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. Before I get started, I think it would be best if we made sure we are all on the same page.
I would like to start by ensuring we agree that the bible is the inspired word of God. It was written by men but is absolutely infallible and contains no contradictions. For, as we know, if the bible contained just (1) contradiction, all that we call faith would be void. I would also like to take this time to explain how the subject being discussed will be proved. I am going to let the bible interpret itself. By that I mean, I will be going back and forth to different scriptures throughout the entire bible, Genesis to Revelation, and will just let the scriptures interpret themselves.
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.
Hopefully this lesson will give you a better understanding of the bible. Now don’t be afraid. This is pretty simple stuff. Let’s just open our bibles and read the word of God. And when I say open your bibles, please, go get it and READ the Word of God. 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. And one more thing, any quotes in red, are quotes by Jesus Christ. Now let us allow the bible, and the bible alone, establish Who is the God of the Old Testament.
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.
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.) seem very absolute and do not appear to be used figuratively. So we can only take them to mean just what they say. No man 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!
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. 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.
Again, 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:
1) In St. John we found that no man has seen God the Father, heard his voice nor seen his shape at anytime.
2) In Exodus and Numbers we found that Moses and at least seventy other elders saw and eat with the God of Israel.
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; according to the scriptures, 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!!!!
So Who is the God of the Old Testament?
Now most of us realize that Jesus is God, but did you know that He is also your creator, the God of Old Testament? This is what will be proved next through the scriptures? Along with that, it will also be proved that the one that has become know as God the Father has never had any contact with mankind….. EVER!!! Now here is a test for you….will you believe man, or what you read in the scriptures?
Let’s start in the book of Philippians (NT) 2: 5-8. Here, Paul is talking to the Philippians and telling them to have the same mind as Christ:
Phil 2:5-8. 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
So here we have Paul telling us that Jesus, who is God, found it not wrong to be equal with God, obviously God the Father, because what other God is there for Him to be equal to. The reason I can say that is because Jesus is the only one that became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Let’s go to St. John (NT) to get a better understanding of what we just read.
St. John 1:1-4,14 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
2. The same was in the beginning with God.
3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4. In him was life; and the life was the life of men.
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.