How Moses Saw GodSample

The Compassionate God

In Exodus 33, Moses made an audacious request of God: “Show me your glory.” God loves the request—a request born of hunger to know God—and He replies, “Yes.” Early the next morning, Moses chisels two stone tablets and climbs Mt. Sinai. God comes down to earth in a cloud and reveals his glory to Moses. “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.’”

God is revealing to Moses His glory, His attributes, and His essence. “Moses, this is my glory.”

God is saying for all time: This is who I am. This is my essence. I am the compassionate God, bursting with relentless tenderness and affection for you. I am the gracious God, the God who extends grace to those who don’t deserve it. I am abounding in love. I don’t have just a little love for you. No! I am crazy about you. I am overflowing with love for you. I am abounding in faithfulness. I am worthy of your complete trust because I am faithful and true. I will do what I say. I am forgiving. I am the God who can remove your sin as far as the east is from the west.

Is this the way you see God? I hope so, because this is who God is. And how you see God will shape everything in your life. See God the way He is, in His resplendent glory.