108_From glory to glory

Ex 34:29-35 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. 30 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. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 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, 35 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.

2 Cor. 3:12-14 “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away. 14But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.”

A great sculptor was once asked how he managed to carve such lifelike statues out of blocks of stone. He said: “I just chip away everything that doesn’t look like the image I have seen in the marble.” In some ways, this mirrors the way God continually works in us, removing what does not reflect His glory, shaping us into His image, from one degree of glory to another.

Moses climbed Mount Sinai with two blank tablets of stone. There he was with God for forty days and forty nights. The Almighty God spoke with him, and inscribed His commandments on the stone tablets. When Moses descended from the mountain, his face was radiant, reflecting the glory of the Lord. Once earlier, Moses had come down the mountain at God’s bidding. He carried the stone tablets with the law inscribed on them. But when he saw Israel worshiping the golden calf, he threw down the tablets, shattering them. He saw the inward rejection of the law in the hearts of his people. Their idolatry and immoral partying, at the very foot of the mountain where God had appeared to them, and called them to be his own people, revealed their unfaithful hearts. Moses did not prize the visible representation of the law, even though it was made by God’s own hand. Externalities mean nothing without reality. If the heart is not holy, nothing is.

Now, however, God was ready once more to make a covenant with Israel. When Moses came down, his face shone so brightly that the people were afraid to come near him. Interestingly, Moses himself was initially unaware of his shining countenance. When our Lord was transfigured on the mountain, His garments became dazzling white. This sight was witnessed by Peter, James, and John. Those who dwell in the presence of God are transformed even though they do not realize or observe it. They are too preoccupied with His glory to be conscious of themselves. This is a hallmark of true godliness. Anyone who abides in Christ no longer boasts of Christlikeness, with self-conscious humility or pride. His mind is consumed with thoughts of pleasing God by doing what is good, right, and just.

Moses veiled his face when speaking to the Israelites. But before the Lord, he removed the veil. 2 Corinthians 3 explains the veil as the hiding of the truth that the law was not a permanent solution for anything. The law was glorious, but its glory was fading, for it could promise nothing but death. It revealed sin but could not give righteousness. It was perfect, but could make nothing perfect. Those who sought righteousness through the law were doomed to fail.

In contrast, the new covenant in Christ has eternal glory. The law pointed to Christ who is the end of the law. Those who believe in God who sent Christ into the world find in him forgiveness and righteousness unto eternal life. Yet many still sought to become righteous by punctiliously observing their idea of the law. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His time, saying, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40). The law was never the final word—it was a tutor to lead us to Christ, the fulfillment of all righteousness.

To this day, those who rely on the law for righteousness cannot see the truth, that God’s glory is revealed in the face of Christ. Only when one comes to Christ is the veil removed. Unlike the glory that shone on Moses’ face but would soon end, the glory of Christ is permanent and ever-increasing. “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.” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This transformation is not the result of human effort but the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

In Christ, we experience three glorious realities. First, we have boldness. The law brought fear and condemnation, for all have sinned. But in Christ, there is no condemnation. We know that we are accepted in the Beloved. Hebrews 10:19-23 exhorts us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,” holding fast to our hope because God is faithful to his word. In this freedom, we can approach God with confidence.

Second, we have freedom. Paul states, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Paul declares in Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” This freedom is not a license to sin but the liberty to live in righteousness. No longer bound by sin and the condemnation of the law, we are free to love God and our neighbor, to walk in obedience, and to delight in His will.

Third, we are transformed. The calling of the Christian is to be conformed to the image of Christ. This transformation is not instantaneous but a lifelong process. God, by His Spirit, moulds us through the experiences of life. We come to share the likeness of His Son by learning to obey God in faith and love, no matter what. This is the essence of changing into his image from glory to glory. Our lives increasingly reflect the character of Christ as we walk with Him.

This becomes true through our constant walk before God. The fading glory of Moses’ face shone because he communed with God. If we desire to reflect Christ’s glory, we must seek Him daily by making him a focus of worship, and of faith, and of obedience. Our hearts must be attuned to him in prayer and in the Word so that we live according to his will. Transformation does not happen by striving in our own strength but by abiding in Him. As Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5).

Furthermore, just as Moses was unaware of his own radiance, let us not be preoccupied with measuring our spiritual progress. Instead of focusing on outward proofs of holiness, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. As we follow him, we will be changed into His image. As we keep his commandments through faith, we will become like him, without needing to keep up appearances or seek recognition,

Finally, let us remember that this is not a solitary pursuit. The body of Christ grows together. We encourage and build one another up, spurring each other on to love and good deeds. The radiance of Christ shines in our lives as we walk with him, without self-consciousness or boasting. Let us press on, ever beholding His glory in his life, and ever being transformed through obedience, until the day we see Him face to face. For then we shall be like him. God bless.