Glorifying God, Part 47h

2 Corinthians 3:13-17, "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which was abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

The "great plainness of speech" which concluded the verse immediately prior to this section is contrasted with the veiled face of Moses.  To see the Old Testament account that forms the background of this New Testament passage, let's look at Exodus 34:28-35,

"And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And He wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.  And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while He talked with him.  And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.  And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.  And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.  And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.  But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.  And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him."

At first it may seem that Moses covered his face because the people were afraid of him.  However, notice that Moses called them to himself and talked to them even before covering his face, and that later in the passage it is recorded that the people saw his shining face on subsequent occasions while he told them what God had commanded.  Only after he was done talking did he put the veil back on.  Paul points to the real reason in the 2 Corinthians passage: the glory was fading.