But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
Moses’ face would be filled with the radiance of the Lord after his encounters with God on Mount Sanai. His face would literally glow. This frightened people, naturally, and so he would veil his face to keep the Israelites from beholding the glory of the Lord as it shone through his countenance. 2 Corinthians talks about a new law and order, the perfect law of Jesus Christ. Our faces are unveiled when we experience the Spirit of the Living God within us.
Jesus came to fulfill the Law given to Moses. Although the Ten Commandments are still applicable in our lives today, Jesus came as a form of living grace, so that we could experience forgiveness and freedom from our sins.
Another Old Testament “veil” could be found in the temple, the separation between the place of worship and the Holiest of Holies where God’s Spirit dwelled. In both cases, the veil has been torn because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jews and Gentiles alike can come to know Jesus and behold his glory through Salvation.
In a wedding, the bride’s veil signifies purity and is a representation of modesty. When the wedding vows have been exchanged, the groom lifts the veil to see his bride’s face after she says “I do.” The groom then beholds his wife’s beauty with loving adoration. We are the bride of Christ. Jesus wants to remove the veil of our hearts so that our inner beauty can shine. In the same way a bride typically takes on her groom’s last name, we too are a representation of Jesus Christ as “Christians.” We have taken His name. In the same way we want to respect and honor our husbands, we should strive to honor, love, and live for the Lord in reverence of the cross.
We can live our lives with hearts unveiled through purifying ourselves of unwanted sin. Through repentance and God’s forgiveness, we are made brand new. Don’t live life with a veiled heart covered by sin and darkness. Ask Jesus to unveil you so that you can shine the radiance of his glory.
Steps of Faith:
What do you need to be uprooted from within yourself in order for something of a godly nature to resurrect and grow in your life? Is it a lack of patience, discontentment, jealousy, or an overly packed schedule? What specific changes do you need to make? Prayerfully give those things to the Lord, and ask that he would enable something more beautiful to grow. Ask for God’s love, patience, forgiveness, thankfulness, generosity, and self control to flourish in you.