Day 65 – Moses & Seeing God

Yes, it’s quite a bit of reading today, which is one of the reasons why I’m so keen to encourage you to read each day, to avoid heavy catch-up sessions. It’s not always easy to understand, either. Nevertheless, read carefully.

• Well, yesterday we left the Israelites in a mess. They had sinned against God and gone their own way, and God was rightfully angry. God even sent a plague amongst the people. Would God would look at this insolent group of people and just forget about them and leave them to their mess? Let’s read on to find out.
• What kind of people does God say the Israelites are in today’s verses? Look up what the term “stiff-necked” means in the Bible (your study bible might help you if you have one).
• Are you like the Israelites sometimes?
• What was the role of Moses over the two Old Testament passages we read today? What special connection did he have with God?
• Do we learn anything interesting about God’s character today? How can God be both holy and forgiving? Think about how God reacts graciously to the recent events, whilst still detailing His expectations of the people.
• Moses spent another 40 days with God. What happened to his face after he had spent some time in God’s presence? What did he have to do afterwards?
• Moses’ face reflected God’s glory. When we spend time with Jesus, thinking about and acting upon His teachings and the knowledge of His love for us, it can – and should – reflect in our actions. Think about a Christian you know. Can you tell that they are? What’s the difference between the actions and life of a Christian as opposed to someone who’s just friendly?
• The New Testament passage is difficult today, but it’s theologically rich. It’s generally summing up the events of Exodus 32-34 in light of Jesus, and that makes it very interesting reading. Have a think about what it says. I’ve put some of my own notes below.

Paul, writing in his letter to the Corinthians in today’s third passage, makes a parallel between Moses and Jesus.

Moses role and ministry was limited, bounded by the law God gave, and lacked the power to transform people. Indeed, it’s described as a “ministry of death”, which sounds odd, as there wasn’t anything wrong with the law (God gave it after all!). What it means is that the commandments from God didn’t give people the ability or power to actually obey them, and they remained “stiff-necked”. Despite this, it was still glorious enough to require Moses to wear a veil.

Paul, however, could talk about an all-surpassing, unveiled, transforming glory through Jesus that was even more glorious. This is called the “ministry of the Spirit” in 2 Corinthians 3:8. In it, God’s Word isn’t written on tablet of stone, but “tablets of human hearts” (verse 2).

Moses had an encounter with God, but through Jesus we have even greater access to God. There is no veil for us any more – through Christ we can receive God’s glory. Moses had to carry around a tabernacle with a curtain which (metaphorically) hid God. When Jesus died, a great curtain in the temple was torn down, symbolising the breaking of this barrier between us and God.

Yes, this is complex stuff, and you may not fully grasp it, but it is – my friends – is astonishing. We have unlimited access to the presence of God (2 Corinthians 3:18). We can be unashamed in boldly enjoying this (verse 12). Through this access and the work of the Holy Spirit we are also being transformed into the image of God’s glory (verse 18). There are no more veils and no more curtains. We’re being transformed by God’s glory, for God’s glory into the image of God’s glory. That’s incredible news!

I hope that even though you worked through some difficult passages today, you end your time in God’s Word today with real encouragement about how we can know God through Jesus. I hope that does indeed make your face shine!