"The sons of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses . . . Their mental powers were dulled."
2 Corinthians 3:7, 14

What a sad situation! The Israelites were Jehovah’s chosen people, and he wanted them to draw close to him. (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we find a parallel in the first century C.E. By the time of Paul’s conversion to Christianity, the Law covenant had been replaced by the new covenant, mediated by Jesus Christ, the Greater Moses.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. w 8/15/05 4, 5a