I have always wondered about the glory of God that shown on Moses’ face and the meaning of why he put a veil over his head.

Ex 34:33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

 I have also tried to “find” Jesus in every part of scripture but this never really made sense until the other day as I was studying Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.

2 Cor 3:11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Moses had come down from the mountain with the “law” in his hands and his face reflected the glory of God because he had talked with God. The glory was a sign to the people that what Moses was about to deliver he had received directly from God; the ten commandments. But it also foreshadowed something else.

2 Cor 3:7-11 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

The glory of the Lord is far greater far than the glory of the Law. It has exceeded the Law and the veil that Moses put over his face was to reflect the fact that the law brought condemnation. It was fading away, making it clear that man needed permanent righteousness; right standing with God. It was pointing to the fact that the old covenant was passing away and there would be a new covenant of “righteousness.” The law had a measure of glory attached to it but the glory of the new covenant, centered in Jesus, was far greater.

There is a great example of this transition from the old to the new from John Phillips: A candle is an excellent thing to have on hand on a dark night. It is totally eclipsed, however, when the sun leaps over the horizon. 

To the Jews, the law was a light in the surrounding world of paganism in which they found themselves, but Paul makes the point that they were not to hang onto the “candle” of the law as the “son” of the new covenant was coming. Someone once said that where the law says “do,” Jesus says “done.” The law written on those stone tablets was just a shadow of the One who was to come, and therefore it was fading and not permanent. All it could do was cover up sin. Now the veil (in the temple; in the human body of Christ) has been rent and we are invited boldly into His presence (Heb 10:19-23), which the law could never accomplish.

Every time when Moses spoke with God he took the veil off…

Ex 34:34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 

Now that glory is being revealed in Jesus’ bride, in each of us, as we draw ever closer to Him, as we become more like Him day-by-day… from glory to glory. The glory revealed in the gospel (revealed in us) is permanent and will never fade, never be replaced. We are not like Moses…

2 Cor 3:13-16 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. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 

Not only have we been called, chosen and justified… we have been “glorified.” Our life in Christ is now all about living out our salvation by allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the glory we hold in our spirit. And that is a 24 x 7 x 365 process that involves chipping away all of the things in us that make up the veil covering that glory. But one day that glory will be fully revealed…

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 

In the meantime… does the glory of God shine in our face for all the world to see after we have spent time in His presence? Perhaps that is what the process of conformation is all about. Is that glory becoming more evident as each day goes by, as we spend more time in His presence?

That’s a goal worth seeking!