Son Shine

Son Shine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

In the book of Exodus in the Old Testament, when Moses emerged from speaking with the Lord. His face was so radiant that people were scared of him, and he had to wear a veil over his face. The Glory of God affected the surface of Moses' skin, like being in the sun for too long affects mine, but Moses' tan was from Son Shine.

(Exodus 34:29–30 NKJV) Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

(Exodus 34:33–35 NKJV) And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

This external glow on Moses' skin was because he had been in the presence of the Lord. It was temporary, and Moses had to walk to a place to meet with the Lord to recharge. Typically, this was Mount Sinai or the Tent of Meeting. The Tent of Meeting was where Moses spoke with God face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

Later, in the temple Solomon built, the Ark of the Covenant was kept in a room called the Holy of Holies. A thick veil separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. This is where the presence of the Lord came down above the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant.

The Lord would meet with Moses in the Tent of Meeting, and later, only the high priest was allowed to come into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. To go beyond the veil uninvited was a death sentence. Legend has it that when the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, they tied a rope around his leg in case he died so they could drag him out.

The Glory of the Lord changed Moses from the outside in, but he had to travel to meet with Him. Also, a veil separated common people from entering into the Lord's presence at all. This was the case in the Old Testament, but that changed when Jesus Christ was crucified.

(Mark 15:37–39 NKJV) And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

God reached down and ripped the veil open from top to bottom, making it so we could now come into the Holy of Holies as if we were the High Priest. It is not because we suddenly became good but because of the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Though our sins are like scarlet, He will wash us as white as snow. Jesus said something very important in John:

(John 14:15–17 NKJV) "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

This was a promise that Jesus gave His disciples. If you love Him keep His commandments, and another Helper will be given to you that will abide with you FOREVER. He will dwell with you and will be in you. This began fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended in Acts chapter 2. Jesus went up, and ten days later, the Holy Spirit came down as He promised.

(Acts 1:9 NKJV) Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

(Acts 2:1–4 NKJV) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The 120 disciples gathered in that place were "filled" with the Holy Spirit, which came as a mighty rushing wind. They literally breathed in the Spirit of God, which filled the air around them and them with it. Unlike Moses, who was being transformed by the Glory of God from the outside in, these disciples were now being transformed from the inside out. Look at what an effect that had on people around them.

A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and gave part of the proceeds to the church but pretended they gave all of it. Barnabas had recently sold his property and given it to the church, and they wanted to appear they had done the same without the sacrifice.

(Acts 5:1–3 NKJV) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

(Acts 5:4–6 NKJV) While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

No longer did people have to be high priests and travel to the Holy of Holies to be standing in God's awesome presence. They could now meet Him on the street because He was walking around inside someone like Peter. Do you see how powerful that is? You can carry the Lord's presence wherever you go and meet with Him right where you are.

Stephen was said to have been a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). He did powerful signs and wonders in the name of Jesus Christ until some religious leaders became offended because they "could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking." So, as usual, they paid some people to lie and frame him and Stephen's face transformed before them.

(Acts 6:15 NKJV) And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

Stephen was preaching in the streets "among the people." His face was radiant, similar to Moses's, but this time, it was internal. For Stephen carried the presence of God with him. The Lord seeks the lost and broken wherever they are.

(Matthew 9:10–13 NKJV) Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

The Lord rocked my world and understanding one night when the Holy Spirit powerfully showed up in a bar where I was playing music and led someone to the Lord. I honestly didn't know what to think, for He spoke through me in such a powerful way that they began visibly shaking under conviction. I hadn't even experienced that level of His presence in our church. Up to that point, I had been trying to keep that part of my life secret.

I felt ashamed to be seen in bars, but I was playing music before I got serious with the Lord, and when I prayed about quitting, He said, "Not at this time." It also helped to pay my way through Bible College, but it was always awkward when someone from my church walked into a bar and saw a member of the praise team on stage. I couldn't tell if the look on their face was from them seeing me or me seeing them.

Yet, the Lord was with me in the bar. Think about that. I felt like I should be somewhere else, but I was right where He needed me that night. I always wanted to work in a Christian bookstore where I could talk about Jesus all day, but He would put me in the darkest hole-in-the-wall places surrounded by heathens who needed hope, who needed Him. Believe me, your comfort is not His priority. Reaching the lost is.

Where Moses had to go meet with the Lord at a certain place, I took the Lord with me to a certain place. He rode in my car. He is with you at work, and He is here right now. You don't have to go to church to meet with the Lord, though you should gather with other Christians, for we strengthen one another (Hebrews 10:25).

Where the Glory of the Lord was changing Moses from the outside in, the Holy Spirit is now changing us from the inside out. Your shining comes from the Holy Spirit within you. Where Moses had to go to the tent of meeting to meet with the Lord, now the Holy Spirit will travel with you to where you are going. Your tent of meeting is you; you are His tent.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You so much for drawing my heart to You. I pray that You fulfill Your perfect will in my life and speak to me in ways that I understand. Please fill me with Your Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!