Long could have been living right now. Some things don't change, do they? That should be somewhat of a comfort to us. I know a lot of times we feel like it's worse than it's ever been, and in some senses it is. But there are aspects of that that have not changed ever since the world has been in existence, at least since the fall. And so we can find comfort, though things seem like it might be out of control and getting worse and worse. And there's a sense in which it is. God's still in control. It's still under His almighty reign, and we can certainly find comfort in Him. Exodus chapter 34. This morning, as we continue our Exodus study, Moses has spent another 40 days up in the mountain with God Yahweh and God Has now once again mercifully graciously Renewed his covenant the same covenant with his people Israel So we pick the narrative back up in verse 29 chapter 34 verse 29 now It happened when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with him. Then Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him. And Moses spoke to them, and afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them everything that Yahweh had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. Then Moses finished speaking with them and put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with him, he would take off the veil until he came out. And then he would come out and speak to the sons of Israel what had been commanded. And the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses's face shown. So Moses would return the veil over his face until he went in to speak with him. So right out of the gate here in verse 29, we should all realize a contrast. As I just mentioned, Moses has now spent two 40-day periods up in the mountain of Sinai with God, Yahweh. So this, what we have before us in this section, this is the second time that Moses has descended down from the mountain from God to the people. And there is a great contrast between this descent and the last. Moses's first 40 days with God, if you'll remember, it was interrupted by God telling him to go, to go get your people, as God said, as God put it, go get your people and stop them and deal with their gross idolatry. And so that first descent of Moses down Sinai to the people was filled with frustration and even anger. righteous indignation, which resulted in Moses casting the first tablets of the covenant to the ground, shattering them. But this second descent is vastly different, isn't it? This time, notice the text even tells us that the second set of the tablets of the testimony of God himself, they were safely, I think that's the mind, that's the intent here, they were safely or firmly in Moses' hands, in that parenthetical that tells us he's holding them in his hands. And this time, instead of frustration and anger upon his face, this time Moses' face shines. The Hebrew word here translated shown, it literally means that his face, the skin of his face, shot forth beams of light. Here's a fun fact. The Latin Vulgate, which was the premier translation for a long, long time, for hundreds of years, the premier Bible translation, the Latin Vulgate wrongly translated these beams of light as horns. It described the skin of Moses' face as having horns. And because of this erroneous translation, some ancient artwork depict Moses as having horns. Just in case you ever see such a picture and wonder, why in the world does Moses have horns? That's the reason why. So yes, this is quite a contrast from Moses' first descent of Sinai, right? Well then, we should all notice as well the reason for this contrast, the reason for Moses' face radiating with beams of light, it is clearly revealed, clearly recorded here in verse 29 as well. His face radiated with beams of light, beams of light shot forth from the skin of his face because Why? He had been speaking with God, and God had been speaking with him. We have the recorded conversation between them. So this contrast, Moses' shining face, was caused by communion with God Yahweh, right? That's what it's called when you speak with someone and they speak with you, especially as Moses and God spoke. We have the record where God said that God tells us in his word that they spoke together as friends speak. So, this Moses' shining face was caused by communion with God Yahweh. So, as the New Testament tells us, as it informs us, that these things are given to us as examples, the record of the Old Testament, the people of the Old Testament, the things that happened in the nation of Israel and other nations as well, that these things were given to us As examples, since we know this, as we view this example here of Moses' shining face, as we see the contrast, and as we see the reason for the contrast, that being communion with God, let me ask us, is it correct to say, in light of this, that communion with God changes us? Communion with God in this example, I think we can clearly see communion with God changes us communion with God transforms us Even in ways we don't know We may not know or may not realize Notice in verse 29 Moses doesn't even know he is unaware that his face is shooting forward beams of light He's unaware of this And I think we can see in this example as well, communion with God transforms us in ways in which we may not even realize, but others will. Others do. In verse 30, Aaron and the people, they can clearly see that something is different with Moses. They can see the results of his communion with God Yahweh. So this is clearly showing us that indeed, communion with God transforms us. And just in case we might question this truth or this interpretation, the Apostle Paul, or the Holy Spirit, in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 3, or 2 Corinthians chapter 3, and we're actually going to go there in a minute, not yet, but in a minute, and we will see when we go there that the Apostle Paul is clearly thinking of this very account. when he is speaking and when he says this. He writes in verse 18 of chapter 3, But we all, with unveiled face, unlike Moses, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord. The Spirit. So yes, it's true. Communion with the Lord, face-to-face communion with Him. Him speaking to us and us responding and speaking to Him. It transforms us even in ways that we may not comprehend. But others will. Others do. So Saints, quiz time, test time. If we truly want our lives to be transformed, If we truly desire to be more like Christ, to be more like God, to be godly, like God Himself, what do we need? What do we need? Do we need more religion? Do we need more methods? Do we need more techniques? Or do we just need more of God? Do we just need more of Christ Jesus? The answer's obvious, isn't it? From the text of Scripture, from this picture, and then the interpretation of this picture from Paul himself, from the Holy Spirit. We just need more of Him. If we truly desire for our lives to be transformed, it's not a mystery. Oh, it's a miracle, but it's not a mystery. We just need more of Him. More of God, more of Christ. And then how do we give more of God? How do we get more of Him? Well, the Holy Spirit just told us, if we were listening, that this transformation, Paul says, it comes from the Lord the Spirit. It's what he says in verse 18 of 2 Corinthians chapter 3. So this transformation that we need and should desire, it is the work of the Spirit. It's the work of the Spirit. It's not techniques, not methods, not religion. It's more of the Lord and we receive more of the Lord through a work of the Spirit. And how does the Spirit operate? Well, the Spirit operates through His book. That's how the Spirit operates. This is His book. He operates through His book. This is how God speaks to us, and this is how we must respond to Him. This is how we commune with God, by reading, and studying, and praying, and singing, and preaching, and hearing this preached to us, and living in, and living out. And from this, this, God's Word is how He transforms us in ways that we can't comprehend But yet others will, and others do. God's Word. So thanks to transformation, true transformation from, as Paul put it, one degree of glory to another. Transformation from the dead and dying child of disobedience that we used to be. Transformation from being like the fallen and condemned world around us. This transformation, it begins and continues right here in God's Word. There's no substitute. There's no shortcut, nor should we want one. This is plain, this is simple, and this is the ordained means in which God ordinarily, God the Spirit ordinarily works. It's His Word. Thanks be to God and His wonderful providence, we all have free access today to the Word of God. We all have free access and clear access. It's translated in our tongue, in our English. We all have free and unlimited access to God's Word, to the very thing that God uses to transform us. We have it. So we can see the contrast, and we can see what caused this contrast, this transformation, communion with God himself, But there's something we all need to know about being truly transformed by God. It can cause something. It can cause something. Now, I'm not at all suggesting that true transformation isn't worth it. It is, okay? It is infinitely worth it. But notice in verse 30, notice what reaction the shining face of Moses caused in verse 30. Then Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses and behold, the skin of his face shone. And what? And they were afraid to come near him. They were afraid. true transformation unto the image of Christ can and often does cause fear in many around us, even sometimes, sadly, from other Christians. It can cause fear. When our lives, saints, are being transformed, truly transformed by the power of Holy Spirit-enabled communion with God and Christ Jesus, when this transformation is being clearly displayed in our lives, some fear. Some fear. When this transformation is being clearly displayed, this transformation of God, I mean, old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new. When people see that in us, people who know you and people who don't know you, know you from your past. When some people see that in us, It can produce fear. It actually produces a fear in them when they see this displayed in us. They fear a loss of their independence. They see, whoa, something's different about him, something's different about her. And I can see it's not because of them, it's an outside force. I know them, I know how they used to be, I know how they've always been, but this is completely, radically different, and that is What happens when a child of God is truly transformed and being transformed? They are radically different. They were once darkness, but now they're light. That's the complete opposite of who they used to be. And when people see this, they see, they fear a loss of their independence. Some fear the loss of their power. Some fear the loss of their control. their control. Because the transforming power of God in our lives shows and displays, and in many ways we don't even comprehend it ourselves, but others do, it displays that God is power. It displays that He is in control, and it displays also how utterly dependent we all are on Him. The true soul and life transforming power of Holy Spirit enabled communion with God declares and displays to everyone around us that it is in Christ that we live and move and have our being. It declares and displays to everyone around us that He is God, and we are not. Because that's the truth, and we are the children of truth if we've been born again. The Spirit of truth is living in us and working out of us, so they see that, look, it is in Christ that we live and move and have our being. We're not independent. No, not at all. We are not our Creator. We have not created ourselves. We are not living our own lives of ourselves. No. It is in Christ that we live and move and have our being. We are not God. He is. And He is also, this transformation declares and displays that He also is the only true Savior. And we are not. We are not. True transformation declares and proves that we can't. We can't, only God can. That's what it declares and proves, not only to us, but to those around us. when someone sees you and knows you and has been with you and has experienced life together with you and then all of a sudden you are radically different. Something has happened to that person. An outside force has empowered that person. And when you're confessing that this outside force is Christ Jesus, that He has saved your soul, well then, whoever you're realizing, they see this transformation. It's evident. And they realize, wait a minute, I don't have the power to do this to myself. Something has happened. There's an outside power. And that power is Christ. It proves we can't and only He can. And that causes fear in many people. This same fear has motivated the persecution and the murder of untold millions, Christ, Jesus included. throughout the history of mankind. Because what do fallen men do to what they fear? Well, two things. They either run from it, like the children of Israel do here in our text, or they kill it. They kill it, like the descendants of these children of Israel will eventually. So we can see this contrast of Moses' shining face as a result of the transforming communion with God. We can see it caused fear among people, even Aaron in this text. Of course, as we've already read in verses 33 through 35, this resulted in Moses veiling or covering his shining face, except when he went into the presence of God himself. And I wonder, I wonder if this was the case for the rest of Moses' life. I don't know, we don't know. We do know that when God began such a transformation that this obviously pictures, he does continue and he does complete it. So it may well have been that Moses continued to veil his face in this way for the rest of his life when he was around the people. In any case, Speaking of 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 3, or chapter 3, 2 Corinthians chapter 3, let's turn there with me. for a minute, because there is more to this veil that cover Moses' shining face than it first meets the eye. Actually, I'm sure that these people here in our text surely didn't fully understand this or understand it at all, probably. Matter of fact, I don't think any of us would have ever been able to understand this without the Holy Spirit explaining it to us. And he does just that through his apostle Paul. So here in 2 Corinthians 3, the apostle is contrasting the new and the old, or this covenant. The new covenant that would come later, as the prophet spoke of. Jeremiah specifically speaks of it. And of course, the writer of Hebrews, the whole book is contrasting the old and the new covenant. Here in this text, as Paul contrasts the new and the old covenant, this covenant, he tells us something about God's purpose for this veil that Moses covered his face with, which also makes me wonder, if maybe God himself told Moses to cover his face as he did. He certainly led him to do that. Perhaps he even verbally instructed him to do that when they met together as they did in the tent of the testimony. Let's jump in here at verse four. And Paul writes, and such confidence we have through Christ toward God, not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves. He's saying that the new covenant, look, it's not, this is not something I've dreamed up. Okay. But our sufficiency is from God. God has implemented this new covenant. And he also has made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant. Not of the letter, he's referring to the old covenant, this covenant, the same covenant in our Exodus study, but of the spirit. For the letter, the letter of the law kills, The letter of the old covenant, the law, as it's often called, kills, but the spirit of the law gives life. But if the ministry of death in letters, having been engraved on stones, so we know exactly what he's talking about. Moses carried these engraved stones in his hands here. So, Paul calls this the ministry of death. what Moses was carrying in his hand. So let's think about this. How is the Old Covenant the ministry of death? Why would Paul call this the ministry of death? Matter of fact, he calls it several things. The ministry of condemnation and maybe even something that's caused by another Another term here as well. All of it basically saying the same thing that it's a ministry of death So how how does the Old Covenant this covenant how what makes Paul refer to it other than the Holy Spirit? What makes him refer to it as the ministry of death? Well our inability to keep it and Our inability, our inherent inability to keep it guarantees separation. It guarantees death. This is God's law. It is a display of His own nature and own person. And when we break God's law, it guarantees separation from Him. Okay, so that's why He refers to it as He does here. So if this ministry of death, engraven on stones, came with glory, such that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was being brought to an end, or which was fading." And you might think, aha, Moses' face didn't continue to shine. Well, wait a minute, because what he's referring to here as fading is not Moses' shining face. We need to keep reading to find out. But he goes on, how will the ministry of the Spirit or the new covenant How will it not be even more in glory? For if the ministry of condemnation, the law, the first covenant, has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness, the new covenant, abound in glory. For indeed, what has been glorious in this case has no glory because of a glory that surpasses it. The old covenant compared to the new covenant has no glory at all. compared to the new covenant. For if that which was being brought to an end, okay, or if that which was being fading away, he's talking about the old covenant of the law, was with glory, much more that which remains, the new everlasting covenant, is in glory. Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness, and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the consequence of what was being brought to an end, the law. But their minds were hardened, for unto this very day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, Because it is brought to an end in Christ. But today, this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over there, Israel's heart. But whenever a person turns to the Lord, turns to Christ, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Now, I know there's a lot here, and I know it's difficult, okay? But notice again verse 13, okay? And we are not like Moses who put a veil over his face so that, this is the reason, so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the consequence of what was being brought to an end. I think in putting this, what Paul says here, and then our text in Exodus 34 together, when you put all of this together and think it out, think it through, and everything that's being exposed here, I think what Paul is getting at here is that in the purpose of God, Moses actually veiled his face so that the people would not wrongly associate his shining face as the glory of the law. As the glory of the law. I think that is what Paul's getting at in verse 13. Because if they associated Moses' shining face as being the glory of the law, I mean, he had these in his arms, right? And his face is shooting forth beams of light. And if they associated his shining face with this, with the law, and they put all their hope in the law, they would suffer the consequences for doing so. Because think about this. Let's go back to the contrast of our text in Exodus a minute. When Moses was up in the mountain with God the first time, didn't he remain up there for 40 days with him then? Yes, he was up there with him 40 days and 40 nights. Okay. Also, didn't God speak with him and him with God then? Didn't they have communion? Yes, we have record of that very thing. The first time, when Moses went up the first time. And the first time Moses went up in the Sinai, didn't God give him his law? Yes, as a matter of fact, God wrote the law with his own finger on tablets that he himself had carved out of the mountain. And yet, when Moses came down from Sinai the first time, his face didn't shine with the glory of God, did it? No, it didn't. So it actually was not the law that made Moses' face shine then, was it? Then what was it? What was it that made Moses, what was it that made this contrast? Well, what was different about the second time on that mountain with God? What was different? That had to be what made this contrast, what made this difference the second time that Moses came down off the mountain. It's obvious, isn't it? It is. It was God answering Moses' request to be shown more of Him. More of His glory. And do we all remember what God showed him? Moses asked, Lord, show me more of You. Show me Your glory. And God showed him what? God showed him Himself. God showed him the person of His own glory. God showed him Christ Himself. So Moses' face wasn't shining because of the law, and God didn't want the people to think it was, and wrongly so, to think it was. And so Moses veiled his face when he was around the people, because Moses' face was shining, not because of the law, but because of the glory of Christ Himself. That's why Moses' face was shining. Paul actually tells us, he lines the two up in verse 18 that we read, as we look upon the glory of God in Christ Jesus, we are being transformed into that same glory from one degree of glory to another. Listen, true, real, everlasting glory. Even though, yes, Israel, they have the law, even to this day. True glory will never be revealed to them. It will never be revealed to them. The veil will continue to obscure it until they realize by the power and enablement of the Holy Spirit that God's glory is not ultimately revealed in His law. Does it reveal Him to us? Yes. Yes. But His glory is veiled in the law. Okay, true glory will never be realized by Israel or us until we realize that God's glory is not ultimately revealed in the law nor in our keeping of the law. It will never be revealed to us until we finally turn to the Lord who is the ultimate glory of God, Christ Jesus. himself. That's the reason Paul tells us that it is in Christ through which the law is done away with. It is in Christ. That's not only true of these people in Israel, it's true of all of us as well. We cannot know the true glory of God, not in His law, Certainly not in us keeping the law. We can know the glory of his wrath if we think that we can keep the law and we put all of our hope in that. We'll suffer the consequences that Paul talked about in verse 13 of that. But we can never know the true glory of God until we turn to Christ. Until we see God in the face and in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate glory of God. He is. This same apostle to the Rome church, he wrote that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. So let me sum this account, this picture, this example up like this. And this is true of Jew and Gentile. It's true of male and female, young and old, rich and poor, okay? our inherent religious tendency to hope in the law. And there's a sense in which we all have that. Our inherent religious tendency to hope in the law, which is in effect to hope in ourselves, which results only in death. This tendency can only be subdued, it can only be conquered by Christ Jesus himself. That's what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3. This tendency can only be subdued and conquered by Christ himself, by spirit born and enabled faith in him and continual communion, soul and life transforming communion with him. And so saints, children of God, adopted children of God, our faithful father, Let me close with this passage from Hebrews chapter 12. By the way, the adopted children of God is exactly who this passage was originally written to. Here is why our hope is and must be in Christ Jesus and not in the law and not in our keeping of the law. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 18. For you, the writer says, the Holy Spirit says, you, that being the children of God, the adopted children of God, You have not come to a mountain that can be touched, and to a blazing fire, and to darkness, and gloom, and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet, and the sounds of words, which was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them, for they could not bear what was being commanded. If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned. And so terrible was what appeared that Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling. So what is he saying? You've not come to Sinai. Children of God, we've not come to Sinai. But you, children of God, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, his sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Adam. See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, Moses, much less, no way will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven. What's that passage saying to us? Don't run to Sinai. Don't run to the law. Don't run to the law. There's no hope there for you and me. No. Run to Christ. Run to Christ. Stay with Christ. Commune with Christ. And you will be transformed into His very likeness. And His glory will shine in you and His glory will shine from your life to his own glory and praise. May the Lord help us to do so.