Walking With Christ

2 Corinthians 3:12-16 (12)Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, (13)not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. (14)But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. (15)Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. (16)But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.(ESV)

I’ve read this passage hundreds of times before, but I don’t think this connection ever clicked for me. When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, that cause separation between mankind and God. This was the first veil. The veil that Moses wore was to protect those who looked upon him after he had spent time with the Lord. Moses had been close enough to God that his followers required him to wear a veil. This was the second veil.

The second veil worn by Moses was because the Israelites had hard hearts and did not want to accept the glory and grace that was offered to them. This is the veil that is being spoken of in the passage above. The Hebrew readers of Moses still had the veil between their hearts and the words they read.

Those who follow Christ will recognize the third veil that was used to separate the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world. This is the veil that was torn from top to bottom at the moment Jesus died on the cross. This third veil was the final veil that forced distance between God, the Father, and the followers of Jesus, the Son.

We, who choose to follow Jesus, have had all veils removed over our hearts so that we can fully immerse ourselves in the Word as we hungrily chase that relationship. We see the world differently. We see other people differently. We hope differently.

We love differently.

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.(ESV)