Part Two
Then Moses spoke in worship, “Now, come show me Your glory.” And God, with these words, replied, “This will be your own story. “I will cause all My goodness To appear before you there, And I will proclaim My name In your presence for I care. My name is Lord Jehovah, And My mercy I may show. I may display compassion; My judgment you will know. “You cannot gaze on My face. No one will see Me and live. Now, come stand here on this rock, And My glory I will give. “My glory will pass by you, But in the rock’s cleft you’ll stand Inside of My safe shelter, I’ll cover you with My hand. “Now, when I have passed by you, I’ll move My hand that’s between, And you will then see My back, But My face must not be seen.” Today, Lord, show Your presence. Hide us in the cleft of the rock. Show Your glory and mercy. We'll rest like sheep in Your flock. For Your promises of old Are still true for us today. May Your Word always guide us As we seek Your face and pray. (Based on Exodus 33:18-23) Even when we may feel like we are all alone, remember that God is always by our side and His word is available. He will never abandon us. He is truly our light in the dark and our rock that we can depend on. So, the “cleft of the rock” has the notion of being a place of protection and shelter. We are hidden by Christ behind His sheltering hand of salvation. We have refuge and protection from the world we live in. Once we were given new life in Christ our thirst was quenched with the living water that Christ gives us. He transformed our stony hearts into tender hearts of love. He takes us out of the pit of the dry and thirsty land and hides us in the cleft of the rock, in the depths of His love. Once there He covers us with His hand. That hand of protection shows his love for us. Let us claim the promises of God and live in His protection.
The story behind the song – He Hideth My Soul
Composer Fanny Crosby
She could not see with her natural eyes, but she could see with her heart. She could not explain what a human face looked like, but she knew the face of God. Blind from six weeks old because of a surgical mishap, her life was different than most, but it was not worse than most.
Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) supported herself as a teacher at a blind school, she had dear and close friends around the world, and she wrote and published thousands of beautiful hymns, many that are still sung today. Regarding her plight in life she wrote the following words:
“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”
For those who have natural sight, but are blind to the things of God, Fanny Crosby’s songs bring a sense of His Presence.