Beyond The Veil: A Sermon For Transfiguration Sunday

Beyond the Veil: A Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday

2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2 NKJV

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one 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 liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

We all are attracted to mysteries. We even have a literary genre called a “Mystery.” It is a part of our nature. But a mystery is not to embraced alone. There is an equal desire to make a mystery known. A mystery seems to demand an explanation. Men employ science to understand the mysteries of the universe. a mystery is a vacuum which needs to be filled. There is also the narcissistic desire to be the one who solves the mystery. It becomes a means of boasting about ones own intellect.

the Bible does contain many mysteries which we want answers to. it is not enough in our nature to be satisfied with letting God be God and embracing the mysteries. We want to know answers like when the LORD shall return. How did evil get into a perfect world created by a perfect God. Why do we have to die. Many books have been written about the last times. It seems that many claim to have solved the mystery. Unfortunately, many of these answers seem to contradict one another. Will we ever know the answers to all of our questions? Let us see.

In the passage from 2 Corinthians which we read this morning, we see Paul referring to the veil which Moses had to wear after emerging from the Tent of Meeting with the LORD. Exodus 34 says that Moses face shone so brightly after being in the presence of the LORD that he had to wear a veil because the Israelites could not stand to look upon Moses’ face. A veil is used to conceal and to reveal as well. But it limits what is revealed. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 uses the metaphor of seeing things through a smoky glass. We see something through it, but not clearly.

I think that the veil of God with man goes back to the creation of man Himself. Adam and Eve did not know everything. In fact, Satan used this lack of knowledge to trick them into eating the forbidden fruit. They were not content to let God be God and to enjoy the Garden of Eden which God had place them in. If we were to think of God living in a splendid palace which had a garden outside where God could rest and contemplate after a day’s work, then we realize that there was a limitation upon Adam and Eve. They knew everything within the sphere of the garden. they also knew that the LORD came out there in the cool of the day and communed with them. So, it can be said that Adam and Eve knew the LORD, but not completely. One can even say that the degree of intimacy was greater than what we experience. The fall did much to darken our understanding. But even in the Garden, God was partially known and partially hidden. Theologians use the fancy terms “Deus absconditis” to describe the hiddenness of God and “Deus nudus revelatus” to describe God’s revelation.

We come later in the book of Genesis to the servant of Abraham who was sent to Syria to find a wife for his son Isaac. When in Genesis 24:65 Rebecca saw her husband to be and asked the servant who the man she saw was Isaac that she took a veil and covered her face. There would soon be a time when the veil would be lifted and she would marry and be revealed fully to her husband. But first, there is the mystery. Isaac would at first only see Rebecca veiled. The use of the veil has been used by virgin brides in marriage ceremonies for centuries. The veil was never meant to hide forever, but as a means of intrigue to draw the groom on. What a wonderful balance of mystery and revealing.