Pod Prep: 8-31-18
Why Did Moses Have To Cover His Face With A Veil? UPDATE
THE TRUE MEANING OF THE MOSES' FACIAL VEIL
A scripture inspired by Paul in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians has created a lot of misunderstanding. We will clarify these verses because a vital message is contained therein. Why did Moses have to put a veil over his head after returning from being close to God upon the mountain top?
Ex 34:32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as his commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 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. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him. (NKJV)
Because of being in the presence of God, Moses face was too bright for the people to look upon so he had to wear a veil afterwards except when he talked with God. Paul gives to this encounter the real spiritual meaning. Moses delivered the words of the true God to His people. But they could not truly and fully see and comprehend. They were separated from the words of God coming from Moses by a veil, not just a physical veil but a spiritual veil as well. We will study the verse that can be misunderstood and see the plain, clear meaning.
2Co 3:12 Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness.-13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not unlifted because it is set aside only in Christ. (Holman)
The religious teachers of Judah according to Paul, cannot fully understand the Bible of that day, the Old Testament, because a veil is upon their minds and hearts. Jesus Christ is the only power that can lift the veil. Our society today has different issues from ancient Judah, but religious teachers in our day also cannot fully understand the Bible unless called by Jesus. We true believers can understand all the Bible old and new because Christ has called us and opened our minds. It is a gift nothing we can take credit for or brag about. God has decided to call some of us. We are not chosen based on wisdom; otherwise we might get arrogant. God demands humility among the saved. Note Paul's statements about those called to have their minds opened to the truth.
1Co 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
It is easy to see why God is not calling the wise or great of society. They might think to themselves, God had to call me in the first resurrection because of all my wisdom or greatness. Further, it helps God in the sense that He can say in the future that all man's wisdom is truly folly. Look at all the academic elites who believed and some still do, support Communism TOTAL SOCIALISM. tCommunism was the greatest economic collapse in the twentieth century. Not to mention all the human rights suppression, brutality and cruelty which show the disaster of supposedly, some of man's best academic concepts apart from God.
1 Co 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
God demands that all mankind glory only in Him and not in men. Pagan kings had people worship them and so will the evil beast at the end of the age. Paul says God calls us little people so all glory goes to God. Further, Paul came to Corinth, a city full of Greek philosophies, and preached only the message regarding Christ, not human philosophies. Paul further says that our calling allows us to understand human carnal philosophies and people, yet those not called cannot fully understand us or see, the spiritual.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. (NKJV)
Paul explains that we have received the Spirit. This Spirit of God allows our minds to see things that worldly people no matter how smart they are cannot see. They still have a veil upon their minds and hearts. We have all experienced a moment when someone uncalled would say to us 'I just don't understand you'. We are discussing a key doctrine in the Bible and the uncalled person would say 'I don't care'. Their minds are not yet opened and this golden truth means nothing to them. They go the way of the majority of society and cannot understand why we do not follow that same path. We can understand them but they cannot understand us. The veil is still blocking the minds of the worldly.
WHY IS THE VEIL SCRIPTURE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD
If a person comes to this statement by Paul from the standard assumption that the Old Testament is done away, and nothing in it is binding or valuable to us Christians then it is easy to misunderstand. First remember that Paul used the Old Testament (OT) throughout all his epistles as sources of proof. He shows honor to all the Bible.
2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (NKJV)
What scriptures existed when Timothy was a child? The Old Testament was the only portion of the Bible that existed when Timothy was a child. Not one word of the New Testament had been written and clearly none of it canonized. Paul knew that the Old Testament was good for inspiration and profitable to believers for doctrines. Paul required Timothy and other leaders in the church to become professional in their Old Testament knowledge.
2Ti 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
Paul clearly believes in the Old Testament. Why is it easy to willfully misunderstand this section? We will look at those verses that can mislead if one has a wrong premise.
2Co 3:7 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. (NKJV)
One could read this and say the Old Testament is passing away. No, Paul is saying a more glorious covenant and administration is available to the called. This New Covenant is built upon the foundation of the OT yet does not do away with the OT. The OT is called glorious. The new administration the deeper spiritual understanding of the laws given in the OT is even more glorious. One is glorious and next higher level of it is even more glorious. Note I Tim 1:8 where Paul calls the law good if administered correctly.
2Co 3:11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
Many would like to ignore certain laws written in the OT and claim they are done away. This is not what Paul means. The new administration not only does not cancel the law it actually makes the law more binding, more spiritual. The New Covenant requires a more binding commitment to the Laws of God.
Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My Covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.
10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My Laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (NKJV)
Paul explains why God brought in a better administration and the help of grace and His Spirit. God is going to put His Laws inside us. Which is the opposite of doing away with them. Paul further explains that those of us called and who have repented are no longer in the dark. The truth is hidden to the world by a veil.
2Co 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
The devil has blinded all the world except for a small called out number of people. See Rev 12:9. The Old Testament is not fading away, it is being replaced by an upgrade; sort of like a bud on a plant that opens and becomes a beautiful flower.
