Held in the Cleft of the Rock

Exodus 33 places Moses in a broken moment with a stiff-necked people who had God’s name, God’s covenant, God’s manna, God’s cloud, God’s fire, and still did not act like God’s people. The opening picture of the angry woman with Christian stickers on her car exposes the same truth: when a life belongs to God, something about that life ought to look like the God being served.

Moses stands heartbroken after Israel’s grumbling, complaining, forgetting, and golden calf worship. Moses does not ask first for better circumstances or an easier assignment. Moses prays one of the boldest prayers in Scripture: “Lord, show me your glory.” God’s people never become like God apart from the presence of God, because God’s holiness, Spirit, and glory are what change a life.

God answers Moses by placing him in the cleft of the rock. The cleft of the rock speaks of God’s holiness, because no sinful human being can look fully on the face of a holy God and live. The cleft also speaks of God’s protection, because Moses’ safety does not depend on Moses holding on to God, but on God holding Moses. God does not give Moses a full explanation of the future. God gives Moses his presence and covers him with his hand.

Fannie Crosby’s hymn deepens that picture. The blind hymn writer, who never saw a sunrise or the faces of those she loved, could still sing, “He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock.” Her blindness was not proof that God had abandoned her. God was close enough to hold her when she could not see.

Exodus 34 then shows that God’s glory does not leave Moses the same. Moses comes down from the mountain with a radiant face, not even aware that he is shining. The man who asked to see God’s glory now reflects God’s glory. God does not merely hold people in dark places. God transforms them there.

Second Corinthians 3 carries the Moses story into Christ. The veil is taken away in the Lord, and the Spirit brings freedom. God’s people, with unveiled faces, are being transformed into the image of Jesus with ever-increasing glory. The broken lamp and cracked pottery picture makes the point plain: God’s light often shines brightest through cracks, wounds, scars, and grief. Christ died not only for sins, but also for sorrow, tears, and brokenness.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. God holds before sight comes God’s protection does not wait until the road becomes clear. The cleft of the rock means that safety rests in God’s hand, not in human grip, planning, or understanding. Faith is not seeing the next twelve hours, next week, or next year, but trusting the God who covers his people when sight is blocked. [54:12]
• 2. Presence matters more than explanations God does not answer Moses’ deep need by handing him a full explanation. God gives Moses his presence, and that presence is better than a map of the future. The believer often asks for circumstances to change, but God may be drawing near to change the person inside the circumstance. [55:29]
• 3. Glory changes the one it covers God’s glory is never just something to admire from a distance. Moses comes down from the mountain with a radiant face because time in God’s presence leaves a mark. The life held by God begins to react differently, desire differently, and shine differently. [58:43]
• 4. Broken places become bright windows The cracked vessel is not useless when the light is inside it. Scars, wounds, and weak places can become the very openings through which others glimpse the glory of God. The pain that feels disqualifying may become the place where Christ’s grace is most visible. [64:57]
• 5. The veil lifts only in Christ Second Corinthians 3 shows that the veil over the heart is removed only when a person turns to the Lord. Christ does not merely improve moral behavior; Christ opens the face toward God’s glory. The Spirit then brings freedom and forms the believer into the image of Jesus with ever-increasing glory. [62:35]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [34:40] - Moses Series Continues
• [35:02] - Prayer Request for Kirsten
• [40:12] - Testimonies and Praise
• [46:18] - Exodus 33 Reading
• [48:11] - The Christian Bumper Sticker Illustration
• [50:30] - God’s People Should Look Like God
• [51:47] - Moses Prays, Show Me Your Glory
• [52:33] - God Holds When Sight Fails
• [56:28] - Fannie Crosby and the Cleft
• [58:29] - God’s Glory Changes Moses
• [61:29] - Unveiled Faces Reflect Jesus
• [64:28] - Broken Pottery Lets Light Shine
• [66:48] - Naomi Fowler’s Radiant Witness
• [69:16] - Invitation to Seek God’s Glory

Bible Reading

Exodus 33:18-23
“Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name "The LORD." And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 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.’” [46:27]

Exodus 34:29-35
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” [58:58]

2 Corinthians 3:12-18
“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” [01:02:01]

Observation questions

1. In Exodus 33, what does Moses ask God to show him, and what does God say Moses cannot see? [51:47]
2. What two things does the cleft of the rock picture in this passage: something about who God is, and something about how God cares for Moses? [53:23]
3. In Exodus 34, what changes about Moses after speaking with God, and how do the people respond when they see him? [59:03]
4. In 2 Corinthians 3, what happens when someone turns to the Lord, and what is the Spirit doing in people with unveiled faces? [01:02:35]

Interpretation questions

1. Moses is surrounded by a people who have seen God’s works and still act unlike him, yet his cry is, “Show me your glory.” What does that request suggest about what people most need when hearts are hard and lives are off course? [52:05]
2. God does not give Moses a full explanation of the future. He places him in the rock and covers him with his hand. What does that reveal about the difference between wanting answers and needing God’s presence? [55:43]
3. Moses reflects God’s glory without even realizing it. What might that say about how real spiritual change often shows up in a person’s life? [59:53]
4. Paul says the veil is removed only in Christ and that believers are being transformed from one degree of glory to another. How does that help explain why Christianity is more than behavior change? [01:03:00]

Application questions

1. When life feels unclear right now, is there a place where the heart keeps demanding answers instead of resting in God’s hand? What would it look like this week to trust that God holds before sight comes? [56:03]
2. “Show me your glory” is a bold prayer. What usually gets asked for first: changed circumstances, quick relief, or deeper nearness to God? How might prayer need to shift in this season? [01:00:41]
3. If a life belongs to God, something about that life should look like the God being served. Where do reactions, tone, or habits most need to come more in line with Christ? [50:25]
4. Moses came down changed because he had been with God. What practices help a person stay in God’s presence long enough to be changed, not just informed? [01:00:09]
5. Broken places can become windows for God’s light. What wound, weakness, grief, or scar has felt useless or embarrassing, but may actually be a place where Christ can shine through more clearly? [01:04:57]
6. Paul says the veil is removed when one turns to the Lord. Is there any area of the heart that still feels covered, guarded, or resistant before God? What would it mean to turn that area over to Christ honestly? [01:02:35]
7. God’s light is meant to shine toward real people: family, coworkers, neighbors, and even difficult people. Who especially needs to see the light of Christ through this life right now, and what might that look like in a practical way? [01:03:56]