I’m going to consider this question in order to illustrate two important truths that should apply to other questions.  I have heard entire sermons on Exodus 33:20, in which God says to Moses “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”  Some elevate the idea of dying at the sight of God to one of the great doctrines of our Christian faith.  If your paradigm is that no man can see God and live then you run into problems with other passages of scripture when men do see the face of God.  So here come two important lessons.

1) The Bible does not contradict itself.  The Bible is the Word of God.  At essence it conveys one single message, that of how a holy, righteous God deals with a sinful, fallen, broken humanity.  Many apparent conflicts are the result of not understanding historical or cultural context.  Bible students must learn something of history, Hebrew poetry, and the language of analogy. Continue reading →