14 November 2013 Ready for the radiance Prepare ‘Thank you, Lord, that you want to spend time with me, even when I have so little to offer you. Thank you for your patience and kindness.’ Bible passage: Exodus 34:29-35 The Radiant Face of Moses 29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORDs presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD. Explore the Bible Afraid to approach Moses’ descent from the mountain this time was completely different from the previous occasion. Aaron and the rest of the people seemed to have learnt their lesson. Instead of barely bothering to break off their partying to notice Moses’ return to the camp (32:19), now they were afraid to approach him (34:30). Moses had spoken with the Lord many times before, and had spent 40 days alone with him before, so why do you think his face became radiant this time and not the others? God’s glory There are various explanations as to what the veil (v 33) signified. One is that the times when Moses took the veil off, revealing the radiance, were the times when he spoke God’s word to the people. The radiance was a visible authentication that he was speaking God’s words, on God’s behalf. In 2 Corinthians 3:13 Paul suggests, however, that the purpose of the veil was to prevent the Israelites from seeing the fading of God’s glory on Moses’ face. And, says Paul, the radiance on Moses’ face is nothing compared to the unfading and much more glorious radiance belonging to the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:18)! Respond What difference does it make to you when you spend time with the Lord? Do you think other people can tell? Caroline Masom Deeper Bible study Moses’ face shines so brightly that he has to cover it with a veil. Each time he is in the presence of God the brightness is recharged and it is clear to the Israelites that he has been with God. For Moses, this profound personal encounter with God was not something he was immediately conscious of, but his brother and all the people could see the effects of his divine encounters. Would that this were so with us! ‘afterglow’ as ‘an era of recognition and indirect influence at broad levels’ when the effectiveness of a leader is increased after they have already retired or finished their original ministry.1 We have done most of what God has given us to do, fought our battles and come through our trials and, without having to do very much, we live in the ‘afterglow’, being a blessing to others and having a godly influence. For others of us, the mountain-top experiences of God’s presence come in the midst of obstacles, brief encounters that keep us from being discouraged by outward circumstances and inner stresses. And for some, the daily pursuit of God’s presence is rewarded by a continual sense that he is with us. Are you an effortless ‘afterglower’, a mountain-top gazer or a steady plodder? Does God’s presence shine into your life on a regular basis or are such experiences few and far between? Paul writes: ‘God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6). As we turn to Jesus, we can be assured of his presence with us. ‘The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you’ (Numbers 6:25). Background: Glory, glory Meeting with God made a difference to Moses. So much so that others couldn’t stand it and he had to cover his face. Over whelming glory God’s glory isn’t an easy idea to grasp. Think of the setting up of the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–38), the dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1–3) – sound, light and above all an overwhelming sense of the presence of God. To experience God in this way is more than we can bear (see Exodus 33:2; Isaiah 6:5). And yet somehow, on the mountain, Moses meets with God in a way that few have. And something of God’s glory is reflected in him. Perhaps if the people had really been close to God they could have coped. ‘The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil…’ The law came with glory, but was it was too much and Moses had to cover his face. Tragically, although the glory of God is everywhere, sinful people cannot see it fully. Glory revealed In the opening chapter of his Gospel, John tells us that in Jesus ‘we have seen his glory’ (John 1:14). Paul writing to the Corinthians picks up the story of Moses and spells out what it means for us. He contrasts Moses’ need to cover his face with our freedom to come to God. Paul’s argument is not easy to follow (and in verse 18 we cannot be sure whether the verb should be translated ‘seeing’, NRSV, TNIV, or ‘reflecting’, NIV), but the central point is that if the coming of the law was glorious then the revelation of God in Christ is even more glorious. Despite that, we can come freely and without fear to God.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:37:24 +0000
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