Exodus 33: Show Me Your Glory
After the calf, Moses pleads that God's presence go with his people, and asks to see the glory of the Lord who speaks to him face to face.
Exodus 33 (WEB)
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people that you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your seed.’
2 I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 to a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.”
4 When the people heard this evil news, they mourned: and no one put on his jewelry.
5 Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up into your midst for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.’”
6 The children of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it “The Tent of Meeting.” Everyone who sought Yahweh went out to the Tent of Meeting, which was outside the camp.
8 When Moses went out to the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Moses, until he had gone into the Tent.
9 When Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Moses.
10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door.
11 Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, didn’t depart from the Tent.
12 Moses said to Yahweh, “Behold, you tell me, ‘Bring up this people:’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’
13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people.”
14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 He said to him, “If your presence doesn’t go with me, don’t carry us up from here.
16 For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it in that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?”
17 Yahweh said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
18 He said, “Please show me your glory.”
19 He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim Yahweh’s name before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
20 He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.”
21 Yahweh also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock.
22 It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;
23 then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
Exodus 33 (KJV)
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Exodus 33 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land of which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 and I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiffnecked people, lest I consume thee in the way.
4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people; if I go up into the midst of thee for one moment, I shall consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb onward.
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it, The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the Tent.
9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the Tent: and Jehovah spake with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door.
11 And Jehovah spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent.
12 And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found favor in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein now shall it be known that I have found favor in thy sight, I and thy people? is it not in that thou goest with us, so that we are separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?
17 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live.
21 And Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock:
22 and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by:
23 and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen.
Summary
In the aftermath of the calf, God tells Israel to leave Sinai for the promised land, but with a chilling qualification: he will send an angel before them, yet will not go up in their midst, lest he consume the stiff-necked people on the way. The people mourn this hard word and strip off their jewelry. Moses sets up a tent outside the camp, the Tent of Meeting, where the pillar of cloud descends and the Lord speaks with him face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Refusing to settle for anything less than God himself, Moses presses the Lord: he must know God's ways and have the assurance of his presence, for nothing else would distinguish Israel from all the peoples of the earth. The Lord answers, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Emboldened, Moses asks for more: "Please show me your glory." God promises to make all his goodness pass before Moses and to proclaim his name, declaring his freedom to be gracious and merciful. Yet no one may see his face and live, so God will hide Moses in a cleft of the rock, cover him with his hand, and let him see only his back as his glory passes by. Here is the hunger of true faith—not merely God's gifts or guidance, but God himself.
Main Characters
- Moses — The friend of God who refuses to go forward without God's presence and longs to see his glory, interceding for the people he leads.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who speaks with Moses face to face, promises his presence and rest, and graciously reveals his goodness while shielding Moses from his unbearable glory.
- Joshua — Moses' young servant who does not depart from the Tent of Meeting, devoted to the place of God's presence.
- The children of Israel — The mourning people who, hearing they have grieved God, strip off their jewelry and watch from their tents as Moses meets with the Lord.
Key Verse
Exodus 33:14 (WEB)
He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Lessons Learned
- The greatest treasure of God's people is not his gifts or guidance but his very presence.
- God draws near to those who seek him, speaking with his friends and meeting them in prayer.
- True faith refuses to be satisfied with anything less than God himself.
- God's glory is so great that sinful people can only behold it as he graciously shields and reveals it.
- God's presence is the prize. Moses insists, "If your presence doesn't go with me, don't carry us up from here" (Exodus 33:15, WEB). Without God himself, even the promised land would be empty.
- God invites intimate fellowship. "Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11, WEB). The Lord welcomes his people into nearness and honest conversation.
- Holy longing reaches for God himself. Moses prays, "Please show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18, WEB). Mature faith hungers not merely for blessings but for the Giver.
- Grace mediates God's overwhelming glory. "You cannot see my face… I will put you in a cleft of the rock" (Exodus 33:20-22, WEB). God reveals himself in measure, sheltering sinners so they may know him and live.
- Why is the news that God would send an angel but not go himself such hard news for the people?
- What does the phrase "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" reveal about Moses' relationship with God?
- Why does Moses refuse to move forward without God's presence, and what does that teach us about what we truly need?
- What does Moses' request "show me your glory" reveal about the deepest desire of faith?
- Do you find yourself seeking God's gifts and guidance more than God himself? What would it look like to pray, "show me your glory"?
- An angel, the land, and even milk and honey are not enough if God himself withholds his presence (33:2-4). The people grasp that to have everything but God is to have nothing; their mourning shows a right instinct that God himself is the true gift.
- The description of friendship and face-to-face speech (33:11) reveals a startling intimacy—God welcomes honest conversation with his servant. It anticipates the fellowship believers are invited into through Christ, who calls his disciples friends (John 15:15).
- Moses knows that God's presence is what sets Israel apart from every nation (33:16); without it they are just another people. This reframes what we ask of God: not merely help along the way, but the One who is himself our portion and rest.
- Moses is not content with promises and provisions; he longs to behold God's glory (33:18). This is the cry of true faith—to know and see God himself. It points ahead to the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
- This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to examine whether they pursue God's hand more than his face. As leader, model the longing of Moses and point to Christ, in whom we behold the glory of God and one day will see him as he is.