SCRIPTURE: Exodus 33
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.’ [John 14:8-9]. Moses asks, ‘show me Your glory’, and Philip asks, ‘show us the Father’. They were asking the same thing. The ironic thing is that both of them had already seen remarkable evidence of God’s glory. But they wanted more.
God spoke with Moses face to face, as with a friend [Exodus 33:11]. Philip spoke with Jesus face to face, as with a friend [John 15:14-15]. But the way God relates to us through Jesus is unique, different from how God spoke to Moses, and to the people. Jesus is not just a human mediator between God and people, He is God Himself in the flesh [Colossians 2:9-10]. Even though it is true that no one can see God and live, Jesus reveals the glory of God in a unique way, as the one and only Son of God [John 1:14-18]
Both Moses and Philip realize that they cannot fulfill God’s mission unless God is with them. Their request to see/experience the glory of God is a desire to be sure, to be equipped with God confidence. What Moses experiences was amazing, and we probably wish we could see the same.
But Jesus offers this, and more. We can talk with God through Jesus face to face and know we are seeing the Father. We see Jesus with our imagination, as His life is lived out before us in the gospel stories. The Holy Spirit in us opens our eyes to see Him, and enables us to talk with and hear Him. When we meet with God, through Jesus, by the Spirit in the “meeting place” [the prayer closet, Matthew 6:6], we are seeing and experiencing His glory.
On the one hand, we should be content with this. God has already revealed Himself to us in wonderful, miraculous ways. But we can also be inspired to ask for more. With boldness, like Moses and Philip, let us ask to see even more of God’s glory, whether through dramatic personal experiences or miraculous God-moments. Do this, not just for the experience, but so that like Moses you will be energized with greater confidence, glowing with the presence of God. Do this, so that like Philip and the other disciples who witnessed the glory of the resurrected Jesus, were energized to boldly testify to Jesus as Lord and Saviour, even to death.
PRAYER:
Lord, I have experienced You, but I want to see and know You more. Show me Your glory and energize me to lead Your people!
Where have I seen Jesus is what I need to ask myself. All too often I take the Lord’s presence for granted. The Lord was with the people Israel and showed Himself at the tent of meeting, I need to take the time and meet/talk with God each and every day. Moses asked for help in the leading of the people, even though he was equipped for the task. God answered him by reminding him that His presence would go before him. So too, today, as I do my God-given task, the Lord will go before me with His presence. He has given His Spirit to be my encourager along the way. I just need to open my eyes and see His presence and sense His strengthening powers within me each and evry day. I say that I belong to Him and I need to live that also by my actions. As His child I need to sit and share my experiences with Him. I need to live as a member of His family. I need to talk daily with my Father.
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him
And say that we love Him
Open our ears, Lord
And help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus