What are you chasing?

We are studying Moses this year in BSF and last week we were in Exodus 33-34.

Just to re-cap:
Israel in slavery and bondage – check
Moses born & hidden in basket, saved by Pharaoh’s daughter – check
Moses flees to Midian, has burning bush experience – check
Moses returns to Egypt at God’s command to free Israel – check
Plagues & exodus – check
God leads the people by pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night – check
God provides manna for the people to eat – check
Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the law – check
That whole golden calf episode – (unfortunately) check
Moses re-ascends Mt. Sinai after breaking tablets – check

WHEW! I think I got that all in order… at least mostly.

So here we are, back up on Mt. Sinai with Moses.

Don’t you wish you were actually there? I do. I’d love to see what it was like and experience what Moses did.

The thing is, I think what I’ve learned from this passage is that I can.

One thing that strikes me about what I read in this part of Exodus (even going back into chapter 32) is the intimacy. Oh, I long for the kind of intimacy that Moses had with God.

Just think, after all that had happened and how Moses had interceded for the people of Israel after their sin in making the golden calf, asking him to not destroy the people, he asked for even more.

In Exodus 33:13, Moses says to the Lord, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”

Then, in verse 15 he tells God, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” In other words, I can’t settle for you just sending an angel with us, I want YOU!

THEN, he asks of the Lord, the ultimate request in verse 18. “Now show me your glory.”

Oh, WOW!

In lecture on Wednesday, our teaching leader said this phrase made her think of the quote from Jerry Maguire, “Show me the MONEY.” She made the point that most often, we want what the world can show us rather than what God can show us.

As she talked about this, I thought of an ad that has rubbed me wrong about this same exact point. Chase Bank’s ad campaign recently has had a tag line of, “Chase what matters.” I like the play on words and it’s a good advertisement. But according to them, those are all material things that can be purchased with your Chase credit card.



So that causes me to ask myself the question, “Am I truly chasing what matters?” Probably not. But I want to. Oh, yes I do.

This is going to be a year of chasing what matters. This is going to be a year of seeking to KNOW God with the intimacy and life changing power of knowing Him that Moses experienced. This is going to be a year of asking God to show me his GLORY, the manifestation of his attributes.

Lord, show me your GLORY!