A cleft in the rock

Dan Harper February 20, 2026 0 0

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Exodus 33: 12-23 (NIV-UK)

12 Moses said to the Lord, ‘You have been telling me, “Lead these people,” but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, “I know you by name and you have found favour with me.” 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you. Remember that this nation is your people.’

14 The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’

15 Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’

17 And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.’

18 Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’

19 And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’

21 Then the Lord said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’

Did you know that human eyes can only safely look at the sun for a fraction of a second before damage begins? It’s not because the sun is evil or hostile, but because its power, unfiltered, is simply too much for us to bear.

In our reading we know that Moses is already closer to God than anyone else around him, but he wants more. He speaks with God, argues with God, even pushes God a bit. And yet when Moses asks to see God’s glory, the answer is still no. Not because God is distant, but because Moses is human.

So, God does something beautifully practical. Moses is placed in the cleft of the rock and God covers him with his hand. Which means Moses doesn’t see God’s face, but God’s passing.   As God passes by Moses sees the residual effect, feels the warmth after the event, he feels the goodness that lingers once the moment has moved on.

This isn’t God holding back. It’s God paying attention.

We often want the full picture, the blinding certainty, the unfiltered encounter. But scripture suggests that kind of exposure doesn’t deepen faith, it overwhelms us and burns us out. What sustains us is the glow, not the glare.

God doesn’t need us dazzled. God needs us alive, attentive, and able to keep walking. Sometimes the most faithful thing God offers is not a face-to-face moment, but enough light, at a human pace, to take the next step.

Prayer:

Dear God,

Let us feel your warmth, let us feel your presence in the world. And help us not to get dazzled or consumed by trying to do too much.

Amen.