- Aug 28, 2010
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Who is the God of the Old Testament?
So why is it so important that we know who the God of the Old Testament is? After all, it seems quite clear that God the Father is what was taught to us as the God of the Old Testament, right? Well, after learning and understanding who the true God of the Old Testament is, hopefully you will better understand both the Old and New Testaments.
Now when I say the God of the Old Testament, I am assuming that you have been brought up in a church, school or family who taught you that, for the most part, the God of the Old Testament is the one most of us has come to know as God the Father. Well let’s just see if that holds up to the doctrine of the bible.
Now some of what I present my go totally against what you have been taught, but once again, this is not my interpretation, it is the bible’s. I only ask that you pray and ask God for understanding. What ever you do, do not take my word on this. Search the scriptures for yourself and do as Paul says in I Thess 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Now let us allow the bible, and the bible alone, establish Who is the God of the Old Testament.
Has Anyone Ever Seen God the Father?
It has long been said that no man has seen God at any time. And until I started reading the bible for myself, that was an assumption I held for quite a while. Now that I’ve read it, it is no longer an assumption. After reading the book of St. John in the New Testament (NT) and finding the following scriptures I would have to agree:
St. John 1: 18 – No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him.
St. John 5: 37 – And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
St. John 6: 46 – Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Now the words (NO MAN), (AT ANY TIME) and (NEITHER HEARD HIS VOICE….NOR SEEN HIS SHAPE.) are very absolute! We can take the inspired word of God to mean just what it says; no man, EVER, has seen God the Father, heard his voice nor seen his shape at any time………So that would mean NEVER!! And let’s not forget who made (2) of those quotes! JESUS CHRIST!!
Did you notice the distinction that is made in the above verses? Both Jesus and the apostle John referred to God as, God the Father.
Now let’s search the scriptures for ourselves to find out what the bible has to say about anyone hearing or seeing God….at ANY TIME!
Let’s go to the Old Testament (OT) to see if anyone has either seen or heard the voice of God. Let’s start in Exodus.
Ex. 24: 9 – 11. 9. Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10. And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
11. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
Now the elders may not have been able to see all of God, but we can conclude from the above scriptures that they were able to make out what looked to be feet and hands; that would be the SHAPE of God. But what did Jesus say?
St. John 5: 37 – And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Let’s look further.
Ex. 33: 11 – And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
In this next verse the Lord has revealed parts of himself to Moses after Moses requested that his glory be made known to him.
Ex. 33: 23 – And I will take mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
On this occasion, God did not allow Moses to see His face. But seeing Gods backside would be seeing some sort of shape of God also.
Here are a few scriptures from the book of Numbers:
Num 12: 6-8. 6. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house.
8. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold:
Once again, Moses may not have been able to see all of God but he was able to see God’s back parts and his similitude, or the shape of God. Also, when God spoke, Moses heard Gods words. Hearing the voice of God was not limited to Moses, let’s read;
Deut. 4:12 And the Lord spake unto you out of the mist of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
Now after reading these scriptures it seems very evident that, not only did Moses see and hear the voice of the God of Israel, but at least seventy-three people saw God, and the whole nation of Israel heard the voice of God at Mount Sinai.
Let’s review:
NT: St. John 1:18. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him.
OT: Exod. 24: 10. And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
NT: St. John 6:46. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
OT: Exod.24:11. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
NT: St. John 5:37. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
OT: Deut. 4:12. And the Lord spake unto you out of the mist of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
So what do we have here? In the New Testament, Jesus himself said, NO MAN has seen God the Father AT ANY TIME, and in the Old Testament we find that Moses and at least seventy (70) elders saw and heard the God of Israel. Now what can we conclude from what we have just read above? What we do know, according to the scriptures, is this; if anyone has seen God, it was NOT God the Father. Could this be a contradiction? God forbid. Let’s continue to search the scriptures for the truth!!!!
Continued in Who is the REAL God of the OT? Part 2
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