Did Man See and Talk with God?

                     by Vic Odarve.

Nobody wants to be the one to answer this question. It sounds like it might be figurative, or literal, thus figurative or literal explanations are the most likely options. The following discussions provide insight into God's nature and whether a man has truly seen and spoken with the Lord God.

ABRAM HAD A FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION WITH THE LORD GOD IN GENESIS 18:26-33.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Following the departure of the two angels from Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham and the Lord God had a lengthy face-to-face talk. Abraham was just like a man who asked for something and God responded. It was because Abraham made several requests to spare the two biblical cities from the doom of destruction. That was, he interceded for the sake of righteous ones living with the wicked population. And that Abraham did not believe that God would kill the good people living amid the wicked population. From fifty good people who could be found, he was able to narrow it down to only ten. The Lord God closed their conversation as follows:

32. But Abraham insisted, "May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more." What if only ten can be found? " And Yahweh answered, "For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom." 33. When Yahweh had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham went home.

MOSES HAS A FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION WITH THE LORD GOD EXO 33:11-23

The Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face. Sensing that he had received a favor from God, Moses had several requests regarding how to lead his people, to know His name, and to be assured of His presence. And finally, when Moses asked that he wanted to see his face, God responded in the following conversations.

Moses with God

20 He added, "Thou shalt not see my face; for no man shall see me and live." 21 And again he said, "Behold, there is a place for you with me, and you shall stand upon the rock." 22 And when my glory is gone, I will sit in a hole in the rock and protect you with my right hand until I am gone: 23 And I will take away my hand, and you will see my back parts, but not my face.

NOBODY CAN SEE GOD

But there are several verses teaching us that God cannot be seen. Even Moses' final request to see his face during his conversation with God on the mount was denied, and he was only allowed to see his backs. God told him that "you cannot see my face, for no man can see Me and live! " Exo 33:20. The Apostle John and Jesus told us that no one had seen God at any time, nor heard his voice, nor seen his face. John 1:18 and John 5:37. According to 1 Timothy 6:15-16, no one can see God because He dwells in unapproachable light. God is spirit and invisible. " John 4:24/Col 1:15. God is neither a man nor the son of a man. Numbers 23:19

MAN’S QUEST TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF GOD

Jews believe that God is God and humans are humans. They do not believe that God became human. Judaism and Islam share the same beliefs. However, other Christian religions, most notably The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), teach that God has physical, resurrected bodies in which humans were created in the image of God.

Is this anthropomorphism or theophany (divine manifestation)? Anthropomorphism is a literary device employed by a writer to give a clearer picture of the subject he is presenting. This refers to the perception of a divine being or beings in human form. The purpose of which is to describe God in terms more understandable to humans.

Abraham with God

Man’s quest to understand the nature of God varies from one religion to another. As long as we live physically in this world, we try to decipher our environment as what we perceive through our five senses. In the case of Moses, as a sinful human being, he cannot look upon the pure deity of our Creator and live. Thus, God mercifully does not provide him an opportunity to see his face.

The Bible itself was written by God, and as such, it contains the mind of God. It is written for mankind. God the infinite communicates with man the finite through the Bible; thus, a careful interpretation of God and His nature to literal extremes is truly required. One word of caution: every verse of the Bible may be interpreted so as not to contradict the other verses.

Understanding God's nature is necessary for unraveling His mystery. This largely depends on you. The key to understanding is by reading the Bible. Read the Bible frequently and be humble before Him. In the words of Abraham, "Who am I, Lord?" I am only dust and ashes?

So, did any man see God and converse with Him? The answer is yours and is irrevocable. But we don’t have to worry. All of us will see God face-to-face at the time of judgment.

THANKS FOR WATCHING

 

 

 

 A Visit to our Ancestral Home

         by Vic Odarve

 A visit to our ancestral homes allows us to trace our origins, remember our past, and revel in the excitement of knowing how our great-grandparents lived in their prime. It also allows us to reconnect with family and friends we haven't seen in years. It also enables us to see what has happened to some of the places we used to consider playgrounds when we were younger and more carefree. Furthermore, if this is our birthplace, we are stepping back in time; this is the place where your life began, and a visit gives you a sense of how things are going.

Ancestral House

A visit to our ancestral homes may be a journey of our life before we travel to another universe to see our Maker. A timely visit is usually made during fiesta celebrations and reunion activities where relatives and friends are also around. This gives us a unique opportunity to connect with our relatives and friends who, for one reason or another, could not make the visit. Our old folks at home welcomed us with big smiles, treated us like kings and queens, and extended huge open arms extending a mile out of their sleeves. Here, plenty of stories was told with a bottle of beer, singing, and dancing, and tracing the roots of the grandparents. The best part could be listening to our grandma and grandpa reminisce about the people and events from their past. Here we learned that some of our relatives and friends are already gone, while some are still living.

A tour of our hometown also allows us to see what has happened to some of the places that were filled with memories during our younger days. For most of us, we consider a visit an awesome adventure. On our last visit, for example, we came to a path that led off down a sloping mountain near the river where I had played with my kite before. The trees had grown up a lot in some areas, and the once nicely kept rice fields were overgrown and nearly filled with tall grass after a massive landslide a decade ago. It is still clear in my mind how I kept running on this mountain slope before.

Going back to the old trail, I can imagine myself walking through mists and clouds along with the mountain ranges, meeting all the fairies and magical creatures, and watching the birds perform an orchestra with the canopies. Thus, we remembered our good old childhood days, where we spent much time playing with our neighbors and assisting our parents in maintaining our rice fields. It is the sort of feeling that cannot be captured on camera and is more than the old pictures hanging on the wall. It is an exhilarating feeling to walk in the footsteps of your ancestors. Sometimes a visit gives me a feeling that if I had not studied at a university and become an engineer, I might still be working in the rice fields instead of doing lectures in the fields of engineering here and abroad.

Ricefields

Our ancestral homes also provide us a glimpse of how things are changing rapidly where today’s technology is far more advanced. The old house standing could serve as a powerful reminder for the current and future generations about how life once was, back in the days when smartphones, videokes, and other gadgets were all still unheard of.

There really is no place like home. Our ancestral home reminds me of the place and events where I come from; the land of my birth, and with all its diversity, the good and the bad, I would like to go there first over anywhere else in the world.