QT 5/15/2025 2 Cor 3:7-12, Is he with us?

2 Corinthians 3:7–12 (ESV) —

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,

 

NOTE: I just finished reading the section in Exodus when Moses came down from the mountain, and people were scared at first to see him. Then again, when he would come out of the tent of meeting, and would need to cover his face. I'm sure it was both frightening and glorious. At that time, God was warning Israel that his presence (his name) could not travel with them because of their continual sin. Moses prayed that God's presence would go with them because he knew they would fail without him.

 

Even so today, we require the presence of God. Yes, God is everywhere and there is no place we can go that he is not there. And, for the believer, the Holy Spirit lives within us. But, the Spirit can be quenched, and while God is everywhere, that does not mean he is with us. When we pray for God to be with us, we are really praying that we would be in his will, because that is the only way he can "truly be with us." Otherwise, he would have to be against us.

 

On a slightly different note, the "ministry of death, carved in letters on stone" is the ten commandments. And from the beginning of its creation, the passage says, "which was being brought to an end." For believers, our focus needs to be on the two commandments not the ten, or the 603, which were never intended to bring life.

 

Matthew 22:37–39 (ESV) —

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I bring God into my activities? Or do I live life with God on the outside, never thinking to ask him for help?
2. Do I get all up in arms politically about displaying the ten commandments or do I do something much better -- seek to live out the two commandments?

 

PRAYER: Father, I don't know why Christians get so upset about the ten commandments when we fail to live out the two commandments. We rarely meet with you except on Sunday and Wednesday, and we certainly don't spend much time praying and being concerned for our neighbor. I pray that believers of this generation would be serious about meeting with you every day in your word. I pray for eyes to see the opportunities you give for us to serve and love people.