A Deeper Look : Exodus 33
I have always been deeply encouraged by Exodus 33. It shows the unparalleled greatness of God in a way that jars me every time I read it. So, if you’re able, give your mind a little refresh and re-read it and it’s surrounding chapters before we get started.
And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Exodus 33:17-23
This picture of God has always made me think of the lyrics in the hymn Rock of Ages,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee.
These words have always been a great picture of comfort for me over the course of my life. I imagine the Cliffs of Moher—vast gigantic rocks against the raging sea—and in them there is a small cave-like cleft that I am inside, safe from the surrounding danger and intrusion. I imagine what it would feel like to be totally safe amidst the crashing waves, a special place that was perfectly designed to fit just me, and in it nothing harmful could touch me.
That’s how I imagine Moses felt in Exodus 33. God promised to put Moses in the cleft of a rock, away from the glory of his presence so that he would be safe. God knows our need and frailty, and he has perfectly designed how to help us in our weakness.
The enigmatic thing about Exodus 33 is that God is putting Moses in the cleft of a rock to keep Moses safe from himself. Anytime I imagine God protecting me it is from outside danger and circumstances. It may be that he’s giving me the protection of peace about something I’m worried about, or keeping my family and I safe on a long road trip, or guarding me against a decision I think is right but he knows is not. I don’t often think that he would be protecting me from himself.
This makes me think of the timeless scene in the The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The Pevensie children are going back and forth with Mr. & Mrs. Beaver trying to get a better picture of who Aslan is. Susan and Lucy suppose he is a man and are quickly corrected that he is a Lion, the Lion, The King of Beasts. Then Susan asks the next natural question, “Is he — quite safe?”, to which Mrs. Beaver replies, “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” Lucy still questioning, “Then he isn’t safe?” And Mr. Beaver comes back with the well-known line, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King”
In Exodus 33:12–14, Moses is trying to reconcile trusting God’s promises with a reality in which God’s promises are not yet fulfilled. This sounds very familiar to a dialogue (or sometimes it feels like monologue) I often have with God. We can imagine Moses saying, “I know you have promised me good, but I can’t see a ladder out of this pit I’m in.” And we can hear God answer Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” This is often how I feel like God answers me, not in specifics but in overarching promises of his presence and rest. This is of course what my soul really needs to hear; I need to be reminded that my God is constant and unfailing. But what about the details?
We see in Exodus 33, Moses is still looking for more from God. In verses 17 & 18, God promises Moses that he will do everything he has said he would do, that Moses has found favor in his sight, and that he knows Moses by name. And still Moses pleads with God, “Please, show me your glory.” It is a great comfort to me knowing that even Moses—who got closer to God than any other human—still wanted God to show him more of himself. When I find myself doubting often that God is there and real, hearing that Moses had those same fears and doubts makes me feel not as alone. It makes me think that doubt has something to do with our human condition, not just my lack of faith or fearful nature.
God responds to Moses’s pleads in Exodus 33:20–23. He shows Moses that he isn’t withholding himself out of obscurity or crafty ruse, but because if he gave Moses exactly what he was asking for Moses would surely die. God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8&9) and he knows exactly what we, in our frailty, can handle. So God, being rich in mercy and kindness, gave Moses exactly what he could manage and not more. He met Moses in his doubt and said, “I will put you in a cleft of a rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” God saw Moses’s wanting-heart to see more of him, and let him see all that he could without harming Moses. God was gracious to show himself, and gracious to withhold Himself.
In both the pictures, the song “Rock of Ages” and the scene with the Beaver’s from Narnia I’m sure that the authors had Exodus 33 in the back of their minds. God is our safety and refuge from outside calamity. He gives us the knowledge we need. He assures us of his faithfulness. But, as God, he does not give us more than we can handle.