Verses 29-35 “29And 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.
30And 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.
31And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32And 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.
33And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”
The skin of Moses’ face did shine brightly after he had talked with God. It was the glory of God reflected in his face. The world can always tell when we have been with Jesus. Often sinners have a reluctance to getting too close to us after we have been with the Savior. Moses did not wear the vail to prevent the Israelites from hurting their eyes. He wore it to prevent people from knowing that the glory was fading (see II Cor.3:13).
This passage should be studied in the light of II Cor.3:6-18. According to Paul, this incident represents the fading away of the old dispensation of the Law and Israel’s present blindness to spiritual things. Paul begins by saying that the Law kills (v.6). He calls that old age “the ministration [dispensation] of death” (v.7) and “the ministration [dispensation] of condemnation” (v.9), because the Law kills; the Law condemns. It does not give life. Life came with Jesus Christ and with the Spirit of God in the dispensation of the grace of God.
There was a certain grace and glory in the old dispensation of the Law, but it was a fading glory, a glory that would be done away with altogether, “done away” (II Cor.3:7) like the glory on Moses face. It was like the difference between the brightness of the moon and the brightness of the sun. Moon light is good, and not to be despised. But when day is come and the sun shines in all of it’s glory we see that there is absolutely no comparison, for the sun is far superior in brightness and glory. The moon has only a reflected glory. In just such a way does the glory and grace of the dispensation of grace far exceed the glory of the dispensation of the Law (vv.9-11). The dispensation of grace is far superior.
Those who try to live in the old dispensation of the Law (whether Jew or Gentile) have a vail over their hearts and their minds are blinded. They can not understand the Word of God (vv.14-15). They can not understand the purpose of the Old Testament nor the prophecies of the New Testament. But there is coming a day when all of national Israel shall be saved (Rom.11:26), and then the vail will be removed from her mind and heart (II Cor.3:16-17). But those of us who are saved and living in the full glory of God’s grace are able to look into the mirror of God’s Word and see the reflection of our Lord; and as we do so, the Spirit of God is using the Word to change us into the image of Jesus Christ, and it just goes on from glory to glory as we become more and more like Him (v.18). Praise God!