11-16-2007, 01:22 PM
Good morning ... :D
The Scripture text for today is ... 2Cor. 3:7, 14 ...
The sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses.....Their mental powers were dulled.
Watchtower comments ...
''What a sad situation! The Israelites were Jehovah's chosen people, and he wanted them to draw close to them. (Ex. 19:4-6) Yet, they were reluctant to gaze intently on the reflection of God's glory. Instead of turning their hearts and minds toward Jehovah in loving devotion, they in a sense turned away from him. In this, we find a parallel in the first century C.E.. By the time of Paul's conversion to Christianity, the Law covenant had been replaced by the new covenant, mediated by Jesus Christ, the Greater Moses.
In both word and deed, Jesus perfectly reflected the glory of Jehovah. (Heb.1:3) What a magnificent opportunity the Jews had! They could listen to the sayings of everlasting life from the Son of God himself! Sadly, most of those to whom Jesus preached did not listen.''--Isa. 6:9,10; Matt. 13:15. w8/15/05 4,5a
My thoughts ...
I'm not really sure where they will take me today ... have been sitting here and pondering and trying to decide which way to go ... :love::huh::thinking: :scratchhead: :post:
Why COULD NOT the Israelites bear to 'look up Moses' face' ...?:dontknow:
Ex. 34:30,35 ...
(GNB) 30 Aaron and all the people looked at Moses and saw that his face was shining, and they were afraid to go near him.
35 and they would see that his face was shining. Then he would put the veil back on until the next time he went to speak with the LORD.
Yes it HURT them to look upon the 'light' ... they were AFRAID ...
And yet I find myself asking ... WHY were they 'afraid' ...?? :dontknow:
Why should something so glorious be a fearful thing ...? They KNEW it was from Jehovah ... they loved Jehovah ... and so should they not have been then DRAWN TO THE LIGHT ...? Should not their HEARTS ... if not their literal eyes ... been filled with a deep sense of SAFETY and JOY and LOVE instead of fear ...?
Yes, to me ... instead of DRAWING BACK IN FEAR they should have been DRAWN TOWARD Moses and the words he spoke from God ...
Maybe they felt safer in the 'dark' ... instead of the 'light' ... for does the light EXPOSE while the dark CONCEALS ...
Yes, Moses had to CONCEAL his face from the nation ... because they could not bear the light ... :(
Perhaps this is pictorial for us today ... :thinking:
Are we drawn to the light of TRUTH no matter that it 'exposes' who we really are in our hearts ... no matter that it might 'hurt' us to recognize the man/woman we are inside ... no matter that we might 'fear' to face the 'mirror' in order to change what we are ...?
Yes, let us be DRAWN TO the LIGHT of truth ...
Let LOVE THROW FEAR OUTSIDE ...
Let us relish in it ... let our eyes become accustomed to it ... let our eyes reflect it ... let our heart glow with it ...
For the LIGHT is where we want to be ... for it is BEAUTIFUL and it means that we love Jehovah, Christ and truth does it not ...
Let our thinking and reasoning become SHARP ... let us SEE where we are going so that we do not stumble around in darkness and uncertainty ...
Well, not really sure if this is a very good application of the text today ...:redface: but my fingers went where they willed ... :P :post: ;):siskiss:
I hope everyone has a really lovely day ... :thumbsup:
Luv as always ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts:
The Scripture text for today is ... 2Cor. 3:7, 14 ...
The sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses.....Their mental powers were dulled.
Watchtower comments ...
''What a sad situation! The Israelites were Jehovah's chosen people, and he wanted them to draw close to them. (Ex. 19:4-6) Yet, they were reluctant to gaze intently on the reflection of God's glory. Instead of turning their hearts and minds toward Jehovah in loving devotion, they in a sense turned away from him. In this, we find a parallel in the first century C.E.. By the time of Paul's conversion to Christianity, the Law covenant had been replaced by the new covenant, mediated by Jesus Christ, the Greater Moses.
In both word and deed, Jesus perfectly reflected the glory of Jehovah. (Heb.1:3) What a magnificent opportunity the Jews had! They could listen to the sayings of everlasting life from the Son of God himself! Sadly, most of those to whom Jesus preached did not listen.''--Isa. 6:9,10; Matt. 13:15. w8/15/05 4,5a
My thoughts ...
I'm not really sure where they will take me today ... have been sitting here and pondering and trying to decide which way to go ... :love::huh::thinking: :scratchhead: :post:
Why COULD NOT the Israelites bear to 'look up Moses' face' ...?:dontknow:
Ex. 34:30,35 ...
(GNB) 30 Aaron and all the people looked at Moses and saw that his face was shining, and they were afraid to go near him.
35 and they would see that his face was shining. Then he would put the veil back on until the next time he went to speak with the LORD.
Yes it HURT them to look upon the 'light' ... they were AFRAID ...
And yet I find myself asking ... WHY were they 'afraid' ...?? :dontknow:
Why should something so glorious be a fearful thing ...? They KNEW it was from Jehovah ... they loved Jehovah ... and so should they not have been then DRAWN TO THE LIGHT ...? Should not their HEARTS ... if not their literal eyes ... been filled with a deep sense of SAFETY and JOY and LOVE instead of fear ...?
Yes, to me ... instead of DRAWING BACK IN FEAR they should have been DRAWN TOWARD Moses and the words he spoke from God ...
Maybe they felt safer in the 'dark' ... instead of the 'light' ... for does the light EXPOSE while the dark CONCEALS ...
Yes, Moses had to CONCEAL his face from the nation ... because they could not bear the light ... :(
Perhaps this is pictorial for us today ... :thinking:
Are we drawn to the light of TRUTH no matter that it 'exposes' who we really are in our hearts ... no matter that it might 'hurt' us to recognize the man/woman we are inside ... no matter that we might 'fear' to face the 'mirror' in order to change what we are ...?
Yes, let us be DRAWN TO the LIGHT of truth ...
Let LOVE THROW FEAR OUTSIDE ...
Let us relish in it ... let our eyes become accustomed to it ... let our eyes reflect it ... let our heart glow with it ...
For the LIGHT is where we want to be ... for it is BEAUTIFUL and it means that we love Jehovah, Christ and truth does it not ...
Let our thinking and reasoning become SHARP ... let us SEE where we are going so that we do not stumble around in darkness and uncertainty ...
Well, not really sure if this is a very good application of the text today ...:redface: but my fingers went where they willed ... :P :post: ;):siskiss:
I hope everyone has a really lovely day ... :thumbsup:
Luv as always ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts: