Introduction: If I asked you to “describe God’s glory,” how would you answer? Would you recite what God did to the Egyptians? How  God bent nature to support His people on their desert journey? How God gave His people a better way of living? Would it occur to you to answer that the glory of God is that He decides to save some and not others? Let’s plunge into our study of Exodus to see how God answers that question!

I. Meeting GodA. Read Exodus 33:7. If this is a tent to have meetings, why is it “far off” from the camp? (It is a place, we will learn, that Moses met with God. The reason it is far off is because God is distancing Himself from the people after the Golden Calf rebellion we discussed last week.)

B. Read Exodus 33:8. What lesson do you learn from the people watching Moses enter the Tent of Meeting? (When we read Exodus 32:1 the people were not showing respect to Moses. In Exodus 33 the people are now respecting Moses.)

C. Read Exodus 33:9-10. Is God doing anything to discourage the people from idol worship? (Making an idol gave them something tangible to worship. Here we see the people worshiping when they see the “pillar of cloud” coming down and standing at the entrance to the tent.)

D. Read Exodus 33:11. Can you imagine speaking face-to-face with God? Do you think that Moses is actually looking at God’s face? (Read Exodus 33:20-23. This reveals that Moses must have been facing God in the tent, but something was protecting Moses from seeing God’s face. We see later on that God takes special care that Moses does not see His face, because otherwise Moses would die.)

1. What do you think it means that Joshua stayed at the tent of meeting? Was he speaking to God after Moses left? (No. I think this tent was considered sacred space and Joshua was protecting it. Exodus 33:7 seems to say that when the people had something they wanted to bring before God, they would go outside the tent of meeting and pray.)

a. Why would the people decide to pray near a place that Moses met God? (This reflects pagan thinking. Idols were built on the top of high places based on the thinking it was nearer to the god. We can pray to God anywhere.)

II. The Leading of God

A. Read Exodus 33:12-13. What is Moses’ request? (He has two requests. That God send someone to go with him in leading the people and that he can know God better.)

1. Is there a specific reason Moses is asking for leadership help? Doesn’t he have Aaron? (Read Exodus 33:1-3. God promised Moses that He would send an angel to lead, but He also said He would not go because He might destroy the rebellious people.)

B. Read Exodus 33:2-3. God says that He will not personally go with Moses. Why not? (God says that the Hebrews are “stiff-necked” meaning that they are rebellious and God might destroy them.)

C. Read Exodus 33:14-17. What is Moses’ argument about why God Himself should go with them? (Moses says he does not want to go without God. Going with God makes all the difference. It distinguishes them from all others.)

1. Have you asked God to go with you? (I am afraid to make a decision to try to live without God. Once when I was young, and another time when I was much older, I was faced with a decision that I thought would turn my back on God. Both times I decided that I could not make my journey in life without God.)

III. The Glory of God

A. Read Exodus 33:18. Why do you think Moses asks this question? (Moses previously (Exodus 33:13) said that He wanted to know God better. Moses may also be asking for proof God will be with them. He has just gotten God to say that He will be with them. Now Moses says “please show me.”)

B. Read Exodus 33:19. Notice the way God answers the question about revealing His glory. What is the first aspect of God’s glory? (His goodness.)

1. Notice God also answers the “glory” question by saying that He will be arbitrary when showing graciousness and mercy. How is God’s glory shown in selectively showing mercy and grace?

C. Read Matthew 7:21-23. This is one of the most difficult texts for me to understand. These are mighty works that could not be done without the power of the Holy Spirit. How can Jesus say He “never” knew them? They were working with another member of the Trinity!

1. Jesus calls them “workers of lawlessness,” yet their works were casting out demons, prophesying, and many mighty works! This makes no sense on the surface.

D. Read Romans 9:15-16, where Paul comments on our reading in Exodus. How does Paul understand God’s statement on what appears to be arbitrariness? (Paul says that we earn nothing when it comes to salvation. While I do not doubt the statements of the miracle workers in Matthew 7, they think they are entitled to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This shows the most basic misunderstanding of God’s glory. Our salvation comes only by His mercy. Only by faith in Jesus. Genuine grace is freely given by God. That is what God was showing Moses when he sought to better know God and see His glory.)

E. Read Exodus 33:20-23. Is the fact that Moses cannot see God’s face and live connected to the discussion about God’s unmerited mercy? (Yes! Humans must admit that they are not God. They are not entitled to second-guess God. God’s glory is in Jesus.)

IV. Second Chances

A. Read Exodus 34:1-2 and Exodus 34:4-8. How does God describe what His name means? (Merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.)

1. Is God showing that He will forgive sin? That He will give second chances?
2. What does God say about the guilty and their descendants? (God forgives, but if we choose sin and self-dependence God will not ignore that decision. The evil results affect the lives of our descendants.)

B. Read Exodus 34:28. Why do you think God has Moses with Him for forty days? (He is running the people through the same temptation that caused them to create the Golden Calf.)

V. A Shining Face

A. Read Exodus 34:29-30 and Exodus 34:32-35. Why is Moses’ face shining? Why does Moses veil it when he speaks to the people? (Moses’ face reflects the glory of God. Each time Moses goes to the tent to meet with God, when he comes out his face is shining again.)

1. Is there a lesson in this for us? Does your face “shine” when you seek to know more about God? Does your attitude and appearance change?

B. Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. What is God’s goal for our lives? (That we will be transformed to reflect His glory.)

1. How does this happen as a practical matter? (Through the power of the Holy Spirit.)

C. Friend, the glory of God is the grace and mercy that He extends to each of us. We can make no demand on God based on our supposed good works. His salvation for us is entirely grace. Will you ask Him today to save you by His grace? Why not ask right now?

VI. Next week: The Tabernacle.

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

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