Moses Sees God's Glory
(Exodus 33-34)
The golden calf was gone. The broken tablets had been swept aside. The camp was quiet again. But Moses faced a serious question that needed an answer before anyone could take another step: would God still travel with them?
God told Moses that He would not go in the middle of the people because He might consume them on the way, since they were a stubborn people. Moses set up a tent outside the camp, a simple meeting place he called the Tent of Meeting. Whenever Moses went out to that tent, the whole nation would stand at their tent doorways and watch. And when Moses entered, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the tent's entrance. Then God would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. That phrase is remarkable. The God of creation, the God of the thundering mountain, chose the vocabulary of friendship to describe what happened in that tent.
Moses used that friendship boldly. He told God: "If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here." He would not move an inch toward the Promised Land without God's presence. Not because Moses was reckless but because he understood something clearly: a journey without God is not a journey worth taking. God answered: "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." And Moses pressed further. He made the most daring request in the book of Exodus: "Please show me Your glory."
God told Moses that no human could see His face and live. But He would do something incredible. He told Moses to stand in a cleft of a large rock. God would place His hand over Moses while His glory passed by, then remove His hand at the last moment so Moses could see His back. Moses would see the passing of God's glory, the aftermath of His presence, not the full direct exposure. And as God passed, He proclaimed His own name aloud over Moses: "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." God defined Himself not by His power or His fire but by His character. Mercy. Grace. Patience. Love. Faithfulness. Forgiveness. And also justice. The full picture, without softening either side.
Moses stayed on the mountain for another forty days. God gave him new stone tablets, replacing the ones Moses had shattered. When Moses finally came back down to the camp, he did not know that his face was glowing. The skin of his face shone because he had been standing near the light of God's presence. The people were afraid to come near him. Moses had to wear a veil over his face when he spoke to them. But whenever he went back to speak with God, he would remove the veil. The veil was not worn in God's presence. Before God, Moses came with his face uncovered.
A Curious Question
When God passed by Moses in the rock cleft, He defined Himself by proclaiming His own character out loud: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. He did not announce His power or describe His strength. He described His heart. Why do you think that is what God chose to show Moses when Moses asked to see His glory?
Jesus Connection
Moses wore a veil over his face because the people could not bear to look at even the reflected glow of God's glory. The light was not God's glory itself. It was a secondary shine, the radiance left on a human face after being near God's presence. And even that was too much for the people to look at directly.
The apostle Paul picks up this detail in 2 Corinthians 3 and does something stunning with it. He says the veil was also there because the glory on Moses' face was fading. It was temporary. And he says that those who read the Old Testament without understanding Christ are still reading with a veil over their minds, unable to see the full picture. Then Paul says: "When someone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed." The veil that blocked the full view is taken away not by human effort or religious achievement but by turning to Christ.
Jesus is not the reflection of God's glory. He is the glory itself. Hebrews 1:3 says He is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature." Moses glowed because he stood near God. Jesus glows because He is God. When the three disciples saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain, His face shone like the sun, His clothes became white as light, and Moses himself appeared beside Him. The one who once saw God's passing glory now stood face to face with God's full glory in human form.
And here is the grace: Paul goes on to say that every believer, with unveiled faces, is "being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." Moses could reflect God's glory for a short time by standing near a bush. We are being permanently transformed into the image of Christ by the Spirit who lives in us. Moses needed a veil because the glory was fading. We have no veil because the Spirit is making it permanent. That is the difference between the old covenant and the new. Not a matter of degree. A matter of kind. Moses showed us a glimpse. Jesus is the thing itself.
Discussion Questions
- Moses said he would not take another step toward the Promised Land without God's presence. What does it look like to be that serious about having God with you in your own daily life?
- When God proclaimed His name over Moses, the very first words He said were "merciful and gracious." This happened right after the golden calf disaster. Why do you think God led with mercy at that specific moment?
- Moses' face glowed because he had spent time near God. The glow was not something he produced by trying hard. It just happened from being in God's presence. What do you think it means for our lives that spending time with Jesus changes us, not by our effort but by His presence?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
Moses made one request that shaped the rest of his life: "Show me Your glory." He was not asking for comfort, safety, or success. He was asking to know God more deeply. This week, make that your own prayer, one time each day. You do not need a mountain or a rock cleft. Just stop for one minute and say: "God, show me more of who You are." Then open the Bible to one verse, or one story, and read it slowly. Not to finish it. To hear it. That is what it means to seek God's face the way Moses did, not grabbing a miracle on the way past, but stopping and asking for God Himself.
Memorize God's Word
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." (Psalm 103:8)
Hand Motions:
- "The Lord": Point both hands upward toward heaven, palms open.
- "is merciful and gracious": Cross both arms over your heart, then open them outward like releasing a gift.
- "slow to anger": Move both open hands slowly downward in front of you, like calming something gently.
- "and abounding in steadfast love": Spread both arms as wide as you possibly can, reaching left and right, showing something that goes on and on without end.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, we are amazed that when Moses asked to see Your glory, You described Yourself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and full of love. That is who You are. Not just powerful and holy, but overflowing with mercy and faithfulness. Thank You for sending Jesus, who is Your full glory in human form, so we do not have to guess what You are like. Help us to spend time in Your presence this week and to become, slowly and surely, more and more like the One we are looking at. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Craft: The Glowing Face of Moses
Children will make a shining Moses mask to remember that spending time with God changes us from the inside out, and that Jesus is the full glory Moses only glimpsed.
Materials Checklist:
How to Make the Glowing Face of Moses:- Draw the face: Using washable markers, draw a bearded face of Moses in the center of the paper plate. Keep the expression peaceful and reverent, not frightened.
- Cut the rays: Cut eight to ten strips of yellow construction paper, each about six inches long and one inch wide. Round one end of each strip slightly.
- Glue the rays: Glue the flat ends of the rays all around the outer edge of the paper plate so they radiate outward like light from the face. Alternate the lengths for a more natural, sun-like appearance.
- Add the glitter: Apply a thin layer of liquid glue over the face and the rays, then sprinkle gold and yellow glitter generously. Let it dry for five minutes.
- Attach the handle: Tape a popsicle stick firmly to the back bottom of the plate so children can hold it up like a hand-held mask or a sign.
Teacher Tips
Bring a flashlight and a mirror to class. Shine the flashlight directly at the mirror in a darkened corner of the room. The reflected light will fall on a nearby wall. Point to the reflected light and say: "That is Moses. The light you see is not from the mirror. The mirror is just reflecting what was shining on it. The real light is the flashlight." Then turn the flashlight to face the class directly and say: "That is Jesus. He is not the reflection of God's glory. He is the source." This demonstration takes under a minute and makes the theological distinction between Moses and Jesus crystal clear for every age group.
When you get to the part where God proclaims His own name over Moses, slow down and say each attribute individually. After each one, ask the class: "Has anyone ever shown you that quality?" Let them think of a person who showed them mercy, or grace, or patience. Then say: "God is all of those things at the same time, perfectly, without exception, and forever." Grounding the attributes of God in experiences children have already had makes the character revelation from Exodus 34 feel immediate and personal rather than abstract.
The veil detail is an opportunity to acknowledge a real and common feeling. Ask: "Has anyone ever felt like something was blocking you from really connecting with God, like there was a wall between you and Him?" Let kids answer honestly. Then say: "Paul said that veil is removed when we turn to Jesus. Not when we try harder. When we turn." That simple pivot from effort to trust is the heart of the gospel, and this story delivers it perfectly.