REPOSITIONING FOR GREATER GLORY
“And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.” (Exodus 33:21-22 NKJV)
Among the Old Testament saints, none saw and experienced God’s glory as Moses did. Unlike other prophets of old God spoke to and revealed Himself to in a vision or dream, God spoke to Moses plainly, as a man speaks to his friend (Exo. 33:11).
God said about Moses, “I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD…” (Num. 12:8 NKJV).
Though Moses lived and operated under the Old Covenant, he enjoyed a loving, deep and intimate communion with God.
Although Moses had heard God’s audible voice, had seen glorious appearances of God, and had witnessed many miraculous and wondrous acts of God in the past, yet he was still hungry and longing for more of God.
Moses’ insatiable hunger and thirst for God was undoubtedly one of the primary reasons why he saw, experienced, and manifested God’s glory in an unprecedented dimension in his generation.
Moses’ deepest desire was to see God in His full glory and majesty, just as He is, face to face. Therefore, as Moses communed with God, he pleaded with God, saying, “Please, show me Your glory.” (Exo. 33:18 NKJV).
We are not seeing, experiencing, and manifesting God’s glory increasingly today because we are not hungry, seeking, longing, or panting for God increasingly.
Sadly, unlike Moses, we get easily distracted, satisfied, engrossed, or preoccupied with “the things” that God gives us, does for us, or does through us rather than His person.
Although no mortal man in the flesh can stand the sight of the complete revelation of God’s glory and majesty, yet Moses found grace in God’s presence. God revealed His glory to him in an unprecedented manner and dimension.
It is only in God’s grace that God’s full glory is revealed. It is only in Jesus Christ, the grace of God that brings salvation to all men, that God’s glory is fully present, disclosed, or manifested (John 1:17, Titus 2:11).
Jesus Christ is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person (Heb. 1:3).
The Scripture testifies of Christ, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” (Col. 1:19 RSV).
When Moses pleaded with God to show him His full glory, God demanded that Moses reposition himself.
Exodus 33:21-23 – NKJV
21 “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
22 “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
23 “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
How did Moses reposition himself to see God’s greater glory?
How can we also reposition ourselves to see and manifest God’s glory and presence increasingly?
It is wisdom to find out!
First, God demanded that Moses draw closer to a place by His side where he would be able to see His glory clearer and better, in a new and unprecedented dimension.
The Scripture records, “And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me…” (Exo. 33:21 NKJV).
When Moses drew nearer to God, he did not only see God in a way he had never seen God before, he also reflected and manifested God’s glory in a way he had never done before (Exo. 34:30).
In Christ, the New Testament believers have been reconciled or brought near to God through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.
Paul aptly presents this truth.
Ephesians 2:13-17 – NKJV
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
However, the believers are still expected to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to relish intimacy or communion with God in Christ daily. Having been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, you should not allow anyone or anything to come between God and you.
Sadly, many believers today follow the Lord Jesus from a far distance, thereby allowing many things to come between God and them. Consequently, many believers today are not experiencing, reflecting, and manifesting God’s glory to the world as they should.
Suppose you are not satisfied with the dimension of God’s glory you are seeing, experiencing, or manifesting now in your life, home, career, business, or ministry. In that case, it is time to reposition yourself as Moses did.
You need to identify, renounce, remove, or deal with anything hindering you from growing in the grace and revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ and enjoying daily a loving, deep, and intimate fellowship or communion with God (Jam. 4:8).
Second, in response to Moses’ passionate prayer to see God’s full glory, God demanded that Moses change the foundation or ground on which he stood.
If Moses wanted to see a greater dimension of God’s glory, he would have to stand on the rock where God would come down to manifest His glory to him.
God said to Moses, “… and you shall stand on the rock…” (Exo. 33:21 NKJV).
Where Moses was standing would determine the clarity of his vision of God’s glory. Moses saw God’s glory greater, more precise, and better while standing on the rock than he would where he was standing before.
You are not seeing God’s glory in a greater dimension today because you are not standing firm on “the spiritual rock,” which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 10:4).
You cannot experience and manifest God’s full glory without you standing firm in the finished work of Jesus Christ for your salvation.
When you fail to stand upon God’s Word or hold fast unto God’s promises, you will miss the manifestation or revelation of God’s glory.
God’s Word is the only sure foundation or rock upon which you must build your life, home, relationships, career, business, or ministry if you genuinely desire to experience and manifest God’s glory increasingly.
The early Church experienced and manifested God’s glory to their generation in undeniable manners and dimensions because they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42 NKJV).
Amid many activities and distractions, the apostles resolved to continually give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).
In the face of stiff opposition and persecution, the early apostles of Jesus held fast to the words of life and truth. When commanded by their elders not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, their resolution and response was “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20 NKJV).
Until we also begin to magnify or esteem God’s Word above anything else in the Church today, we might not see, experience, and manifest God’s glory to our generation as the early Church saw, experienced, and manifested God’s glory.
It takes a mindset and resolution to seek for the truths, believe in the truths, live by the truths, hold fast to the truths, and contend for the truths of God’s Word to experience and manifest God’s glory increasingly.
In this constantly changing world, you must resolve to stand and speak out for the truth, to embrace, adopt and propagate sound doctrines, and to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints of old.
Paul admonishes Timothy to “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 1:13 NKJV).
This warning is for you, too!
Lastly, for Moses to see and experience the glory of glory in a more remarkable and unprecedented dimension, he must be willing to be hidden in the cleft of the rock.
It is only God that must be seen when He descended upon the rock in His majesty. No flesh must glory in God’s presence (1 Cor. 1:29).
Exodus 33:22-23 – NKJV
22 “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
23 “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
Although hidden in the cleft of the rock, yet Moses still saw a more remarkable and unprecedented dimension of God’s glory, and it rubbed so much on him that the skin of his face shone when he returned from God’s presence (Exo. 34:29).
Beloved, it is only as you abide in the love and teaching of Christ that you can see, experience, and manifest God’s glory increasingly.
It is not enough to come to Christ, believe in Christ, or accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour; you must resolve to abide or continue in the love, words, or teaching of Christ until when you see Christ face to face at His physical return to the world (John 8:31-32).
John 15:9-10 – NKJV
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Colossians 3:1-4 – NKJV
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Therefore, reposition yourself today for the manifestation of God’s glory in and through your life by fellowshipping daily with God in prayer and the study of God’s Word, by standing firm in the finished work of Christ, and by abiding in the love and teaching of Christ.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, I receive and draw grace from Christ today to daily abide in His love and teaching until I see Him face to face and be transformed entirely into His image, in Jesus’ name. Amen.