The Cleft of the Rock

I probably get a dozen hits a day from someone googling (still love that verb!) "the cleft of the rock". Some, I guess, are looking for the scripture reference (Exodus 33:22) and several are looking for "Cleft of the Rock Ministries" -- which don't have a website, or I would refer you there. Sorry. But it makes me think, again and again, why I chose the name for my blog that I did.

I confess that there wasn't just a tremendous amount of thought that went behind it -- but when I thought of "The Cleft of the Rock", it completely fit. I love that in Exodus, when God places Moses in the cleft of the rock, Moses was having a one-on-one conversation with God. And, at this point, Moses basically said to God, "I need to be REALLY sure of you -- let me see your glory!"

God told him,

"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. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 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. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

I am precisely where God has placed me, and I have a front-row seat for His glory. The cleft of the rock --it fits.