Sermon Tone Analysis

B. A contrast between the old and new covenants [3:7–18]

1.

The surpassing glory of the new covenant (7–11)

a.

The ministry of death: Was it wrong to call the old covenant the ministry of death?

No, because that is what the law does to us: It slays us as guilty sinners before God so that we can be resurrected by the new covenant.

It isn’t that the problem was with the law, but with us: The sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

(Romans 7:5)

i. Trapp on the ministry of death: “David was the voice of the law awarding death to sin, ‘He shall surely die.’

Nathan was the voice of the gospel awarding life to repentance for sin, ‘Thou shalt not die.’

”

b.

Was glorious: There was glory associated with the giving of the law and the old covenant.

At that time, Mount Sinai was surrounded with smoke; there were earthquakes, thunder, lightning, a trumpet blast from heaven, and the voice of God Himself (Exodus 19:16–20:1).

Most of all, the glory of the old covenant was shown in the face of Moses and the glory of his countenance.

i. “And although the gospel came not into the world as the law, with thunder, lightning, and earthquakes; yet that was ushered in by angels, foretelling the birth and office of John the Baptist, and of Christ; by the great sign of the virgin’s conceiving and bringing forth a Son; by a voice from heaven, proclaiming Christ the Father’s only begotten Son, in whom he was well pleased.”

(Poole)

c.

The face of Moses: Exodus 34:29–35 describes how Moses put a veil over his face after speaking to the people.

As glorious as the radiant face of Moses was, it was a fading glory: which glory was passing away.

The glory of the old covenant shining through the face of Moses was a fading glory, but the glory of the new covenant endures without fading.

d.

How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious: If the old covenant, which brought death had this glory, we should expect greater glory in the new covenant, which brings the ministry of the Spirit and life.

i.

The old covenant was a ministry of condemnation, but the new covenant is the ministry of righteousness.

The old covenant is passing away, but the new covenant remains.

No wonder the new covenant is much more glorious!

ii.

The old covenant had glory, but the glory of the new covenant far outshines it, just as the sun always outshines the brightest moon.

Compared to the new covenant, the old covenant had no glory because of the glory that excels in the new covenant.

2. The open and bold character of the new covenant (12–16)

a.

Therefore, since we have such hope: Since our hope is in a more glorious covenant, we can have a more glorious hope.

Because of this hope, Paul can use great boldness of speech.

The old covenant restricted and separated men from God; the new covenant brings us to God and enables us to come boldly to Him.

b.

Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face: Even Moses did not have real boldness under the old covenant.

A veil is not a “bold” thing to wear; it is a barrier and something to hide behind.

Moses lacked boldness (compared to Paul) because the covenant that he ministered under was fading away and fading in glory.

c.

So that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away: From reading the account in Exodus 34:29–35, one might first get the impression that Moses wore a veil after his meetings with God so that the people wouldn’t be afraid to come near him; the veil was to protect them from seeing the shining face of Moses.

Here Paul explains the real purpose of the veil: not to hide the shining face of Moses, but to hide the diminishing glory of his face because the glory was fading.

The passing glory of the old covenant contrasts with the enduring glory of the new covenant.

d.

Could not look: Since the veil hid the face of Moses, the children of Israel couldn’t see any of the glory from his face.

Therefore, the contrast isn’t only between passing glory and enduring glory, but also between concealed glory and revealed glory.

e.

For until this day the same veil remains unlifted: Paul says that most of the Jews of his day could not see that the glory of Moses’ ministry faded in comparison to the ministry of Jesus.

Because the veil remains unlifted, they can’t see that the glory of Moses’ ministry has faded and they should now look to Jesus.

Since the same veil that hid Moses’ face now lies on their heart, they still think there is something superior or more glorious in the ministry of Moses.

f.

Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away: Paul could say of his fellow Jews that a veil lies on their heart, but he could also say that the veil can be taken away in Jesus.

Paul knew this well because he was once veiled to the glory and superiority of Jesus.

i.

Many Christians with a heart to preach to their Jewish friends wonder why it is rarely so simple as just showing them that Jesus is the Messiah.

This is because a veil lies on their heart.

Unless God does a work in them so they turn to the Lord and have the veil taken away, they will never see the fading glory of Moses’ covenant and the surpassing glory of Jesus and the new covenant.

ii.

Of course, it could be said that the Jews are not the only ones with a veil … on their heart.

Gentiles also have “veils” that separate them from seeing Jesus and His work for us clearly, and Jesus is more than able to take those veils away.

This points to the essential need of prayer in evangelism.

It has been rightly said that it is more important to talk to God about men than it is to talk to men about God, but we can do both of these important works.

3. The liberty of the new covenant (17)

a.

The Lord is the Spirit: From the context of Exodus 34:34, we see that when Paul says the Lord is the Spirit, he means that the Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus and the Father are God.

b.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Paul’s thinking follows like this: When Moses went into God’s presence, he had the liberty to take off the veil; the presence of the Lord gave him this liberty.

We have the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord.

We live in the Spirit’s presence because He is given to us under the new covenant.

So, just as Moses had the liberty to relate to God without the veil in the presence of the Lord, so we have liberty because of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

i.

We should also consider what Paul is not saying.

He is not giving license to any Pentecostal or Charismatic excess because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

We have great liberty in our relationship with God through what Jesus did and through what the Holy Spirit is doing, but we never have the liberty to disobey what the Spirit says in the word of God.

That is a perversion of true liberty, not a Spirit-led liberty.

c.

There is liberty: Paul really has in mind the liberty of access.

He is building on what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:12: We use great boldness of speech.

Boldness is a word that belongs with liberty.

Because of the great work of the Holy Spirit in us through the new covenant, we have a bold, liberated relationship with God.

i. “A liberty from the yoke of the law, from sin, death, hell; but the liberty which seemeth here to be chiefly intended, is a liberty from that blindness and hardness which is upon men’s hearts, until they have received the Holy Spirit.”

(Poole)

4. The transforming glory of the new covenant (18)

a.

We all with unveiled face: Paul invites every Christian to a special, glorious intimacy with God.

This is a relationship and transforming power that is not the property of just a few privileged Christians.

It can belong to all, to everyone who has an unveiled face.

i.

How do we get an unveiled face?

When one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:16).

If we will turn to the Lord, He will take away the veil and we can be one of the “we all.”

b.

Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord: We can see the glory of the Lord, but we cannot see His glory perfectly.

A mirror in the ancient world did not give nearly as good a reflection as our mirrors do today.

Ancient mirrors were made of polished metal, and gave a clouded, fuzzy, somewhat distorted image.

Paul says, “We can see the glory of the Lord, but we can’t see it perfectly yet.”

i.

There may be another thought here also: “Now as mirrors, among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, were made of highly polished metal, it would often happen, especially in strong light, that the face would be greatly illuminated by this strongly reflected light; and to this circumstance the apostle seems here to allude.”

(Clarke)

c.

Are being transformed: As we behold the glory of God, we will be transformed.