Law of God
179
“And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring
up this people; and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send
with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also
found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found
grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I
may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people.”
[288]
Moses was very urgent that the Lord should show him just the course
which he would have him pursue toward Israel. He wished to have
God mark out his course, that his instructions to Israel might be with
such wisdom that the people would receive his teachings, and their
course be approved of God, and that he would again consider them as
his people.
The Lord answered Moses’ anxious inquiry, and said, “My pres-
ence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him,
If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein
shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy
sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I
and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.”
He plead with God to know how it should be known that he and his
people had found grace in his sight, if he did not let the token of his
presence rest upon the tabernacle as formerly. Moses was not willing
to cease his entreaties with God until he should obtain the assurance
that the token of his presence would still rest upon the tabernacle as it
had done, and that he would continue to direct their journeyings by a
pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. Then could Moses
the more easily perform his laborious task in leading the people; for
this token would be continually reminding them of the living God, and
would also be an assurance to them of his divine presence. Then he
[289]
could the more easily influence the people to right actions, as he could
point them to the evidence of the nearness of God to them.
The Lord granted the earnest entreaty of his servant. “And the
Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken;
for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And
he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make
all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the
Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and
will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And he said, Thou canst
not see my face; for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord