Let Me See Thy Glory

Exodus 34:8-9; John 17:3; Jeremiah 9:23-24;

Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; Judges 21:25; Exodus 15:18;

Genesis 3:1-5;

Let Me See Thy Glory

A. W. Tozer

It is my opinion that the Christian conception of God current in these middle years of the twentieth century is so decadent as to be utterly beneath the dignity of the Most High God and actually to constitute for professed believers something amounting to a moral calamity.

Let Me See Thy Glory

A. W. Tozer

The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him – and her.

Let Me See Thy Glory

John 17:3 (KJV)

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Let Me See Thy Glory

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (KJV)

23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.

Let Me See Thy Glory

The way to “see” God is to come to know Him through a study of His character as revealed in the Scriptures.

Exodus 33:20 (NET Bible)

20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.”

John 1:18 (NET Bible)

18 No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.

Let Me See Thy Glory

The character of God is the basis and standard for all human morality.

Judges 21:25 (NET Bible)

25 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.

Exodus 15:18 (KJV)

18 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

Let Me See Thy Glory Failure to think rightly about God is the sin of idolatry,

and it leads to countless other sins.

Genesis 3:1-5 (NET Bible)

1 Now the serpent was more shrewd than any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; 3 but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, 5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.”

Let Me See Thy Glory

Knowing God intimately is our calling and destiny, our future hope, our great privilege and blessing, and thus it should be a great ambition.

The attributes of God are foundation to our faith and hope.

Seeking to be closer to God enhances our prayer life, worship, witness and perspective (God’s perspective)

Let Me See Thy Glory

Exodus 3:1-6 (NET Bible)

1 Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. 2 The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked—and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed! 3 So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5 God said, “Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He added, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Let Me See Thy Glory

7 The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain.”

Let Me See Thy Glory

Living Close to God is dangerous for those who harbor sin and unrighteousness.

Exodus 33:3 (NET Bible)

3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

God desires to fellowship with men, and He provides the means for fellowship.

Exodus 4:22-23 (NET Bible)

22 You must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I said to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me,’ but since you have refused to let him go, I will surely kill your son, your firstborn!”’”

Let Me See Thy Glory

Knowing God was the incentive for Moses to know Him even more intimately.

Not knowing God intimately prompts us to keep our distance from God and finally results in idolatry – creating a “god” of our own making.

Moses’ motivation was that God knew him fully, and thus, he wished to know God more fully.

Exodus 33:12-13 (NET Bible)

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight. And see that this nation is your people.”

Let Me See Thy Glory

Moses desired to know God more fully in order to serve him better.

Moses desired to know God more fully, not just for his own sake but for the sake of others.

Knowing God is to know His “ways,” to know His character.

God’s character is His glory.

Exodus 34:5-7 (NET Bible)

5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name. 6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

Let Me See Thy Glory

Exodus 34:8-9 (NET Bible)

8 Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped 9 and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord go among us, for we are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”