The Glory of the Lord

Exodus 34; 2 Corinthians 3

Moses and the Radiance of God’s Presence

In Exodus 34, Moses descends from Mount Sinai after forty days with the Lord, carrying the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Unaware of it himself, his face shines with the glory of God. The people are afraid to come near him. Moses speaks God’s commands to them, then veils his face—removing the veil only when he goes in to speak with the Lord.

This moment becomes the backdrop for Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 3, where he uses Moses’ shining face and the veil as an illustration of the surpassing glory of the new covenant in Christ.

The Contrast: Law and Spirit

​Paul reminds the Corinthians that the Old Testament law, written on stone, was glorious—but it was also the “ministration of death” because it condemned sin without providing the power to overcome it. The law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, but it was temporary and would be “done away.”

By contrast, the new covenant is written on the heart by the Spirit of the living God. The “letter” kills, but the Spirit gives life. If the law’s glory was so great that Moses’ face shone, how much greater is the glory of the Spirit’s work in us today.

The Goal: Transformation into Christ’s Image

Paul moves toward a key truth in verse 18:
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
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Unlike Moses, we do not approach God with a veil. In Christ, the veil is removed. We see the truth clearly, and as we behold the Lord—through His Word, in worship, in the lives of His people—we are transformed. This is sanctification: the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus in character, attitude, and action.

Key Themes in Living for God’s Glory

1. The Glory of Salvation
We must never lose the awe of being saved. The early believers could not stop speaking the name of Jesus because they had experienced the living Christ. We too should live with that same joy and boldness.

2. The Liberty of the Spirit
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (v. 17). God’s presence brings freedom—freedom to worship, to rejoice, to live without the bondage of sin or the coldness of legalism.

3. The Process of Change
Salvation happens in a moment; sanctification takes a lifetime. God shapes us through His Word, through trials, and through victories. We should be able to say, “I’m not what I used to be,” even if we’re not yet all we should be.

4. From Glory to Glory
The Christian life is not meant to grow dull. As we walk with Christ, we should move from one degree of glory to another—deeper joy, stronger faith, greater likeness to Him.

Living in the Light of His Glory

The glory Moses experienced faded; the glory we have in Christ remains forever. We live on this side of Calvary, in the age of grace, with unveiled access to God. Our calling is to behold His glory and let it change us—so that others see Jesus in us.

As Romans 8:29 reminds us, God’s purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son. That is the true glory of the Christian life.

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