III. Seeing Glory Face to Face: Purposefully Veiled
By Christine S., T4TL Ministry

*Get a great start with prayer.* Addressing 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, the question arises- what is the reasoning behind the veil over Moses face and does it relate to my life? The purpose of the veil has nothing to do with Moses’ sinfulness being veiled off from the holy presence he was encountering. It had more of a purpose than to keep him from seeing the face of God- an action that could lead to death. The veil covering Moses’ face was much like the make-belief lifestyles we project on a daily basis.

Looking at Exodus 34:29-35 what were the people’s reaction to Moses when he returned from Mt. Sinai?

Now turn to Exodus 16:13, What appears to be the people’s reaction to Moses in this point of the story?

According to Lawrence O. Richards in the The Teacher's Commentary (1987), Moses' veil was to pretend like the glory hadn't faded. It was to keep the people fearing him and recognizing the Lord was with him. With the veil over Moses’ face, people would be less inclined to conspire or grumble against him because they would have a projected image of his favor or connection with God. They would trust him with less hesitancy, not realizing that the glory on his face did not remain. The New Testament passage also talks about readers having hearts veiled to this day, a statement that relates to the covering over the things that may not make so much sense now that Jesus has brought salvation to mankind. Paul basically states, that what was once glorious, what was once the closest one could come to communion with God (following the laws and atonements) has been completely outdone (hence the wording, “dull”) by an even glorious initiative of Christ’s love. Christ’s love completely threw out the laws that condemned sinners day after day. Christ’s love gave a second chance- a mercy, compassion and invitation to the imperfect, weak and vulnerable, beloved creations. It released them to an eternity, removing the enslavement of laws (see Deut. 6:25). Thinking along another level, modern day Christians compare to Moses when they put out a pretend status.

A favorite author, Mike Yaconelli, wrote about pretending, from the little conversations to relationships overall, saying, “Practically, pretending is efficient, uncomplicated and quick. . . Pretending is the grease of modern relationships. Pretending perpetuates the illusions of relationships by connecting us on the basis of who we aren’t. . .When you and I stop pretending, we expose the pretending of everyone else. The bubble of the prefect Christian life is burst, and we all must face the reality of our brokenness.”

What is he talking about: How many of us hide behind the spiritual clichés to avoid revealing the reality that we are indeed human, full of weakness, vulnerability and, actually, poor in Spirit? The fact that, maybe we aren’t doing well today? I challenge you to be truthful with God, yourself and those around you. After all, you’re only doing yourself a disservice.

What weaknesses and vulnerabilities are hiding in your life? What deficiency needs to be surrendered to God that you may experience life to the fullest? Would finding a person to hold you accountable (and you holding them accountable in return) help?

Here is a powerful prayer from Brennan Manning that has been challenging my heart lately:
“ Jesus, my brother and Lord, I pray as I write these words for the grace to be truly poor before you, to recognize and accept my weakness and humanness, to forgo the indecent luxury of self-hatred, to celebrate your mercy and trust in your power when I'm at my weakest, to rely on your love no matter what I do, to seek no escapes from my innate poverty, to live peacefully without clarity or assurance, to stop grandstanding and trying to get attention, to do the truth quietly without display, to let dishonesties in my life fade away, to belong no more to myself, not to desert my post when I give the appearance of staying at it, to cling to my humanity, to accept the limitations and full responsibility of being a human being- really human and really poor in Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Brennan Manning, Reflections for Ragmuffins, 22)