@Knittinggrace let me just add one last thing ( in two posts ):
I admit, your thoughts were very intriguing. If I could understand those verses like you do, I'd probably have enough "backup" to ban the mask from my life and endure the persecution that comes with it here.
I didn't follow your line of thought because I found it misleading from the start. If I read just Moses and Paul, the verses you mentioned, I cannot come to your conclusion.