Do you know what is at the center of God's Glory? Exodus 33-36

Exodus 33:17-19 (NASBStr)

The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “ I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”

Moses and God had a special relationship.   In verse eleven of this same chapter states that they talked face-to-face.   Later in this section we read that after Moses talked with God his face would shine so brightly he had to cover it so others could still be around him.   In the verses above, Moses imposes even more on this relationship by asking God to "show me Your glory!"    Moses, apparently, didn't even know what he was asking.    God will answer him later that he can't see the complete glory of God, but only His backside.   He tells Moses that to see the complete glory of God would kill Moses.   The key in this passage, however, is how God answers the original request.  Notice that God's answer is not, "Sure, I can do that!" or, "Yes, stand still and I will show you!"   God's answer talks about His goodness and His sovereign choice to have mercy on whom He will and compassion on whom He will.   Remember, Moses asked to see God's glory.   Moses didn't ask for an explanation of how God choose Abraham, or the entire Israelite nation.  Moses didn't ask Him to explain the significance of sovereign will and the Decrees of God.   Moses didn't tell God he had enrolled in the local seminar and they were debating in their Theology class the truth and validity of Divine Election.   Moses asked to see God's Glory.   In our mind that would mean that Moses wanted to see the very essence of God, or the most important aspect of God.   God's answer?  His sovereign power and will to elect!!   Note how Paul uses this in Romans 9 to explain Gods right to choose!!! God is answering Moses' request to show him His glory.  God is saying My Glory is that I am free to save whomever I want. This is why it is so dangerous to deny Gods election.  Of all the things God could have said here, He choose to say, "I'm sovereign in my choices.  I can choose whom I will and whom I don't will."   People love to argue God's sovereign will as opposed to man's free choice.   Denominations have been formed over their answers.   Wars have been fought over this answer.   Thousands of books have been written and sermon's preached.  People have been offended by it and humbled by it, all in the same time frame.   God decides to answer Moses' question about His glory by displaying and bragging about His sovereign right and will to choose whom He will.   Argue divine election all you want, but remember that God's glory is at the center of it.