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The Glory That Fadeth Not Away (Exodus 34:28-35 and 2 Corinthians 3: 7 - 17)

I. It Is Permanent, Not Temporal

II. It Is Righteousness, Not Condemnation

III. It Is Opened, Not Veiled

Context & Hook

Have you ever felt trapped in a cycle of spiritual performance, constantly worried about how you measure up? This sermon delves into the profound story of Moses descending Mount Sinai with a face so radiant from God's presence that he had to wear a veil. But this glory was fading.

The preacher masterfully uses this Old Testament account, explained by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, to reveal a stunning contrast: the difference between the fading glory of the law and the permanent, transformative glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not a dry theological lesson; it is a liberating truth about moving from a relationship based on performance to one grounded in the finished work of Christ. Discover how the gospel offers a glory that "fadeth not away" and how you can live in the freedom and boldness it provides.

Read on to be reminded that true change doesn't come from looking at yourself, but from looking at Him.

Meditation Questions

1. Self-Examination: The sermon states that Moses was so "captivated and preoccupied with God that he was totally unaware of himself." In your own Christian walk, where are you most prone to a "performance-based approach"? What would it look like for you to shift your focus from evaluating your own spiritual performance to being captivated by the glory and grace of Christ?
2. Transformation Testimony: The message makes the point that people should see our lives and say, "See how his/her life has been transformed by the gospel," not by the law. When you look at your life, can you identify specific areas where the gospel—the internal work of the Spirit and the imputed righteousness of Christ—has genuinely transformed you, rather than just external behaviour modification? What is the evidence of this internal change?
3. Veil Removal: The "veil" that prevents people from seeing the truth of Christ can only be removed by the Holy Spirit. Think about the unbelieving loved ones you are burdened for. How does the truth that salvation is the Spirit's work, and not reliant on your perfect presentation of the gospel, change your approach to praying for them and sharing your faith with them? Does this bring you a sense of relief and confidence?

This is a powerful and well-structured sermon that draws a profound connection between the Old Testament account of Moses' radiant face and the New Testament teaching on the superiority of the gospel. The preacher effectively uses the narrative from Exodus 34 as a launching point to explain the theological significance found in 2 Corinthians 3.

Here is a breakdown and analysis of the sermon's key strengths and structure:

Summary of the Sermon

1. Introduction (Exodus 34:28-35): The sermon begins by setting the scene—Moses' second ascent to Sinai, his supernatural sustenance, and his descent with a face that shone with a reflected glory of God, unbeknownst to him. The application is immediately drawn: being so captivated by God that we forget ourselves, avoiding a performance-based Christianity.
2. The Problem of Glory: The preacher notes the Israelites' fear at the mere reflected glory of God, making the point that humanity cannot stand in God's actual presence. This glory authenticated Moses' message.
3. The Key Question: The sermon poses the crucial question: What is the significance of this shining face, especially since it didn't happen the first time? The answer is wisely sought not in human interpretation but in Scripture itself—specifically, the Apostle Paul's commentary in 2 Corinthians 3.
4. The Three-Point Exposition (2 Corinthians 3:7-17): The core of the sermon uses Paul's text to explain the difference between the Law (the old covenant) and the Gospel (the new covenant).
• Point 1: The Gospel is Permanent, the Law is Temporal. The glory on Moses' face was always meant to fade (done away), symbolized by the veil that hid its disappearance. The Law's purpose is temporary (to convict and lead to Christ), while the Gospel's glory is permanent and transformative.
• Point 2: The Gospel Brings Righteousness, the Law Brings Condemnation. The Law is a "ministry of death" and "condemnation" that kills by exposing sin and pronouncing judgment. The Gospel is a "ministry of the Spirit" that imparts righteousness—both the imputed righteousness of Christ and the transforming power of the Spirit writing God's law on our hearts.
• Point 3: The Gospel is Open, the Law is Veiled. The Gospel gives believers boldness and hope. For those who reject Christ, a veil remains over their hearts, preventing them from seeing the truth of the Old Testament that points to Jesus. Only by turning to the Lord through the work of the Holy Spirit is this veil removed, granting true liberty and understanding.
5. Application and Altar Call: The sermon applies this by warning against false gospels of "faith plus works" and urges unbelievers to trust solely in Christ's finished work. It emphasizes that salvation is a work of the Spirit, encouraging believers to pray for their loved ones and share the gospel with confidence, relying on the Spirit's power.

Strengths of the Sermon

• Scriptural Foundation: The sermon is firmly rooted in the Bible, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. The move from Exodus to 2 Corinthians is exegetically sound and theologically rich.
• Clear Structure: The three-point structure based on 2 Corinthians 3 is logical, easy to follow, and effectively contrasts the old and new covenants.
• Practical Application: Each section moves from explanation to application. It answers the "so what?" question for the congregation, challenging both self-reliance and performance-based faith while offering comfort in the Gospel's permanence.
• Accurate Theology: The sermon correctly handles key doctrines: the purpose of the Law, the imputation of Christ's righteousness, the role of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, and salvation by grace alone through faith alone.
• Pastoral Tone: The message is both teaching and preaching. It instructs the mind and appeals to the heart, evident in the prayer for unbelieving loved ones and the clear evangelistic call.
• Helpful Illustrations: The analogy of the moon/stars being glorious but eclipsed by the superior glory of the sun is a perfect illustration for the relationship between the Law and the Gospel.

Commentary on the Title: "The Glory That Fadeth Not Away"

The title is an excellent choice. It is poetic, memorable, and perfectly encapsulates the sermon's central thesis. It directly contrasts the fading glory on Moses' face with the eternal, unfading glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It sets the stage for the entire message, promising a hope that is secure and permanent.

Conclusion

This is a theologically solid, well-organized, and passionately delivered sermon. It faithfully expounds the biblical text, draws a powerful redemptive-historical line from Moses to Christ, and applies the truth of the Gospel in a way that comforts believers and calls unbelievers to faith. It is a model of Christ-centered preaching that draws its meaning from the text and its power from the Spirit it proclaims.

Transcript:

Tonight we have come to a familiar passage in Exodus 34:28 - 35. Remember the first time Moses had communed with God for forty days and forty nights at Mount Sinai, and after that he was given the two tablets of stone which contained the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 31:18) But Moses broke them when he came down from the mountain and saw the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf. (Exodus 32:19)

So verse 28 tells us that this was the second time Moses went up to Mount Sinai and communed with God for forty days and forty nights without eating any bread or drinking any water. He was supernaturally sustained by God as he wrote upon the two tablets of stone the Ten Commandments.

Verse 29: "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him." In other words, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, even he himself was unaware that his face shone with glory. The reason was because he was so captivated and preoccupied with God that he was totally unaware of himself. One important lesson we can learn from here is that you and I cannot glorify God by looking at ourselves, but rather we should look at Him.

It is so easy to get distracted into a performance-based approach to our Christian lives. We can easily become so concerned about how we are doing or how others are perceiving the things we do—whether it be our preaching, our chairing, our singing, our worship, our services, the clothes we wear, the way we speak—and we forget about the only Person that really matters, and that is God.

But that was not the case with Moses. He was totally captivated and preoccupied with God that he forgot about himself, or he did not care how he looked like or how others are perceiving him. Moses was a mere human being, so most certainly the glory did not come from himself. He had been in the glorious presence of God, and as a result, his face shone because it was a reflection or an afterglow of God’s glory.

Verse 30: "And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him." They were not even looking at the glory of God. All they saw was the reflection or afterglow of God’s glory in the face of a mortal man, yet they could not stand it and they were all afraid to come near to him, including his own brother Aaron.

Sometimes we hear people say things like, ‘If only God were to show Himself to me, that would be enough. God, if You are really there, show Yourself to me.’ In reality, they do not know what they are asking for. No man can see the glory of God and live. They cannot even stand the reflected glory of God, let alone His actual glory.

Verse 31: "And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai." You can imagine how fearful the people were as Moses told them all the things God had commanded him to say. They could see his glorious face. This was God’s way of authenticating His word that He had revealed through His prophet Moses.

How do we know this was the case? Well, each time Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. He did it twice. As verses 34 and 35 tell us, that the moment he spoke the Word of God again, the people could see his glorious face, and the moment he finished speaking, he put the veil upon his face again.

Now there are many questions as to why God would allow Moses’ face to shine with glory at this point in time and not the time when he received the first set of the Ten Commandments. What is the significance of his face shining? Was it only because of the fact that he was communing with God? Did the glory remain on his face permanently? Most certainly not. And why not?

Many theologians have tried to give their own interpretations as to the significance of Moses’ face shining with glory. But I believe it is best to let Scriptures interpret Scriptures. In the New Testament, in 2 Corinthians 3:7–17, the Apostle Paul gave the answer to all these questions. So I would like to approach this passage with this perspective.

Remember, Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments, or sometimes known as the Law of God, and Paul was speaking about the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Corinthians, and he gave his commentary on this passage in Exodus 34:28–35 to distinguish the difference between the Gospel and the Law, and how the Gospel exceeds the Law in glory.

I have titled the message as ‘The Glory That Fadeth Not Away,’ referring to the Gospel. Let us consider the commentary of Paul on this passage. If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to 2 Corinthians 3: 7 - 17.

I. It Is Permanent, Not Temporal

Our first point is: the Gospel exceeds the Law in glory because it is permanent, not temporal. Beginning with 2 Corinthians 3:7: "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away."

The “ministration or ministry of death, written and engraven in stones,” is a reference to the Law or the Ten Commandments. Here Paul was clearly referring to the passage in Exodus chapter 34 where the people could not look straight at the face of Moses. They could not even withstand a glimpse of the reflected glory of God, or the partial glory of God.

You see, Paul did not deny the glory of the Law. He acknowledged that it was a glorious event. When God gave the Law to Moses, even his face shone with glory. But did that glory remain on his face all the time? No. That is the meaning of the phrase "which glory was to be done away."

Therefore, after Moses had finished speaking to the people, he put on the veil again. Why? It was for the purpose of preventing the people from seeing the glory disappear. That is why 2 Corinthians 3:13 says: "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished." In other words, with the covering of the veil upon his face, the people will not be able to see the last part where the glory disappeared or faded away.

Now it is important for us to clarify that some people, especially the classic dispensationalists, would take this word ‘abolished’ to mean that the Law has been abolished or abrogated or done away. So they say the Law is no longer applicable to us today. Most certainly this is not what it means.

Surely the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)—"Thou shalt have no other gods before me," or "Thou shalt not kill," or "Thou shalt not commit adultery," or "Thou shalt not steal"—they are still applicable to us today. Here, this verse was referring to Moses physically putting the veil over his face so that the children of Israel would not see the glory disappear.

But even if you want to take the meaning of this verse in a symbolic sense, because the word ‘abolish’ means to be of no effect, John Calvin says it is a reference to the power of the Law (in Calvin's Commentary on 2 Corinthians). Remember, the Law kills. There is a penalty when you and I do not keep the Law, but it will be of no effect. Why? Because of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. That is why 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 says: "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

So the false teachers, the Judaizers during Paul’s time, wanted the Corinthian believers to go back under the Law—to mix the two together, the Gospel and the Law. ‘You believe in the Gospel, that is good, but you must also keep the Law for salvation.’ But Paul was arguing: when God gave the Law to Moses, his face shone with glory, but soon it faded away. Why do you go back to that which glory is temporal and fadeth away? Why don’t you live in the glory of the Gospel which is permanent and fadeth not away?

You see, like the glory on Moses’ face, the Law was never intended to be permanent. By that I mean, the Law will fade away when its function is completed. After it has produced conviction and repentance in the life of the believer, it will fade away. But the Gospel remains permanent with the believer.

Let us take a moment and consider our lives. There was a time when we were convicted of our sins through the Law of God. We were remorseful. We repented of our sins. We turned to the gospel of Christ for salvation, and we were saved. Today, though the Law of God is still applicable to us, but you and I no longer live in the power of the Law. We live in the power of the Gospel.

Today, when the people look at your life, they will not say, ‘See how his life has been transformed by the Law,’ or ‘See how his life is so holy and righteous because he has kept the Ten Commandments.’ No, they will not say that, but rather they will say, ‘See how his life has been transformed by the gospel.’

So Paul says in verse 8: "How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" The ministration or ministry of the Spirit is a reference to the new covenant, the ministry of grace, the transforming work of the Gospel. In other words, how shall the Gospel not be even more glorious?

Verse 11 says: "For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." If the Law, whose glory has faded away, is glorious, how much more the Gospel, whose glory remains?

II. It Is Righteousness, Not Condemnation

Our second point is: the Gospel exceeds the Law in glory because it is righteousness, not condemnation. Look at verse 9: "For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." Notice the Law was called the ministry of condemnation. Verse 7 it says the ministry of death. Verse 6 says the letter that killeth. Remember, the law kills us, and it kills us in two ways.

• Firstly, it accuses all our attempts to try to keep it. If you and I are honest to ourselves, we know that we break the Law of God all the time, and it kills us in the sense it brings about grief, frustration, sadness, guilt, and shame whenever we break the law.
• Secondly, it kills us in that there is a penalty for not keeping the Law, and that is eternal death, condemnation in hell.

The Law was never intended to be a means of salvation. It cannot save the people. The Law provides no grace, no mercy, no forgiveness. The purpose of the Law is to reveal God’s holy standards and to reveal to us how sinful we are. It is like a mirror that shows us how dirty our face really is. We cannot wash our face with the mirror; that would be ridiculous. It is not designed for that.

The purpose of the Law is to condemn us and then point us to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Law cannot transform the sinner, and it cannot enable the sinner to be righteous. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can do that. The Law was written and engraven in stones. It was physical and external, something tangible you can hold in your hands and read for yourself. But the Gospel is written and engraven in the heart. And through the Gospel, God writes His laws in the hearts of those whom He redeems—you and I who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is internal. It is a transformation.

And He gives us the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable us to keep His laws. And He gives us the righteousness of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be imputed upon us to cover us whenever we violate His laws, so that we will be righteous in the sight of God. When God sees us, He sees us clothed with the righteousness of His Son.

As one pastor said, it is a spiritual heart operation. Many years ago, the first surgeon ever to do a heart transplant, Dr. Christian Barnard, asked one of his patients, ‘Would you like to see your old heart?’ He then went into the cupboard, took a glass container, and handed it to him. Inside the container was his old heart. For the moment, the man stood there in total silence—the first man in history ever to hold his own heart in his hands. Finally he spoke: ‘So this is my old heart that caused me so much trouble.’ He handed it back, turned away, and left it forever.

In a similar sense, that is what God has done to us. No doubt we still have the same heart, but it is radically new. God has written His laws within us. He has transformed our lives and made us partakers of His divine nature. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Though as long as we live in this mortal body, we will still be troubled by sin, but all of a sudden something has changed. God’s law is no longer external; it is internal. All of a sudden, we are no longer condemned by the Law. And we do not keep the Law to be saved; we are already saved. We keep the Law because it is our source of blessing and joy. As the psalmist says: "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." (Psalm 119:97) And: ‘I love thy law, and it is much more desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.’ (Psalm 19:10; 119:127)

Have you ever encountered someone saying to you, ‘You Christians are like slaves to your God. You must do this and you must do that. You cannot do this and you cannot do that. It is so troublesome and burdensome to obey all those laws’? And then you try to explain to the person that it is not troublesome and burdensome; it is a blessing and joy to obey the laws of God. It is beneficial for you, and you do it because you love it—you love the laws of God.

Well, they will not understand, but the believers will understand. Why? Because we know that it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit takes the gospel and produces righteousness in our lives and transforms us to the glory of God. So verse 10 says: "For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth." Which means, when compared to the exceeding glory of the new covenant—the Gospel—the Law seems to have no glory. Again, Paul was not saying that the Law has absolutely no glory at all; he was saying there is simply no comparison.

Allow me to give you an illustration. Imagine one day you are out in the wilderness on a stormy night. You do not have any torchlight, and you are relying on the light of the moon and the stars to guide you along the way. Suddenly the clouds have covered the light of the moon and the stars, and you cannot see within three inches in front of you. You are totally lost, and you don’t know how to take the next step.

After hours of waiting, the clouds begin to divide, and you see the moon and the stars again. You see the light; there’s hope. And you begin to make your way back home. To a person wandering in the wilderness, the guiding light of the moon and the stars is glorious, right? But as you walk and walk, morning comes; the sun comes up, and you see the exceeding glory of the sun that outshines the glory of the moon and the stars. When the sun comes up, the moon and the stars are still out there; they are still shining in the heavens, but to you, they are just not as bright as the light of the sun.

That is what happens to us. There was a time when we were wandering in spiritual darkness, and we saw the light of the Law. It was our guiding light out of the darkness of sin. Then we experienced the light of the Gospel, which is exceeding in its glory. But that does not mean that the light of the Law is no longer shining anymore. It is still shining out there as a guiding light to those who are lost in spiritual darkness, so that they could find their way to the light of the Gospel and be saved. But for us, that light has faded away because the light of the Gospel is shining so brightly.

III. It Is Opened, Not Veiled

Our third and final point is: the Gospel exceeds the Law in its glory because it is opened, not veiled. Look at verse 12: "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech". In other words, knowing that we have such a blessed hope in the Gospel, which provides the forgiveness of sin and complete redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ, what do we do? Keep it to ourselves? Is that what we do? No. We preach this Gospel confidently with great boldness and courage. That is what it means.

We have already considered verse 13. Let us look at verse 14 and 15: "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart."

When the Jews gathered together in the synagogues for the Sabbath worship, the Law of Moses, or the Old Testament, will be read. Using the image of the veil, the Apostle Paul explained that until this day, whenever the Old Testament was read, they could not understand the true meaning of the Holy Scriptures. They could not understand that Christ was the fulfilment of the old covenant. All the sacrifices, the signs, and the symbols were pointing to Christ, yet they could not understand because of this veil covering their hearts.

As an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul had seen many Gentiles trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Jews, his own people, were rejecting and persecuting the church. Paul had a great love for Israel, for his people, for the Jews, and he had a burden to see them being saved. Most of us would be able to understand how Paul felt for his own people.

Whenever we hear of people sharing about how their unbelieving loved ones have come to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are happy for them; we give thanks to God for them. But when we look at our own unbelieving loved ones, whether it be our parents, grandparents, or children, and their hearts are still hardened, and they refuse even to hear the Gospel, we are so sad, right?

But how can this spiritual veil be removed from the hardened heart? Verse 16: "Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." Which means, when the person turns to the Lord, that is when the veil is taken away, and then he will begin to understand spiritual things. But how can the person turn to the Lord? Finally, verse 17: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

This spiritual veil can only be removed by the Holy Spirit. No sinner, whether Jew or Gentile, can turn to Jesus Christ apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. "The Lord is that Spirit" is a reference to the deity of the Spirit, which means the Spirit is God—the third Person in the Triune God.

The false teachers were teaching that the people should depend on the Law for salvation, and they were trusting in themselves as spiritual leaders to open the minds of the people to understand God’s truth. But no man can ever do that.

Only the Spirit of the LORD can bring about spiritual understanding. Only the Spirit of the LORD can illumine and convict our hearts. Only through the Spirit of the LORD there is this liberty of freedom, whereby we cry out to God, ‘Abba, Father.’ As Romans 8:15 says: "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Today, if you and I are able to call out, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ it is all because of the wonder-working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God may use human instruments to bring the Gospel to us, but ultimately it is the Spirit’s work.

So, dear friend, when we share the gospel with our unbelieving loved ones, we do not trust in our own wisdom and understanding. It is not our ability; we are just instruments. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. That is why we must always pray that the Holy Spirit will convict the hearts of our unbelieving loved ones, that they may come to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sadly, today there are many people out there, even in evangelical churches, who trust in the church for salvation, or in the priest for salvation, or in the sacraments in order to be saved. They would say, ‘You must be baptized. You must partake of the Lord’s Supper. Or you must be a member of a particular denomination. Or you must serve in this ministry. Or you must do good works."

The moment we believe in the Gospel plus something else, that makes it a false gospel. And it is so easy for the church to turn away from the pure Gospel to a false gospel, because sinful men always want to trust in their own works. They always want to earn their ways to salvation, rather than trusting in the Cross, in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Remember the Philippian jailer who cried out to Paul and Silas? He said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" It is always, ‘What must I do?’ And what did Paul and Silas say? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:30–31)

If you are an unbeliever still lingering outside the kingdom of God, there’s no salvation except the gospel of Jesus Christ. Come and believe in the only Saviour today, for tomorrow may never come. Come and believe in the Lord Jesus today, so that the Law will not be a ministry of death and a ministry of condemnation to you, but it will be a source of blessing and joy to you.

Come and believe, and it will be the blessed gospel—the gospel that is able to transform your life, that you will be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and it will remain with you forever and ever. This is the exceeding glory of the gospel: the glory that fadeth not away. Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, we give Thee thanks for enabling us to consider both portions of Scriptures from Exodus chapter 34, whereby we read of the account of Moses whose face shone with glory when he received Thy laws, and how it was expounded unto us by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, and how he taught us the difference between the Law and the Gospel, and how the Gospel exceeds the Law in glory.

Indeed, the Law is still applicable to us today. We love the Law; it is the source of our blessing and joy. It is beneficial for us. Thou hast given it to us so that we can walk on the path of righteousness. But because of the Gospel, all of a sudden, we are no longer condemned by the Law. Instead, we keep the Law not to be saved, but because we are saved. We keep the Law because we love it. And we know Thou hast given it to us for our spiritual well-being.

We pray for those who are still outside Thy kingdom, that as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, as we share with them about Thy commandments—how as sinners we have all broken Thy commandments; none of us is righteous, none of us is good; we have all fallen short of Thy glory—and the only way that we can be saved is through Thy Gospel: that Jesus came, He died on the cross and shed His precious blood, He was buried, but on the third day He rose again from the dead. For He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Him.

O Lord, we pray that we do not trust in our own wisdom and understanding. It is not our abilities; we are just instruments. And as we share the Gospel with our unbelieving loved ones and friends, may the Spirit of God convict their hearts just as Thou hast convicted our hearts, that they may believe in the gospel and be saved. We praise and thank Thee, and give Thee thanks, and pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

今晚我们来到出埃及记34:28-35这段熟悉的经文。请记得，摩西第一次在西奈山与神相交四十昼夜，之后他领受了刻有十诫的两块石版（出埃及记31:18）。但当他下山看见以色列人崇拜金牛犊时，就摔碎了石版（出埃及记32:19）。

摩西的脸反射了神的荣耀

第28节告诉我们，这是摩西第二次上西奈山，四十昼夜不吃不喝与神相交。他靠神超自然的供应维持生命，并将十诫写在两块石版上。

第29节："摩西手里拿着两块法版下西奈山的时候，不知道自己的面皮因耶和华和他说话就发了光。"换句话说，当摩西带着十诫从西奈山下来时，他甚至自己都不知道他的脸因荣耀而发光。原因是他完全被神吸引和占据，以至于完全忘记了自己。我们可以从这里学到一个重要的功课：你我不能通过注视自己来荣耀神，而应当注视祂。

我们很容易在基督徒生活中分心，陷入以行为为本的 approach。我们很容易过于关心自己的表现或他人对我们的看法——无论是讲道、主持、歌唱、敬拜、服事、衣着、言谈方式——却忘记了唯一真正重要的人物，那就是神。

但摩西不是这样。他完全被神吸引和占据，以至于忘记了自己，也不在乎自己的外貌或他人如何看待他。摩西只是一个凡人，所以荣耀肯定不是来自他自己。他曾在神荣耀的同在中，因此他的脸发光，因为那是神荣耀的反射或余晖。

第30节："亚伦和以色列众人看见摩西，见他面皮发光，就怕挨近他。"他们甚至没有看到神的荣耀。他们所看到的只是神荣耀在一个必死之人脸上的反射或余晖，然而他们无法承受，都害怕靠近他，包括他的哥哥亚伦。

有时我们听人说：‘只要神向我显现，那就够了。神啊，如果你真的存在，就向我显现吧。’实际上，他们不知道自己求的是什么。没有人能看见神的荣耀而存活。他们连神反射的荣耀都无法承受，更何况祂实际的荣耀呢？

这有什么意义？

第31节："摩西叫他们来，于是亚伦和会众的官长都到他那里去，摩西就与他们说话。随后以色列众人都近前来，他就把耶和华在西奈山与他所说的一切话都吩咐他们。"你可以想象，当摩西告诉他们神吩咐他所说的一切话时，百姓是多么恐惧。他们能看到他荣耀的脸。这是神认证祂通过先知摩西所启示的话语的方式。

我们怎么知道是这样呢？每次摩西对他们说完话，他就用帕子蒙上脸。他这样做了两次。正如第34和35节告诉我们，每次他再次讲述神的话语时，百姓能看到他荣耀的脸，而他一说完，就又用帕子蒙上脸。

现在有很多问题：为什么神在这个时候让摩西的脸发光，而不是在他第一次领受十诫的时候？他脸发光的意义是什么？仅仅是因为他与神相交吗？荣耀是否永久停留在他脸上？肯定不是。为什么不是？

许多神学家试图对摩西脸发光的 significance 给出自己的解释。但我相信最好让圣经解释圣经。在新约哥林多后书3:7-17中，使徒保罗给出了所有这些问题的答案。因此，我想从这个角度来处理这段经文。

请记住，摩西领受的是十诫，有时也称为神的律法，而保罗是对哥林多人讲述耶稣基督的福音，他对出埃及记34:28-35这段经文进行了注释，以区分福音与律法的不同，以及福音如何在荣耀上超越律法。

我将这篇道命名为“那永不衰残的荣耀”，指的是福音。让我们思考保罗对这段经文的注释。如果你有圣经，请和我一起翻到哥林多后书3:7-17。

I. 它是永久的，而非暂时的

我们的第一点是：福音在荣耀上超越律法，因为它是永久的，而非暂时的。从哥林多后书3:7开始："那用字刻在石头上属死的职事尚且有荣光，甚至以色列人因摩西面上的荣光，不能定睛看他的脸；这荣光原是渐渐退去的。"

那“属死的职事，用字刻在石头上”指的是律法或十诫。这里保罗清楚地指的是出埃及记34章的经文，那里百姓不能定睛看摩西的脸。他们甚至无法承受神反射荣耀的一瞥，或神部分荣耀的一瞥。

你看，保罗并没有否认律法的荣耀。他承认那是一个荣耀的事件。当神将律法赐给摩西时，甚至他的脸也因荣耀发光。但那荣耀是否一直停留在他脸上？没有。这就是“这荣光原是渐渐退去的”这句话的含义。

因此，摩西对百姓说完话后，就又蒙上帕子。为什么？是为了防止百姓看到荣耀消失。这就是为什么哥林多后书3:13说："不像摩西将帕子蒙在脸上，叫以色列人不能定睛看到那将废者的结局。"换句话说，用帕子蒙住脸，百姓就无法看到荣耀消失或衰残的最后部分。

反射的荣耀已被废去

现在我们必须澄清，有些人，特别是经典时代论者，会将“废去”这个词理解为律法已被废除、撤销或废去。所以他们说律法今天不再适用于我们。这肯定不是它的意思。

当然，十诫（出埃及记20:1-17）——“除了我以外，你不可有别的神”，“不可杀人”，“不可奸淫”，“不可偷盗”——它们今天仍然适用于我们。这里，这节经文指的是摩西物理上用帕子蒙脸，以便以色列人看不到荣耀消失。

但即使你想从象征意义上理解这节经文，因为“废去”一词意思是失效，约翰·加尔文说这是指律法的能力（参看加尔文的《哥林多后书注释》）。记住，律法是杀人的。当你我没有遵守律法时，就会有惩罚，但它将失效。为什么？因为福音，耶稣基督的好消息。这就是为什么哥林多前书15:56-57说："死的毒钩就是罪，罪的权势就是律法。感谢神，使我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。"

所以，在保罗时代的假教师、犹太化主义者，希望哥林多信徒回到律法之下——将福音和律法混合在一起。‘你相信福音，这很好，但你也必须遵守律法才能得救。’但保罗争辩说：当神将律法赐给摩西时，他的脸因荣耀发光，但很快就衰残了。你们为什么要回到那荣耀是暂时且会衰残的事物中呢？为什么不住在那永久不衰残的福音的荣耀中呢？

基督福音的荣耀是永久的

你看，就像摩西脸上的荣耀一样，律法从来不是打算永久的。我的意思是，当律法的功能完成时，它就会渐渐退去。当它在信徒生命中产生定罪和悔改之后，它就会渐渐退去。但福音与信徒同在，是永久的。

让我们花点时间思考一下我们的生活。曾有一段时间，我们通过神的律法被定罪于我们的罪。我们懊悔。我们为罪悔改。我们转向基督的福音得救，我们就得救了。今天，虽然神的律法仍然适用于我们，但你我不再活在律法的能力之下。我们活在福音的能力之中。

今天，当人们看你的生命时，他们不会说：‘看他的生命是如何被律法改变的，’或者‘看他的生命是如此圣洁和公义，因为他遵守了十诫。’不，他们不会那样说，而是会说：‘看他的生命是如何被福音改变的。’

所以保罗在第8节说："何况那属灵的职事岂不更有荣光？"那属灵的职事指的是新约，恩典的职事，福音的改变大能。换句话说，福音岂不更显荣耀吗？

第11节说："若那废掉的有荣光，这长存的就更有荣光了。"如果那衰残的律法有荣光，那这长存的福音岂不更有荣光吗？

II. 它是公义，而非定罪

我们的第二点是：福音在荣耀上超越律法，因为它是公义，而非定罪。看第9节："若是定罪的职事有荣光，那称义的职事荣光就越发大了。"注意律法被称为定罪的职事。第7节说它是属死的职事。第6节说它是定死的字句。记住，律法杀死我们，它以两种方式杀死我们。

• 首先，它控告我们所有试图遵守它的努力。如果你我对自己诚实，就知道我们一直在违背神的律法，它杀死我们，意思是每当我们违背律法时，它带来悲伤、挫折、难过、罪恶感和羞耻。
• 其次，它杀死我们，因为不遵守律法有惩罚，那就是永恒的死亡，地狱的定罪。

定罪的律法

律法从来不是作为救恩的手段。它不能拯救人。律法不提供恩典、怜悯、宽恕。律法的目的是揭示神圣洁的标准，并向我们揭示我们是多么罪恶。它就像一面镜子，显示我们的脸到底有多脏。我们不能用镜子洗脸；那会很荒谬。它不是为此设计的。

律法的目的是定我们的罪，然后指引我们走向耶稣基督的福音。律法不能改变罪人，也不能使罪人成为义人。只有耶稣基督的福音才能做到这一点。律法是写在石头上。它是物质和外部的，是你可以拿在手中自己阅读的有形之物。但福音是写在心里。通过福音，神将他的律法写在那些他所救赎的人心里——你我这些信靠主耶稣基督的人。它是内在的。它是一种转变。

他赐给我们内住的圣灵，使我们能够遵守他的律法。他将他独生子耶稣基督的公义赐给我们，归算给我们，遮盖我们每当我们违背他律法的时候，以便我们在神眼中成为义人。当神看我们时，他看见我们披戴着他儿子的公义。

正如一位牧师所说，这是一个属灵的心脏手术。许多年前，第一位进行心脏移植的外科医生克里斯蒂安·巴纳德博士问他的一个病人：‘你想看看你的旧心脏吗？’然后他走进橱柜，拿出一个玻璃容器递给他。容器里面是他的旧心脏。那一刻，那人站在那里完全沉默——他是历史上第一个将自己的心脏捧在手中的人。最后他说：‘原来这就是给我带来这么多麻烦的旧心脏。’他把它递回去，转身离开，永远地离开了它。

改变生命的福音

在类似的意义上，神对我们也是如此。毫无疑问，我们仍然有同样的心，但它是全新的。神将他的律法写在我们里面。他改变了我们的生命，使我们有份于他的神性。正如哥林多后书5:17所说："若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了。"

虽然只要我们活在这必死的身体里，我们仍然会受到罪的困扰，但突然之间，有些事情发生了变化。神的律法不再是外部的；它是内部的。突然之间，我们不再被律法定罪。我们遵守律法不是为了得救；我们已经得救了。我们遵守律法，因为它是我们祝福和喜乐的源泉。正如诗人所说："我何等爱慕你的律法，终日不住地思想。"（诗篇119:97）还有：‘我爱你的律法，胜过金子，更胜精金；比蜜甘甜，比蜂房下滴的蜜更甜。’（诗篇19:10；119:127）

你是否遇到过有人对你说：‘你们基督徒就像你们神的奴隶。你必须做这个，你必须做那个。你不能做这个，你不能做那个。遵守所有这些律法真是太麻烦、太繁重了’？然后你试图向那人解释，这并不麻烦和繁重；遵守神的律法是一种祝福和喜乐。它对你有益，你这样做是因为你爱它——你爱神的律法。

嗯，他们不会明白，但信徒会明白。为什么？因为我们知道这是圣灵的职事，圣灵藉着福音在我们生命中产生公义，并将我们改变归向神的荣耀。所以第10节说："那从前有荣光的，因这极大的荣光，就算不得有荣光了。"意思是，与新约——福音——那超越的荣耀相比，律法似乎没有荣光。再次，保罗并不是说律法绝对没有任何荣光；他是说根本无法相比。

一个例证——黑夜与白昼

请允许我给你们一个例证。想象有一天，你在一个暴风雨的夜晚身处荒野。你没有手电筒，依靠月光和星光来指引道路。突然，乌云遮住了月亮和星星的光，你连眼前三英寸都看不见。你完全迷路了，不知道下一步该怎么走。

等待了几个小时后，乌云开始散开，你又看到了月亮和星星。你看到了光；有了希望。你开始往回走。对于一个在荒野中徘徊的人来说，月亮和星星的指引光是荣耀的，对吧？但当你走着走着，早晨来临；太阳升起，你看到了太阳那超越的荣耀，它使月亮和星星的荣耀黯然失色。当太阳升起时，月亮和星星仍然在那里；它们仍然在天空中闪耀，但对你来说，它们不如太阳的光那么明亮。

这就是发生在我们身上的事。曾有一段时间，我们在属灵的黑暗中徘徊，我们看到了律法的光。它是我们走出罪恶黑暗的指引光。然后我们经历了福音的光，它的荣耀是超越的。但这并不意味着律法的光不再闪耀。它仍然在那里闪耀，作为那些在属灵黑暗中迷失之人的指引光，以便他们可以找到通往福音之光的路并得救。但对我们来说，那光已经衰残，因为福音之光照耀得如此明亮。

III. 它是敞开的，而非蒙蔽的

我们的第三点也是最后一点是：福音在荣耀上超越律法，因为它是敞开的，而非蒙蔽的。看第12节："我们既有这样的盼望，就大胆讲说"。换句话说，知道我们在福音中有这样有福的盼望，它通过我们的主耶稣基督提供罪的赦免和完全的救赎，我们该做什么？把它留给自己？我们是那样做的吗？不。我们自信地、大胆勇敢地宣讲这福音。这就是它的意思。

我们已经思考了第13节。让我们看第14和15节："但他们的心地刚硬，直到今日诵读旧约的时候，这帕子还没有揭去，这帕子在基督里已经废去了。然而直到今日，每逢诵读摩西书的时候，帕子还在他们心上。"

当犹太人在安息日聚集在会堂 worship 时，会诵读摩西的律法，或旧约。使用帕子的形象，使徒保罗解释说，直到今日，每当诵读旧约时，他们无法理解圣经的真义。他们无法理解基督是旧约的应验。所有的祭物、标志和象征都指向基督，然而他们无法理解，因为这帕子遮住了他们的心。

作为外邦人的使徒，保罗看到许多外邦人信靠主耶稣基督。但犹太人，他自己的百姓，却拒绝并迫害教会。保罗对以色列、对他的百姓、对犹太人有深厚的爱，他渴望看到他们得救。我们大多数人都能理解保罗对自己百姓的感受。

每当我们听到人们分享他们未信主的亲人如何相信了耶稣基督的福音时，我们为他们高兴；我们为他们感谢神。但当我们看着自己未信主的亲人，无论是父母、祖父母还是孩子，他们的心仍然刚硬，甚至拒绝听福音，我们是多么难过，对吧？

属灵的帕子被移除 / 圣灵移除属灵的帕子

但这属灵的帕子如何能从刚硬的心上移除呢？第16节："但他们的心几时归向主，帕子就几时除去了。"意思是，当人归向主时，帕子就除去了，然后他就会开始理解属灵的事。但人如何能归向主呢？最后，第17节："主就是那灵；主的灵在哪里，那里就得以自由。"

这属灵的帕子只能由圣灵移除。没有一个罪人，无论是犹太人还是外邦人，能够离了圣灵的工作而转向耶稣基督。"主就是那灵"是指圣灵的神性，意思是圣灵是神——三位一体神的第三位格。

假教师教导人们应该依靠律法得救，他们信任自己作为属灵领袖来开启人们的心智以理解神的真理。但没有人能做到这一点。

只有主的灵才能带来属灵的理解。只有主的灵才能光照和定罪我们的心。只有通过主的灵，才有这自由的 liberty，使我们向神呼喊：‘阿爸，父。’正如罗马书8:15所说："你们所受的不是奴仆的心，仍旧害怕；所受的乃是儿子的心，因此我们呼叫：‘阿爸，父！’"

今天，如果你我能呼喊‘我们在天上的父’，这全是圣灵在我们生命中奇妙作为的结果。神可能使用人的器皿将福音带给我们，但最终是圣灵的工作。

所以，亲爱的朋友，当我们向我们未信主的亲人分享福音时，我们不依靠自己的智慧和理解。不是我们的能力；我们只是器皿。这是圣灵的工作。这就是为什么我们必须始终祷告，求圣灵定罪我们未信主的亲人的心，使他们可以相信耶稣基督的福音。

警惕假福音

可悲的是，今天有很多人，甚至在福音派教会中，依靠教会得救，或依靠祭司得救，或依靠圣礼才能得救。他们会说：‘你必须受洗。你必须领受主的晚餐。或者你必须是一个特定教派的成员。或者你必须在这个事工中服事。或者你必须行善。’

当我们相信福音加上别的东西的那一刻，那就使它成为假福音。教会很容易从纯正的福音转向假福音，因为罪人总是想依靠自己的行为。他们总是想靠行为赚取救恩，而不是信靠十字架，信靠耶稣基督已成之工。

还记得那个腓立比的狱卒吗？他向保罗和西拉呼喊说："二位先生，我当怎样行才可以得救？"总是‘我当怎样行？’保罗和西拉说什么？"当信主耶稣，你和你一家都必得救。"（使徒行传16:30-31）

如果你是一个仍在神国门外徘徊的不信者，除了耶稣基督的福音，没有别的救恩。今天就来相信唯一的救主吧，因为明天可能永远不会来。今天就来信靠主耶稣吧，这样律法对你来说就不会是属死的职事和定罪的职事，而将成为你祝福和喜乐的源泉。

来相信吧，这将是有福的福音——那能够改变你生命的福音，你将披戴耶稣基督的公义，它将永远与你同在。这就是福音那超越的荣耀：那永不衰残的荣耀。让我们祷告。

结束祷告

我们在天上的父，我们感谢你使我们能够思考出埃及记34章的两段经文，我们读到摩西领受你的律法时脸面发光的故事，以及新约中使徒保罗如何向我们阐释，他如何教导我们律法与福音的区别，以及福音如何在荣耀上超越律法。

确实，律法今天仍然适用于我们。我们爱律法；它是我们祝福和喜乐的源泉。它对我们有益。你将它赐给我们，使我们可以行在义路上。但因为福音，突然之间，我们不再被律法定罪。相反，我们遵守律法不是为了得救，而是因为我们已经得救。我们遵守律法因为我们爱它。我们知道你将它赐给我们是为了我们属灵的福祉。

我们为那些仍在你的国之外的人祷告，当我们分享耶稣基督的福音，当我们与他们分享你的诫命——我们作为罪人如何都违背了你的诫命；我们中间没有义人，没有一个好人；我们都亏缺了你的荣耀——我们得救的唯一途径是通过你的福音：耶稣来了，他为我们的罪死在十字架上并流出宝血，他被埋葬，但第三天他从死里复活。因为他是道路、真理、生命；若不藉着他，没有人能到父那里去。

主啊，我们祷告我们不依靠自己的智慧和理解。不是我们的能力；我们只是器皿。当我们与我们未信主的亲人和朋友分享福音时，愿神的灵定罪他们的心，就像你曾定罪我们的心一样，使他们可以相信福音并得救。我们赞美感谢你，奉耶稣的名祷告。阿们。