“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.” (Exodus 33:22 NIV)
God hid Moses from the full glory of Himself on purpose. It would have been too much for Moses to live through. God’s hiding is an act of compassion, not withdrawal.
Interestingly enough, God also hides us from the full force of our troubles.
“For in the day of trouble, He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent.” (Psalm 27:5 NIV)
The Lord allows us close enough to keep us safe but not near enough to kill us with His glory. He protects us from anything that is too much for us.
I think of over some of my troubles. They felt far too much to bear at first blush. But with the insight afforded by the passage of time, I can see how God held back the worst of what could have been. He kept me in the cleft of His love, in the shelter of His sanctuary as the very ugliest blew by.
God hides us from the best of Him and the worst of the world because He understands the frailties of our human condition.
“For He knows how we are formed, He remembers we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14 NIV)
I remember Eschatology class and the truth that caught my attention and held it fast for weeks. Every believer will get a new body at the resurrection; we’ll exchange the perishable for the imperishable, the frail for the unfailing. Check out 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 and 2 Corinthians 5. Our new bodies will be able to withstand the very glory of God. In these eternal frames, we will be able to get close without risking life or limb. We’ll live in a city lit by His glory. The dust buckets we have now simply won’t do!
“Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-42 NIV)
I think of the kernels of corn being sowed into the black dirt of my home state right now. Millions of seeds are given over to darkness; broken under the soil and someday rising into something sturdy, lovely and life-giving.
We are the same. We now live in fierce need of God’s protection; both from trouble and glory alike. But one day, we will rise with Him, clothed in righteousness and strong bodies, ready to live in eternal community with the Living God.
Lord, thank You for Your covering. You protect us from the full force of our troubles, You hide us in secure places. In the same vein, You shield us from the glory that would kill us apart from blameless, eternal bodies. Thank You for Your tender care of us, despite our many distractions and dissipations. We look forward to the proximity with You that only eternity will afford. Amen.