Reflecting the Glory of God (2 Cor. 3:13-18)

Wayne Galloway
02/18/12 - N/A

Series: Lessons on Idolatry

Introduction:

1.  How many of you looked in the mirror this morning? 2.  How many of you put a veil over your face before looking?  Probably not many of us, because our reason for looking in the mirror was to make changes.  The reason for those changes—fading glory! 3.  This passage speaks of Moses putting a veil over his face so that Israel not look intently at the end of that which was fading away.  He is not saying that Moses’ good looks were fading!  It is a reference to the fading nature of the Mosaic revelation in light of the greater glory of the revelation given in Christ. 4.  A flashlight fades when the sun comes up.  So it is when the revelation given through Moses is compared with the revelation given through Christ.  This we can understand. 5.  But what does Paul mean by what he says in verse 18?  What does he mean when he refers to our looking in a mirror and beholding the glory of the Lord?

Discussion:

I.  The passage harks back to the time when Moses asked God, “Show me Your glory!” (Ex. 33:18). It is against this background that the passage must be understood.

A.  God answered him and said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (33:19).

1.  God showed Moses His goodness, graciousness and compassion.

2.  When God passed in front of him he proclaimed “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate andgracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin” (34:6-7a).

a.  Thus God’s compassion, grace, slowness to anger, lovingkindness, truth and forgiveness are part of His glory.

b.  The other part—“Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (34:7b).

c.  Thus both His grace and His justice are His glory.

B.  Moses confirms this in 34:9:  “Let he Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us as your own possession.”

1.  Even though there is sin . . .

2.  Take us our your possession.

3.  This introduces the unconditional covenant of God (cf. 34:10ff).

C.  Therefore it was from this context that the replacement tablets of the ten commands were given and the covenant confirmed.   Moses then came down with His face shining with glory (cf. 2 Cor. 3:7-8).

II.  Psa. 106 evidences this same emphasis.

A.  Recall the previous lesson on Psa. 106.  We studied about how Israel exchanged their glory for the image of a golden calf.

B.  Note vs. 1-3 and the emphasis on God’s goodness and lovingkindness.

C.   “Even though our fathers rebelled at the Red Sea He saved them” (vs. 7-10).

D.  Note vs. 44-46 and God’s remembrance of His covenant, His manifestation of His lovingkindness, and compassion.

E.  Note also the justice of God in the Psalm.  Examples . . .

1.  He sent a wasting disease (15).

2.  The earth swallowed Dathan and Abiram (17).

3.  A fire blazed up and the flame consumed them (18).

III.  The “abundant lovingkindness” and justice of God are tied together with God’s glory in 12 O.T. texts.

A.  The people rebelled against God following the spies’ report and the Lord responded on the basis of His glory (Num. 14:18-20), but the other aspect of His glory is maintained also.  He forgave, but refused entrance to the unfaithful generation.  Joshua and Caleb were exceptions because they acted faithfully.

B.   Isa 63:7ff reiterates the same.

C.  Joel 2:13-14 calls for repentance that will be met with “abounding lovingkindness” rather than evil.

D.  Nine more times the “abounding lovingkindness” of God is referenced.  Each time it is in a context also addressing the alternative of divine judgment:  Jonah 4:2; Psa. 5:4-7; 69:13-19; 86:5, 15; 103:8-12; Lam. 3:32; Neh. 9:17; 13:22.

E.  There is no need of God’s “abounding lovingkindness,” no need of His grace without His justice against sin.

IV.  The N.T. text of 2 Cor. 3:18 interprets the Ex. 33-34 passage saying that Christians see the glory of the Lord in Christ.

A.  The veil is removed in Christ (14).

1.  It is seen in “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4).

2.  The light of the glory of God is seen in the face of Christ, not His physical face.  But when we come face to face with Him through the preaching of the cross we both see the abounding lovingkindness of God AND His justice against sin.

B.  It is an experience in which we are transformed so that we reflect His glory.  Cf. Matt. 5:14-16).

C.  It is an experience that strengthens us against affliction (4:8-16).

D.  It is a transformation that leads us to an eternal glory (4:17ff-5:8).

E.  It leads us to persuade men (5:11-21).

Conclusion:

1.  Have you seen the glory of the Lord? 2.  It will be evidenced in your transformation; in your strength against affliction; in your eternal glory; and in your attempts to persuade men to escape the justice of God by faith in His compassion, lovingkindness and forgiveness.