June 8, 2025
Exodus 33:7-23
“Show Me Your Glory”
Service Overview: In a moment of deep longing, Moses doesn’t ask for victory, land, or favor—he asks for God Himself. Exodus 33 unveils a sacred hunger to know and be near the Lord. This passage explores what it means to walk in God’s presence, to be known, and to crave His glory.
Memory Verse for the Week:
Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Background & Technical Insights:
- (v. 7) [The tent of meeting] should not be confused with the tabernacle, which was not built yet. Both were places to meet God. But this tent was Moses’ own private tent to meet God. This tent was also outside the camp, whereas the tabernacle would be in the center. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 208)
- The going forth of Moses outside the camp was an act of submission, it was a bowing to God’s righteous verdict. While Israel was a stiffnecked people, Jehovah could not remain in their “midst” (v. 3). While they continued in a state of impenitency life could not own them as His people (v. 1). Accordingly, Moses is here seen acquiescing in the Lord’s holy judgment, and therefore leaves the place where He no longer was. (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, Location 10929)
- (vv.15–18) Moses beseeches God not to send the people out without his “Presence” to lead them (v. 15). Moses knows that God’s presence is essential to Israel’s testimony before the world (v. 16). Without it they will be indistinguishable from the rest of the world. (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Exodus, Location 7652)
- Five times in our passage we read that Moses (Heb.) “found favor (or grace) in the eyes of the LORD” (33:12, 13, 16, 17; 34:9). The repetition is striking (and somewhat obscured by the NIV alternating between “found favor” and “pleased with me,” when translating the same expression in Hebrew; matsa’ hen). It forms an essential part of the success of Moses’s intercession, and it functions for the benefit of the rest of the people of Israel. (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Story of God Bible Commentary: Exodus, 572)
- God graciously met with Moses and spoke with him face-to-face, the way friends talk together (Num. 12:1–8; Deut. 34:10). The cloudy pillar that led the nation on their journey would hover at the tent door, and the people would know that Moses and the Lord were in conference. (Warren Wiersbe, Exodus, 198)
- The phrase “face to face” does not mean that Moses could see God, for just a few verses later God would say, “no one may see me and live” (v. 20). Rather, it is a figure of speech intended to show that God and his prophet enjoyed direct communication. Moses had immediate access to God. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 1024)
What does this passage reveal about the surpassing worth of God’s presence and glory?
- God’s presence is too sacred to be assumed.
(vv. 7-11 | Ex. 3:5; Lev. 10:1–3; 2 Sam. 6:6–7; Acts 5:1–11; Heb. 12:28–29; Rev. 1:17)
Sin is always costly, and Israel’s sin had not only led to the death of thousands of people, but it had robbed the nation of the presence of the Lord in the camp and on their pilgrim journey to the Promised Land. As Charles Spurgeon said, “God never permits His people to sin successfully.” (Warren Wiersbe, Exodus, 198)
The words “outside the camp some distance away” (33:7) surely carry more than merely mapping information. In the light of all that has just happened, this signifies God distancing himself from the people—for their own safety, we might add. (Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, 574)
- God’s presence is worth more than what he gives.
(vv. 12-16 | Deut. 8:3; Ps. 73:25–26; Jer. 9:23–24; Matt. 6:33; John 6:68–69; Phil. 3:8)
Once more reading the Hebrew quite literally: “If your face is not walking [again, the words “with us” are not in the Hebrew], do not cause us to go up from here.” In other words, there is no point in Israel setting off to leave Mt. Sinai if God stays behind. (Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, 576)
This is one of the most remarkable moments in the Bible story. For all his faults, this is what makes Moses one of the great men of history. He turns down God’s blessing if it comes without God himself. He turns down God’s presence if it’s for him alone. He comes before the God who has just said, “I might destroy you”, and negotiates with him. And his bottom line, his only aim, is the presence of God among the people of God. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 233)
He loves Thee too little who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake. (Augustine, Confessions)
- God’s glory is the ultimate desire of a redeemed heart.
(vv. 17-23 | Ps. 27:4; 84:10; John 17:24; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 10:31; Eph. 1:17-21; Phil. 3:10)
Moses wanted to see the radiance and splendor of God. Think about it! He had already seen glory. He saw it at the burning bush, with the 70 elders, on the mountain top, in the tent of meeting, and through all the miracles. Yet Moses longed to see more. Had he not seen enough? No. He had a taste of glory, and it made him long for more. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 210)
God would be unrighteous (just as we would) if He valued anything more than what is supremely valuable. But He Himself is supremely valuable. If He did not take infinite delight in the worth of His own glory He would be unrighteous. For it is right to take delight in a person in proportion to the excellence of that person’s glory. (John Piper, Desiring God, 43)
Conclusion… if God’s presence truly is our greatest need and highest good, how do we begin living like that’s true?
- By craving God, not just what He gives.
(Deut. 6:5; Ps. 16:2; 27:4; 42:1–2; 63:1; 73:25-28; 84:10; Jer. 2:13; 29:13; John 17:3)
It’s worth asking ourselves: if heaven gave me everything—the job, the girl or guy, the car, the health, the wealth—but Jesus wasn’t there, would I be content there? Or if heaven gave me nothing except Jesus, would I be satisfied? Deep down, I think I often answer ‘yes’ and ‘no’. That’s because I love other things too much, and I love the Lord Jesus far, far too little.” (Mike McKinley, Passion, 119)
Many say they have a love for God, but their love is only pleasure in God as the giver of good gifts and pleasant circumstances. This type of love is really a love of self because God is not the supreme object of the appreciation. It is merely a love for God as a provider, a Santa Claus; it is not a biblical love. (John Hannah, To God be the Glory, 31)
- By pleading for His presence in the life of His church.
(2 Chr. 7:14; Is. 64:1; Zech. 2:10; Mat. 18:20; John 14:23; Acts 4:31; Eph. 2:21–22)
We are nothing without God’s presence. We have nothing without God’s presence. The greatest judgment of God is his absence instead of his presence—that’s what hell is. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 234)
We must not rely on methods, money, or marketing (which can be good things), but rather on God’s mighty presence to accomplish our mission. We need God’s presence to reach other nations, plant churches, care for orphans, parent our kids, live as godly husbands and wives, and everything else. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 209)
- By making His glory our greatest pursuit.
(Ps. 86:9–10; 115:1; Is. 26:8; Hab. 2:14; Mat. 6:9–10; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:1–2; 2 Thes. 1:10)
The fundamental response to God’s radical love for us is for us to radically love Him. (Mark Dever, Discipling, 15)
Since man was made for the glory of God, he can never be what he was intended to be until his life is properly focused on the glory of God… So God’s glory does not detract from man’s life. Instead, His glory is the sun around which the whole of life must revolve if there is to be the light and life of God in our experience. Since we were made for His glory, we will always malfunction whenever we fail to live for that purpose according to the Maker’s instructions. (Sinclair Ferguson, The Sermon on the Mount, 127)
God wants to fill our lives with his presence. But when we carry other things around with us, pursuing them by day and thinking about them at night, there is no room left for God. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 1019)
Gospel Connection…
Moses could only glimpse God’s glory—but in Jesus, we behold it fully and are welcomed into His presence forever.
(John 1:14; 14:9; Rom. 5:2; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 2:18; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3; 10:19–22; Rev. 21:3)
Frankly, there are times when we wonder how God could ever be pleased with us. We get weighed down by our sin. We feel like failures. We know that we don’t even measure up to our own standards, let alone the perfect standard of God. Then we ask, how could God ever be pleased with someone like me, especially since I know that he is not pleased with my sin? The answer is that God is pleased with Jesus, and therefore he is pleased with anyone who trusts in Jesus. (Ryken, Exodus, 1033)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- In what ways do people today (even in the Church) settle for God’s blessings instead of pursuing God Himself? Can you relate?
- Moses said, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” What would it look like for you to live with that same conviction?
- How would you describe the difference between believing in God and desiring God? Which better describes your relationship with Him right now?
- What practices help you personally seek the presence and glory of God? What gets in the way of that pursuit?
- How does Jesus fulfill and surpass what Moses experienced in this passage? How does that change how we approach God today?
- Based on this passage, how should we be praying—for ourselves, for one another, and for our church? What’s one way your prayer life might change this week?
Quotes to note…
The term “glory” refers to the visible splendor or moral beauty of God’s manifold perfections. The “glory” of God is the exhibition of His inherent excellence; it is the external manifestation of His internal majesty. To “glorify God” is to declare, draw attention to, or publicly announce and advertise His glory. (Sam Storms, Pleasures Evermore, 83)
In verse 14 God assures Moses that “my Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest”. But the word “you” in this statement is singular, not plural. God is assuring Moses that he will be with him, Moses—but not with the people, Israel. And this is not enough for Moses. Moses is pleading for God to be present among his people. Without God’s presence, there’s no point in going to the promised land (v 15). (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 232)
Though they appreciated him not, though they repeatedly murmured and rebelled against him, though they manifested their utter unworthiness of his unselfish devotion to them, yet nothing quenched his love for them. (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, Location 10878)
We need not doubt that Moses interacted with God in some form of direct intimate conversation, in which God appeared and spoke with him in anthropomorphic form. That unique experience of Moses is affirmed not only in Exodus 33:11 but elsewhere (Num 12:6–8; Deut 34:10). So when God says that Moses may not see his face, it possibly means God’s “face in glory”—that is, the full glory of God as he is in his utmost divine being. That level of “seeing” God is not for any human being. (Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, 581)
God never abandons his friends. Every friend of his is a friend forever. God has invested far too much in this friendship to abandon us. (Ryken, Exodus, 1025)
We can’t live without God—and, through Christ, we don’t have to. God has dwelt among us in Jesus. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 239)
When God talked about his face, his back, and his hand, he was speaking figuratively, of course. He was expressing the invisible majesty of his eternal being in terms of human body parts — physical things that symbolize spiritual realities. God’s face refers in some way to the direct revelation of the essence of his divine majesty. (Ryken, Exodus, 1035)
What we do will only be successful if God is in it. So whenever we do something God has called us to do — whether it is obeying our parents, serving him in our singleness, learning how to be married, working a job, or getting involved in ministry — we need to pray that God will go with us to bless us. Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain. (Ryken, Exodus, 1028)
This is the great divide that runs down the center of the human race. On one side are the people who make their own way through the world, relying on their own talents and pursuing their own goals. But God is not with them. On the other side are those who depend on God’s grace and live for God’s glory. God is with them; indeed, he is everything to them. And what makes the distinction between those who have God and those who don’t is faith in Jesus Christ. (Ryken, Exodus, 1031)