| | | | The Veil is Gone - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
In this passage the Apostle Paul is referencing Exodus 34. While the Israelites were still in the desert, Moses would meet face-to-face with God in his tent, then he would go out to the people and communicate to them what God had said. At the time Moses didn't realize it, but his time with God physically affected him; It made his face glow (he had the "Mo-Glow!") But after a few days the glow would fade. Once Moses became aware of the glow, he began putting a veil on his face to hid it. We might think that Moses did that was because he didn't want to the people to be afraid, but Paul tells us the real reason:
"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." 2 Corinthians 3:13
Moses wasn't being humble, he simply didn't want the people to see the glow fade, and perhaps get the idea God was going to abandon them. In essence, as glorious as the old covenant was, and it was glorious, it was destined to fade away. What we have today in the new covenant of Christ is glorious, and eternal. And because the new covenant is centered in Christ, who resides in us through the Holy Spirit, we are "being transformed into the same image from glory to glory!"
I like how the NLT paraphrases it: "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
In other words, because of our relationship with Christ, we can not only SEE His glory, the veil has been removed and we now REFLECT the glory of Christ to the world around us.
Just a few weeks ago, our moon became full on the same day it was in perigee (closest to the earth), and it appeared in the sky as an enormous, bright glowing orb. A "Super-moon." But as bright as it was on that night, it will never be as bright as our sun at noon. And that's the point Paul is making, the old covenant looks pale compared to the new covenant, which will shine brightly in our hearts forever.
"Lord, thank you for removing the veil, and allow us to see and reflect your glory."
Pastor Clay
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