Do your two lists look similar?  Probably not.  Perhaps you described Jesus as “soft-spoken, kind hearted, loving, maybe even caring.  God on the other hand is rarely described with the same words.

In our way of thinking, God could probably be described as an oddity.  A loving but feared being; some one who lovingly created us yet is off limits.  We have all heard that god is slow to anger, yet when reading the bible one might get the impression that God goes from zero to ANGRY at about the speed of light!  Who knows, perhaps coming from the creator of the speed of light it may very well be “slow”!

            You may even envision God with FIRERY EYES, or even a THUNDEROUS VOICE!  CHASTISING the disobedient!  Impatient with His disobedient children! Unwavering and perhaps even a bit uncompassionate towards those who make mistakes in life.  A God who may appear to be focused on his law; a cold, unwavering and unfeeling law. 

            Now before you disagree with the above description of God, review your past.  Ask yourself whom you have been angry at or blamed when things have gone horrible wrong in your life.  Why are we never angry with Jesus?

            So, let me ask you again.  Which of the two would you like to visit with, God or Jesus?  Chances are if you were being honest you would say Jesus. 

            What amazes me is that through all the stories I have been told, through all the stories I have read, I am only aware of one earthly individual who ever saw any part of God.  Only one man who even dared ask to see the face of God.  A few heard the voice of God, but only one earthly man experienced a close relationship with God, to sit and actually talk with God.  Usually we read where God did the talking and Moses the listening.  They seem to be very short and precise, very commanding conversations, and not all that far fetched from the descriptions of God I listed earlier.  However, Chapter 33 of Exodus shows what I believe to be a very soft side to God, a side we rarely read about in all biblical accounts of God.  That is what I want to focus on.

            Chapter 33 precedes the Golden Calf incident.  After the children of Israel had been punished we find Moses and God talking.  Verse 3 says “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way for you are a stiff-necked people”.  Clearly God had lost His patience with the children of Israel.  In the first part of chapter 33 He confirms to Moses that he will still keep the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  But the impression one might have is that God will deliver only because He had made a promise, not because He wanted to grant these disobedient stiff-necked people such a bounty, such a blessing.  This impression is especially true if one reads chapter 32, verse 10 which reads “Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them (children of Israel) and I may consume them…”.  Once again we find Moses pleading on behalf of the children of Israel, pleading with God to not unleash his wrath upon them.  Verse 14 of chapter 32 says God relented from the harm he wanted to bring upon the disobedient children of Israel.  But as we can see from chapter 33, verse 3, God has not forgotten and is still upset.

            In verse 7 of chapter 33, we find Moses taking his tent and pitching it outside the camp.  It is here that all who sought the Lord would go, including Moses.  Now my Bible (NKJV) makes a point to say that when God talked to Moses, He did so literally.  This provides us with some insight into the relationship that Moses had with God.  What a special gift, a special blessing this must have been for Moses.  With such a task as leading the multitude of people through out the desert for many a decade, this had to be a bit comforting for Moses.

            Let’s skip down to the middle of chapter 33.  I believe that verse’s 12 through 17 highlight two needs or two desires, two requests that Moses is making of God.  The first thing we see is that Moses is requesting God’s presence in their journey to the Promised Land.  Perhaps this is due to God’s decision to no longer go with them.  Moses is asking God to keep Israel as his chosen people.  Moses wants there to be a purpose to Israel’s journey, not just a duty because of a promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  You will also see that Moses needs reassurance from God.  Reassurance for himself.  The second request of God is the request that Moses really desires.  Our clue is found a total of four times throughout verse’s 12 through 17.  Moses keeps bringing up that God knows him by name and that Moses has found grace in His (God’s) sight.  Now God knows the desire that is burning deep within Moses.  Still, God waits for Moses to make known his hearts greatest desire.  God provides reassurance to Moses that his presence will go up with the children of Israel and that Moses has indeed found grace in God’s sight and that God knows his name. 

            Now after God has addressed all of Moses fears and requests, after offering reassurances, Moses is left with nothing else other than his hearts greatest desire.  Verse 18 of chapter 33 says, “Please, show me your glory”.  Moses wants to see God’s face.  He has heard his master’s voice, developed closeness with God and yet has never seen the face of the one he follows and loves. 

            It is in God’s response that we see a side not usually visible except through the son, Jesus.  Verse’s 19 – 23 read “…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.  …You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me and Live.  …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”.

            The end of verse 19 seems a bit out of place initially.  God may be reaffirming His power and his control.  God tells Moses “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion”.  I think God was making it clear to Moses that what was about to happen was an act of graciousness and compassion from God because Moses had found favor in the sight of God.  There is however one little problem.  God cannot completely grant the request of Moses for no man shall see God’s face and live.  But look at how God does answer, how he reaches out to fill Moses need.

            “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”