MOSES' REQUEST TO SEE GOD'S GLORY, AND GOD'S REPLY TO IT.
(18-23) Not till he had received full assurance of the people's restoration to favour did Moses prefer any request for himself. Then, however, he made use of the privilege granted him to speak with God, "as a man speaketh unto his friend," in order to obtain a blessing for which his spiritual nature craved, and than which he could conceive nothing more desirable. "Shew me," he said, "I beseech thee, thy glory." All that he had yet seen of God was insufficient--only raised his desire, only sharpened his appetite to see more. He craved for that "beatific vision" which is the final reward of them that are perfected in another world. God could not grant his request in full, for it is impossible so long as we are in the flesh that we should look on God and live. "No man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18). But He granted all that could be granted. He made "all his goodness pass before" Moses; He gave him a fresh revelation of His name (Exodus 34:6-7); and He even let him see some actual portion of His "glory"--as much as mortal man could possibly behold--more than any son of man had ever beheld before--more, probably, than any other son of man will ever behold until the consummation of all things (Exodus 33:22-23).
Verses 18-23. - THE REQUEST TO SEE GOD'S GLORY, AND THE REPLY TO IT. Having obtained the full restoration of the people to God's favour, Moses felt emboldened to ask a boon for himself. He had already been admitted to closer communion with God than any one of the race of man since Adam in Paradise. But what had been granted him, instead of satisfying, only made him desirous of something further, something closer, something than which nothing more close could be imagined. So he asks to see the unveiled glory of God (ver. 18). He asks, that is, to see exactly that which man in the flesh cannot see, or at any rate cannot see and live. But, of course, he does not know this. God, in reply, tells him he shall see all that can be seen of him - more than anything which he has seen before. He shall see "all his goodness" - he shall have another revelation of the name of God (ver. 18); and, further, he shall be so placed as to see as much as mortal man can behold of "his glory" - God will pass by him, and when he has passed, Moses shall be allowed to look after him, and see what is here called "his back." This was probably some afterglow or reflection from the Divine glory, which language must have been as inadequate to describe as it was to embody the "unspeakable words" heard by St. Paul in the "third heaven," and declared by him "impossible for a man to utter" (2 Corinthians 12:4). Verse 18. - Show me thy glory. The glory of God had been seen by Moses to a certain extent, when God "descended in fire" upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18). It had been seen with more distinctness when he was called up and "went into the midst of the cloud" (Exodus 24:18). But he felt, nevertheless, that he had not as vet really beheld it. He longed for that ineffable blessing of the full "beatific vision," which is promised to us after death, if we die in the faith and fear of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:12). "Increase of appetite doth grow by what it feeds on" - and the veiled splendours that he had been allowed to see only made him hunger the more for the unveiled radiance that he had not seen as vet.
33:12-23 Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in God's sight, if we find grace in our hearts to guide and quicken us in the way of our duty. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord's presence. God's gracious promises, and mercy towards us, should not only encourage our faith, but also excite our fervency in prayer. Observe how he speeds. See, in a type, Christ's intercession, which he ever lives to make for all that come to God by him; and that it is not by any thing in those for whom he intercedes. Moses then entreats a sight of God's glory, and is heard in that also. A full discovery of the glory of God, would overwhelm even Moses himself. Man is mean, and unworthy of it; weak, and could not bear it; guilty, and could not but dread it. The merciful display which is made in Christ Jesus, alone can be borne by us. The Lord granted that which would abundantly satisfy. God's goodness is his glory; and he will have us to know him by the glory of his mercy, more than by the glory of his majesty. Upon the rock there was a fit place for Moses to view the goodness and glory of God. The rock in Horeb was typical of Christ the Rock; the Rock of refuge, salvation, and strength. Happy are they who stand upon this Rock. The cleft may be an emblem of Christ, as smitten, crucified, wounded, and slain. What follows, denotes the imperfect knowledge of God in the present state, even as revealed in Christ; for this, when compared with the heavenly sight of him. is but like seeing a man that is gone by, whose back only is to be seen. God in Christ, as he is, even the fullest and brightest displays of his glory, grace, and goodness, are reserved to another state.
And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Not any visible lustre, splendour, and brightness, as a symbol of the divine Presence, that he had seen, Exodus 16:7 nor the glorious essence of God, as Maimonides (b), which is invisible and cannot be seen, and of which Moses could not be ignorant; nor the glory of the heavenly state, which also he must know he could not see until he came thither; but he seems to mean some visible glorious representation of God, such as he had never seen, though he had been with him so long on the mount in the cloud, and heard his voice, and saw some appearances of brightness and glory, yet not in any form that he could frame any idea of; perhaps he may mean the Angel of God's presence, called his face, the promised Messiah and glorious Redeemer and Saviour, in whom there is such a bright display of the glory of the divine perfections; yea, is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person; and this favour was granted him, with some proper limitations and restrictions; for though this request was, no doubt, sincere and upright, it might be attended with frailty and weakness; yet it is not utterly denied, but with some explanation is allowed, and perhaps was the highest favour ever granted to any before the incarnation of our Lord, at least in so full and glorious a manner as this was; Moses having by his suit obtained much, wants more and is emboldened to ask it, and in a good measure had it, as the following words show.
(18-23) Not till he had received full assurance of the people's restoration to favour did Moses prefer any request for himself. Then, however, he made use of the privilege granted him to speak with God, "as a man speaketh unto his friend," in order to obtain a blessing for which his spiritual nature craved, and than which he could conceive nothing more desirable. "Shew me," he said, "I beseech thee, thy glory." All that he had yet seen of God was insufficient--only raised his desire, only sharpened his appetite to see more. He craved for that "beatific vision" which is the final reward of them that are perfected in another world. God could not grant his request in full, for it is impossible so long as we are in the flesh that we should look on God and live. "No man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18). But He granted all that could be granted. He made "all his goodness pass before" Moses; He gave him a fresh revelation of His name (Exodus 34:6-7); and He even let him see some actual portion of His "glory"--as much as mortal man could possibly behold--more than any son of man had ever beheld before--more, probably, than any other son of man will ever behold until the consummation of all things (Exodus 33:22-23).
(b) Yesude Hatorah, c. 1. sect. 10.