Read 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
There are a couple of background concepts Paul and his readers were aware of because of their deep knowledge of the Old Testament. Paul is building on these and tweaking them to reveal the Glory of Jesus!
First, when he came down from Mt Sinai after he received the Ten Commandments, Moses was unaware his face was radiant from being in the presence of the Lord (See Exodus 34:29-32).
Second, from then on, Moses wore a veil over his face. He only removed it when he consulted the Lord. When he came out with the Lord’s answer for the people, he would leave the veil off revealing his radiant face as he proclaimed the Glory of the Lord. He would then veil his face until the next time he entered the Lord’s presence (See Exodus 34:33-35).
Paul builds on these in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18.
First, Paul crafts an interesting idea. He says Moses put the veil back on so the people wouldn’t see his face lose its radiance. He suggests this is because the Law only has radiance while being studied because it is a window into God, not God himself. Jesus, on the other hand, is God himself and when we, with unveiled faces, look upon him we are alight with his Glory. We radiate hope, boldness, and the glory of the Lord. People look on as we are being transformed from our glory (character) to Jesus’ glory.
Second, Paul says the veil is now worn by those who do not accept Christ as God. Looking to Moses and the Law for God’s Glory, after the cross, is a veiled pursuit. That which was revealed dimly in Stone is now revealed with irreducible radiance in Spirit. The reason for the increased access to God’s glory is because of Jesus.
When the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom at the death of Christ, the singular veil on the face of Moses came off. The veil left the face of God’s representative and went to the faces of those who are not in Christ. Because Jesus came to Earth and lived among us, God’s Glory is no longer veiled. Those whose hearts are hardened now wear the veil. The earth is filled with God’s Glory. In a very real sense, when the veil in the temple tore, God got out of the box!
Christians go daily into the presence of God (in Jesus) rather than through Moses. And we go out into the world with unveiled faces daily. We walk continuously in the presence and purpose of Jesus. This means the Glory of the Lord is revealed in us, his followers, daily as we mix and mingle with people who do not know Him.
So the sermon title for 2 Cor 3:7-18 is: “Spirit not Stone”. And the key point is, “We behold the Lord in Jesus and are changed into His Glory!”
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