The skin of Moses' face shone
Many wonderful stories and testimonies are told of the Lewis revival in 1949.
One such story is about an unconverted woman who went along to a prayer meeting and after queuing to get in, she experienced something immensely powerful.
There was a child in the house and the presence of God was so strong that the child`s face shone.
The unconverted woman was convicted of sin and her need for the Saviour. She received salvation and was baptized in the Holy Spirit by just looking at the child`s face.
This is a fascinating story about the presence of God making a person's face to shine, but is it biblical?
The story of Moses
Exodus 34:29-35
29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Verse 29; Moses did not know that his face was shining
Verse 30; Others were afraid to even approach Moses
Verse 33; Moses kept a veil over face when talking to men but took the veil off when talking to God.
Moses’ face shone showing he had been in the very presence of the Living God. In the
New Testament some people baptized in the Holy Spirit may have shown evidence on their faces.
The story of Stephen
Acts 6:8-10,15
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
15 And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Acts 6 Verse 3; Men full of the Spirit
Verse 4; Stephen the martyr
Verse 15; Face like the face of the angel, suggesting a glorious shining since holy angels have direct access to the presence of God.
A manifestation that is less commonly recognized of baptism in the Holy Spirit can be the presence of joy on the face of the candidate.
Many of us have experienced moves of the Holy Spirit which have brought immense joy and even laughter to those affected.
Have you heard or read about such meetings during the Welsh Revival in 1904-1905?
Many people claimed that the Welsh evangelist Evan Robert`s face shone as he preached.
What do you think?
During a revival in Scotland in the late 1830`s -1840`s when the Rev. Robert Murray M'Cheyne entered the pulpit, before he said a single word people began to weep and were convicted of sin. Something of the presence of God shone on his face.
How would you like to see that?
How would you like to experience that?
Do you think God would be glorified by it?
So, what has this to do with us today?
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
Comments
Verse 8; How shall the ministry of the Spirit to be even more with glory by us as we bring the
good news.
Verse 12; We are not required to cover God`s glory on our faces when we speak his love or
when we preach his Gospel. Believers have a new and better covenant
Verse 18; As God`s face shines, so should our faces so shine increasingly each day.
My conclusion is that the presence of God`s glory can be so strong that he can cause your face to shine.
This is not an abstract idea, so let us pray today for such a presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that our faces will shine and bring conviction of sinners by the Holy Spirit.
What effect is God having on your face today?
Amen
Personal Prayer
