Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech you, show me your glory. It was a fine aspiration, worthy of the man who uttered it, and the occasion on which he spoke it — "Show me Thy glory." It was the reaching out of a darker dispensation after gospel light — the reflections wishing to lose themselves in the great original. It was a man who had had great things given him, and therefore asked more. He had had law; he had had presence. And now from presence he mounts up to the only thing above it — glory, which is above presence. That is always a right field of aspiration — something beyond the present attainment, taking the mercy given as stepping-stones up higher. Do not be afraid of high spiritual ambition. Cultivate aspirations — they are little different from prayer — they are very elevating. I. LET US SEE TO WHAT MOSES ASPIRED. What are we to understand by "glory"? Evidently it was more than law. There are three kinds of glory. 1. There is the glory of circumstances that addresses itself to the senses — the glory, to the Christian, of gold and of pearl, the glory of surrounding angels, the glory of beautiful ministrations, the glory of light. 2. Then there is moral glory — such as that of the Lord Jesus Christ upon earth (John 1:14). 3. The glory of the sense or consciousness that everything goes back to the Creator, encircling Him with His own proper perfections, the living of God in the adoration, gratitude, and service of His creatures. Moses saw all three. His prayer had an answer on the Mount of Transfiguration. II. IT WAS A VERY REMARKABLE ANSWER THAT GOD MADE TO HIM. "I will make My kindness" — goodness, kindness, they are the same — "My kindness pass before thee." Kindness is glory. For example, glory is a covenanted thing, but the only covenanted thing is love. I do not read of other things covenanted; but God's glory must be in His covenant, therefore it is God's kindness. The glory of God was in Jesus Christ. That was the manifestation of the glory of God — that is kindness. The glory of God is Himself. Now God is love — He has many attributes, but they meet to make love. And take this lesson. Kindness is greatness, goodness is glory. Really, it is no greatness, it is no glory to see faults. It is so easy, and it is so poor, and it is so mean to see faults, and talk of faults. But it is great, really great, intellectually great, morally great, to see excellencies. Kindness is glory — it is a heavenly truth — the kindness of God is His glory. And every one among us is really glorious in proportion as he is kind. And the one of kindest judgments and kindest words has the most glory because he is nearest to the likeness of God. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. |
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