The story of Moses being placed in the cleft of the rock to see the glory of God connects with the New Testament in so many ways.
The rock is beside God and that is Jesus Christ. Moses stands on the rock as we stand on Christ however when the glory of God comes Moses is placed in the cleft of the rock…
When the glory of God comes in the New Testament… the Holy Ghost… he places us in Christ – therefore in the cleft of the rock.
God covered Moses with his hand. Throughout the scriptures in prophecy, Jesus is Gods’ right hand and just as God killed a lamb to provide a covering for Adam and Eve he killed a lamb (Jesus) to cover our sins.
Also, Moses got to experience the glory of God by just seeing the back parts of God and we get to see the glory of God yet still see through a glass darkly.
Quick Overview:
- Behold there is a place beside me (Jesus is beside God – Acts 2:33)
- Thou shalt stand upon a rock (Jesus is the rock – I Cor 10:4)
- I will put thee in the cleft of the rock (By one Spirit are we placed inside the rock/body of Christ – 1 Cor 12:13)
- I will cover thee with my hand (Jesus is our covering -God killed a lamb to cover Adam & Eve and provided a lamb to also cover our sins)
To See The Glory Of God
- And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. (Ex 33:18)
It was Moses’ desire to see the glory of God and we will look later at how God revealed his glory to him however in the New Testament God Has revealed his glory to us as well…
Jesus is the brightness of Gods’ Glory
- Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high
The Resurrection Of Lazurus Was Seeing The Glory Of God
- Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (John 11:40)
Stephen Saw The Glory Of God While Being Martyred
- But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55)
The Glory Of God Of God Has Been Revealed To Us In Christ
- For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:6)
So let’s see how God revealed his glory to Moses by taking a look at Exodus 33:19-23 by breaking everything down that God said…
I Will Make All My Goodness Pass Before Thee
How can we even imagine how wonderful Gods’ goodness is? However, the full manifestation of his goodness is revealed in Jesus Christ. It probably can be summed up with…
God So Loved The World
- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
In reality Gods’ goodness in Jesus Christ has passed before everyone so we are all without excuse.
The Riches Of His Goodness
- Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom 2:4)
If Only Men Would Praise The Lord For His Goodness
- Oh, that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Ps 107:8)
In Christ Is The Good Pleasure Of His Goodness
- Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power. (2 Thess 1:11)
I Will Proclaim The Name Of The Lord Before Thee
In the New Testament God has revealed himself to us in the name of Jesus Christ.
Through The Name Of Jesus
- To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)
Whosoever Calls On The Name Of The Lord Shall Be Saved
- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:13)
Jesus Name Is Above All names
- Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. (Phil 2:9)
Every Knee Shall Bow To The Name Of Jesus
- That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. (Phil 2:10)
I Will Be Gracious To Whom I Will Be Gracious
Grace And Truth Came By Jesus
- For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)
Grace For Grace
- And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. (John 1:16)
When You See People Being Saved You Are Seeing The Grace Of God
- Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God (Gentiles coming to Christ), was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. (Acts 11:23)
I Will Shew Mercy On Whom I Will Shew Mercy
I Will Have Mercy And Not Sacrifice
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mt 9:13)
Jesus Came To Deliver Mercy
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant. (Lk 1:72)
Jesus Came To Deliver Mercy
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant. (Lk 1:72)
We Can’t Will, Can’t Earn It, It Can Only Come From God
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
We Are Vessels Of Mercy
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory. (Rom 9:23)
There Is A Place By Me, And Thou Shalt Stand Upon A Rock
Jesus Is The Place By God
- Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)
- But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55)
- Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
- Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. (Eph 1:20)
- If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Col 3:1)
- Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Heb 1:3)
- But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. (Heb 10:12)
Jesus Is The Rock
- As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Rom 9:33)
- And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Cor 10:4)
And It Shall Come To Pass, While My Glory Passeth By, That I Will Put Thee In A Clift Of The Rock
Glory passing by in the New Testament ties in with Jesus coming and going or with the Holy Ghost coming. Either way, the result is we are placed in the cleft of the rock – inside Jesus our rock.
There are countless scriptures that say we are now IN Christ. He is our rock and we are IN Him. The Church is the body of Christ and therefore in the rock…
- For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Cor 12:13)
And Will Cover Thee With My Hand While I Pass By
Jesus is how God covers us now. U won’t go into but Old Testament prophecies about the right arm or hand of God are all talking about Christ and especially this one…
- Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? (Isaiah 50:2)
The obvious answer is no it is not shortened and he sent Jesus Christ – his right hand to save us.
Covered By The Blood Of The Lamb
So if Jesus is symbolized by Gods’ hand then we can say Gods’ hand covers us just as it did with Moses so he could see the glory of God.
Without going into too much detail here most of us familiar with the Passover story and how the blood of the lamb protected the Children of Israel when all of the firstborn children of Egypt died.
While they were covered by the blood of the lamb they were safe. So it is with us. We are covered by the blood of the lamb – Jesus Christ the lamb of god.
In summary, the story of Moses in the cleft of the rock is another story that is packed full of New Testament comparisons and another instance where the scriptures dovetail together in a wonderful way.
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