2 Corinthians 4 (7)

Pray Psalm 27.4-6.
One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

Sing Psalm 27.4-6.
(St. Denio: Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise)
One thing we request but to dwell with You, LORD.
Your beauty to test and to think on Your Word.
In trouble You hide us secure in Your grace;
no foe may o’erride us: We sing of Your praise.

Review 2 Corinthians 4.1-18; meditate on verses vv. 3-6.

Preparation
1. To whom is the Gospel veiled?

2. Where can we know the glory of God?

Meditation
When Moses came down from being with God on Mt. Sinai, he had to cover his face with a veil. For the glory of God was in him and shining through him with such radiant splendor that it struck fear into the hearts of those who saw it.

What must that have been like? I mean, for Moses? There on the glory side of the veil where all was warmth and brightness and power to affect others?

Well, we should know. Because now that we have come to faith in Jesus the veil that separates us from the glory of God has been torn asunder, and we have free and abundant admission into the radiant Presence and before the glory-filled face of Jesus. Living on the other side of the veil is transforming (2 Cor. 3.12-18). It’s also a little disconcerting, that is, for those who have not yet come through the veil. Those who worship the god of this age and its fleeting pleasures do not know God’s glory; they live for themselves, not for the glory of God. They choose to blind themselves, putting a veil of wrong belief over their faces, so they don’t have to know the Lord in the ways He daily reveals Himself to them (Rom. 1.18-21).

But our calling is to show the world what life within the veil is like. The warmth of Jesus’ love, the radiance and brilliance of His truth, the fellowship of loving brethren, the loving transformations His glory achieves. We live within the veil to help those whose faces are still veiled learn the truth that is in Jesus. We are earthen vessels of grace to our world, and we live and pray for the grace of God to spread to all the people we know, that they may join us within the veil to gaze on unseen glories and give thanks and praise to God.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
We can learn something very important from Moses: he sought out God’s Presence.
The glow that shone through him was not an accidental sprinkling of fairy dust courtesy of Tinker Bell. No, it was the radiating glory of God, Whom Moses sought out, shining through him. Moses’ request was intentional and his desire sincere.

Moses said to God, “If I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight…please, show me Your glory” (Ex. 33.13, 18).

And we have been told by Jesus, “If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Lk. 11.13)

We must ask Him: Show us Your glory. Give us the Holy Spirit. Radiate through us.
And He will do it.
“For it is the God who commanded
light to shine out of darkness,
who has shone in our hearts
to give the light
of the knowledge
of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ…
Who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4.6, 4).

“Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness…” (Ps. 112.4).
In “…earthen vessels…that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor. 4.7).

Until we are joined face to face with God in heaven, we are content to reflect His glory while here on earth; but we must be filled with His glory, His Holy Spirit, to “shine ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4.18).

To live within the veil, we must do as Moses did, seeking God’s way and His glory.
And then be prepared to glow, knowing that some will find it disconcerting; yet others will find comfort in “the warmth of Jesus’ love, the radiance and brilliance of His truth, the fellowship of loving brethren, and the loving transformations His glory achieves.”

For reflection
1. What has been your approach to seeking the glory of God?

2. In what ways have you known the glory of God? How has His glory shone in your life?

3. Whom will you encourage today to seek the face of Jesus and the glory of God to be known there?

Their hearts were humbled and softened to receive this impression, by the new-creating power of the Holy Spirit. He ascribes all the glory to God. And remember, as our whole dependence is upon the Lord, so the whole glory belongs to him alone. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on 2 Corinthians 3.1-11

Pray Psalm 27.7-14.
Seek the radiant face of our Lord Jesus Christ and call on Him to help live in and for His glory today.

Sing Psalm 27.7-14.
(St. Denio: Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise)
Hear, LORD, when we cry and be gracious, we pray!
LORD, do not deny us Your favor this day!
Our help, our salvation, though others may fall,
preserve our good station when on You we call.

LORD, teach us; LORD, lead us because of our foes!
Hear, LORD, when we plead for release from their woes.
Had we not believed all Your goodness to see,
our heart sorely grieved and in turmoil would be.

Wait, wait on the LORD; persevere in His grace.
Hold fast to His Word; seek His radiant face.
Be strong, set your heart to abide in His Word;
His grace He imparts; therefore, wait on the LORD.

T. M. and Susie Moore 

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.