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INTRODUCTION
Paul says, "We speak of God's *secret* wisdom, a wisdom that has been *hidden* and that God destined for our glory before time began. ... 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" -- but God has *revealed* the hidden wisdom to us by His Spirit." 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
In Galatians 1:15-16, he says, "God was pleased to *reveal* His Son." (paraphrased)
The Old Testament declared a coming Savior, but He was "hidden" until a time when, as declared in the New Testament, God was ready to "reveal" Him. As we hope to see in this study, the Old Testament shows the way of "hiding", while the New Testament declares a new way, the way of "revealing". All of scripture reveals one Truth, the truth of God's love for man, and His refusal to let man try to hide from Him and His work.
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PURPOSE
To contrast God's old (temporary) Covenant with His new (everlasting) Covenant, and to show how these Covenants relate to and affect our lives, specifically as it pertains to our need for clothing and desire to be clothed.
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HOLY PLACES
God required the Old Testament temple to have a curtain separate the Holy places from "the most Holy Place"...also known as "The Holy of Holies".
"The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the most Holy Place." Exodus 26:33
"...the most Holy Place behind the curtain..." Leviticus 16:2
"...behind the second curtain was a room called the most Holy Place..." Hebrews 9:3
- Since "the most Holy Place" of God's temple was behind "the curtain", what was the purpose of the curtain?
- How is God's use of the curtain like our use of clothing?
- The curtain made a visible distinction between the Holy places and "the most Holy Place." How do you make an unnatural distinction between ordinary parts of your body, and your "special" parts?
- The curtain also hid "the most Holy Place" from direct view and access. Which parts of your body do your consider ordinary? Which parts of your body do you consider "the most Holy places"; those special places you want hidden from others' direct view and access?
- The curtain's primary purpose was to protect "the most Holy Place" from
sinners who might disrespect and misuse it. Likewise, wearing clothes for
protection (from harsh treatment e.g. bad weather) is a good thing. How is
God's use of the curtain different from your use of clothing? More specifically,
is God ashamed of "the most Holy Place"? Is He fearful? That is, do you think
He is afraid someone might see it or worse, that it might offend them?
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FADING GLORY
As Moses fellowshipped with God, His face began to glow with the radiance of God's glory. When he returned to speak with the Israelites, they saw this glow and became afraid. Since we are comparing the temporary with the eternal, it is worth noting that the glory "faded", meaning it was a temporary glory, not like the "everlasting glory" found through redemption in Christ.
"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD." Exodus 34:29-35
- What did the Israelites see when Moses face was covered, a man-made cloth (something from man) or God's glory, something from God? What did the Israelites see when Moses face was uncovered, a man-made cloth (something from man) or God's glory, something from God?
- What do you or other people see when your body is covered, man-made clothes (something from man) or something God-made, something from God? What do you or other people see when your body is uncovered, man-made clothes (something from man) or something God-made, something from God?
- How did the Israelites feel about seeing Moses' face uncovered, even though they were seeing God's glory?
- How do you or other people feel about seeing the human body uncovered, even
though, according the God's Word, it's part of God's glorious image?
"Adam said, 'I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.' ...they hid from the Lord God..." Genesis 3:8,10
- What caused the Israelites to cover God's glory, and Adam and Eve to cover their naked bodies?
- How were the Israelites feelings about seeing Moses' naked face the same as Adam and Eve's feelings about their own naked bodies?
- How are your feelings about seeing naked bodies and that of others the same as what the Israelites and Adam and Eve felt?
- What did Moses do to accommodate the Israelite's fear of seeing his naked face? What did Adam and Eve do to accommodate their own fears of being seen naked?
- What do you and others normally do to accommodate your own fears about seeing others naked or being seen naked?
- What do you think caused the Israelites, and Adam and Eve to be afraid?
1 John 4:18 says, "Fear has to do with punishment." Punish: to correct, chastise, discipline, censure (harshly criticize or disapprove of) severely, penalize.
- According to 1 John 4:18, what is fear related to?
- Before you can be "punished", someone must judge you, that is, they must determine (or "judge") what you did wrong based on a standard. How does all of this relate to the Israelite's and Adam and Eve's need or desire to cover up?
- How does all of this relate to your need or desire to cover or uncover your naked body?
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UNVEILING HOLY PLACES
"When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Matthew 27:50-51
"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Mark 15:37-38
"...the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. When He had said this, He breathed His last." Luke 23:45-46
- What happened to the curtain?
- When did the curtain tear in two?
Why did the curtain tear in two? Jesus' death, the sacrifice of His life, destroyed the curtain, thus removing its ability to hide "the most Holy Place." By removing the curtain at Christ's death, God showed that, through Christ, He gave men access to heaven, namely to God Himself, "the most Holy Place". It may not be completely obvious at first what all that means, but in short, sin no longer hinders man from coming to God. Sin is taken out of the way, and so too the need for coverings, like curtains or clothes.
After disobeying God, "Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." Genesis 3:7
"Adam said, 'I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.' ...they hid from the Lord God..." Genesis 3:8,10
- According to Genesis, the first and direct result of sin was man's fear, and it caused him to want to clothe himself. With that in mind, what else might God be trying to show us through His removal of the curtain? In other words, since the first and direct result of sin was fear and a desire to clothe, and Christ took away sin, what is the possible opposite first and direct result of Christ's taking that sin away?
- If you believe in Christ, knowing that He took care of all your sin, should you be fearful, ashamed or need to hide your naked body, or should there be another response?
1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?"
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
- If God uncovered the Old Testament temple (which was only man-made), showing that Christ took away sin, what about His New Testament temple (which is God-made)? Would He or would He not want His new temple uncovered too, as a way to show just how much Christ dealt with sin?
- Again, remember that the first result of man's sin was a desire to cover up. If that is so, what about the first result of the removal of sin? Is it possible that, by removing the curtain from the man-made temple, God was showing what He expects of His God-made temple, too?
- Again, 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him..." What about if anyone is ashamed of God's temple, will God be ashamed of him?
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ETERNAL GLORY
The glory on Moses face was temporary and hidden, but Christ's glory is everlasting and revealed. As we can easily see, both "the curtain" and "the veil" were only temporary too. In Christ, those coverings were removed and taken away, so that what is eternal remains.
"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone 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 freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
- Because of our "hope" (of salvation through Christ), Paul says, "We are very bold." In what way did he say we are "very bold"? We are not like Moses, who ____________________ his face.
- Which would you consider a "very bold" way to show your faith, covering your naked body or uncovering it?
- When the curtain was "taken away", it revealed God's "most Holy Place", and when the veil was "taken away" it revealed God's glory. What, of God's, is revealed when our clothes are "taken away"? Would it reveal God's workmanship or something else? (see Psalms 139:14; Genesis 1:26; Genesis 1:31)
- The curtain, the veil, and even sin, are all man-made, i.e. man's handiwork. What about clothing? Whose workmanship do you think God prefers, His or ours?
- The real point of these last questions is... If we are physically "naked and not ashamed" because of Christ, are we, or are we not, presenting the same message shown by the removal of the veil and the curtain? Again, if we are fearful and ashamed of our naked bodies, which do we show, redemption or not?
2 Corinthians 4:1-4 says, "...by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
- According to these scriptures, who is the veil is associated with? Those who are ______________ and the _______________, the one "blinding the minds of unbelievers".
- Who is the one "blinding the eyes of unbelievers", and what does he use to "blind" others?
- Since the enemy of God uses the veil to hide the truth, should we prefer the veil or not? More importantly, if we prefer hiding, who are we acting like?
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THINK ON THESE THINGS
In the Old Testament, a fading (temporary) glory is covered, but in the New Testament, everlasting glory is revealed. In the Old Testament, the curtain hides the most Holy Place, and the veil hides the fading glory of God, but in the New Testament, the curtain and the veil are taken away, revealing the most Holy Place and the eternal glory of God, namely Christ. In the Old Testament, the Most Holy place and God's glory are hidden because men are sinful and ashamed, but in the New Testament, they are uncovered because men have been redeemed through Jesus Christ. In the same way, in the Old Testament, man hides himself because of his wrongdoing, but in the New Testament, God uncovers man because of Christ's righteousness.
In the Old Testament, we see man's way (sin, shame and hiding), but in the New Testament, we see God's way (righteousness, boldness and revelation). The old way is the way of the flesh, but the new way is the way of the Spirit. The flesh wants more flesh (clothing is a kind of flesh), and the Spirit wants more Spirit. The flesh hides the things of God by covering up the truth with lies, but the Spirit reveals the things of God by uncovering the truth with the truth.
Physical clothing is of the flesh. It is man's idea, created by man. However, the human form is of the Spirit. It is God's idea, created by God.
"God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule...'" Genesis 1:26
"God saw ALL that He had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31
"EVERYTHING created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." 1 Timothy 4:4
"I praise You [Lord God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalms 139:14
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YOUR CONCLUSION?
- How does man's hiding himself and God's revealing Christ relate to my need to hide or uncover (i.e. clothe or unclothe) my body today? In other words, if the first result of sin is a need to hide my nakedness, what is the first result of Christ's removal of sin?
- How did man's condition before Christ's redemption affect his desire to hide his naked body? Did he feel the need to do so?
- In being redeemed, did, does or should my attitude change concerning my desire to hide my naked body?
- How does, or should, my being redeemed though Christ affect my desire to hide my naked body? Could the effect be its exact opposite?
- What does my attitude toward a naked body reveal about Christ's redemption? Again, since Adam and Eve were originally "naked and not ashamed" and Christ is the Redeemer, what should our attitude be?
All scriptures NIV unless otherwise noted.
Written: Thursday, October 10, 2002