Major on Mercy I beseech thee, show me thy glory. - Exodus 33:18 What would you say is the single, most outstanding thing about God? Whats His most important characteristic? Some people would say its His power. Others, His holiness. But God Himself would give a different answer. You can find that answer in Exodus 33. There Moses is asking God to show him His glory. Now the word glory could literally be translated heavy weight. It refers to the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone. Its the sum total of their worth. So what Moses was actually saying was, Lord, I want to see the weightiest thing about You. I want to know Your grandest attributes. What did God say to him in response? Chapter 34:6-7 tells us, The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Just think about that! When Moses asked God to show him the most important thing about Himself, God showed him His mercy. That means if you and I are to imitate God (Eph. 5:1) we must major in mercy too. Mercy, goodness, forgiveness and compassion must mark our behavior above all else. Major on mercy and others will see the glory of God in you. SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 33:7-23,Exodus 34:5-10 By Kenneth Copeland Exodus 33:7-23 Amplified Bible (AMP) 7 Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lord went out to [that temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 When Moses went out to the tent of meeting, all the people rose and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the Lord would talk with Moses. 10 And all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the tent door, and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man at his tent door. 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses returned to the camp, but his minister Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the [temporary prayer] tent. 12 Moses said to the Lord, See, You say to me, Bring up this people, but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, I know you by name and you have also found favor in My sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight. And [Lord, do] consider that this nation is Your people. 14 And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. 15 And Moses said to the Lord, If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here! 16 For by what shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight? Is it not in Your going with us so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the other people upon the face of the earth? 17 And the Lord said to Moses, I will do this thing also that you have asked, for you have found favor, loving-kindness, and mercy in My sight and I know you personally and by name. 18 And Moses said, I beseech You, show me Your glory. 19 And God said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim My name, The Lord, before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy and loving-kindness on whom I will show mercy and loving-kindness. 20 But, He said, You can not see My face, for no man shall see Me and live. 21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand upon the rock, 22 And while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen. Exodus 34:5-10 Amplified Bible (AMP) 5 And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation. 8 And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth and worshiped. 9 And he said, If now I have found favor and loving-kindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray You, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance. 10 And the Lord said, Behold, I lay down [afresh the terms of the mutual agreement between Israel and Me] a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels (wonders, miracles) such as have not been wrought or created in all the earth or in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord; for it is a terrible thing [fearful and full of awe] that I will do with you.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:38:55 +0000
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