BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS - NO ONE CAN SEE GOD (Part 14d)

Last time, we saw that Moses asked to see the Lord’s glory (‘kabod’ – fullness, gloriousness, honour, etc.), but God answered, “You cannot see My face… You can’t see it unobstructed, without shielding. If you see My face, you will not live. You will die.”

In this grand finale, let us look closely at the ‘shielding’ medium through which we may see God and stay alive.

READ BEFORE: BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS (PART 14C)

HOW TO SEE GOD AND LIVE

Now, after telling Moses that he could not see His face and live, God went on to say in Exodus 33:21 – “Behold, there is a place near Me, where you can stand on a rock. As My glory passes by, I’ll put you in a crevice in the rock, and cover you with My hand until I’ve passed by. Then I’ll remove My hand so you may see My back (achor), but My face must not be seen.”

Why is the Lord passing by at all? It’s because He is trying to answer Moses’s prayer. He wants to reveal His glory. But He decided to do it through a medium: The Rock.

This rock is the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 10:4). The Bible calls Him the rock of stumbling and offense. (1 Peter 2:7-8). And in John 14:9, the Lord Jesus says clearly, “If anyone has seen the Father, he has seen me”. Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). So a cleft was created in the rock. What’s the cleft? His side. His side was opened up and Moses was hidden there.

John 15:7 says “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask for anything you want, and you’ll receive it.”

That’s exactly what Moses did – he asked to see God’s glory and it was done. But it’s only done if you abide in Christ, the Rock, as He abides in you, His words abide in you.

You hear Him and obey Him. And Moses had done that so he could ask what he willed and God answered him.

SEEING GOD THROUGH CHRIST

Colossians 1:27 says: “God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (or the hope of seeing God’s glory).

Also, 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “We behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus.”

John 14:9 – Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?

So we can’t see God face to face and live but He allows us to see Him through the Lord Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) So, there are scriptures that say people have seen God, are seeing God, and will see God. This will be accomplished fully when the Lord Jesus will come. Remember that Moses appeared with the Lord Jesus in the flesh on the mountain and the Lord’s glory shone as bright as the sun, and His clothes become as white as light (Matthew 17:1-2).

Why did the Lord Jesus do that brightness thing?

Amongst other things, remember that Moses had asked to see him. He had said, “I’ll show you My back.” He may have just been saying, “I’ll show you myself hereafter.” The Hebrew word, ‘achor’ is the word translated as ‘back’. But it doesn’t just mean the rear; it also means hereafter.

As such, you could read Exodus 33:23 this way: “I’ll take away my hand. I’ll hide you in the rock and I will take away my hand. You will see me hereafter, but my face shall not be seen.”

That’s like saying, Right now, you can’t see me how you would want to see me, but I’ll give you a glimpse of what will happen hearafter when you hide with the real Rock. For now, this physical rock is just a picture.

READ NEXT: BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS (PART 15)

CONCLUSION

We can safely conclude from this that we cannot see God alive as we are – 100% man. But when we are hidden in Christ, we can be in God’s presence. Christ is the buffer. He’s the protection and our safety. He’s the one who came out the bosom of the Father, and the only one who can see the Father. (Matthew 11:27, John 1:18, 6:46), And hidden within and through Him, we can also see the Father, today and tomorrow. Rather than criticise those who request like Moses, and claim to have been given a glimpse, have you asked? “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24)