in regards to the exodus 33:11?

Question

it says:
11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

now you all claimed that moses did not see gods face. that seeing his face would result in death. however it says here that as a man would speak to his friend. so how many of you dont let your friend see your face while your talking with them? and in the event they see your face its punishable by death? you guys are denying what is clearly written in the bible why?

Answer 1

Numbers 14: 14 Thou Lord are seen face to face. (Moses)

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
- Genesis 32:30

No man hath seen God at any time.
- John 1:18

Not that any man hath seen the Father.
- John 6:46

APPARENTLY John was not familiar with the OT.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, this is an example of the inadequacy of the Hebrew to English translation.

The word translated as "face" at Exodus 33:11 (and at many other places in the OT) is the Hebrew word "paniym," which CAN mean a literal face, but most often means "surface." Another place where we see this word is Genesis 1:2, where we read that darkness was on the "face" of the deep.

So, while Moses was permitted to see God's "surface," he was not permitted to see God's actual face (see Exodus 33:20). This was God's decision and I guess we won't understand His reasoning until He tells us in Heaven.

Peace and blessings.

Answer 3

Well Chippy, let me start that when you generalize it makes you look less intelligent. Not all of us state that Moses never saw the face of God, and he was not the only one to see it and believe it or not they all lived to tell about it, if not we wouldn't know would we.
In the time of Moses, only very Holy people could see the face of God, read the scriptures, be prophetic. That is what is reffered to here, Moses was to God as your friend is to you, because God had Moses as a Holy man. All of us can reach this friendship, Christ even called his apostles friends at one point, relating back to this scripture.
The Bible is not to be taken literally, Moses lives an outrageous amount of years, impossible, but his wisdom lives on even to date, his spirit still moves in the Holy words, to date. So he lives on to date.
Open your heart, your mind will follow.
God bless always, continue to question, learn to accept and love all things above all.

Answer 4

I did not answer your other question, but will try to help you with this one.

In the book of Genesis, God clearly visits Abraham and even has dinner with him. God is accompanied on this particular visit by two angels who will go ahead of him and warn Lot to leave before his city is utterly destroyed.

It is not that God cannot show himself, he can and has.
What I feel that you might be asking is if anyone can see the "true" face of God, and this is the face that the others are thinking about when they answered your other question.

God can take form in anyway he chooses, but his true "face" he does not show because we are not yet perfect in the flesh.

Also in Genesis, God walked in the cool of the evenings with Adam and Eve before they disobeyed him. This could have been Gods "true face", we do not know for sure, because it does not specify what form if any that God took during these visits.

One thing we know for sure and that is that God can and will do what he pleases when he pleases and all that he does is right and will be known as right in the end result.

Answer 5

The Bible is clear when it states this at Exodus 33:20-23 "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen."
Many times God spoke to his people by way of angelic messengers, since looking directly upon him would have meant death. When God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, why did he do that if Moses were able to literally look upon God's face?
Exodus 3:2-4--"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I."
Exodus 3:6--"Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."
Did God really mean it when he said that no man (Moses was a man) that saw him could live. Yes, he did, for God cannot lie.(Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2)
This is where sound reasoning comes in. If God spoke face to face with Moses, which he did---he was able to allow Moses to see him by other means, as in the case of the burning bush, by the use of an angel or he shielded his brilliance by whatever means necessary to prevent Moses from losing his life.

Answer 6

it simply means that God deals directly with him..and he does not need a mediator. A high priest to go for him..or any other that stands in place for him. God speaks directly to him..it is not a matter of actually seeing Gods face.

But when you are looking in the flesh instead of the spirit..you will have these misunderstandings

This is why you have to have a relationship with the Lord..and allow the Holy Ghost to give you the interpretation of Gods word ..not your own..God less

And sorry soy..Gods word is to be taken literally...but you must have the right meaning of the word to do that...and that requires a relationship..whereby the spirit of the Lord can give you the right meaning...wherein you will able to follow...literally

Answer 7

you find in the old testament many times where God is described as Lord and God. which is two different but the same person. so when the bible speaks of Lord in old testament it is speaking of Jesus. so Moses was talking to Jesus. that is why he was allowed to live.

Answer 8

Ever talk on the phone?

Answer 9

just the brightness could kill him so He saw God as much as was physically possible to still keep him alive...got it? if God made the sun which He did then wouldnt he be brighter than that??

Answer 10

testament means "agreement", you are reading from the old "agreement", not the new one