Exodus 33:12-23/v.18 – “Seeing God”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:

¹⁸And he said, “Cause me to see (na) Your glory.”

In my last post, I pondered some esoteric thoughts about seeing God, that I have come to the conclusion that there is a spiritual experience of “seeing His face.” Moses asked in the passage before us, “Show me Your glory,” and the Lord responded, “You cannot see My face” but then allowed him to see His “backside.” I would suggest that the Lord (and probably Moses) is speaking here of physical vision, which would then seem obvious – that no mere mortal can actually “see” the infinite glorious God.

In physical terms this would be impossible, as “seeing” requires something to have a form or shape, but having form or shape presumes the seen thing must have limit. It must occupy some portion of space, yet not other. God is omnipresent, everywhere present at all times, filling the all of the universe with all of His being at all times in every place. If that is true, then where do you “look”? Even the sky has limit – it ends at each horizon, so that we can “look” at the sky, even though it seems to fill the half the universe “above” us. We can look “down” at the earth and the sky is not “there.” “Oh,” we can say, “It is up there.” There is a place where it is and a place where it isn’t, therefore we can “see” it. Physical “seeing” is an activity confined to our material world of time and space, while God, in His infinite divinity, simply transcends all such considerations so that it is, in fact, impossible to “see” Him.

Apparently there is something God could have done, some miracle by which He could have allowed Moses as a mortal to somehow “see” His face, but God knew that event would kill Moses. I suspect the understanding of this is utterly beyond us, the physics of how to literally expose the limited created thing to somehow comprehend the limitlessness of Infinity. I suspect the splitting of an atom is a very tiny expression of mortality prying into the limitlessness of infinity. We dared to cross that line and an entire city was instantly vaporized. How much more devastating could it be for a mere mortal to cross the line from material to immaterial, from finite to infinite, and actually take in a vision of the totality of the glory of God’s face? God was not interested in vaporizing Moses, so He declined to fully grant his request. He put him in the cleft of the rock, covered him with His hand, and showed him His “backside” which somehow could be “limited” to allow mortal comprehension.

As I said in my last post, I believe it is possible to “see” God in a spiritual sense, and I mean that more than just using the word figuratively. I believe that sight has a spiritual dimension, when two beings actually look each other “in the eye” and it is that spiritual experience which I believe is possible and, in fact, highly desirable. It is in some sense the “face to face” which Moses and the Lord shared, but which perhaps too many never know. As I said then, only grace can allow us to rise above the shame and guilt of our sins and our sinfulness to actually look God “in the eye.” That can only happen when a person is confident in the effectual atonement of Jesus’ blood, when we stand confident in the forgiveness of sin and in our complete and final adoption as beloved children. Moses somehow grasped this in the promise of the coming Messiah. We may grasp grace in the finished work of Calvary. But either way, grace opens the way for us to “see” God, to “look Him in the eye” and have a real, personal relationship with Him, to speak with Him “as a friend, face to face.”

But, I can’t leave the subject without stopping to further ponder this business of physically “seeing” God. That side of Calvary, Moses could not see God’s face. As I discussed above, it is still impossible for mortal beings to physically “see” the infinity of God’s face. But something did change. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us … and we beheld His glory…” (John 1:14). ^“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (II Cor 4:6). “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Heb 1:3). When Philip said to Jesus, “Show us the Father,” Jesus responded, “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

To see Jesus is to see the Father, to see God. To look into the face of Jesus is to look into the face of God. Once again, in the incomprehensible counsels of the infinite God, limitless Divinity stepped into limited creation and became a man like us. Had Moses crossed that line from here to there, it would have killed him, but Jesus, being very God Himself, crossed from there to here and lived. Although today He is not physically present for us to look Him in the eye, there was a time when He was, when His disciples and His family and all of the then existing creation could literally “see” God in Him; and He yet maintains that form even in Heaven. Even in Heaven, I would suggest that we will see God in the face of Christ. Even in eternity we will remain created beings while our God is incomprehensible and infinite. Yet, there will be no sense that our knowledge of Him is any longer limited, as our souls will be consumed with the wonder of Jesus, when “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants shall serve Him, and they will see His face …” (Rev 22:3,4).

As I have said above, there is a spiritual sense in which today we can (and should) literally “see” God, in which we can “look Him in the eye.” In addition, there is a sense in which it remains impossible for us to physically actually “see” God. But, praise Him for His glorious grace, it is also true that He has made a way that we can and will literally and physically “look upon” our God, in which we can literally and physically look Him in the face and lean on His bosom and walk by His side. His name is Jesus.

All of this verges on the very limits of our mortal comprehension, but the bottom-line, I think is this: The unknowable, unseeable God has invited each of us to know Him and to see Him. Jesus has, from all eternity been the bridge. To embrace Him is to embrace our limitless God, to open the door that we might speak with Him “as friends, face to face.” God help us, may we clutch the opportunity and take our place eternally at His side, our God … and our friend. May we say without hesitation, “Lord, show us Your glory!”

Exodus 33:12-23/v.18 – “Wanting More”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:

¹⁸And he said, “Cause me to see (na) Your glory.”

I’m reminded again that this passage makes a person want to take off their shoes; “For the place whereon you’re standing is holy ground!”

As I’ve tried to ponder Moses’ request, and as I’ve read others’ ponderings, there are a lot of ideas as to exactly what Moses is asking for and why he’s asking it. I suppose to some extent such questions are and always will be purely speculation, since the text doesn’t specifically tell us these things. On the other hand, the Lord chose to include this dialogue in the Scriptures and then told us “the things that are written are for your admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come.”

Probably the two views which are sort of at opposite ends of the spectrum would be that 1) the request exhibits a lack of faith, like Gideon’s fleece; that Moses, having just heard God’s promises, wants something “more” to assure him that the Lord really will go with them, or 2) the request exhibits great faith, the expression of a man who, having experienced much of the Lord, only wants more.

I am inclined to side with the second option. There is nothing in the text or in the Lord’s answer to imply that the request was inappropriate. Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, wanted something “more” to believe the angel’s promise of a son and the Lord responded by leaving him mute until the child was born. “How can I be sure of this?” he asked, and the angel responded, “You will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1:18-20). In the text before us, the Lord does not rebuke Moses in any way, but answers his request to the full extent possible. On the basis of these observations, I will proceed on the understanding that Moses’ request, “Cause me to see Your glory,” is an expression of faith.

I love what Spurgeon said here:

Allow me to refer you to the 13th verse of this chapter, where Moses speaks unto his God—"Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way." Moses asked a less favor before he requested the greater. He asked to see God's way before he prayed to see his glory. Mark you, my friends, this is the true mode of prayer. Rest not content with past answers, but double your request and go again. Look upon your past petitions as the small end of the wedge opening the way for larger ones. The best way to repay God, and the way he loves best, is to take and ask him ten times as much each time. Nothing pleases God so much as when a sinner comes again very soon with twice as large a petition—"Lord thou didst hear me last time, and now I am come again." Faith is a mighty grace, and always grows upon that which it feeds. When God has heard prayer for one thing, faith comes and asks for two things, and when God has given those two things, faith asks for six. Faith can scale the walls of heaven. She is a giant grace. She takes mountains by their roots, and puts them on other mountains, and so climbs to the throne in confidence with large petitions, knowing that she shall not be refused. We are most of us too slow to go to God. We are not like the beggars who come to the door twenty times if you do not give them anything. But if we have been heard once, we go away, instead of coming time after time, and each time with a larger prayer. Make your petitions longer and longer. Ask for ten, and if God gives them, then for a thousand, and keep going on until at last you will positively get faith enough to ask, if it were proper, as great a favor as Moses did—"I beseech thee, show me thy glory."

Amen and amen. This reminds me again of Psalm 116:13, which asked, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? … I will call upon the Lord!” What is a proper response to answered prayer – to go back and ask for more! We noted under that passage that we too easily presume the Lord is like people – that you have to “ration” your requests, not ask too much or too often. But rather the Lord is more like a mother who so delights to care for her children she wants them to ask for more. It is actually a form of gratitude and even praise, having been blessed by the Lord, to return and ask for more. As Spurgeon says, “Nothing pleases God so much as when a sinner comes again very soon with twice as large a petition…”

In Moses’ case, I would suggest this goes even further. It is a great and glorious thing to ask and receive and ask for more from the Father of lights. But it isn’t just material goods or livelihood for which Moses is asking. Here is the one with whom God speaks “as with a friend, face to face;” and what does he ask for? “Show me Your glory.” This man who already knows God far more intimately than most – what is it he wants? To know Him better!

Frankly, I don’t know exactly what it is that Moses is asking for. What is he wanting to see when he says, “Show me Your glory?” In the short run, I would suggest it doesn’t matter. What it teaches us is that genuinely knowing God will only make us want to know Him better. Even if it could be true of us that God speaks to us “as with a friend, face to face,” we will not be “satisfied.” We will want more. And that is a good thing.

Let us then lay hold of whatever is today our relationship with Him, nurture it with the Word and prayer, and let Him give us a holy discontent longing only to know Him better. “For this is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent” (John 17:3).

Before I quit, I have a couple of other thoughts to add.

First, I would suggest that all of this is simply the nature of real relationships, of real love, is it not? Who was ever “satisfied” to love someone else? Is it not true that to love someone is only to want to love them more? What husband ever spent a weekend with his wonderful wife, then didn’t feel a sense of loss having to leave her to go back to work on Monday, wishing he could be with her forever? What father ever got to see his beautiful daughter and didn’t ache to see her again? What man ever got to help his adult son fix his fence and didn’t long to stay and help him more? As we’ve noted before, love breeds love. And may I suggest that is what is going on between Moses and the Lord and what should be going on between us and Him – a love relationship. I want to know You more. I want to know You better. Your grace is so amazing. With Jeremy Camp my heart would cry ‘Give me Jesus! You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus … then give me more!”

Finally, I want to inject some perhaps esoteric thoughts I’ve been pondering on this thing of “seeing God.” Obviously, as the Lord told Moses, “You cannot see My face, for no man may see Me and live.” We, as created physical beings, cannot look with our physical eyes and “see” God, who is an infinitely glorious Spirit. Jesus is the physical manifestation of God whom we can “see.” He of course is the “radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of His being” (Heb 1:3). The Word of course “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14). To “see” Jesus is to “see” the Father. In one sense, this is speaking of the physical business of “seeing” God, which Jesus, having become a man, makes possible.

That being said, I have always noticed verses like, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8) and presumed that was either being figurative or perhaps speaking of eternity when we really will literally “see” God. Then I would notice verses like Psalm 27:8, “My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.” To me, this passage doesn’t seem to refer to eternity, but rather to the here and now. Once again, you can take this figuratively, in the sense of sincerely seeking to know Him, or, is it possible we really can “see His face?” Once again, it is obviously not possible for us to look with our physical eyes and “see” God the Spirit as some kind of form or shape, but here is my esoteric thought: Is not “seeing” someone’s face more than physically observing a form? Is there not a profound difference between “seeing” someone’s face and then, on the other hand, “looking them in the eye?”

I would suggest that “seeing” someone’s face is largely a purely physical event, the reflection of light upon someone else’s features which then enters our retinas, and which stimuli are then processed in our brains, registering an image. That is all purely physical and can even be mimicked photographically. But is it not something entirely different to “look them in the eye?” I would suggest something entirely spiritual happens when one living being looks into the eyes of another living being. There is a spiritual connection, a spiritual exchange which occurs, which in a sense has nothing to do necessarily with this material world. There is a sense in which we “connect” with that person spiritually.

As we gaze into each others’ eyes, we communicate love and compassion or perhaps displeasure and anger, but not just by the look “on” our face. Is there not something “more” going on, something at a very deep spiritual level? If you’re reading this, do you know what I mean? Do you sense that “something more” that occurs when you go from simply “looking at someone’s face” to actually “looking them in the eye?” If you do, then ask yourself, “Could it be possible to experience that ‘something’ without including the eyes?” Could you make that “connection” in a purely spiritual sense? Could that spiritual connection occur without physical sight?

It is precisely at this point I suggest that in fact we can “see God” in this world. I can “look” with my heart and make that spiritual connection with Him, experience that same spiritual bond of “looking Him in the eye.” Whatever that is and whatever it means, it does (or can) actually happen, that as I pray and commune with Him, I “see” Him. My spirit “connects” with Him that same way it does when I go from looking at someone’s face to actually looking them in the eye. It is not a matter of an image but rather a spiritual “connection.” May I suggest that is the primary meaning of Matt 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”? And may I also suggest that is what David meant when he said, “My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

I am suggesting this “seeing” is possible. On the other hand, it is something that one must “seek.” One has to want to “look God in the eye.” That of course is a grace thing, as my immediate response is, like Adam and Eve, to want to hide, too painfully aware of my sinfulness and failure. But grace that is greater than all my sin was purchased by My Savior and I can now come before my God covered in the blood of Jesus. Because of grace I can rise above my shame and “look Him in the eye.”

Having studied these things, and pondered them, I have lately become aware of this “seeing God” or “looking Him in the eye.” I still feel it is a feeble thing on my part, that I still see Him “darkly, as in a glass,” but I do “see” Him. And the result of this “seeing” is that I want to see Him more. I long to speak with Him “as with a friend, face to face.” I believe that, as I nurture my relationship with Him I really will “see” Him better … and not just in a figurative way, but genuinely making that spiritual “connection,” whatever it is, that something that occurs when we look each other in the eye.

And then I find it profoundly encouraging to realize that if it can ever be true of me that God speaks to me “as with a friend, face to face,” I will not be “satisfied” but only want “more.” I might even exclaim, “Show me Your glory!” and find I do know what it was Moses was asking for!

Lord, show me Your glory. Then show me more!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Exodus 33:12-23/vv.12-17 – “God With Us”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹²And Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You [are] saying to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ and You have not declared whom You will send with me, and You have said, ‘I know you in name and also you have found grace in My eyes.’ ¹³And now, if (na) I have found grace in Your eyes, cause me (na) to know Your ways, and I will know You, so that I will find grace in Your eyes; and see (impv.) that this nation is Your people. ¹⁴And He said, “My faces will walk [with you] and I will give you (sing.) rest.”

¹⁵And he said to Him, “If not Your faces [are] walking [with us], do not send us up from here, ¹⁶and in what then will it be known that I have found grace in Your eyes, I and Your people, [if] not in Your walking with us, and we are distinguished, I and Your people, from the all of the people which [are] upon the earth?”

¹⁷And the LORD said to Moses, “Also this word which you say I will do because you have found grace in My eyes and I know you in name.”

As I alluded in an earlier post, I have enjoyed this passage for years. In particular, the (paraphrased) quote that often comes to mind is Moses’ retort, “If Your Presence goes not with us, then send us not up!”

At one and the same time, I feel my wretched unworthiness and also my profound vulnerability. “If Your Presence goes not with us …” Why should it? Why should the God of the universe personally accompany me? I am such a failure. It is a wonder of grace to me that He looks past the fact I am a total zero, covers me with the blood of Jesus, and actually chooses to love me, to be with me. So incomprehensible. But, back to His promises (last post), He said He would.

On the other hand, I feel that profound vulnerability. I need Him so desperately. If He doesn’t go with me, I’m doomed. At work, all these years, I have been given one assignment after another that was actually beyond me. But again and again and again and again He helps me and makes me better than I am. I’ve actually enjoyed a lifetime of very fun, successful projects – but I am keenly aware it was only because the Lord helped me. I could not have done any of it without His help. I look ahead at the projects I have now and think in my heart, “Lord, if Your presence doesn’t go with me, then send me not up!” If He doesn’t help me, I will fail miserably and I know it.

I think about my life morally. He has helped me be faithful to my wife for over thirty years. But I am a man and I feel keenly my vulnerability. “Lord, go with me!” “Make me better than I am!” “Don’t even put me in a temptation setting.” “If I must face temptations, God give me grace in those moments to think and act in integrity and love.” “God I need you so badly.” If His Presence doesn’t go with me, I’m doomed. “If Your Presence goes not with me, then send me not up!”

Even in something as simple as just dealing with people, if He doesn’t help me, I’m doomed. It should be so simple: just love people. How hard is that? And yet I find I’m so easily irritated, so impatient, so given to being concerned about what I’m getting. I’m an utter failure at saying the right things at the right time. For whatever reason, I have found over the years that I am basically invisible. If the things I say are going to be of any benefit to people around me, it has to be because the Lord delivered those thoughts to their hearts. On my own, my voice is just useless sound waves beating the air.

So here is Mr. Unworthy Nothingness wanting to live in this world and somehow make a difference. There is nothing to make the Lord want to be with me and without Him I am a total failure. As I realize it is morning and I have a day ahead of me, my heart can only say, “Lord, if Your Presence doesn’t go with me, then send me not up!”

But oh, the wonder of grace. Oh, the wonder of the blood of Jesus.

“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God Who justifies. Who is he that condemns me? It is Christ who has died, yea, rather, who is risen again, who also is making intercession for me! How shall He not with Him freely give me all things?”

“He who cometh to Me, I shall in no wise cast out!”

“I will never, no never forsake you!”

“Call unto Me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things thou knowest not.”

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness,

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

“’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

His very name is Immanuel, “God with us.”

I’m so thankful for grace and for the faithfulness of our God who gives it. Oh, may I treasure His presence every minute and say over and over and over, “If Your Presence goes not with us, send us not up!”

Exodus 33:12-23/vv.12-17 – “Our Faithful God”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹²And Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You [are] saying to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ and You have not declared whom You will send with me, and You have said, ‘I know you in name and also you have found grace in My eyes.’ ¹³And now, if (na) I have found grace in Your eyes, cause me (na) to know Your ways, and I will know You, so that I will find grace in Your eyes; and see (impv.) that this nation is Your people. ¹⁴And He said, “My faces will walk [with you] and I will give you (sing.) rest.”

¹⁵And he said to Him, “If not Your faces [are] walking [with us], do not send us up from here, ¹⁶and in what then will it be known that I have found grace in Your eyes, I and Your people, [if] not in Your walking with us, and we are distinguished, I and Your people, from the all of the people which [are] upon the earth?”

¹⁷And the LORD said to Moses, “Also this word which you say I will do because you have found grace in My eyes and I know you in name.”

In studying the Bible, one of the things I always try to watch for is repetition. Whenever a term or phrase gets repeated, there is usually a reason. And so, as I studied this passage, I can’t help but notice that the phrase “have grace in Your eyes” gets repeated five times – twice by the Lord and three times by Moses. Five times in just six verses is a lot of repetition! There may be a lot of reasons for the repetition (such as a chiastic structure I’m not seeing), but what it does for me is that it calls attention to the faithfulness of God. Here’s what I mean:

Once again, remembering the emotional intensity of the context, Moses is deeply distressed about two things: The Lord has threatened not to go with the Israelites any longer and He no longer calls them “His people.” Moses is desperately interceding for these people. He wants to persuade the Lord to change His mind … so he pulls out the atom bomb.  And what is that? What is the atom bomb of our relationship with God? May I suggest it is His faithfulness?

Moses goes to God and says, “You have said, ‘I know you in name and also you have found grace in My eyes.’ And now, if (na) I have found grace in Your eyes, …” Notice how he starts with “You have said.” What is he doing? Standing on the promises! The requests which Moses brings to God he bases on the promises of God. In the end the Lord says, “OK. I will do it, because you have found grace in My eyes.” “I’ll do it because you are right, that is exactly what I said.”

They really truly are “very great and precious promises.” Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I have been marveling the last few years how much God’s promises mean to us. We literally build our lives on His promises. And we can do that because He is faithful. He is totally dependable. He will do exactly what He promised. We can totally count on Him. Whatever He says He will do. It may be in His time and in His way, but, rest assured, His Word is true – and you can count on it.

Moses goes to the Lord to make bold requests, but he bases those requests on God’s Word. He bases his requests on the things God has already said.

Seems like I can never too often rehearse God’s promises in my mind. They are the only reason we have hope. They are the only reason we can be confident and live with resolve. They are the only real reason we can take the risk of loving. They are the only reason we can face death without fear.

“For I know the plans that I have for you; plans to do you good and not to harm you; plans to give you a future and a hope!”

“Fear not, I am with you; don’t be discouraged, I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand … I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not; I will help you.’”

“All things work together for good to them that love God.”

“I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

His promises are sure. His Word is true. Moses hung on His faithfulness at what was perhaps the lowest point of his earthly existence. He took his fears, his hopes, and his requests to His faithful God, and His faithful God answered with more faithfulness: “Also this word which you say I will do because you have found grace in My eyes and I know you in name.”

May we ever do likewise.

Exodus 33:12-23/vv.12-17 – “His Presence”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹²And Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You [are] saying to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ and You have not declared whom You will send with me, and You have said, ‘I know you in name and also you have found grace in My eyes.’ ¹³And now, if (na) I have found grace in Your eyes, cause me (na) to know Your ways, and I will know You, so that I will find grace in Your eyes; and see (impv.) that this nation is Your people. ¹⁴And He said, “My faces will walk [with you] and I will give you (sing.) rest.”

¹⁵And he said to Him, “If not Your faces [are] walking [with us], do not send us up from here, ¹⁶and in what then will it be known that I have found grace in Your eyes, I and Your people, [if] not in Your walking with us, and we are distinguished, I and Your people, from the all of the people which [are] upon the earth?”

¹⁷And the LORD said to Moses, “Also this word which you say I will do because you have found grace in My eyes and I know you in name.”

Some more thoughts I wanted to record about this passage: As I have often noted, in ancient Hebrew it was not necessary to actually express pronominal substantives (he, she, you, I) as they were actually included in the sense of the verb. When the substantives are used, it is always good to pause and consider why – since it wasn’t necessary. My observation over the years is that I think it was usually a matter of emphasis. What is interesting here is that Moses specifically includes “You” three times. I underlined those occurrences in my literal translation above. The appearance of the word “You” without underlining means in that case it was simply included with the verb as usual.

One wonders why the three substantives? It definitely could be emphasis. Remember that the context is very charged emotionally. This is not a relaxed conversation. The Israelites are coming off perhaps the greatest failure of their earthly existence. God has threatened to leave them (after first threatening to kill them all!). Also, back in 33:1, The Lord had said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt,…” Notice the “the people you brought up out of Egypt.” It seems to me in the heat of all the emotions, there is perhaps a need to establish who is responsible for what. Without being disrespectful, I wonder if Moses is wanting to leave no doubt what the Lord Himself has done and said. Someone else suggested Moses says the “you” three times somehow in the sense of addressing the Trinity. Bottom-line is that, at this point, I really don’t know. But it is worth noting, then keeping one’s eyes and ears attentive as we learn more. There may simply be matters here beyond our current ability to understand.

Also, for whatever it is worth, I specifically went ahead and included in my literal translation the occurrence of the Hebrew particle “na.” I don’t know what Hebrew scholarship says about “na” but, as I have observed it in various texts and settings over the years, it seems to me it always occurs when a subordinate is speaking to a superior. I believe it is an expression of humility. In our culture, when we’re commanded by an authority, we might dip our head just a little as we say, “Yes, sir” or “Yes, ma’am.” I think the ancient Hebrews said “na” in the same way we dip our heads. There is no English translation for it, which is why I included them as their transliterated “na.” Why that is important, I think, is that we need to know the person speaking is expressing their subordination. There is an element of respect in the text which simply cannot be expressed in English. And so is the case here.

For some practical thoughts, I love Moses’ question, “How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” Stop for a second and ponder the implication of Moses’ question – “If Your presence is not with us, how will anyone know we are Your people?” Gads! What a bombshell! How will other people know I’m a Christ-follower? How will they? That is a good question, yes? What if I put that question to a thousand different churches? What answers would I get? What shows the world I am a believer?

There is nothing wrong with wearing a cross necklace or putting a fish symbol on my car. I suppose if people want to dress weirdly that is certainly their prerogative. Perhaps someone else lays a Bible on their desk at work. Others might propose somehow I need to make statements at work to be sure people know I am a Christian. I remember a fellow who had printed on his hardhat in big letters, “Jesus is Lord.” There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things. But what does Moses assert in his very question? What is it that distinguishes us “… from all the other people on the face of the earth?” He says it is “Your presence.”

Wow. What a bombshell. His presence.

His presence.

What does that imply? I think it implies that, rather than worrying about all those other external expressions, I should be concerning myself with how much I am maintaining His presence in my life. I need to be sincerely, genuinely seeking Him. I need to be sincerely, genuinely inviting Him into my heart, including Him in my thoughts, allowing His Spirit to help me live love and joy and peace. And if I do, and to whatever extent I do, somehow other people will see that presence.

Wow. What a bombshell. The problem with all those external symbols (and again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of them) is that anyone can do it. Anyone can wear a cross necklace. As others see that person, I know the next thing they look at is the person’s life. “Is it real?,” they ask themselves. What Moses is saying is that it either is or it isn’t, and if it is, somehow they’ll know it.

Here is someone else saying basically the same thing:

“Moses formulates a timeless truth when he answers God: "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" The difference between those who are the children of God and those who aren't is in the presence of God Himself. That is the only distinction that has value. No name or sticker or form of organization or lifestyle can substitute for the reality of Christ in us.”( John Schultz)

The reality of Christ in us. I think Schultz is right.

Very early in my walk with Christ, I ran across John 17:3, “For this is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” It really made sense to me then that the very essence of life itself is simply knowing God. That is what it’s all about. And so I resolved to know Him and seek constantly to know Him better. Now over 30 years later, I never cease to be amazed by Him and I see more and more that it really is all about knowing Him. II Cor 3:18 says, “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.” To see Him is to be loved by Him and being loved by Him moves me to love Him in return and then sharing that love relationship with Him makes me want to love people around me, makes me want to be “better,” makes me want to be different than I was, want to be like Him! To know His grace and mercy and kindness to me changes me, not because I resolved to change but because I can’t help but change. As Paul said, beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into that same image, from glory to glory. It just happens.

And I think that is the “Presence” that people will see. And I think that “Presence” is the difference that makes people “ask a reason of the hope that is in us.” Once again, there’s nothing wrong with any of those external symbols to try to tell people I am a Christ-follower, but, the real difference that my heart should long for is His presence.

He really is everything.