In the Cleft of the Rock

“Moses said, ‘Please show me Your glory….’But,’ He said, ‘you cannot see My face, for man shall not see Me and live’. And the Lord said, ‘Behold, there is a place by Me where you shall stand on the rock, and while My glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.’ “ (Exodus 33:18, 20-23, ESV) [Read Exodus 33:14-23]

One of our familiar hymns has the words, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me; Let me hide myself in thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure.” This hymn is about Jesus Christ who was “cleft” (or split open) on the cross as a sacrifice for sin. But early in the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness, Moses had to hide in a cleft of the rock to shade himself from the glory of God passing before him. The occasion was Moses’ ascending the mountain again to receive the second time the commandments from God. This was necessary after Moses, in his anger had thrown the tablets and broken them when he saw the Israelites worshiping the golden calf they had made. Moses asked the Lord to go with him and the people as they went on the mission to possess the Promised Land. God assured Moses that He knew him by name and would go with him and the people. And then God offered to pass before Moses to reveal His glory. But Moses could not look on God directly. No one had seen God’s face and lived. Moses had to hide in the cleft of the rock on the mountain as God in all His majesty, mystery and glory passed by. The most that Moses could see of God was a manifestation of the divine radiance, the afterglow. We in our human faculties can comprehend God only in part—even in our high spiritual and exalted moments. We can draw near, we can gain a portion of His closeness and power and a faint reflection of His essential glory. “This gracious veiling of the ineffable glory and the revelation of God in mercy are both fulfilled in the person of Christ.” (J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible. New York: Macmillan, 1958. p. 83) John 1:14 declares: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (ESV). And Paul wrote about it: “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). In the heart of the believer, like Moses in the cleft of the rock on Mt. Sinai, God reveals His character and fullness. Even to Moses on that mountain long ago, God showed Himself as a God of love, fidelity and forgiveness. And Moses experienced His glory and majesty. So can we, when we diligently seek God, and draw near to Him ‘in spirit and in truth.”

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, November 5, 2010