Too Much of a Good Thing?

So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 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. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:17-23)

Three big ones relating to God our Father pass by in this passage: grace, glory, and goodness. Moses for his own safety is not allowed to see all of God's glory and most especially not the face of God Himself. This is quite different from Adam walking with God in the Garden of Eden during the cool of the evening.

Why did Moses rate a pass by in the first place? Of course God explains the reason why and it has nothing to do with the piety or accomplishments of Moses; he found grace in God's sight. Is that not the wonderful thing we find in Christ Jesus? Moses asks for God's glory to be shown to him. God responds with, "I will make all My goodness pass before you." Goodness, the glory of God. Well, I am surely glad for that! Imagine if the glory of God was how well He could catch and smite every sinful human. No, we don't need to run from our Lord in terror, but to praise Him for His goodness.

As Moses is hidden in the cleft, God passes by in His goodness. So great is the goodness of God that Moses cannot see the face of our Lord Father and live. How far we are fallen that the purity of God's goodness would slay us where we stand. To see the face of God right now would be too much of a good thing. Even Moses couldn't handle it in his fallen humanness. If the great heroes of the faith cannot see God's face and live, how much less sinful little ol' me? But in that is great hope. For if those we account mighty in the faith are in such a state, then there is nothing I can accomplish to be saved. All righteousness, justification, and salvation must come from God through His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ.

We are saved in Him!
Bucky