EXODUS 33:22
The hymn, Rock of Ages was written by Reverend Augustus Montague Toplady in 1763.
Toplady’s father died when he was a child. He accepted Christ at the age of sixteen. He was ordained as an Anglican clergyman at the age of twenty-two. In 1762, while traveling through the English countryside a fierce storm sent Reverend Toplady scrambling for shelter. He soon found it in the cleft of a great rock.
Inspired by the situation and scenery, he took out a playing card from his pocket and scribbled his initial lyrics.
Did Augustus Toplady think about Moses’ experience in the cleft of a rock while writing the hymn (Exodus 33:22)? Maybe he did. The book of Exodus tells of Moses seeking God’s reassurance and His response. When Moses asked God to reveal His glory to him, God told him that no one may see Him and live. He tucked Moses into the rocks when He passed by, letting Moses only see His back. And Moses knew that God was with him.
The Rock of Ages (God/Jesus Christ) protects us from the storms of life, saves us from the grip of sin and gives us a wholesome life.
May we remain covered in the cleft of the Rock.
