Exodus by Elder Vernon Johnson

Exodus Chapter 33, Verses 12-17

:12 “And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. 17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.”

“And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.” Moses, like all of God’s children, at times needs reassurance that the Lord is with them and that he will bless their labors. Moses was seeking reassurance from the Lord. He began by repeating the LORD’s words, “See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people…” Moses was seeking reassurance that the LORD would go with him in this direction the LORD had given him that he was to lead the children of Israel unto the land of Canaan.

Moses also repeated this statement from the LORD: “Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.” How often do we at times have doubts of the LORD’s plain promises. At those times we seek reassurance from the Lord of his promises as Moses did. The LORD’s answer to Moses was short but directly to the point: “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” The answer to Moses concern was that the LORD promised his presence would go with him and that he would give him rest. Sometimes, we just have to go at the direction of the LORD that we may realize the fulfillment of his promises.

“And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” Moses, still having some doubts, said, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” Certainly to go up without the presence of the LORD would not have a good outcome. However, the LORD had promised his presence to go up with Moses. What sets the LORD’s people apart from other people is that the people have the presence of the LORD with them.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.” Once again, the LORD reassures Moses that he had found grace in the LORD’s sight and that the LORD knew him by name.

Verses 18-23

:18 “And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”

Moses desired to see the glory of the LORD. Among the things the LORD told Moses is that he could not see the face of the LORD for no man could see his face and live. However, in this passage we are given some information as to how the children of God can see the glory of the LORD. We see him through what the scriptures teach us in the work, word, and revelation of Jesus Christ. The see the goodness of God in the person and covenant work of Jesus Christ. We see him in the proclamation of Jesus Christ and of his grace and mercy toward his covenant children. We see him as we stand upon the rock of revealed truth of the person, work, and word of Jesus Christ. When we thru an eye of faith, see the person of Jesus Christ, we are not seeing him in his fullness, but as if we were seeing the back parts of God. .