"Veiled"

2 Corinthians 3:12–13; 4:1–6 ¹²Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, ¹³not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.

          Moses walks down from the mountain with new tablets after some time with our Lord God.  God is light so who knows if Moses saw the light of day or the black of night while staying with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights knocking out the new covenant and new tablets of law.  The Hebrews knew very well one does not look directly at our Lord God because one would not just go blind but would actually die.  Talk about a glowing personality.  Moses came down from his time with God and his face glowed and after awhile he had to put a veil over his face to cover it so that the rest of the Hebrews would not be afraid of him.

          Moses’s face glowed with the real light of God.  This was not like sun beams beating down on one’s face, or even that of a candle light held close to one's face.  Moses didn't look like he suffered a sunburn, rather his face was lit by the righteousness of God.  This was a different glow, a glow that made a statement of one spending time in direct contact with Yahweh. 

The reasoning behind being afraid of this glow upon Moses's face was that the Hebrews like us were veiled in the darkness of their sin and the darkness of sin cannot withstand the light of pure righteousness, and sin comes with the penalty of death when as light rids us of darkness.  John writes in chapter one of his book that the light came into the world and the darkness could not overcome it. 

          We live in this physical world where the laws of science differ from the laws of spirit.  To us darkness engulfs everything and the only way to make the darkness leave is to defuse light upon it.  In the true laws which are of the realms of God it is just the opposite in some ways.  The dark tries to take over the light through sin, but God has the upper hand and His light is unquenchable and demolishes the darkness.  God wins over sin and sin will lose its veil that it thinks it has on us and the darkness will be burned to its eternal death.

Mark 9:2–9 ⁷And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” ⁸And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

          It is peculiar that God who is light appears to be coming as a cloud.  What is really happening is God veiled Himself from being seen and placed the cloud for the protection of the apostles with Jesus. Christ has not died for their sins at this time, so God chose to overshadow the apostles putting a barrier so that they would not burn from the light of God's righteousness.  The apostles Peter, John, and James who are sinners as well as you or I did get a glimpse of the glory of God as Jesus is transformed into His true glory of light, the light of true righteousness.  The sight must have been breathtaking as Peter says, "It is good to be here."

          What is good is they were enabled to see Jesus as He really looks when in the presence of the Father and in the realm of heaven.  Moses and Elijah both being with Jesus did not light up the top of the mountain, just Jesus alone shining in His glory for them to witness.  And then the voice of the Father, "This is MY SON of whom I am well pleased, LISTEN TO HIM."  We can unveil the words of our Lord and listen to Him as we study through His awesome voice we know as the Holy Scriptures.

2 Corinthians 3:12–13; 4:1–6 ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

          God veiled by a cloud, the glory of Jesus veiled in the form of a man, and the gospel veiled to blind those who want to remain unbelievers.  But God unveiled His light through His Son by giving Him up to be crucified on the cross; crucified for our darkness of sin and bringing us into His light through forgiveness. 

Christ hanging on the cross veiled His glory for those who chose to be unbelievers, and unveiled to those He led out of the darkness and into the light to be believers.  It is forgiveness of sins given through the light of Christ, washing away our darkness through baptism and through giving us His body and blood so that we might join Him in eternal life and relationship. 

2 Corinthians 3:12–13; 4:1–6 ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

          Out of the darkness of the flesh the glory of God shines His light to save us from the darkness of sin and brings us into the light of His own righteousness.  Christ reclaims us, reconciles us with the Holy Father, and clothes us in His righteousness.  It won't be a sun lamp suntan that we get, but what a glow we will have about us as we too will be in direct relationship with our God.  God protects us through the unveiling of His Son, makes us Holy through His Holy Spirit, and awaits the day when the complete veil is lifted and we all bathe in His glorious light forever and ever, Amen.  Awesome God, and brilliant days to come. Amen.