How Can We Know The Father?
(EX. 33;18-23)
Why did Moses want to see God's glory? What is God's compassion? How should we understand God's "hand" and "back?"
THEN MOSES SAID, "PLEASE, LET ME SEE YOUR GLORY." HE SAID, "i WILL CAUSE ALL OF MY GOODNESS TO PASS IN FONT OF YOU, AND I WILL PROCLAIM THE NAME YAHWEH BEFORE YOU. i WILL BE GRACIOUS TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I WILL HAVE COMPASSION." BUT HE ANSWERED, "YOU CANNOT SEE MY FACE, FOR NO ONE CAN SEE ME AND LIVE." THE LORD SAID , "HERE IS A PLACE NEAR ME. YOU ARE TO STAND ON THE ROCK, AND WHEN MY GLORY PASSES BY, i WILL PUT YOU IN THE CREVICE OF THE ROCK AND COVER YOU WITH MY HAND UNTIL I HAVE PASSED BY. THEN I WILL TAKE MY HAND AWAY, AND YOU WILL SEE MY BACK, BUT MY FACE WILL NOT BE SEEN."
After Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt, they camped at Mount Sinai for several months. God had revealed Himself to Moses and the people several times. He appeared to Moses at the burning bush and He revealed His laws at Mount Sinai.
Moses craved more revelation from God. He wanted to know God in an even deepe, more intimate way. He wanted an assurance that God would go with him and the Israelites in the future. In particular, Moses wanted to see God's Glory.
God responded to Moses' request with a promise to reveal His Goodness. In addition to displaying His goodnes to Moses, God promised to proclaim the name Yahweh. Moses was familiar with the special name for God, since that was the name God revealed to him at the burning bush. God's name and His character are intertwined. God as Yehweh continued to reveal Himself as the creator God, the liberating God, and the God who would guide them to the promised land.
God also stressed two of His characteristics. First, He is gracious. God is a God of Grace in both testaments. He freely chose to work through Abraham and the other Patriarchs, and He graciously liberated the Hebrews. Second God is marked by compassion. God identifies with the needs of His people and reaches down to help them. He expected His people to be compassionate to others just as he is compassionate to them.
Moses had requested a more direct revelation from God than he had ever experienced, but God warned him that he could not see his face. We can only know as much about God as He chooses to reveal and we can, as finite beings, comprehend. The Bible constantly reveals God as personal, but God does not have human features such as hands, feet, and a face. If God revealed His "face," or revealed Himself in His full glory, Moses would be overwhelmed.
God's revelation of His backside to Moses reminds Christians that we cannot know God fully in this life. God's revelation of Himself in history through the Bible and Jesus Christ is certain and sure, but the apostle Paul reminded us that our knowledge of God before Jesus' return is always partial.
We can know something about God today because God the Father has graciously revealed Himself to us through His creation. His dealings with His people in biblical times, and supremely through His revelation in Jesus. His Son. We should always seek to know more about God. One of the best ways to learn about God is to dig deeper into the Bible. Bible study is a wonderful way to know more about God.
:)
Always remember, with God all things are possible.
Worry not for tomorrow, for tomorrow is allready worry enough for itself.
1|1|Thank you so very much!|Skaytes|skaytez@gmail.com|17:31:49|12/06/2009|
I am a subscriber/member of Garnettes Bad Trader Alert Listing
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2|1|Thank You|WillaD|wila111@bellsouth.net|19:13:14|12/06/2009|
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I JUST LOVE THIS HOBBY
Willa 3|1|thanks so much!|blessedx5|I_am_blessedx5@yahoo.com|20:02:22|12/06/2009|
! 4|1|Thanks!|CJDJ112366|Lintaos@optonline.net|23:22:45|12/06/2009|
Carol