The Glory of God and the Law Written on Our Hearts

 "The Glory of God and the Law Written on Our Hearts"

Scripture Readings:

• Exodus 33:18–23

• Exodus 34:1–7

• Psalm 119:55

Today, we reflect on a divine encounter between Moses and the living God—an encounter that reveals not only God's glory but also His heart. In Moses’ request to see God's glory, we are drawn into a longing that echoes in every human soul: to see, to know, and to be near to the one true God. In God's response, we find both awe and intimacy, majesty and mercy.

Moses’ Bold Request and God’s Merciful Reply (Exodus 33:18–23):

In Exodus 33:18, Moses says to the Lord, “Please, show me Your glory.” It is a daring request, born not from arrogance but from a deep yearning for God’s presence. Moses had seen miracles—plagues, parting seas, bread from heaven—but he wanted something more: to see God's very essence.

How does God respond? Not with denial, but with a promise:
“I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My name ‘The LORD.’ I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” (v. 19)

Notice—Moses asks to see God's glory, and God promises to show His goodness and proclaim His name. This is a profound shift. God equates His glory not primarily with splendor or power, but with His character—His goodness, grace, and mercy.

But God also sets a boundary: “You cannot see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.” (v. 20) And so, God hides Moses in the cleft of a rock and allows him to see His back—a glimpse, not the full radiance. Even this partial view is overwhelming.

The Revelation of God’s Name (Exodus 34:1–7):

After preparing two new tablets of stone—the symbols of covenant and law—Moses ascends Sinai again. This time, God fulfills His promise:

“The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.” (v. 5)

Then comes one of the most powerful declarations in all of Scripture:

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” (vv. 6–7)

Here we see the glory that Moses asked to see: not in dazzling light, but in relational faithfulness; not in thunder, but in compassion and truth. God reveals His name, and His name is a testimony of His moral and spiritual character.

But this declaration does not ignore justice: “…but who will by no means clear the guilty.” God’s holiness is inseparable from His mercy. He is both just and the justifier (cf. Romans 3:26).

Remembering and Internalizing God’s Law (Psalm 119:55):

Psalm 119:55 says, “I remember Your name in the night, O LORD, and keep Your law.”
The psalmist connects remembering God's name—His character—with a response of obedience. It is not merely intellectual recall; it is a relational remembering that compels us to live rightly before God.

As Moses received the Law written on stone, so God intends to write His Law on a deeper surface: our hearts.

The Law Written on Our Hearts:

Throughout Scripture, we find this theme—God desiring not just external obedience, but inward transformation:

• Jeremiah 31:33: “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

• Ezekiel 36:26–27: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you... I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules.”

• Hebrews 10:16 echoes this new covenant promise, reminding us that in Christ, we receive both forgiveness and the inner renewal to obey.

God’s goal is not just to instruct us but to transform us. Just as He proclaimed His name to Moses and engraved His commands on stone, He now proclaims His grace in Christ and engraves His truth on our hearts through the Spirit.

How About Us?

Moses’ request was bold: “Show me Your glory.” And God’s answer was beautiful: “I will show you My goodness. I will proclaim My name.”

We, too, long to see God. And in Jesus Christ—the Word made flesh—we behold the fullness of God’s glory (John 1:14): “full of grace and truth.” Through Him, the name of the Lord is proclaimed to us in love, mercy, and holiness. And by His Spirit, the Law is no longer external but living within us.

So let us, like the psalmist, remember God’s name—even in the night—and walk according to His ways. Let us seek not just to see God’s glory, but to reflect it in lives shaped by His mercy and truth.

More: Lesson 8 In the Psalms: Part 1