seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 33:12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
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.”
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
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.”
This is from the easy English site.
Moses was aware that God knew everything about him. God said that he knew Moses’ name. That meant that God knew his character. Moses wanted a promise that God would be present with his people. Moses wanted a clearer experience. He wanted God to be present with them. If God was with the Israelites, then they would be different from all the other nations. So God promised that he would be present with Moses. And all the people were certain that the LORD would give to them rest. This would happen in the country called Canaan. They would remain there.
Moses prayed to see God’s wonderful bright light. But God lives in light that nobody can approach. Nobody has seen him, and nobody can see him (1 Timothy 6:16). People can see something about God only when he has passed by them. They can remember his actions in the past. And they can realise his great kindness to them. Then they can begin to understand how he loves them. The best knowledge about God’s character came with Jesus Christ. Those people who saw Jesus had seen the Father (John 14:9). ‘I will pity anyone whom I choose. I will be kind to them’, God said. God can decide about people. He will pity those people whom he chooses. And he will do good things to them because he is kind. Only God has the right to decide his actions. In the New Testament, Paul reminded people about this verse (Romans 9:15). Paul wanted to emphasise God’s right to make choices.
Moses prayed to see God’s wonderful bright light. But God lives in light that nobody can approach. Nobody has seen him, and nobody can see him (1 Timothy 6:16). People can see something about God only when he has passed by them. They can remember his actions in the past. And they can realise his great kindness to them. Then they can begin to understand how he loves them. The best knowledge about God’s character came with Jesus Christ. Those people who saw Jesus had seen the Father (John 14:9). ‘I will pity anyone whom I choose. I will be kind to them’, God said. God can decide about people. He will pity those people whom he chooses. And he will do good things to them because he is kind. Only God has the right to decide his actions. In the New Testament, Paul reminded people about this verse (Romans 9:15). Paul wanted to emphasise God’s right to make choices.
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