What would you ask for?

***DISCLAIMER: This story, while rooted in truth, is my fanciful imaginings of how this situation in Scripture might have played out. I am in no way trying to imply that I know what and how Moses thought and acted. I merely took some verses and formulated my opinion of how it might have happened. This does not mean that it's true. Only the Scriptures are irrefutably true. I'm not trying to be God. I have, however, written this in the third person, which makes me the omiscient story-teller. All clear? Good.***

~

“And the Lord replied to Moses, ‘Yes, I will do what you have asked, for you have certainly found favor with me and you are my friend.’ Then Moses asked to see God’s glory. The Lord replied, ‘I will make my goodness pass before you, and I will announce to you the meaning of my name Jehovah, the Lord. I show kindness and mercy to anyone I want to. But you may not see the glory of my face, for man may not see me and live. However, stand here on this rock beside me. And when my glory goes by, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed. Then I will remove my hand and you shall see my back, but not my face.’” – Exodus 33:17-23

~

Moses felt a wave of pure joy wash over him. That the sovereign Lord would find favor with him, call him his friend! He struggled to fight back tears as he weighed the immensity of such an honor.

But wait! There was something else. God had said that He would do what Moses asked because He considered him a friend. Could he perhaps ask for something else? He dared to believe that such a thing might be possible.

Moses pondered for some time, his mind swirling with options. He could ask for a million requests – after all, that’s how many people were following him - selfish, pig-headed, opinionated people.

Perhaps he could ask that God turn all the Israelites into sheep. Surely God wouldn’t deny Moses that. Then he wouldn’t have to hear their complaints and grumblings, or worry that another devastating revolt like that of the golden calf would happen again. He felt the fury begin to build in his heart, and he quickly cleared his mind of such thoughts.

Perhaps he could ask that God beam them to Canaan, and save them the long trip of walking through this weary desert. Or perhaps he could just ask for a little patience, day to day.

He might ask for anything. Anything! Yet even as these ponderings struggled for acknowledgement, he knew his soul needed something more. ‘Stun me with Your strength, God,’ he whispered, ‘Numb me with Your wisdom. Steal my breath with a brush of Yours. Grant me a moment in the spray of Your cataract of grace. Permit me a glimpse of Your glory. Show me Your glory, Lord!’

And God said yes.

Moses crouched in the cleft of rock that God reveled to him and tried to calm him wildly beating heart. God placed His hand over the opening in the stone, effectively shrouding Moses in darkness. Moses clutched his chest, fearing that his heart would explode. Even this nearness of God was almost too much for Moses in his old age - and he had asked to see God’s glory?! Surely the sight would kill him! Yet even as he thought it, Moses knew that if he was to die, this would be the way he wanted to go.

The hand lifted. Moses gripped the rock with his own leathery hands and struggled to his feet, peering over the rock and looking all around him. The first thing he noticed was the smoke, the heavy, pure smoke that filled the air and permeated his lungs and made him feel young. Then he noticed that the stones all around him, the very rocks he was clutching in his hands were scorched black as though smote with lightening. But these things were not what his eyes sought.

Pushing his long, gray hair out of his eyes, he peered through the haze, desperately seeking that which he had asked for. And there, receding in the distance was the backside of the Living God! The face of the Maker would have been too much for Moses to bear. A fading glimpse would have to do. But it was more than enough!

Moses slumped back into the cleft of rock, gasping for breath, tears of joy coursing down his weathered cheeks. He sat for a long time, bringing to mind what had happened over and over, so as to engrave it into his memory. As he did so, he felt the glory of God seep through his entire being. He knew he could now handle anything that came his way. He had skimmed the surface of the unfathomable depths of God’s glory. This was the God he served! With tears still shining on his cheeks, and with his heart beating more brightly and fully than ever before, Moses gathered up the stone tablets and made his way down the mountain.

~

“Moses didn’t realize as he came back down the mountain with the tablets that his face glowed from being in the presence of God. Because of this radiance upon his face, Aaron and the people were afraid to come near him.” – Exodus 34:29-30.