Moses longed to be close to God – to know Him and His ways. God promised him, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). Moses pursued God and asked to see His glory, but God couldn’t fully grant this request. Though Moses could see God’s goodness and hear His name, only when God hid him in a cleft in the rock and covered him, could His glory pass by. In the wilderness, the Israelites were guided and protected by God’s visible Presence – His glory in the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13-16). It set His people apart from the other nations.


God had a wonderful mystery that had been hidden for ages. The mystery was that Christ would not only be present with His people, but He would be in them, giving them desire and power to follow His indwelling “pillar,” guiding and protecting them. And the only way we can do that and live is to be “hidden” in Jesus, the Cleft in the Rock, covered by His righteousness. His dwelling place is in you – and in that, we have the hope of glory.