Ex. 33: 21, “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.’ At that time I pleaded with the Lord: ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.’” God’s hand of providence protects His people from all kinds of dangers, but the greatest danger of all is the holiness of God. Moses wanted to see His glory, but the glory of God is too holy and would destroy a sinner like Moses. God allowed him to see him from the back, but covered him with His hand in a cleft in the rock lest God’s holiness consume him. We are also protected from God’s holiness in Christ, because clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness we may appear before God without danger of destruction.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.” Jabez prayed for personal protection, and God answered his prayer. Although our great concern should be for the advancement of God’s kingdom purposes, God wants His people to bring their special concerns before Him. If we want protection, we need to ask for it, but with the right motives (James 4:3).

Isaiah 51:15-17, “I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar--the Lord of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'" To those of us given the word, God makes the promise to cover us, protect us, with the shadow of His hand.

John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." And in this greatest of all passages on the assurance of the believer Jesus promises that no one, and He means no one, can snatch the believer from the secure hand-grasp of first His (the Son’s) hand and then the hand of the Father! That it ultimate and invincible protection!