Losing the Veil

Losing the Veil
Words of Faith 3-31-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 34
[27] Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." [28] Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments.
[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 Lord's 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.

After the Lord had reiterated the details of the Law to Moses, He had him carefully write down this covenant with Israel. Altogether, this took forty days and included the writing of the Ten Commandments once again onto tablets of stone.
When Moses returned to the people he was unaware that his face was radiant because of the experience. The Hebrew word for radiant means to "shoot out rays." This word is similar to the word for "horn." The Latin Vulgate Bible (400-1450 AD) confused these words and this is why European medieval art often portrays Moses wearing horns.
Moses did not have horns, but he did have a distinguishable radiance that was frightening to the people. The people were afraid of the radiance of the Lord upon Moses so he hid this with a veil. It was a visible confirmation of Moses' authority as the prophet of God.
I don't believe the point of this text is that we will glow if we spend long periods of time with the Lord. But certainly, there is something to be said about the change of countenance that is seen in us as we draw near to the Lord. Spending time with Him is evident to those around us! There is another point here that may be a little deeper.
The Apostle Paul spoke of this text in his second letter to the Corinthian church. Paul first declared that the ministry of the spirit is even more glorious than the ministry of the Law. The ministry that brings righteousness is one of surpassing glory. Paul then declared that the veil between us and the radiant glory of God has been removed. "Since we have such a hope, we are very bold."
Paul explained that it is only Christ who can take away the veil that makes the mind dull. It is only Christ who can remove the veil from the heart. Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. The Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:7-18)
Wow! That is powerful. We may often feel that there is something between us and God. This need not be so! In Christ, the veil is taken away. In Christ, we find wonderful freedom in the Spirit. In Christ, we are exhilarated by the transforming power of the Spirit.
The question of the day is not Do you have that glow? The better question is has the Lord removed the veil from your mind and heart? Have you turned fully to Jesus? Have you discovered the freedom found only in the grace of the Lord? Are you being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Spirit of the Lord?

Lord Jesus, I turn to You! Remove any veil that is between me and You. Release in me the glory and the freedom of Your Spirit. Transform me into Your likeness with ever-increasing glory. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.