Monday | 18 November 2019
Summarising the ministry through which a person is born again and is then brought to maturity as a son of God, Paul wrote, ‘For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’. 2Co 4:6. To explain this point, Paul drew our attention to the ministry of Moses.
When the Lord spoke to Moses concerning the Law Covenant, He wrote on tablets of stone. This covenant had a glory, meaning that it revealed the conditions of God’s Covenant through which an Israelite could receive their sonship as an eternal inheritance. After Yahweh had spoken His word to Moses from the fire of Their fellowship, the glory of this Covenant shone from Moses’ face. Exo 34:29-30. 2Co 3:7.
The people of Israel were unable to relate to the glory of the Law that shone from Moses’ face. He wore a veil on his face because the children of Israel were afraid to come near him. Exo 34:30,33-35. 2Co 3:13. Only then could he fraternise among them. The veil on his face was the veil upon their heart. Because of this veil, signifying their bondage to fear, the children of Israel were unable to access their sonship. Rom 8:15. Paul explained that this veil remains on the face of the Jews, even today, when the Law is read to them. 2Co 3:14-15.
Paul described the New Covenant as ‘the ministry of the Spirit’. 2Co 3:8. He said that the glory of the New Covenant far exceeds the glory of the former covenant that shone from the face of Moses. The Father shines the New Covenant into the heart of His aggelos messengers through the four ascension-gift graces of Christ. 2Co 4:6. When these presbyters have been born of this light, which is the life of God in Christ, the glory of Christ shines from their face.
Further Study:
2 Corinthians 4
Daily Proverb:
References:
2Co 4:6
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Exo 34:29-30
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
2Co 3:7-8
But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
Exo 34:33-35
And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
2Co 3:13-15
Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Rom 8:15
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’