“And he (Moses) said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He (God) said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.'” Exodus 33:18,19
After years of walking with God, serving Him by following Him, Moses was brought to pray perhaps the greatest prayer one can pray. It concerned that which the Lord Jesus spoke of when, after the death of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, his sisters being greatly bereaved, Jesus spoke specifically to Martha concerning His glory, and the fact that He would reveal it to her. First, He told her that her brother would “rise again.” Martha understood this to a certain extent, but Christ would take her further in her knowledge of it, for He intended to reveal it to her at that present time. He then would give her the reason for which this would occur by saying, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Jesus would give her a vision of Himself that would be essential to her obedience later, for soon afterwards, He would come to the tomb of Lazarus, and say, “Take away the stone.” Though Martha initially objected since Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus would very clearly, and simply say, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (11:40) Encouraged by the Lord’s declaring that HE was the resurrection, meaning that He had the power and authority over death, and yielding to the power of Christ’s promise to SEE the glory of God, she obeyed. Upon Jesus crying out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth,” Martha SAW the glory of God in its power, goodness, graciousness, and love. The vision of Lazarus standing there, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, but alive, was the proof and testimony that Christ was, and is, the Resurrection and the Life. Martha saw the goodness of God, not only in that Lazarus had risen from death’s grasp, but that Jesus had declared and testified to the fact that death was no longer unconquerable, for a greater POWER was standing before Martha, Lazarus, and all concerned. They had seen the glory of God, revealed in His goodness.
For Moses, who had lived approximately fourteen hundred years before Martha and Lazarus, he too was confronted with this remarkable revelation of the glory of God. This revelation, like that of Martha, was directed, not only to the world to hear about it, but to the individual heart who is earnestly seeking God. To Martha would be revealed the way to see the glory of God, “If you believe, you will see the glory of God.” Seeing comes with believing, but a belief that is established upon the truth of God in Christ. The author of the book of Hebrews would write: “By FAITH we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.” Faith established on the word of God, and the faithfulness of God to fulfill perfectly His words, results in the revelation of His glory, first of all to the heart of the individual believer, but then to the multitudes.
What was it that Moses hoped to see when He asked God to show him His glory? As in the case with Martha, it probably was not quite what he had envisioned. The Lord would respond favorably to Moses’ prayer, and request, by saying, “I will make all My GOODNESS pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” That goodness of God would be “seen,” and then heard by the Lord’s words, when He proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Moses was overwhelmed by what he saw and heard, to the point that he quickly “…bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.”
David, in his experience of seeing the goodness, and glory of God, would write: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” (Ps. 34:8)
Dear Father, Show us Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.