"And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by," EXO 33:22

The history of Moses pleading for the congregation of the Lord in the chapter before us, has many rich lessons for us to consider. Moses humbly confessed to the Lord, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin," and begged the Lord to be merciful and forgive, EXO 32:31-32. For this sin the Lord had said He would withdraw His presence, but send an angel before them to bring them into the promised land.

If you are seeking heaven to escape the consequences of your sin, you would probably respond; "What a blessed promise!" This however could not satisfy one of God's people, who are seeking the Lord. What is heaven without God? A life without God's fellowship and love is a life of spiritual death.

This is why Moses said, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." Moses could more easily say, "...blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written," EXO 32:32, than enter the promised land without the Lord's presence.

Christ's bleeding, dying love, and His presence is the only thing that can afford rest for His true flock. If you can find rest short of a faith's view of Christ's blood and righteousness, you are resting short of the mark. The positive mark of Christ's sheep is that they have no rest outside the fold.

When the Psalmist had strayed away from the fold he cried out, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments," PSA 119:176. When the Lord withdrew Himself David cried, "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I," PSA 61:2.

Moses understood that it was because of sin that the Lord had withdrawn Himself, and that the righteousness of Christ was the only basis upon which God could be glorified. This is why Moses begged, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory."

The Lord answered Moses by directing the eyes of his faith to a crucified Saviour, "Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock. And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by," EXO 33:18-23.

When you learn as Moses, to understand that "...your iniquities have separated between you and your God," ISA 59:2, you will learn to see your need of a place in that clift of the Rock. Oh, beloved, then you will see the beauty there is in the Man of Sorrows who, "..was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed," ISA 53:5.

The Lord said unto Moses in EXO 33:20, "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." On the day of judgment we shall all see His face. Unless we have a place in that clift of the Rock, which Rock is Christ, 1CO 10:4, there will be, "...a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries," HEB 10:27.

What a blessing for those to whom the Lord says, "I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by." Oh, beloved, what a blessing it is to find our hiding place in the clift of His love, under those crucified hands. "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me," ISA 49:16. Amen.