When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord. Exodus 34:29-35 NLT
God had given Moses a very important ministry, he was the middle man between God and the people. He had the courage to come before the Lord and hear Him directly, then share with the people all that God had spoken to him. The time that Moses spent with the Lord changed him. He began to reflect the glory of the Lord.
The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 NLT
Moses brought the people the law, which set a standard of perfect living that no one was able to achieve. Since they were unable to keep the law, provision was made for the forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of animals. That’s why the Bible says the law led to death. The point of the law was to help us understand that we all fall short of what God requires and are in need of a savior. We call the system of the law the old covenant. When Jesus came, He became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, obtaining for us complete forgiveness of sin and reconciling us to God. Now, under the new covenant that Jesus ushered in, we can have direct access to God.
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:12-14 NIV
The people feared God, that’s why Moses wore a veil. When his face reflected God’s glory it scared the people. Now that Jesus has taken on the punishment we deserve, we have no reason to fear God. We, like Moses, can come boldly before Him, without a veil, knowing that God will not condemn us if we have requested that the blood of Jesus be accepted as the sacrifice for our sins. Only in Christ is the veil able to be removed!
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV1984
Here’s where it gets really cool. Just like Moses was changed when he spent time with God, so we too are changed when we spend time with Him. As Moses set everything else aside, entered into the Tent of Meeting and focused only on the Lord, speaking and listening to Him, so we too should spend time in prayer and worship, speaking and listening to God. As we do so, God will transform us into His likeness so that we also will reflect His glory. When people see our lives, they should see Christ in us. As the people saw a difference in Moses because of his relationship with God, so should others see a difference in us.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20a NIV
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 NIV
We are blessed to be forgiven, accepted by God, and able to come before His presence without a veil or anything else between us! And we are privileged to represent Him to those around us, and to speak to them the good news we have from God, that He is reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them!” All God asks us to do is to reflect Him to a lost and hurting world, to set the truth plainly before them that they too might be saved. We get to partner with God as He makes His appeal to them through us!
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 NIV
If you feel the weight of the responsibility of representing God to the world, relax. It’s not you they need to see it’s Him. The best way you can reflect His glory is to spend time with Him, as much time as you can! Worship Him daily, seek Him in prayer constantly, listen to His voice as you read His word and apply all of it to your life. You will be amazed by the changes He brings in you! It’s not your power the world needs to see, it’s His power working in you. When you fall and the enemy trips you up, don’t stay down. You may even feel like the veil is back and you don’t have the courage to face God. Don’t go down that road! Remove the veil by confessing your sin to God. Repent, which requires stopping the sinful activity, and come again into the presence of God. He desires to restore you! As you take these steps, those around you will see God’s glory in you and begin to understand that He is a God of mercy and grace!