Yearning for God's Glory: A Deeper Encounter
Summary
In Exodus 33:18-23, we encounter Moses in a profound moment of spiritual longing, asking God to show him His glory. This request comes after Moses has already experienced significant divine encounters, including speaking with God face to face. Yet, Moses desires more, illustrating a deep yearning for a fuller revelation of God. This passage challenges us to examine our own spiritual desires. Are we content with our current understanding and experience of God, or do we, like Moses, yearn for a deeper, more intimate knowledge of Him?
Moses' request is not just for blessings or gifts from God but for God Himself. This is a crucial distinction. Often, our prayers focus on what God can do for us rather than seeking God for who He is. Moses' boldness in asking to see God's glory is a testament to his faith and his understanding of God's character. God responds to Moses' request, but with a caveat: Moses cannot see God's face, for no one can see it and live. Instead, God offers Moses a glimpse of His back, a partial revelation of His glory.
This interaction highlights the tension between our desire to know God fully and the limitations of our human condition. Yet, it also points to the promise of a fuller revelation to come. In the New Testament, we see this promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who reveals the glory of God to us. As believers, we are invited to seek God with the same fervor as Moses, knowing that while our understanding is partial now, we will one day see Him face to face.
Key Takeaways:
- The Pursuit of God's Glory: Moses' request to see God's glory challenges us to examine our spiritual desires. Are we content with our current understanding of God, or do we yearn for a deeper revelation of His presence? This pursuit is not about seeking blessings but about seeking God Himself. [11:13]
- The Boldness of Faith: Moses' boldness in asking to see God's glory demonstrates a profound faith. This kind of faith dares to ask for more, not out of dissatisfaction but out of a deep desire to know God more fully. It challenges us to move beyond complacency in our spiritual lives. [10:37]
- Partial Revelation and Promise: God's response to Moses highlights the limitations of our human condition in fully comprehending His glory. Yet, it also points to the promise of a fuller revelation to come, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This encourages us to live in anticipation of seeing God face to face. [23:10]
- Experiencing God Personally: While Moses' experience was unique, the possibility of personal encounters with God is available to all believers. Revival and spiritual awakening can happen individually, as we seek God earnestly and desire His presence in our lives. [08:22]
- The Call to Spiritual Growth: The journey of faith is one of continual growth and seeking. Like Moses, we are called to climb the steps of spiritual maturity, moving from hope to faith, to assurance, and ultimately to a deeper enjoyment of God's presence. [45:38]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Introduction to Exodus 33:18-23
- [01:48] - Moses' Extraordinary Experience
- [02:36] - Moses' Intercession for Israel
- [03:54] - Moses' Bold Prayer for God's Presence
- [05:31] - The Holy Ground of God's Glory
- [07:26] - Individual and Collective Revival
- [09:15] - Moses' Daring Request
- [11:13] - The Pursuit of God's Glory
- [13:27] - Beyond Blessings to God Himself
- [17:23] - Old Testament Longing vs. New Testament Reality
- [22:54] - God's Partial Answer to Moses
- [30:30] - Revival as God's Passing Glory
- [36:38] - Seeing Through a Glass Darkly
- [45:38] - Steps of Spiritual Growth
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Exodus 33:18-23
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Observation Questions:
1. What specific request does Moses make to God in Exodus 33:18, and how does God respond to this request? [00:13]
2. How does the sermon describe Moses' previous experiences with God before he asks to see God's glory? [09:48]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of God showing Moses His back but not His face? [23:10]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the nature of Moses' faith when he asks to see God's glory? [10:37]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does Moses' request to see God's glory reveal about his spiritual desires and priorities? How does this compare to common spiritual desires today? [09:15]
2. How does the sermon explain the tension between our desire to know God fully and the limitations of our human condition? [23:10]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that Moses' experience points to a promise of fuller revelation in Jesus Christ? [17:23]
4. How does the sermon describe the potential for personal encounters with God in the lives of believers today? [08:22]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current spiritual desires. Are you content with your understanding of God, or do you yearn for a deeper revelation of His presence? What steps can you take to pursue this deeper understanding? [11:13]
2. Moses demonstrated boldness in his faith by asking to see God's glory. What is one area in your spiritual life where you feel called to be bolder in your faith? How can you take a step in that direction this week? [10:37]
3. The sermon highlights the limitations of our human condition in fully comprehending God's glory. How can you live in anticipation of a fuller revelation of God, as promised in Jesus Christ? [23:10]
4. Consider a time when you experienced a personal encounter with God. How did it impact your faith journey? How can you seek more of these encounters in your daily life? [08:22]
5. The sermon encourages believers to move beyond complacency in their spiritual lives. What is one practical way you can challenge yourself to grow spiritually this month? [10:37]
6. How can you cultivate a longing for God Himself, rather than just His blessings or gifts? What changes might you need to make in your prayer life to reflect this desire? [13:27]
7. The sermon speaks of climbing the steps of spiritual maturity. What is one specific step you can take this week to deepen your enjoyment of God's presence? [45:38]
Devotional
Day 1: Yearning for God's Presence
Moses' request to see God's glory is a profound expression of spiritual longing. Despite having experienced numerous divine encounters, Moses desires a deeper revelation of God. This longing challenges us to reflect on our own spiritual desires. Are we satisfied with our current understanding of God, or do we, like Moses, yearn for a more intimate knowledge of Him? This pursuit is not about seeking blessings or gifts from God but about seeking God Himself. It invites us to move beyond a transactional relationship with God and to seek His presence for the sake of knowing Him more fully. [11:13]
Exodus 33:13-14 (ESV): "Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to seek God's presence more earnestly in your life, beyond asking for His blessings?
Day 2: Bold Faith in Seeking God
Moses' boldness in asking to see God's glory demonstrates a profound faith that dares to ask for more. This kind of faith is not born out of dissatisfaction but out of a deep desire to know God more fully. It challenges us to move beyond complacency in our spiritual lives and to approach God with the confidence that He desires to reveal Himself to us. This boldness is rooted in an understanding of God's character and His willingness to engage with those who earnestly seek Him. [10:37]
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV): "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
Reflection: In what area of your spiritual life do you need to exercise bold faith today, asking God for a deeper revelation of Himself?
Day 3: Embracing Partial Revelation
God's response to Moses highlights the limitations of our human condition in fully comprehending His glory. While Moses is granted a glimpse of God's back, he cannot see His face. This interaction points to the tension between our desire to know God fully and the reality of our finite understanding. Yet, it also points to the promise of a fuller revelation to come, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As believers, we are encouraged to live in anticipation of seeing God face to face, knowing that our current understanding is only partial. [23:10]
1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV): "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
Reflection: How can you embrace the partial revelation of God in your life today, while living in anticipation of the promise of seeing Him fully?
Day 4: Personal Encounters with God
While Moses' experience was unique, the possibility of personal encounters with God is available to all believers. Revival and spiritual awakening can happen individually as we seek God earnestly and desire His presence in our lives. This personal pursuit of God invites us to experience Him in ways that transform our hearts and minds, leading to a deeper relationship with Him. It is a reminder that God desires to reveal Himself to those who seek Him with all their heart. [08:22]
Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV): "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Reflection: What specific actions can you take today to create space for a personal encounter with God, inviting Him to reveal Himself to you in a new way?
Day 5: The Journey of Spiritual Growth
The journey of faith is one of continual growth and seeking. Like Moses, we are called to climb the steps of spiritual maturity, moving from hope to faith, to assurance, and ultimately to a deeper enjoyment of God's presence. This journey requires intentionality and a willingness to pursue God with all our heart, mind, and soul. It is a call to spiritual growth that invites us to experience the fullness of God's presence in our lives, leading to transformation and renewal. [45:38]
2 Peter 3:18 (ESV): "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you feel called to grow today, and what steps can you take to pursue that growth intentionally?
Quotes
Moses is still not satisfied, and you remember what that means. He is not satisfied in spite of all that God had promised him and in spite of all that he had just been receiving. Consider this man Moses who had been up on the mount with God 40 days and 40 nights there in communion with him. [00:09:24]
Moses goes further. He's not satisfied. He doesn't stop. He goes on and says, "Show me thy Glory." This is what we may very well describe as the daring quality that always comes into great faith. You'll find other illustrations of this in places in other places in the scripture, but here is perhaps one of the most remarkable of all. [00:10:21]
Do we know anything about these advancing steps and stages as we look back across our Christian experience? Do we know what it is to rise like this from step to step and from platform to platform? Do we know this increasing boldness in the presence of God, this increasing Assurance, this desire for yet more and more? [00:11:27]
Moses, you see, is no longer asking God for particular blessings. He's done that, but he doesn't stop at that. He's gone beyond blessings. He's gone beyond the gifts. He is now seeking God for himself, for his own sake. He's now filled with a passion for a personal knowledge, confrontation, meeting with God himself. [00:13:39]
The prayer for Revival is ultimately a prayer based upon a concern for the manifestation of the glory of God. Remember what I've said, that this can happen individually as well as collectively. But here it is. Moses, you see, knew of the glory of God. He hadn't seen it, but he knew. He believed God. [00:18:48]
God answers Moses by telling him, "Yes, I am going to answer your prayer, your petition, but I'm going to do so in my own way." The first thing that strikes us at once is this: that it was a partial answer. We shall also go on to consider, God willing, the means or the method or the way in which God gives the partial answer. [00:22:54]
The God Who is there in the glory, as it were, comes down, pays a visit, pours out his Spirit, descends again, and he just passes by us, and we look on and feel and know that the glory of God is in the midst and is passing by. Oh, it's but a touching of the Hem, as it were. [00:32:37]
We were never meant to be content with a little. Let me therefore give you some scriptural indications of the possibility of this. I've already reminded you of what happened to Saul of Tarsus there on the road to Damascus. Suddenly there shined round about him light from Heaven. That happened to a man, remember. [00:34:03]
The Apostle Paul himself, a man of like passions with ourselves, a man still in the body, still in this world, still in the flesh, he has had this experience of the glory itself in this veiled and in this partial manner. But he had other experiences. There he was in Corinth, and he found everybody against him. [00:35:06]
We see through a glass Darkly, but then face to face. The hand is upon us now. We are only seeing through a glass Darkly, yes, but we do see through a glass Darkly. That's the thing I'm emphasizing. Even here in this world, we see through a glass Darkly, an enigma in a riddle if you like, yes, but we do see. [00:36:38]
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Our Lord's prayer for his own is this: Father, I will that they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou has given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. [00:39:22]
Thank him for a little Grace and ask him for great grace. He has given thee hope, ask for Faith, and when he gives thee Faith, ask for Assurance, and when thou get us Assurance, ask for full assurance, and when thou Hast obtain full Assurance, ask for enjoyment, and when thou Hast enjoyment, ask for Glory itself. [00:45:38]
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