Two words today: Unveiled – Unmasked

I have been looking at these two words this morning pondering if they are related in someway.

Unveil is a verb. It means to remove a veil or a covering, in particular uncover. It could also be used to expose or make known.

Unmask can be a transitive verb or intransitive – but it means to reveal the true nature of; expose; remove a mask.

The words can be intermingled with one another.

We have been masked now for most of the year 2020. Masked in many ways. Hiding from one another. Hiding truths from one another. Tossing stones at one another so it appears we are “clean” and without fault.

I could go in many different directions with these words this morning, but I have decided to keep it simple.

There are several scriptures in the Bible that relate to these two words and I have chosen a couple to share with you:

Luke 12:2 – The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. (NLT)

Proverbs 26:24-28 – People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you.
They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils. While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public. If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin. (NLT)

2 Corinthians 3:18 – So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (NLT)

Exodus 34:29-35 – When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord. (NIV)

What I am focusing on this morning, is that we have been hiding behind masks this year. It is hard to recognize one another with a mask on. During this time, I feel that we have started hiding behind a mask – a veil – allowing chaos and hatred to consume us and we become unfeeling and uncaring. During this time, there has also been much corruption taking place in the halls of our Government. It has even been brought to mind that cheating may have taken place in our recent elections – and some cheating long before Election Day.

As children of God, I would think that we would want the honor of our election system to be intact. I know for myself, if I was running for office, I would want all votes and counting of votes on the up and up. I would never want to win something through cheating. We can’t stay hidden and pretending that corruption has not taken place in our Land; we must have a heart like our Heavenly Father desiring that anything that is covered up will be revealed. Clean hands. Pure hearts.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your words of wisdom this morning. I pray that I am willing to have clean hands and a pure heart. I pray that I would always desire integrity above all else. Father, I sense in some ways we have been hiding “Your Glory!” That we are afraid of your perfect ways and perfect thoughts. Help us Father to willingly desire to remove any masks that have been placed upon our hearts and allow you to cleanse us and purify us – individually and as a Nation. I love you, Lord. I ask this in Christ Jesus’ name, amen.