Moses had seen so much leading up to this point that it is all the more interesting to get a glimpse of his hunger for more revelation. Born a Levite, raised a prince of Egypt, he flees Egypt a murderer as a young adult. Then after his burning bush experience he reluctantly returns to Egypt to free the enslaved Israelites.
Ten plagues later he leads two million or so Israelites in a miraculous escape at night straight through the middle of the sea. His story continues with miracle after miracle – water production, manna, quail, healing, God's presence visible as fire and smoke and His voice audible as thunder. It was as if God used all five human senses and more to make Himself known. Moses had enough stories to give awe-inspiring talks and testimonies for a lifetime!
But after all the signs, wonders and miracles he begs God “let me know Your ways that I may know You” and “I pray You, show me Your glory.” Without the fire and thunder of his previous mountain encounter, the Lord calls him up Mount Sinai and allows His goodness, the fullness of His glory, to pass before Moses. It is then that God reveals His true nature and describes himself for the first time as “the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth.”
Moses was described as the man God would speak with “face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” Yet what was revealed to Moses was just a foretaste of what has now been given to us in full. We don't have to beg God to reveal His glory or send His presence to be with us and stay with us.
Through Jesus, His glory is fully revealed and He is with us all the time, dwelling in us, changing us to be more like Him and revealing His nature through us wherever we go. His presence doesn't fade as it did for Moses, who had to put a veil over his shining face so the people wouldn't see the effects of being in God's presence diminishing. Paul writes that we have unveiled faces and see His glory as if we are looking in a mirror and being transformed into the same image. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness etc – us becoming like Him.
This isn't about us striving to get God's attention; it's about how we position ourselves. He is speaking to us all the time, longing to reveal more to us than we could ever desire, and wanting us to make choices that enable us to see, hear and know Him more. The dictionary defines encounter as something unexpected – a chance meeting or something we stumble across. For me the challenge is to make time for Him so I don't miss the encounters He wants me to have, whether in meetings or when I'm alone.
Interestingly, the Israelites heard God speak audibly for themselves but incredibly they opted to hear Him instead through a man's voice. We too can learn so much from others but this can't replace having our own relationship with God.
Let's be intentional about how we invest in our relationship with the Lord, trusting and believing in His goodness whatever our circumstances or feelings and making time to hear Him for ourselves. I hope and pray we see miracles, healing and more as we focus on the one who is “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”!
