Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” (Exodus 33:18)
Moses was determined to have more of God. He wanted a deeper experience, and not only a surface level experience that many settle for. Moses desired to be closer to the glory of God, like a person who travels hundreds of miles to take in the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. And the more Moses communed with God, the more he craved.
Now moments before Moses asked to see God’s glory, Israel traded sides and gave their worship to a golden calf. Since Israel had left the Lord, he said he would leave them. But Moses begged the Lord, and we see that his bold intercessions were answered. God said his presence would go with Israel into the Promised Land (33:1-17). But then we arrive at verse 18. After praying for a nation, Moses wasn’t done. He wanted more. But he didn’t just want God’s blessings. He wanted God Himself. His prayer was to see the kabod, that is the manifested glory (literally “weight”) of God.
There are many kinds of prayers that we can offer up to God (1 Tim. 2:1). And it blesses the Father when we come to him for our everyday needs (Matt. 6:25-34). But if our prayer life only consists of asking things from God, and not asking for more of God, we will miss out on deeply knowing him.
Our God desires to reveal his glory, and he has made this possible through Jesus. In John 1:14, it says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” It is also written, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature (Hebrews 1:3).
Do you want to see God’s glory? Ask the Father to reveal his Son to you. Like Moses, we can pray boldly, “Let me see your glory!” and the Father will reveal his Son to us.
Today’s passage teaches us that we should pray to know God more. To pay attention to his glory, more than the glory that’s fading in this world. So ask God to make the truths on the pages about Jesus, actually draw you closer to Jesus. Ask God to help you know Jesus as your King, your Savior, your Great High Priest, and your tender Friend.