Exodus 34:29-35
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” (Exodus 34:29, ESV)
We just celebrated the fourth of July. Exhausted after a long Sunday, Cindy and I went to bed early. But I was awakened at 11:00 pm to the sound of mortars exploding next door! I couldn't resist getting up and looking out the window as they radiated various colors of light against the dark night sky. Fireworks certainly are exciting, but they quickly fade away.
Today we see that as Moses met with the LORD, he radiated the LORD’s glory. His face shone as he delivered God’s words to the people. Then he covered himself with a veil so that they couldn’t see the glory fading away. Moses’ glowing face was certainly spectacular, but it didn’t last.
In 2 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul spoke of another glory. This is the glory we receive by being in Christ.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV)
Whereas Moses put a veil over his face to cover the fading glory, we have unveiled faces. We gaze directly upon the glory of the LORD in the face of Jesus Christ, and there is no veil between us. As we gaze upon His glory, we are being transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit--from glory to glory. Then we reflect His glory to others. Unlike the fireworks that quickly explode and dissipate, our glory can be unfading, but only if we abide in Christ.
How others need to see Christians radiating the manifold grace of Christ against the backdrop of this dark world!
Are you daily seeking the Lord’s face until you emerge shining with His glory? Can others see that you have been with Jesus?
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, ESV)