Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you…” -Exodus 33:18-19
We’ve gone from the days of Moses when God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you”, to the days of Jesus where He says, “I will put all my glory in you!!!”
“Christ in you, the hope of glory!” – Colossians 1:27
Moses saw the glory of God pass before him. In order for that to happen he had to be hidden in the cleft of a rock and God had to cover him with His hand until only His back was visible. Moses was only allowed to see the retreating glory, but never the face of God- for God had said, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
But Moses was not the only one to see the glory of God. The Israelites saw God’s glory go before them. God manifested His presence in a glorious pillar of cloud and fire as they traveled through the barren wilderness.
And Yahweh was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. -Exodus 13:21
Ezekiel was likewise privileged to see the glory of God. He looked across the vast valley spread out before him and saw the glory of God standing there!
So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face. -Ezekiel 3:23
The entirety of it is spelled out in that little phrase, “I fell on my face”. If what you call “glory” does not produce a profound sense of worship you have not entered into it!
Consider the vision that Isaiah had of the glory of God.
And one called out to another and said,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory.”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house of God was filling with smoke. -Isaiah 6:3-4
Think of it! Go to Isaiah chapter 6 and read the whole description. Isaiah was allowed to enter into a vision of the glory of God just as we have it described to us in the Book of Revelation. Adoration and worship never ceases in Heaven because the glory of God is always in full view there!
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say,
“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”
And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” -Revelation 4:8-11
Is it possible to behold the glory of God, to truly see Him, and yet fail to worship? I don’t believe so.
At the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. -Philippians 2:10
All things will one day worship Him.
Standing in stark contrast to the glory of God, the immediate response of Isaiah was to realize his own unworthiness.
Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.” -Isaiah 6:5
The all-surpassing glory
These are all extraordinary experiences of the glory of God, but we have been given something that far surpasses them all. We have been made to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!
For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. -2 Corinthians 4:6
How then do we take such a thing for granted? For God has not merely shown us His glory in the desert, or in a valley, or in a vision- but He has shown us His glory in the person of His very own Son!
And God did not stop there.
Every child of God has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and Christ Himself has come to live within us!
“Christ in you, the hope of glory!” – Colossians 1:27
If you are not in awe of that it can only mean that you have never seen at all! Or perhaps, having seen in times past, you have grown dull and closed your eyes, and are in a state of spiritual sleep?
What shall we say then to the child of God who is sleepwalking through life and insensible to the incomprehensibly great glory of the Son of God who lives within?
Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you! -Ephesians 5:14
Crying out for glory! Crying out for God!
I will not content myself with the glory that used to be. I will not remain in a place where I’m living on the embers of a former love. The flames of God are eternal and I do not expect them to diminish and burn out. I will not accept coldness, being lukewarm, complacent or apathetic.
‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?’ -Haggai 2:3
If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes our present life does not measure up to what we used to have with God. Not only have we not advanced, we’ve actually gone backward!
Thankfully, God is gracious!
Do you remember what God said to Moses when Moses asked Him to see His glory? God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you!”
God’s goodness is His glory!!!
Since that’s the case, we should run to Him, and not away from Him!
When I fall short, I cry out to God! There’s no point in denying the condition of my heart. The truth is, if I’m cold, God’s the only one that can fix it. I literally need Him to light a fire in my heart for Him again. The best thing that we can do is pray the simplest and most honest prayer that we can pray. We need to admit that we’ve drifted away and ask Him to bring us back again.
We should be going from glory to glory!
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. -2 Corinthians 3:18
We were not made to enter into the glory of God and then retreat!
Going back to First Love
The greatest truth in all the universe is that God loves us!
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. -1 John 3:1
Do you know what Jesus prayed for you before going to the cross?
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. -John 17:24
That means that Jesus has written you into His story! He has prayed you into His glory!
It means that whatever it is you’ve previously known about Him, and however deep your relationship has previously been with Him… there is something greater still that He has for you!
The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the LORD of Hosts… -Haggai 2:9
This is the promise of our God and the prayer of my heart!