2 Corinthians 3:7 Commentary and Bible Study

‘The ministration of death’ certainly was glorious, not because it could save but because it was from God. When God gave his law it was given with a tremendous display of divine power. It had a fearsome glory, an authoritative glory. We have the same in our law courts: they design the court room to be imposing and to breathe authority and dignity and they dress up the judge. Why do they do all that? Well, to stamp authority and fear into the minds and hearts of people. This is the glory of law; it is there to determine if you are innocent or you are guilty. The Ten Commandments were delivered with that kind of glory: God’s imposing authority, dignity, justice, power. But the gospel, which was preached in those days, and much more clearly since Christ, has a greater glory because it brings you face to face with God. It reconciles you with him, it changes you dramatically. It doesn’t just threaten you, it changes you and it gives you eternal life and power and hope, so it is a much greater glory.‘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.’ Moses’ face shone, we are told in Exodus, his face was so radiant, after being in the presence of God, that people couldn’t look, they couldn’t stare at him. But that brightness of Moses’ face as well as the glory of that covenant as a whole would fade, just as the law one day would be superseded by the coming of Christ.