In the past year, the Lord has really given me a heart for Jewish people. It is clear through ALL of Scripture, even the New Testament, just how much He loves these people and has made them such a huge part of His larger plan...and I wanted to know more about these dear people.
One thing I've learned is that as we look back through all the names of people groups in the Old Testament, names like the Moabites, the Cushites, the Maacathites, and countless other people groups, these names no longer exist in our current day cultures because they have been overtaken by other groups who then overtook those groups, etc. But the Jews, the Israelites, the tiny little people group out of tiny little Israel made it all these thousands of years...how is that? It's because they are God's people. He has guarded them.
In this quest to learn more, I've been enthralled to read about the Old Covenant God made with His people (the 613 laws) verses the New Covenant in Jesus which is not about earning your salvation by following laws, but rather is a gift offered to us through Christ from God that we don't deserve nor do we have to do anything to receive it other than to accept it and claim Christ.
So here we are in 2 Corinthians, and today's passage is all about the Old and New Covenants! Remember that verse 6 on Monday reminded us that the old way of following the laws brought death (because no one could possibly keep all 613 laws perfectly), but the new way gives us a way to pay for our sin and lack of law-keeping: Jesus. And once we accept Him, we have His Holy Spirit at work within us (a very powerful, incredible gift that the Jews and other non-believers do not yet possess).
7 Now if the ministry that brought death,
which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the
Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its
glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
So, remember that Moses' laws were carved on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai. And when Moses came down from the mountain, after being in the presence of God, his face was so bright that he had to put a veil over it because people could not look at him! (And to think that is just the by-product of being in the presence of The Holy One! Wow!) But then it says, "transitory though it was..." This means that the brightness would not last forever, and Moses kept his face covered to prevent people from seeing to glory/brightness fade away over time. And so when we read about Moses' face when he came down with the laws, we know that even the Old Testament law, which was written by God, did have some glory (glory = beauty, distinction, magnificence) that came with it. But it would not and could not last forever, because we cannot keep those laws. We are human, and we were condemned from the beginning with that law. BUT...if even the laws brought some glory (in that although it condemned us, it pointed us to our need for a Savior), then how much more glorious is God's plan which gives us life through the Holy Spirit?! In the new covenant, the law and the promises are fulfilled. Christ has come and by faith, we may be made right with God!
I love to know that the old law had a purpose, don't you? God wasn't just wasting time or messing with us...He was laying the foundation for something so magnificent, it would blow our minds!
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.
It's because of this great hope, we can be very bold. Yes! We know that what is here now is here to stay, and we don't need to cover our faces or hide from anyone. This is it! This is the pinnacle -- Christ has come, and we are freed...forever!
14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. This is the part that makes me so sad. He's talking about the Jews! They are still veiled, and they do not yet see what God has done for them in fulfilling the law and the prophets through Jesus Christ. Christ is the only one who can lift the veil and bring understanding to our hearts, and whenever anyone turns to Jesus, the veil is taken away. Have you heard people talk about feeling different when they have decided to follow Christ? Or perhaps they understand the Bible now, when before the words seemed so foreign before? I am praying, praying, praying for my Jewish friends (and not surprisingly, God has given me MANY more in the past couple years). Oh, how I wish they and the rest of the world would turn to Christ!
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. No more bondage to laws and to our past here! When the Holy Spirit resides in us once we accept Christ, we experience a freedom like we've never known before. The new covenant is one of grace, forgiveness, hope, and love. There is a lightening of step and a joy in our hearts! Being ruled by shame and guilt is an experience only in the past once we experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Look at the picture here: rather than being bright but growing dimmer, this tells us we are "being transformed"...like right this moment and all the moments in the future, it's continual... with an "ever-increasing glory." We just keep getting brighter and brighter as we are constantly being made more like Christ each day! We don't veil our faces, but we reflect the Lord and His glory to the watching world. As we pray and study His Word, we are transformed by His Spirit. And we don't do it for ourselves, because we are not the ones with the power. No, God does that for us and in us.
Oh, Lord. I am just overcome this morning! Thank you for this great plan You have been working since the beginning of time. And thank you for letting us see just a glimpse of what You are doing with humanity! My words fall short, but I am just so overcome by how much You know, how much You love us, that You could possibly desire a relationship with us, and that You are even willing to do work in our lives that helps us grow. Who am I, Lord, that You would love me? I am speechless, but I am so grateful. I love you. God, help me to shine Your glory to the world, especially to my dear friends who don't know You. How my heart aches for them and that they don't know this incredible love and forgiveness You have for them. May I be a reflection of You. Thank you for lifting my veil.
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