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2 Corinthians 3:7-11
In 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 the Apostle Paul compares the Law of the Old Testament to the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit in the New Testament. I say, “Old Testament” and “New Testament,” but this should be more properly stated as “Old Covenant” and “New Covenant.” In Exodus 34:29-35 we learn of the experience that Moses has with God when he received the commandments of the Law. He had been in the presence of the LORD for forty days and forty nights, [(the same amount of time that it rained when God destroyed life on earth by flood (Genesis 7:12)] and when he came down from the mountain, his face “shone” (Exodus 34:29-35).
What Paul is teaching in 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 is that if God’s glory “shown” on the face of Moses when he was given the commandments, which we have already learned that lead to condemnation because at that time the Law became known as to what was acceptable and unacceptable to the LORD in obtaining righteousness, then just think of how much more glorious is the glory of the new covenant in Christ Jesus that gives life and fulfills the Law. We have learned in Matthew 5:17 the words of Jesus as He declares, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” In this, is the life-saving words of Jesus in John 14:6 as He declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The Apostle Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 3:11, “For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”
This is the glory of the LORD being revealed in His One and only Son Jesus.
We struggle with the controversy of the “Old Testament – New Testament” and how to not just interpret them as to what they are teaching us, but to the connection between the two. I want you all to know that the Old Testament gave us the moral code to life; it is the indwelled common knowledge of right and wrong, without it, chaos would rule the world and killing your neighbor would be of no punishable value and being considerate to your neighbor would hold no kind gesture; it would all be simply, personal opinion. But the moral code of the Law has one very big issue: no human being, because of sin, is able to obey it in its entirety – no one is, or can be found righteous through obeying it because we all have sin, and sin is disobedience to God. Life, in this case is simply, as King Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 2:11 as he contemplates all he had done in this world, as perceived outside of the LORD, he states,
“Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled,
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.”
We must keep in mind that King Solomon was the wisest person ever to walk the earth outside of Jesus, to whom this all points us as He is the giver of life. That is the difference between the glory of the Law in its importance for the co-existence of humanity on this earth and the glory of God in His only begotten Son whom He sent to save the world from sin and to fulfill the requirements of the Law once for all. The Bible teaches us about the importance of Jesus in Romans 6:10-11, “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Put your trust in Jesus today and you too will experience the glory of God in Christ Jesus in your life!
Dear LORD,
In this short lesson we have covered the basics of Your great plan of salvation for all the world – for all of humanity. Please open our eyes to see and our ears to hear of Your great love and salvation for us all – in Christ Jesus, that we all would put our faith in Him and experience the life-giving glory of salvation that only He can give. In Jesus name I pray, amen.