October 4, 2026
15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 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.” Exodus 33:15-23 NIV
Our reading this morning is an intimate look into a prayer. A face to face conversation between Moses and God. This encounter begins in Exodus 32 and culminates in chapter 33 with this bold request, Now show me your glory.
On the surface this bold request may sound self-serving. It sounds as if he is asking for the ultimate spiritual experience, a thrill, a spiritual high of some kind.
In biblical contexts, God’s glory is not just a bright light or an abstract idea. It represents a tangible, heavy, and overwhelming reality of His character and presence.
When Moses prays and asks, now show me your glory, what was He really asking for and why?
What do you learn about the glory of God in this passage?
Ultimately this prayer is a reflection of a deep hunger for a greater intimacy with God.
Why do we lack this kind of hunger?
How is this kind of hunger developed?
22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. John 17:22-23 NIV
How would you describe the glory Jesus has given us?
How does this make you confident that God will answer the prayer for more of His presence?
How does this glory affect us? And what effect does it have on the world?
