Exodus 33:12-23

This passage picks up after the aftermath of the incident with the golden calf and the consequences that followed. One of the consequences of their sin was that God would not go with them to the promise land. And so we see Moses doing what he frequently did—intercede for the people of God.

​Moses was the only Israelite that still had an intimate relationship with God. We see that Israel are to make their way to the promise land, but they no longer have the one that made all the promises. The God who was always there, is now way over there—outside the people.

So Moses prays to God based on the things he already told him. This wasn’t because God had forgotten what he had promised, but more for Moses and being reassured and being reminded of what God had promised. In turn, God hears and tells Moses that his presence will go with them after all. There is no real or lasting rest apart from the knowledge that God is with us. Only in knowing that God is with us will we truly find rest.

Before they continue with their journey to the Promise Land, Moses wants to see a fuller picture of God; to see his glory. In the Hebrew, glory means weight. Moses wanted to feel the weight of God—to experience all of who God was. And that is what God does for Moses and that is what God does for us. The God who makes himself known, the God who is always there is a God who is good to his people and constantly demonstrates his love for his own.

Prayer: Father God, thank you that you are a God that always keeps your promises. We pray that we would feel the full weight of your glory and that our eyes would always be opened to the beauty and majesty of who you are. In Jesus’ Name, amen.