Brethren, the same God who placed Moses in the cleft of the rock has placed us in Christ Jesus. The same glory that passed before Moses has now been revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. When Moses cried, “Show me Thy glory,” God hid him in the rock. When we cry out today for the glory of God, the Holy Ghost hides us in Christ, the true Rock of Ages.
This is not ancient history – it’s a living reality. The glory Moses glimpsed from behind is the glory we now behold in full through the gospel. The rock that stood beside God is the Son who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. The same hand that covered Moses now covers us with the blood of the Lamb.
Friends, this story is more than a Sunday school lesson – it’s a prophetic picture of salvation, the gospel in shadow form. God Himself said, “There is a place by Me.” That place is Christ beside the Father. He said, “Thou shalt stand upon a rock.” That rock is Christ the Lord. He said, “I will put thee in the cleft of the rock.” And by one Spirit, He has baptized us into that Rock, into the very body of Christ.
The cry of Moses was, “Show me Thy glory.” The cry of Heaven now is, “Behold the Lamb of God!” Everything Moses longed to see has now been made visible in Jesus – the goodness of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, and the name of God.
Every attribute that passed before Moses is embodied in the Son. So the question today isn’t whether God will show His glory, but whether we will stand in the Rock to see it. Praise be to God!
To See the Glory of God
Moses said, “I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory” (Exodus 33:18). It was a holy hunger – a longing not for blessing, but for God Himself. Have you ever reached that point, where nothing else satisfies but His presence?
The Lord answered that cry in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:3 declares that Jesus is “the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person.” When Jesus raised Lazarus, He said to Martha, “If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God” (John 11:40). Stephen, full of the Holy Ghost, looked up and “saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55).
And what about us? 2 Corinthians 4:6 says God has shined in our hearts “to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” The same glory that passed before Moses now dwells in believers through the Spirit.
I Will Make All My Goodness Pass Before Thee
When God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before thee,” He was revealing His heart. The goodness of God is not a mood or moment – it’s a person. It is Jesus Christ, given for the world.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). His goodness passed before all mankind when Jesus walked the earth. And Romans 2:4 reminds us that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.”
Brethren, the same goodness that passed before Moses now draws sinners to the cross. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and His wonderful works (Psalm 107:8)!
I Will Proclaim the Name of the Lord Before Thee
When God proclaims His name, He’s revealing His nature. And in the New Testament, He has revealed His name through Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:43 says that “through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Romans 10:13 declares, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And Philippians 2:9-10 thunders that God has “given Him a name which is above every name… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.”
The name proclaimed to Moses in shadow is now manifested in power through the Son.
I Will Be Gracious to Whom I Will Be Gracious
Grace is not a concept; it’s a person. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Grace is the smile of God made visible in the face of Christ.
John 1:16 says, “Of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” Every time a sinner repents, the grace of God is passing before them. When Barnabas saw the Gentiles coming to faith, Acts 11:23 says, “He saw the grace of God.” Grace is not abstract – it’s observable.
I Will Show Mercy on Whom I Will Show Mercy
Mercy triumphs over judgment. Matthew 9:13 records Jesus saying, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 1:72 declares that Jesus came “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers.” Romans 9:23 calls believers “vessels of mercy.” Friend, you cannot earn mercy. You can only receive it. The mercy Moses heard declared is the mercy that flowed from Calvary’s cross.
There Is a Place By Me, and Thou Shalt Stand Upon a Rock
That place is Jesus. Acts 2:33 shows Him “by the right hand of God exalted.” Acts 7:55 reveals Stephen seeing Jesus “standing on the right hand of God.” Ephesians 1:20 says the Father “set Him at His own right hand.”
The same Christ who sits by the Father now invites us to stand upon Him. Romans 9:33 says, “Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” 1 Corinthians 10:4 adds, “That Rock was Christ.”
Brethren, to stand upon this Rock is to stand secure, unshaken, and covered by the power of His blood.
I Will Put Thee in a Cleft of the Rock
In the Old Testament, the glory passed by Moses. In the New Testament, the Spirit places us inside the Rock Himself. 1 Corinthians 12:13 declares, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.”
We are not just standing near Christ; we are hidden in Christ. His life is our shelter. His wounds are our cleft. His presence is our hiding place.
And I Will Cover Thee with My Hand While I Pass By
God covered Moses with His hand. Today, He covers us with Christ, His right hand of power. Isaiah 50:2 asks, “Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?” No! That hand was stretched out at Calvary and still saves today.
Like the Israelites under the blood of the lamb in Egypt, we too are covered by the blood of the true Lamb, Jesus Christ. When the judgment passes by, those covered by the blood are safe.
Conclusion: Hidden in the Rock of Ages
The story of Moses in the cleft of the rock is not about one man’s experience – it’s the blueprint of redemption. God’s hand still covers. His Rock still stands. His glory still passes by.
When the world trembles under sin, those hidden in Christ remain unshaken. When judgment falls, those in the cleft of the Rock are safe. And when the glory comes again at His return, the same Jesus who stood beside the Father will be the one in whom we stand.
Praise be to God – the Rock of our salvation, the Glory revealed, the Hand that covers, and the Lamb that saves!
Call to Action: The Question That Demands an AnswerIn Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed? If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit: Come, and let the Spirit make you new. |
