TWO MINISTRIES
2 Corinthians 3:7-9 NKJV
7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
God had given Paul such revelation and understanding of the old covenant as compared to the new covenant. Paul said himself that his sufficiency was not from himself, but from the Lord. Paul was not under any illusion that his intellectual strength enabled him to just figure things out. The Lord gave him revelation and insight.
In our verses for today, Paul is contrasting the ministry of Moses and the old covenant versus the ministry of the new covenant. He refers to one as the ministry of death versus the ministry of the Spirit. One was the ministry of condemnation versus the ministry of righteousness.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai he carried with him the Ten Commandments written by God on tablets of stone. But his face was shining with the glory of God. Paul said the people could not look at Moses because of the glory on his face and that glory was passing away. The problem with the Law was that the people were unable to keep it. The law itself was holy and right, but the people did not have the capacity to keep the Law perfectly. Paul called the Law the Law of death because it showed up the inability of man to adhere to this law. So, the Law was a ministry of death and condemnation. Mankind carried a sense of condemnation due to his inability to keep God's law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, instead of a ministry of death, we have a ministry of the Spirit. Now, instead of a ministry of condemnation, we have a ministry of righteousness. And oh, what a difference. No one could keep the law until Jesus' coming as a man kept God's law perfectly. And because God raised Him from the dead after the cross, Jesus offers a new spiritual life to all who accept his sacrifice on their behalf. Now, because of Jesus, we are made right with God in our spirits, and instead of being condemned, He has made us righteous.
So what Moses had was so glorious that the Israelites could not look at his face. How much more glorious is the ministry of Jesus? What Moses had passed away. What Jesus offers is eternal. And better and life giving.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You that I am a part of the ministry of Your new covenant—the better, more glorious, life-giving ministry of the Spirit—the ministry that shouts righteousness instead of condemnation. I am truly blessed.