¹²Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, ¹³and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. ¹⁴But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ¹⁵But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart…

Boldness comes for Paul, not in his natural propensities as a Bible scholar or his upbringing in rabbinical traditions, but from the steadfast assurance he has—in other words, “hope.” His hope is not in the letter of the law, for that is a fading glory.

Now what is the relationship between “hope” and “glory?” Imagine for a moment Moses coming down from Mount Sinai holding the stone tablets with the Law freshly engraved thereon. Imagine the joy he must have had in knowing that God had spoken to His people with specific instructions on how to live. He had not left His people to wander aimlessly through life guessing at what God expects of them. In that, Moses’ face shone in a physical reflection of having seen the Lord in all of His glory. This was a reflective glory, not of Moses himself but of God. Indeed, one would expect Moses would speak with great authority to the people with the message of God’s covenantal requirements for them.

In the OT reading of this story (Ex. 34:29–35) one gets the impression the veil was to protect the people from being overwhelmed by the brilliant glory of Moses’ face. Indeed his face did shine, and the people were afraid of him because of it. But after telling them about the Lord’s commands, Moses put the veil over his face. Paul gives us further revelation in our passage today so that we would understand that Moses’ veil was not used so much to hide the glory, but to hide the fact that the glory was fading. So, Paul asserts his boldness is not in preaching like Moses about something that had fading glory, but in preaching that which has unfading glory!

What hope is there in a way of life that reflects glory that fades away? There is nothing of eternal value in that. That will not break through hardened hearts. The veil was meant to symbolize that the Law was not eternal. Yet people continue to look for glory in the Law (whether of Moses or any other religious-legal system). And the veil remains over their eyes and hearts. Paul preaches with a different kind of boldness, and it has nothing to do with his adequacy but everything to do with Christ. And it is gloriously eternal.

Lord, I gaze past the fading glory of the Law and into the glory of Christ!