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THE KING’S BUSINESS
ing away o f the law and its glory. This, of course, was not Moses’ thought, but it was part o f God’s thought., Then' Paul goes on to make another use o f the veiling o f Moses’ face. He uses it as a symbol of the hiding from Israel o f the real import o f the law. Their hearts were hardened because they were not willing to look upon the full glory o f the law (Ex. 34:30-33), and “ until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth,” i.e., they do not behold the real glory of the law (and its real significance). This is no mere fanciful conceit, o f Paul’s, but expresses a profound truth. The real glory o f the law is Christ, who is prefigured in it. He shines behind the veil o f ordinances (Col. 2:14-17). But just as the Israelites were not willing to gaze upon the blinding glory o f God that was reflected in Moses’ face, so those Jews who reject Christ are unwilling to gaze upon Him in the law, though He is the real glory o f it, the man ifested glory o f God (John 1:14). So the unconverted Jew who reads the law reads it with a veil upon it. In Ghrist the veil is done away. There are many today who call themselves scholars who are trying to read Christ out o f the law. All such are reading Moses “ with a veil upon their heart,” and so their hearts cannot see. Prob ably in v. 15 Paul alludes to the custom of the Jews in the synagogue of wearing the tallith over the breast. “ Their hearts,” says Paul, “are veiled indeed.” Thursday, January 31 . ' 2 Cor. 3 : 16 , 17 . When Moses went into the presence of the Lord (Jehovah) he took off the veil (Ex. 34:34). In like manner, says Paul, when the Jews turn to the Lord the veil is taken away. Now follows a startling state ment, “ The Lord is the Spirit.” The refer ence is clearly to the LORD o f Ex. 34:34, where the Septuagint rendering “Lord” is a translation o f the Hebrew “Jehovah.” So Paul declares that the Jehovah of Ex. 34:34 is “the Spirit.” This is one o f the most direct and plainest assertions o f the Deity o f the Holy Spirit to be found m
made glorious (in Moses’ person) it did not have the surpassing glory (v. 10, R. V .). The glory o f the law paled before the fuller law o f the gospel, the dispensation o f the life-giving spirit (cf. John 1:17). Not only the glory with which the law came was passing away (v. 7), but the law itself was passing away (v. 11; cf. Col. 2:14-17). The whole Mosaic law (including the ten commandments of which Paul here particu larly speaks, for that part alone was “engraven on Stones” v. 7) was fulfilled and done away in Christ (v. 14, R. V .). The Mosaic law, including the ten command ments has no claim, as such, upon the believer in Christ (Rom. 7:4 ). This does not mean that, a believer in Christ will break any one o f the ten commandments, for while the law, as such, has no claim upon the believer in Christ, the risen Christ to whom he is married has a claim upon the believer (Rom. 7.'A\ 2 Cor. 9:21), a higher and holier claim than the law ever had. In Christ every one of the ten com mandments except the fourth (Col. 2:16) is distinctly reaffirmed, every one o f them being explicitly endorsed in the New Tes tament. Furthermore, the underlying prin cipal o f the fourth commandment is endorsed in the New Testament (Mark 2:27), but the law, as such, is passed away for the believer in Christ. W e no longer have the law written on tables of stone. W e have something vastly better, the ten commandments (and much more beside) written on. our hearts by the Spirit of the living God (cf. Gal. 5:18). But while the law “passeth away,” the Spirit and the life and righteousness which He bringeth “ remaineth.”’ Wednesday, January 30 . 2 Cor. 3 : 12 - 15 - With such a hope in the coming glory of the ministration o f the Spirit and minis tration of righteousness (v. 8, 9), Paul used “great boldness o f speech” (R. V., literally, “much all spokeness” ). He put no veil upon his face when he addressed men, as Moses did. Paul uses this veiling of Moses’ face as symbolizing the hiding of the pass
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