107_The glory of the gospel
Ex 34: 1-9 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands,[a] forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
There’s a story told of a young boy who stood in awe before a great cathedral’s stained-glass windows. Each pictured an artist’s idea of a saint of old. As the morning sun shone through, the pictures glowed with vibrant color, illuminating the inside of the church. When he went home, all he could say was, “I saw the light shining through the saints.” A few years later, when he was asked what he thought a saint was, he said, “A saint is someone through whom the light shines.”
This simple statement captures the essence of living in the gospel. The gospel is not about doctrines, rules, or even the forgiveness of sins. The gospel reveals the glory of God shining through the lives of those who receive his grace and worship him in truth and spirit. Exodus 34:1-9 narrates the marvelous event when God revealed His glory to Moses, declaring His name and His nature. This passage illustrates how the glory of the gospel is revealed to us only so that Christ may shine through us.
God commanded Moses to cut two new stone tablets to replace the ones he had broken. “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets.” The first time God provided the stone tablets. But the second time, Moses had to prepare the stone. This is a picture of a repentant heart. The glory of the gospel begins in true humility before God. When a person truly turns to God, they come with a prepared heart, like a blank tablet, ready for God to inscribe His truth, his law of love, within it.
The Lord illustrated this in the parable of the sower. The good soil represented a heart prepared to receive, understand, and hold fast the word. In such a soil, the seed bore fruit in abundance.
Exodus 34 also depicts the fulfilment of a promise. God descends in a cloud, stands with Moses, hiding him in the cleft of a rock. There he proclaims His name. This is not merely a recitation or self-glorification. It is a revelation of His very nature. Without God revealing himself, we can never know him. Here, God reveals himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, yet also just. These attributes form the very heart of His holiness. Holiness is not the absence of sin; it is the presence of all that is good, true, and beautiful.
When Isaiah encountered the holiness of God, he cried out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” The revelation of God’s glory brings an awareness of our own frailty. The gospel is such a revelation. On the cross and at the empty grave of Christ, we see the glory of God. In Christ, God selflessly humbled himself for the sake of his sinful and unfaithful people. Christ, the image of God, tasted death so that we might be brought into eternal life and unhindered fellowship with God. Sin is judged on the cross, yet sinners are forgiven. Christ bore our sins and we are reckoned dead with him. In his resurrection, we are declared righteous. In his resurrection by God’s mighty power, we have the surety of ours through the gift of the Spirit. In Christ, we have new life, where we are led by the Spirit.
Paul describes the gospel as the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He also calls it “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God.” (1 Timothy 1:11). The gospel is not just good news about our escape from the punishment of hell. The gospel is the very revelation of God’s glory in Christ. When we live by the gospel, we live by the holiness, love, and righteousness of God taught to us in Christ. The Thessalonians, when they believed the gospel, did not receive it as mere words but as power. They became examples of faith, spreading the message far and wide.
“And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.” He could have done nothing else but worship and obey. When the God of glory appeared to Abraham and called him to leave his homeland, he obeyed in faith, not knowing where he was going. The vision of God’s glory strengthens and compels us to obedience.
Moses did not stop at worship. His understanding of God’s heart compelled him to obey God’s will in prayer. He made a bold request: “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” Knowing the stubbornness of Israel, Moses longed for God’s presence among them in forgiveness and loyal love. He understood that it was better to endure God’s discipline than to live without His presence. The greatest tragedy is not suffering, but a life devoid of God’s presence. This is why the psalmist repeatedly pleads, “Hide not your face from me.”
A rich young ruler once came to the Lord, asking how he could inherit eternal life. When Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow Him, he walked away sorrowful but confident. In Jesus Christ, he saw a great teacher, but not the image of God. Because he did not recognize the glory of God in Christ, he did not unconditionally humble himself in obedience. In his misplaced confidence, he missed the only path to life. The gospel exposes our sin, but it also reveals God, drawing us to repentance, forgiveness, and transformation.
The prodigal son, starving and disgraced in his rebellion, came to realize that even his father’s hired servants were better off than he was. He hoped his father would show mercy to him and let him work for his living. Without any other way of escape, he was ready to return home. But the moment he came within sight of home, his father came running to affirm his love, despite the past. Paul describes this as the “light of the glorious gospel of Christ.” The gospel is not a set of rules—it is Christ, the living revelation of the love and holiness of God.
To share the gospel is not just passing on a message but to reflect the glory of God. Paul exhorts us, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). When we walk in love, we reflect God’s nature, for “whoever walks in love walks in God.” Otherwise, we are a stumbling block for others to believe the gospel and we will earn God’s anger.
Just as a stained-glass window comes alive when the light shines through it, so too must our lives radiate the presence of Christ. The gospel is the glory of God revealed to us, and shining through us to the world. Let us walk in the light of Christ and glorify our Father in heaven. God bless.