Moses was on Mount Sinai with the Lord, receiving the ten commandments carved in stone. When he came down the mountain, his face was radiant with glory, and Aaron and Israel were afraid to come near him. So, Moses put a veil over his face. The radiance began to fade until it was no more, but Israel did not notice because Moses kept the veil over his face. (Exodus 34:29-35). This is a lesson of the temporary and weak natures of the Old Covenant.
The Lord punished Judah for their sins and for ignoring the prophets he sent them by sending the Babylonians to burn down Jerusalem and completely destroy the temple. When the punishment was completed, the prophet Jeremiah pronounced a punishment for the day they would also reject the Messiah, Jesus, “O LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me– what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs. Pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, for what their hands have done. Put a veil over their hearts, and may your curse be on them! Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:61-66; See 1 Corinthians 16:22 and Galatians 3:10-13)
The Holy Spirit reveals through the Apostle Paul that the veil remains. Is there any hope for people who have a veil over their hearts? Yes! Only in Christ is it taken away. (14) Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (16) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” (Galatians 3:13a)
