The God who Forms His People
I. Moses has a HUNGER for GOD. (33:12-23)
A. It’s a DEEP and RELATIONAL longing. (v.12-14)
B. It sees RELATIONSHIP as COMMUNAL. (v.15-17)
C. It SEEKS to know God in His FULLNESS. (v.18-23)
Last week we looked at the changes happening in Moses. He is being shaped by his interactions with Yahweh and his witnessing all that Yahweh is doing with His people. This has cultivated something in Moses that longs for more. This is what happens as we grow in our relationship with God.
1. Kid’s Question: What do you currently want more than anything else?
2. On a scale of 1-10 rate your own hunger for God? When has it been stronger or weaker? What are the factors that impact it?
II. SEEING God in His GLORY. (34:1-10)
A. FIVE core ATTRIBUTES. (v.6)
B. The TENSION between these and JUSTICE. (v.7)
God’s self-description in Exodus 34:6-7 is the Old Testament passage most quoted by the New Testament authors. Moses bold request to see the glory of God is something that is honoured by God’s revelation of His character and nature.
3. Which of the attributes of God listed in 34:6-7 is the most personally meaningful to you at this moment and why?
4. How do the sins of your family’s past generations still impact you today?
III. Moses is TRANSFORMED by the ENCOUNTER. (34:29-35)
A. RADIATING glory and yet UNAWARE. (v.29)
B. The PEOPLE see a reflection of GLORY. (v.30-35)
God has much to say to Moses after the self-revelation, but I want us to skip ahead to see the impact of the encounter. While Moses didn’t realize what had happened, he figured it out pretty quickly when he came off the mountain. The encounter with God left him literally glowing with glory.
5. Have you ever known anyone who reflected God into your own life? How did it impact you?
6. What are some examples of how you might reflect God into the lives of those around you? Do you think that you can actively try to do that or is it just something that happens when you are living in relationship with God?
IV. The CROSS resolves the TENSION. (2 Cor. 3:7-18)
A. Glory: THERE is no COMPARISON. (v.7-11)
B. Gifts FREEDOM and BOLDNESS. (v.12-17)
C. Goal: SEEING transforms our BEING. (v.18)
We are thankful to have the New Testament reflections on this event in Exodus 34. Paul helps us to see that this was pointing the way toward the cross…a place where the tension between God’s compassionate loyal love and justice finds resolution. What was amazing to Moses and those around him pales in light of what God has done for us.
7. Where in your life do you sense a freedom and boldness flowing out of the gospel? Where do you struggle to live that out?
8. How can you make a regular practice of “seeing” or contemplating the “Lord’s glory”? What might that look like in your day to day life?