Scripture Text (NRSV)
Exodus 34:29-35
34:29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the
mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did
not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking
with God.
34:30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his
face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.
34:31 But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of
the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them.
34:32 Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in
commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
34:33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on
his face;
34:34 but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him,
he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out,
and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
34:35 the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the
skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face
again, until he went in to speak with him.
Comments:
Staying close with God has certain advantages, one of them is the
reflection we get from God ("the face shone"). This reflection gave us
a sense of spiritual authority (and could cause people to be affraid
of us). We need to minister to our leadership-peers and "leaders of
the congregation" first with personal modeling (and remember that not
all with titles are leaders). Then we minister to the whole
congregation formally with God's Word. But all of this is best done
when we "did not know that the face shone because we have been talking
with God".
Once realized the mechanic of this, "Moses put a veil on his face", to
prevent people from seeing the fading glory (as Paul attacked the
practice in 1 Cor. 3) That mechanism COULD allow us to minister in
God's glory and authority, as if it is still there eventhough it was
fading. But Moses DID NOT do that, he never speak with the veil on,
instead he honestly seek God face to face, in order to tell the Israel
what he had been commanded.
This practice could be the second best. The best would be what Paul
did, minister without the veil, so that we can teach people direct
access to the source of glory. The second best is to reflect God's
glory with the maximum effectiveness, regularly basque ourselves in
His presence, and limit our reflection exposure only to the key
activity of speaking the Word of God.
No matter which way I choose above, the requirement is the same, I
need to minister in the authority which came from the authentic
Presence of God. Cannot fake it, cannot speak with the veil on and
pretent the glory still there. The mysterious shining of the face of
Moses is God's way to authenticate His message. And therefore, I have
reason to hope that His face would also shine on me. Now, what to do
when I realize that mechanic is up to me. There was a Paul's way, and
then there was Moses' way... It's not easy to let people see the
fading glory, but that's a more authentic way.
Coho, Midway City
Moses' face shone with the reflected glory of God after he received
the Ten Commandments. The sight caused the Israelites to be afraid.
Moses wore a veil to mask the radiance of God's glory while allowing
direct communication with the people.
After receiving the Ten Commandments, Moses' face shone with the
reflected glory of God. Because this radiance frightened the
Israelites, Moses wore a veil when he delivered the commandments to
them. Some scholars argue that this tradition gave rise to the use of
the ritual mask in the temple, but it is precisely when Moses is
involved in ritual activities with God that he takes the mask off
(34.34). Nevertheless, the veil allowed Moses to communicate with both
God and the people.
Wouldn't you be self-conscious if you were suddenly aware that your
face was shining with a glory-of-God shine? The first time Moses knew
about it was when "Aaron and all the Israelites...were afraid to come
near him." He couldn't check it in a mirror, but he must have been
able to imagine how his face looked by the looks on their faces.
Moses' self-consciousness and his other-consciousness then dictated
his procedure. He worked up a veil with which to hide the glory when
it was too overwhelming. He would remove the veil in the presence of
God. Then he would let the people see his shining face reflecting
God's glory as he reported what God had revealed to him. Afterwards he
would cover his face with the veil once more to "keep the people of
Israel from gazing at the end of the glory" (2 Cor 3.13).
Image may not be everything, but it would be a help if every good
sermon were matched with a glory face on the part of the preacher.
What if, when the worshipers really were in conversation with God
during the liturgy, their faces would reflect the glory! Or if, when
the parishioners were leaving the church, some had glory faces and
some had not. And if the glory faced through the week, wouldn't we all
be eager to make it to church the next Sunday for a glory polishing?
It's happening!
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,/With a
glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me."
It's happening!
"All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as
though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the
Lord, the Spirit!" (2 Cor 3.18).
It's happening!
It's a repeated epiphany!
One shining moment indeed! That's all the thoughts I have for the time
being. Happy Presidents Day!
Northeast pastor
I returned from a weekend Christian youth retreat. I was sitting in a
library when another student came up to me and said, "What happened to
you? You're glowing!"
I admit, the weekend had been precious and wonderful, I hadn't
realized that what I had felt on the inside showed. Maybe our state of
connection with our God, our Lord and King really is observable by
others.
We don't have to be Moses to have a mountain-top experience!
God Bless Doug in Erie
I like the idea that the presence of God gave Moses a presence that
others could see. Many Christians go around with such sour looks on
their faces that there's no way anyone would want to be like them.
I'm thinking of exploring how we should let Christ show through us,
show that being faithful is a situation of joy. I recently saw the
"Gospel of John" movie. What impressed me most was that the actor
consistently portrayed Jesus as teaching with a smile on his face.
Too many Christians speak of their faith with a countenance that looks
like they just sucked on a lemon! ;-) My working title for this week
is "Bright & Shiny Faces"
Am I off base here or on target?
Rich in Bama
Is the movie produced by Mel Gibson to be opened next week at case of
a Christian allowing Christ to shine through him?
Question from
bammamma
Shalom
I may the only person in my church (just barely)50 or older who
listens to contemporary Christian music (my wife is only 45, so she
can listen, too. One of my favorite artists is Chris Rice, who has a
gorgeous thing our now he calls "Untitled Hymn" The last two verses
speak powerfully to the joy that is ours forever in Christ
O,and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!
And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!
revgilmer in Texarkana
bammamma
Indeed. Whatever the final outcome or quality of the film (and I have
not seen it, of course) Mel Gibson is clearly seeking to communicate
Christ. What is interesting (in contrast to Transfiguration Sunday) is
that it is a totally different kind of glory we see.
On Mount Sinai, we see Moses' shining face reflecting the glory of
God. On Mount Hermon, we see Jesus' own glory. On Golgotha, we see the
glory of God as He displays His grace to mankind.
That might be three points.
JG in WI
I was drawn to this text. It seems to me that there are many times in
our lives when God seems veiled, unknown, hidden. It isn't that God is
hiding, but we are so caught up in our grief, or fear, or ego, that
God seems distant. But in Jesus Christ, God is unveiled. We meet Him
at the Lord's Supper, in the Word, in the Cross, and in the spiritual
gifts that we see evidenced in God's people. It is in the love of God
expressed to us in Jesus Christ through the love of God's people, that
God is unveiled. We live in the presence of God, in the midst of the
difficult problems we face. His face is turned toward us in love.
