Verse By Verse Devotional On 2 Corinthians By Pastor Jack #77

The Veil of Moses

3:12-16 "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

In the story of Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai with a face glowing with the glory of God, he covered his face with a veil because the Israelites were afraid to come near him (Exod.34:29-35).

Paul uses this story to make his point. Just as a veil existed in the days of Moses between the glory of God (on the face of Moses) and the eyes of the Israelites, so a veil still remains, he says, between the Jews and the glory of God. They still are blind to it; they still don’t see it; they still don’t get it:

"this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, ...to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart" (v.14-15)

There is a barrier that exists between all men and the glory of God. Because of sin they are blind to it and their hearts are hardened toward Him. Even the eyes and hearts of the Israelites in the days of Moses were veiled from seeing His glory. Instead of being drawn to His glory they were repelled by it, much as many today fear nothing more than the face of God, and will do anything to avoid even talking about It. However, now in the Lord Jesus the veil can be removed and we are able to behold "the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2Cor.4:6)

But there remains in every believer remnants of past sin that hold us back from beholding the glory of God. We still live at times like we are blind to His glory. We act like we don’t have an all-powerful Savior who loved us so much He gave Himself for us. We need continuously to have the veil of spiritual blindness removed that we might behold Him and be transformed by His glory. If we refuse to seek this, we are no better than the Israelites who "honor Me with their lips but their hearts are far away from Me." (Isaiah 29:13)

(Some have wrongly taken v.13 to mean that Moses veiled his face in order to hide the fact that the glory on his face was fading. This is not Paul’s point. In v.7-11 he has been talking about the fading glory of the old covenant. It was this fading old covenant glory that Moses was veiling so that the Israelites would not look upon it directly, which they were too afraid to do.)

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Let me see Your power and Your glory, O God, for Your lovingkindness is better than life. Thank You, Father, that in Your Son You have removed the veil that remained over my heart, which was blinding me and repulsing me from Your glory. Thank You for freedom from the bondage of sin and rebellion. Now Lord, complete the good work You have begun in me; push aside any remaining barriers in my heart toward You. Give me an eager urgency to seek Your face at all costs, for surely the glory of Your face, O Lord, is My fountain of life.