid for us. The knowledge of what Christ did for us, for me, is sometimes overwhelming and feels like too much. I don’t deserve such a sacrifice. The beauty of God’s love seems too much to bear in light of my failures. Yet in His mercy, He hides me and protects me in the cleft of a rock like Moses. “And when my glory passes over, I will hide you in the rock’s crevice” (Exodus 33:22). Even as Moses wanted to see God’s glory, God knew it would be too much to bear in his human understanding. So He gives Himself to us as He knows what is best for us. In this I trust. I know He sees me. He knows my heart and my desires. He knows what is good for me. And He has been so good to me. My life is in His hands and I am at peace. Lord, may Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, until… Maranatha. Amen.
He talked to him face to face…
Oh what it must have been like for Moses to talk to God face to face like a friend. Yet, we can do that daily through prayer. My issue is getting quiet enough to hear His reply. Maybe this is why I think how wonderful for Moses to speak to God in this way. I need to work to have more quiet.
Moses vulnerability with God is an example to us all about how we can approach God and seek what we desire. He desires to be close to us and bless us with His presence and give us the desires of our heart – although it usually doesn’t look any way we thought it would.
Thank you Father for sending your son Jesus to deliver us! We have seen your glory in Him!
At this point in Israel’s history, the plans for the Tabernacle have been given, but the Tabernacle has not yet been constructed. The Tabernacle will be called the Tent of Meeting. In this passage, we see that Moses has set up a tent of meeting so that he can meet with God and talk to Him face to face. This tent of meeting is located outside of the camp of Israel because of the people’s sin and rebellion. This means that Moses has to go outside of the camp of Israel to be in God’s presence. When the Tabernacle is built and consecrated and the people purified, the Lord will instruct that the Tabernacle will be placed in the center of the camp of Israel. This will signify that God’s presence is with His people, that He dwells in the midst of them.
How beautiful to see that in order to see God’s glory, Moses had to stand on the rock and be hidden in the rock. In order to see God’s glory, I also must stand on the Rock of Jesus Christ. Jesus must be my foundation. I also must be hidden in Him, I must put off my old nature and put on Christ. Christ must be my righteousness. Only in this way, trusting in Jesus’s work on my behalf, will I be able to see God’s glory.
God told Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Jesus tells us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27).
Thank You Lord for the rest/peace we have in You.
STACEY BROTHERS – praying the Lord will help you to see His goodness in the midst of your suffering.
REBEKAH HAM – When Moses called those who were “for the LORD,” the people had a chance to repent (God’s goodness). Since only 3,000 were killed it is thought that they were either the instigators (Ex. 32:1) or those that were continuing in the rebellion. They had broken the covenant that they had agreed to. The punishment was death.
Amen