May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (Exodus 33:19-20)

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear friends: Today we hear Moses ask God, Lord, show me your glory, show me yourself, God. The world does not want to see God. It is like the prodigal son-Give me what is mine, it says and off it goes, away from God as far as possible to indulge in self. We once were like this; we still are though more refined about it. Our sinful nature still wants to hide from God; My will, not yours, be done, our old self says. But God has let us see him. He's grabbed hold of us by the Word and Baptism and caused us to see him as he is-mercy, goodness, grace, blessing. Now we are like Moses. Show me your glory, Lord. Let me see you. Let's consider the blessing of seeing God. LORD, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY.

There were visions of God for a chosen few. God let some people see him in a special way. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, full of grace and truth, John wrote in his Gospel. Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Apostles on the Mt. of Transfiguration-these were allowed to see God in his glory. There were not better than we, more disserving. The Bible does not gloss over the sins of these men who were allowed these visions of God. For them as for us it was mercy that moved the Lord to let himself be seen. So why were these chosen few given these grand visions of God? To confirm our faith in the reality of what they saw and what we wait to see.

I have never been to Europe. I do believe that there is such a place. I know people who have been there. My uncle Don landed there on D-day plus one and drove his trucks across the countryside for about a year during the war. He told me there is such a place. My Sue has been there. Many of you have too. When you tell me that Europe is and how wonderful it is to visit there, I am renewed in my hopes to go there someday myself. I'm sure glad God let some people visit there. It encourages me for my future trip.

We have never seen God's glory. A chosen few have, and they have told us about it. Moses writes in the very next chapter how the Lord let him see his glory. Every time we read about their wonderful vision of God's glory it strengthens our faith in God. That's why God let his glory be seen by a chosen few-to strengthen our faith and to make us long to see him too. Faith-not just that he exists-but in what the Lord is like. Mercy, goodness, blessing is he. One day we will see too. But until then we have these visions of a few to sustain us.

There are visions of God for us all. But it is not as if we cannot see God until we go to heaven. The reason you long to see him with your eyes is because you have already seen him-with the eyes of faith. The Lord is not a recluse, watching us and then ducking behind something lest we see him. He virtually stands out like a lighted city on a hill shines out in the darkness. Where, you ask? I haven't seen him, you say. Ah, but you are wrong. Yes, you have seen him in his Word.

Now remember. God is a spirit. He is invisible. If one sees God with the eye, it is really something God has made visible so that a human can see him. He is invisible unless he makes himself seen. "Seeing God" really isn't done with the eyeball, but with the eye of faith. When Moses asks to see the Lord's glory, God's answer was that he would see God with his "ears" as God described himself. I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (v. 18). People see God's glory when they listen to the Word where he describes himself. And he is mercy and compassion. When you read about how he loved the world and sent his Son to rescue the world, then you see him as he is-the Savior God.

You've seen him there, in his Word. You have seen enough of God to know that the thought of seeing him is terrifying because of our sin. Imagine, the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell comes to us in his Word to tell us that unless our righteousness is perfect as he is perfect we will see him only to hear him condemn us on the last day. You've seen enough of God to know that there is hope even for us hopeless cases. That is so because he came to destroy sin and to bring life and immortality to life through the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:10) You've seen God enough to know that when you look at him he says to those weary and burdened with sin, Come to me and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11) In his Word God has given a vision of himself to all people-even to unbelievers-so that all are without excuse. On the last day when people say, How was I to know you, God will answer with another question: How did you ever miss me? I was as a city on a hill your whole life long. It gives us a renewed sense of wonder and appreciation for the Word. Here the Lord lets us see him.

There is a vision of God in heaven for his children of faith. The Lord has promised to give us the same as he gave Moses-some day. The Apostle said: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13). It's as if the Lord is standing behind us and we can see his reflection in the Word now. Some day we will see him face to face. Job too said: I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19) That's what is waiting for all who know Jesus as Savior. Today when we pray, Lord, show me your glory, he answers, Yes, I surely will do as you ask. God bring us to that day.    Amen.