How often might we have said, “If I had only been there . . . then I’d be more on fire. If I had seen what those first century Christians had seen . . . then I’d be more like the first century disciples. If I had witnessed the miracles that they had witnessed . . . oh boy, then there’d be a passion in my belly for the kingdom.” And I get that sentiment . . . fact is, we walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor. 5:7) . . . that now we see in a mirror dimly and it won’t compare to what it will be like when we’re face to face (1Cor. 13:12). But I also wonder if we haven’t experienced more than, perhaps, we think we have . . . if we haven’t, in reality, witnessed more than we think we’ve seen . . . if we haven’t participated, up close and personal, in more miracles than our awe-o-meter is registering . . . that, in fact, we have beheld His glory.

Reading in Exodus 34 this morning . . . still mulling over our men’s study on this section of Scripture (ch. 32-34) from a couple of nights ago. ESV gives a nice outline: Covenant Breached (32) . . . Moses Intercedes (33) . . . Covenant Renewed (34). That, in a nutshell, is the gospel . . . the fulfillment of the promise . . . impossible based on our merits and/or performance but made sure through the power of an Intercessor . . . a Mediator . . . One chosen of God to stand in the breach . . . through the power of an endless life . . . “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Heb. 7:25) . . . but I digress . . .

Moses has asked God, “Please show me Your glory” (33:18) . . . and God has consented, “I will make My goodness pass before You” (33:19a). Moses is placed in the cleft of the rock . . . and from there he beholds a measure of God’s glory (33:22-23) . . . and Moses comes down from the mountain with a glow on . . . literally!!! . . . “the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (34:29b). And we might say . . . oh, if only I could behold something of God’s glory . . . I’d shine too!

But check this out . . . the glory of God was seen by Moses as God made known to Him His peerless Name . . . the glory was encountered in the proclamation of the nature and character of God . . .

The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. (Exodus 34:5-8 ESV)

And I replay the revelation Moses had of God’s glory and ask myself . . . have I known the mercy of God . . . have I known the grace of God . . . have I known His patience? Have I encountered His abounding love . . . have I experienced His faithfulness? Have I personally realized the forgiveness of iniquity and transgression and sin . . . yeah, put away as far as the east is from the west! Do I know something of the holy and just nature of the God who doesn’t clear the guilty . . . but so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to bear that guilt? I’m thinkin’! Then, my friends, I think that, in some measure . . . to some degree . . . by His grace . . . I have encountered the glory of God.

And so, like Moses, I bow my head, and in awe-filled wonder, worship!

We have beheld His glory . . . amen?