Show me your glory!
And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." (Exod 33:17-18)
What is the most powerful prayer that has ever been made? Though this question is subjective, it is worth giving attention. Is it the prayer that caused the lame to walk, or that which drove out some stubborn demon? Or bringing some financial breakthrough? One day God got excited, took a risk and gave a blank cheque to a king – He told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted. Solomon didn’t pray for wealth or health, he prayed for wisdom and sound judgment instead; this pleased God. Using that trajectory, I can conclude on what is to be considered the most powerful prayer that Moses prayed: though He had sorted out impossible challenges through prayer and hearing God, we find in Exodus 33 a unique prayer that he prayed from outside the camp in a special tent: “Now, show me your glory!”
Commenting on this text, Francis Frangipane observed the place of prayer as important: Maturity starts as we break the cycle of seeking God only during hardship; holiness begins the moment we seek God for Himself. How do we enter this sacred place? If we study the life of Moses, we will see how he sought God and lived in fellowship with Him. We must pitch our tent “a good distance from the camp.” We must chose to leave the camp of familiarity and place our tent in the presence of God.
Before he got to this point, Moses understood and didn’t like God’s position; God had given up going with the Israelites to the Promised Land because of their rebellious tendencies. Then Moses started his prayer sessions – three phases: First, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” (v.13) And to this God answered affirmatively with good assurance. Then Moses brought a more explicit request: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (v.16) With God’s presence, other nations would see the clear distinction of Israel as a blessed nation – so Moses argued. And God still answered in the affirmative and gave them His assurance. That should have been enough, but Moses was not yet satisfied.
The third prayer was shortest but deepest: “Now show me your glory” (v.18) Will you consider to seek God to this level of making this most important prayer? In similar style, Frangipane found that there are so many things to occupy our minds: so many books, so many examples, so many good teachings that deserve our attention, that say, “here is a truth.” But God led him to seek for two things and two things only: to know the heart of God in Christ and to know my own heart in Christ’s light. May the Lord captivate our hearts toward this intimacy.
God bless you.