Prayed For – 2 | Exodus 33:18–23

This reflection explores Moses’ desire to know God beyond simply experiencing His provision, showing that even after witnessing extraordinary miracles, what he wanted most was God’s presence and a deeper revelation of His character. It challenges believers to value the Giver above His gifts, recognizing that the deepest desire of faith is not merely for God to act on our behalf but for us to know Him more fully.

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“May the Lord bless you and keep you — and may His presence guide you this week.”

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:32

Today I'm reading Exodus thirty three, verses eighteen through twenty three.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Moses responded, Show me your glorious presence. The Lord replied, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name Yahweh before you, for I will show my mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look me directly in the face, for no one may see me and live. The Lord continued, Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I've passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind, but my face will not be seen. Is it possible to truly enjoy what someone gives without really knowing the person who gave it? Sure, a gift can be appreciated, a favor remembered, or a need met, but these things cannot replace the lasting effect of relationship. Sometimes we do something similar with God. We become familiar with his provision without realizing how easily his gifts can become a substitute for his presence. By the time we reach Exodus thirty three, Moses has seen more of God's power than most of us could imagine. He watched the Nile turn to blood and the Red Sea open. He saw bread appear in the wilderness and water come from a rock. He stood on a mountain that trembled beneath the presence of God, and yet when given the opportunity to ask for more, Moses says, Please let me see your glory. Earlier in the chapter, God promised that his presence will go with Moses, and Moses responds that without God's presence, there's no reason to go forward at all. The promised land without the presence of God would not be enough. And then Moses asks to see his glory. God answers in a way that Moses probably didn't expect. Moses asks for glory and God speaks of goodness. He reveals his name, his mercy, and his compassion. God's glory is not merely something dazzling to behold. His glory is bound up in who he is. Despite all that Moses has seen, he still wants to know God more deeply. Miracles have not satisfied his hunger for God's presence. Blessing has not replaced relationship. The gifts of God are good. His provision is worth celebrating. But every gift is meant to draw our eyes back to the giver. The deepest longing of faith is not simply God do something for me.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

It's God, let me know you. Before I close in prayer, here's a question to wrestle with.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Keep me from loving your gifts more than I love you. Give me the heart of Moses, willing to say that your presence is what I need most, and deepen me in the desire to know you.