Moses and the Veil

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Introduction

Mt Athos

20 Monostaries

Place for the pursuit of Holiness.

Todd Story

Todays text is an account about coming face to face with the Holiness of God, how we can begin to reflect his Glory back into the world.

Main Point: Under Moses the the mediator of God’s presence brings fear, under Jesus it brings freedom.

Let me bring out a few observations from the text that would have been important to the original hearers.

Mountain - A place of revelation through out the Bible

Tablets - The foundational documents of the Old Covenant.

Moses - Mediator between God and the people

[11] Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. (ESV)

People

People - The people of Israel just after they had been very disobedient

Main Point: Under Moses the the mediator of God’s presence brings fear, under Jesus it brings freedom.

Explicit interpretation from Saint Paul

2 Corinthians 3:7–18 ESV

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

There is a certain Premise where we use the New Testament to interpret the Old Testament.

There was a certain meaning for the people who originally read the Exodus Text, mainly what we just mentioned, over that we give its its higher and better interpretation

What the Apostle Paul uses this event in the life of Moses to compare and contrast the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.

Let me just take a minute with the Old and New Covenant

Covenant of Noah

Covenant of Abraham

Covenant of Moses

Covenant of David

New Covenant

Covenant of Noah

So in our text we have this poetic examination of these two in light of Moses

Condemnation verses righteousness

Limited Glory verses Limitless Glory

Fleeting verses Permanent

We have it even better than Moses did the same Moses.

We are the mediators

With the law in our hearts

Can stand in the presence of Glory and be objects of Glory

We can be transformed

Main Point: Under Moses the the mediator of God’s presence brings fear, under Jesus it brings freedom.

How then shall we live? With boldness

We will experience a Glory beyond the Glory of Moses

We can live without fear, with complete moral courage.

In our careers

In our social circles

Educationally

Financial

Personal safety

Main Point: Under Moses the the mediator of God’s presence brings fear, under Jesus it brings freedom.

The New Covenant and the New Old Covenant

I think the church is living in fear of the wrong things. John Stott the Bible Speaks today

There is still an important place for sharing the gospel with church-goers, God-fearing people on the fringe of the church, who may attend services only occasionally. The equivalent of the agora will vary in different parts of the world. It may be a park, city square or street corner, a shopping mall or market-place, a ‘pub’, neighborhood bar, café, discothèque or student cafeteria, wherever people meet when they are at leisure.

I think what our non-Christian neighbor is fighting against is a covenant of works, but new works, a New Old Covenant.

Eat organic not McDonalds

Keep your kids away from screens

Have a career and a clean house

Don’t be materialistic but live in a great nieborhood with great school district.

Have the exact right opinions on women’s health race sexuality and gender and be in constant advocacy for those opinions.

Men don’t be self obsessed but look like you lift

Women don’t be a sexual object, and don’t be a prude.

And don’t worry if any of you gets it right we will change the rules next week.

Come to me all you who are weary I will give you rest.

The gospel takes the paradigm of freedom and gives its highest meaning

Fake freedom verses gospel freedom.

Main Point: Under Moses the the mediator of God’s presence brings fear, under Jesus it brings freedom.

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