MOSES AND THE GLORY OF GOD

Moses set up a tent, before the tabernacle was made, outside of the camp and called
it the tent of meeting. This name afterwards would be used of the tabernacle. Ex. 29:
42, 43 Whenever Moses went out to this tent the people stood watching until he
entered for as he did so the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance.
They would then worship the Lord where they were. Inside the tent Moses met with
the Lord and he spoke with him, face to face, as a man speaks to a friend. Ex. 33: 7-11

Because of the people´s rebellion in the golden calf incident the Lord informed them
that he would send an angel ahead of them to fight for them but that he himself would
not accompany them. Ex. 33: 1-3 When the people heard this they repented and
Moses said to the Lord, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us…what
else will distinguish ….us… from all other people”. Ex. 33; 15, 16 In response the Lord
agreed to continue with them.

Following this Moses asked to be shown the glory of God. Ex. 33: 18 What is the glory
of God? The glory of a flower is seen when the bud opens and its beauty is seen. The
glory of God is the manifestation of all that he is. So the most that Moses could see of
God would be his back.

The Lord then invited Moses to prepare two new stone tablets and come up the
mountain to him the next morning. Then at a certain moment the Lord came down in
the cloud and passed in front of Moses. As the glory of the Lord passed before him the
Lord out of kindness to him put him in a cleft in a rock and covered him with his hand,
for no man can see God and live. Ex. 33: 20 As the Lord passed Moses he proclaimed
his name saying, “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…”. Then the
withdrew his hand allowing Moses to see his back. Ex. 33: 19-34: 8

It is impossible for us to survive a total revelation of the Lord but we can know
something of him. In his grace has revealed himself in the person of the Lord Jesus.
John 14: 9; Col. 2:9

Moses bowed and worshipped. What a wonderful God is our God. How holy, powerful
and yet loving. Following this the Lord then renewed his covenant with Israel through
Moses. Ex. 34: 1-28, Deut. 10: 1-5, 10-11 When Moses came down the mount with the
two tablets of 10 commandments his face shone with the glory of God, because he had
spoken with God. When the people saw his face they were afraid to come near him.
After conveying the word of the Lord he put a veil over his face. When he entered the
Lord´s presence to speak with him he removed the veil but when he came out he put a
veil over his face so that the people could not see the fading glory. 2 Cor. 3: 13

The Old Covenant had a certain glory about it but it was a fading glory. The New
Covenant is associated with a greater lasting glory. “As we, with unveiled faces reflect
the Lord´s glory we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory”.
2 Cor. 3: 18 As we live in his presence people will notice that we have been with Jesus.
Acts 4: 13