Kelly Gerken

This might be one of the WILDEST plot twists in the entire Bible and most Christians have never heard of it. Check this out. There were two significant requests Moses made to God that were denied. First. In Exodus 33, Moses asks God, “Show me Your glory.” But God tells him, “You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.” Request denied. Second. In Deuteronomy 3, Moses begs God to let him enter the Promised Land but because of his disobedience and failure to trust God, God tells Moses he will not enter. Request denied again. Now, fast forward to the New Testament. In Matthew 17, Jesus is transfigured on a mountain, and the Bible specifically tells us that his face shone like the sun. And guess who suddenly appears there with Jesus? Moses. Think about this. What is Moses finally seeing? He’s seeing… the face of God. The man who led the first Exodus and delivered his people from the bondage of Egypt is standing face to face with the One who would accomplish a greater Exodus, delivering sinners from the bondage of Satan, sin and death. The man whose face was radiant because of God’s glory (Ex. 34:29) is standing face to face with the One whose face radiates God’s glory (Matt. 17:2). In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses tells the Israelites that God will raise up a prophet like him and commands them to “LISTEN TO HIM.” In Matthew 17:5: God the Father speaks to the disciples about Jesus and says “LISTEN TO HIM.” But wait… there’s more. Where is Moses standing? He’s standing… in the promised land. The very two things Moses had once been denied, God allows him to experience in the presence of Jesus. Two takeaways. 1. Sometimes God answers our prayer requests in ways that we do not expect. Whatever he has to offer us is infinitely better than anything we could ever imagine. 2. Our failures may have consequences, but in Christ, they don't have to have the final word. That’s why Moses’ failure didn’t have the final word. God’s grace did.