2 Corinthians 3:7-11 But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious… Note three facts in the context — 1. The infinite Father has made a special revelation to man. This is a fact answering to the a priori reasonings and intuitions of humanity. 2. That this special revelation has mainly come through two great general sources — Moses and Christ. 3. That while the essence of the revelation is the same, the forms differ, and the forms it assumes through Christ are most "glorious." I. THIS SPECIAL REVELATION AS IT CAME THROUGH MOSES WAS GLORIOUS. Note — 1. The wonderful display of Divinity attending the expression of it on Mount Sinai. The apostle seems to have had an eye to this in his reference to the supernatural brightness that rested on "the face of Moses" (Exodus 34:29, 30). What wonderful things did Moses hear and see during the forty days he was up on that mountain! What overwhelming display of glory there must have been when from His hand went a "fiery law"! (Exodus 19; Exodus 20; Hebrews 12:18-22). 2. The magnificence of its religious scenes and celebrations. The temple, how splendid in its architecture, materials, and furniture! The priesthood, how imposing in their costume and their services! The psalmody, how sublime! etc. "Glorious things are spoken of the city of the living God." 3. The stupendous miracles that stand in connection with it. The wilderness was the theatre of great wonders. 4. The splendid intellects which were employed in connection with it. The philosophy of Solomon, the poetry of David, the eloquence of Isaiah, the imagery of Ezekiel, the strains of Jeremiah, etc. Divine revelation, as it stands hi connection with Moses, is associated with the most brilliant of human geniuses. II. THIS SPECIAL REVELATION IS MORE GLORIOUS AS IT APPEARS IN CONNECTION WITH CHRIST. 1. The Christian form of Divine revelation is more adapted to give life than the Mosaic. Compare the effect of the words of the revelation as it came from Christ, addressed by Peter on the day of Pentecost, to the moral effect of the preaching of any of the prophets under the law, and you will find that the one may justly be called a "ministration of death" as compared with the other. 2. The Christian form of Divine revelation is more emphatically spirit than the Mosaic. It is called here "the ministration of the spirit." There was much spirit in the Mosaic; but Christianity throbs through every sentence with the eternal spirit of truth. Then, too, the smaller amount of the spirit in the Mosaic was so overlaid with ceremony that it was almost buried out of sight; whereas the greater amount of the spirit of truth in connection with Christianity is stripped almost entirely of ceremony. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are all. 3. The Christian form of Divine revelation is more restorative than the Mosaic. The apostle speaks of one as the ministration of "condemnation," and the other, that of "righteousness." The Mosaic revelation had an aspect of terrible severity. Contrast the "curses" of Moses (Deuteronomy 27:15-26) with the beatitudes of Christ (Matthew 5:3-12). 4. The Christian form of Divine revelation is more lasting than the Mosaic. Christianity is the final revelation of God to our world.Conclusion: The subject serves — 1. To expose the absurdity of making Moses the interpreter of Christ. 2. To show the wrongness of going to Moses to support opinions you cannot get from Christ. 3. To reveal the immense responsibility of men living in gospel times. 4. To indicate the serious position of a true minister. (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, 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: |
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