Reflection for Ki Tisa

“Unveiled Hearts from Glory to Glory”

Luke 11:14-20
Acts 7:35-8:1
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
2 Corinthians 3:1-18

excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections

Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35), our Torah reading for this week, starts out quietly, with the requirement of Israel to take a population census, with the contribution of a half-shekel. The most significant feature of Ki Tisa, is understandably the Israelite rebellion and worship of the golden calf, as the people got impatient for Moses to return from the summit of Mount Sinai, bearing God’s Law. Bible readers know the scene far too well, as Moses returned and smashed the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, and the ensuing punishment and plague which occurred. However, upon receiving the heartfelt pleas of His servant Moses to not wipe out His chosen people, the Almighty gave Israel a second chance, and in so doing, personally described His nature and enduring attributes:

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Chisel two stone tablets like the first. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. No one shall come up with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain. Do not let the flocks or herds graze in front of that mountain.’ He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; then Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets. The LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the LORD’s name. The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, ‘The LORD! The LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’ Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. He said, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go among us, even though this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.’ He said, ‘Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you’” (Exodus 34:1-10, WMB).

The Holy One not only gave Moses a second set of the Ten Commandments, but most importantly declared His compassion, grace, patience, lovingkindness, forgiveness, and great majesty. One of the most fascinating aspects readers witness in Ki Tisa, is how Moses maintained intimate communion with the Almighty during the whole of Israel’s desert sojourn. Because he would spend a great deal of time in God’s presence, the glory of God which radiated toward him, continued to have an effect when Moses would interact with the Israelites, forcing him to wear a veil:

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Write these words; for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ He was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mountain, Moses didn’t know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him. When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him. Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them all the commandments that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and he came out, and spoke to the children of Israel that which he was commanded. The children of Israel saw Moses’ face, that the skin of Moses’ face shone; so Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him” (Exodus 34:27-35, WMB).

The veil Moses placed over his face, which kept the Israelites from seeing the glory of God which was radiating from it, can be compared to the curtain in the Tabernacle and Temple, which separated out the Holy of Holies.[1] Human sin prohibits one from fully beholding the presence of the Creator. The Apostle Paul made a reference to Moses’ veil in his writing to the Corinthians, in elaborating for them how it served as an object reminder of the ministry of death or condemnation, which has been rendered inoperative via the work of Messiah Yeshua. With the ministry of death nullified by His sacrifice, redeemed Believers can see the glory of the Father via the supernatural power of the New Covenant enacted (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27). Those who have not appropriated Yeshua’s sacrifice and have received forgiveness, can only be condemned by the power of the Old Covenant:

“Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, being revealed that you are a letter of Messiah, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh. Such confidence we have through Messiah toward God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away, won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory? For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away. But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Messiah it passes away. But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. But whenever someone 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 liberty. But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:1-18, WMB).

Unfortunately, 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 is often read from the assumption that the Tanakh Scriptures (more frequently called the Old Testament) have been removed or nullified in Messiah, when this is not what Paul said at all—especially if the promise of the New Covenant included the Lord writing His Torah onto human hearts! We should correctly recognize, contrary to this, that being subject to either the Old Covenant or New Covenant does not at all concern the relevance of Holy Scripture, but instead concerns a spiritual status before God. Those who hear Moses’ Teaching read as the Old Covenant, are those who have a veil lying over their hearts because they are condemned by its statutes. Contrary to this, those who hear Moses’ Teaching read as the New Covenant, are those who have recognized Messiah Yeshua and have been forgiven of their sins. The Old Covenant ministry of condemnation, frequently executing capital punishment upon Law-breakers, is to give way to the New Covenant ministry of the Spirit brought forth in the gospel to those who receive Yeshua as Savior. God’s Torah is in no way abolished, but is understood in light of the fulfillment Yeshua has enacted (Matthew 5:17-19ff).

What does it mean for the veil lying over someone’s heart to be removed in Yeshua? Would it not mean that Believers should be able to behold the glory of God more fully? Just as the veil in the Holy of Holies shut the people out, was it not ripped in two when Yeshua was executed (Mark 15:38; Matthew 27:51; Luke 23:45)? If we are able to have access to the Most Holy Place, because barriers erected as a result of human sin have been removed—should we not be thankful? Rather than not being able to even consider looking closely at the Father, the author of Hebrews described how Messiah followers should have confidence to approach Him during their times of need:

“Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, WMB).

For modern-day Believers who have been given a heart of flesh with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, with a veil removed from their hearts because we have been forgiven—we should be radiating the glory of God from ourselves, because just like Moses, we spend time in intimate conversation with Him. The knowing that one has partaken of the grace of God via His Son, should be so overwhelming, that the joy of knowing your sin has been atoned for should be evident in your very countenance. Born again Believers are to be conformed to the image of Messiah Yeshua (Romans 8:29-30), and are to be living the holy life required, because of what He has done for us:

“I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20, WMB).

Admittedly, even though Believers have access to the presence of the Heavenly Father because of the transforming power of the gospel, being transformed into men and women who constantly radiate such a presence, is not an instantaneous process. Paul wrote, “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, WMB). Presumably, as we spend more time in the presence of the Lord—and less time in the presence of sin—the ability to radiate who He is, becomes something much easier and more delightful to do.

Recognizing Moses’ declaration of the Lord in Ki Tisa, it might be instructional to ask yourself if you are consistently exhibiting His attributes. Are you compassionate, grace-filled, patient, kind, and forgiving of all? Are you walking in the fruit of the Spirit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another” (Galatians 5:22-26, WMB).

Paul later asked the Corinthians to test and examine themselves. He told them to make sure that Yeshua the Messiah was in them, unless they found out that they really did fail the self-administered tests:

“Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know about your own selves, that Yeshua the Messiah is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5-6, WMB).

No matter how rigorous a test you conduct, do not hide behind a veil of self-deception. Make sure that there is no veil or barrier separating yourself from the Lord. The ramifications for deceiving yourself could have eternal consequences. Do not fail the test!