"Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away" (2 Corinthians 3:12-13).
We've seen how the Apostle Paul has utilized the literary device of comparison in referencing the account of Moses' experience on Mount Sinai as he stood in the presence of God to receive the Ten Commandments. As a result of Moses' encounter with God, we're told that "...his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord" (Exodus 34:29 NIV). Perhaps not surprisingly, the following verses go on to tell us that other members of Old Testament Israel were afraid to approach Moses because of this.
That led Moses …show more content…
But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord" (Exodus 34:33-35).
Since this account does not provide us with Moses' rationale for taking these steps, we might assume that he did so to avoid provoking additional fear in those who approached him. However, Paul the Apostle gives us the reason behind these actions here in 2 Corinthians 3:13 when he writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "...The glory was disappearing, and Moses did not want them to see it end" (ERV). So even at this early stage, the glory of the Mosaic covenant was subject to decline.
Thus, Moses veiled his face to hide the fact that the glory associated with the Old Covenant was fading away even then. This leads us to a rather sad and disheartening conclusion: Moses did not seek to hide this reflection of God's glory but instead sought to hide the reality of its departure. Although this radiant glory was renewed whenever Moses entered God's presence, it was a process that had to be repeated, much like the sacrificial offerings that accompanied the Mosaic
We've seen how the Apostle Paul has utilized the literary device of comparison in referencing the account of Moses' experience on Mount Sinai as he stood in the presence of God to receive the Ten Commandments. As a result of Moses' encounter with God, we're told that "...his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord" (Exodus 34:29 NIV). Perhaps not surprisingly, the following verses go on to tell us that other members of Old Testament Israel were afraid to approach Moses because of this.
That led Moses …show more content…
But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord" (Exodus 34:33-35).
Since this account does not provide us with Moses' rationale for taking these steps, we might assume that he did so to avoid provoking additional fear in those who approached him. However, Paul the Apostle gives us the reason behind these actions here in 2 Corinthians 3:13 when he writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "...The glory was disappearing, and Moses did not want them to see it end" (ERV). So even at this early stage, the glory of the Mosaic covenant was subject to decline.
Thus, Moses veiled his face to hide the fact that the glory associated with the Old Covenant was fading away even then. This leads us to a rather sad and disheartening conclusion: Moses did not seek to hide this reflection of God's glory but instead sought to hide the reality of its departure. Although this radiant glory was renewed whenever Moses entered God's presence, it was a process that had to be repeated, much like the sacrificial offerings that accompanied the Mosaic