No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:18; I John 4:12) So then, who did Moses and the others with him actually see? The only begotten Son, Lord God. Remember, in the beginning, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;... (Genesis 1:26) Then, when God the Father and Creator finished creating all things, God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. ... And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:3, 7) And the Lord God walking in the garden [of Eden] in the cool of the day,... (Genesis 3:8)
Lord God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created [made] that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created [made] through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)
The Lord God, Christ Jesus is the God of Israel. That's why at His baptism by John the Baptist, suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) And again, at His transfiguration on the mountain before His disciples, And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ... While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Luke 9:30-31, 34-35; Matthew 17:3,5; Mark 9:4,7) Then, after His crucifixion, burial and resurrection, while He was speaking to His disciples one last time, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19)
So, who did Moses and the others with him actually see? Christ Jesus, Lord God, God's Beloved Son. The same Lord God Who had appeared to Abraham as the priest, Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-24; Hebrews 5-7); the same Lord Who came to Abraham with His two angels, before they destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-19:29); the same Man Who wrestled with Jacob until morning (Genesis 32:22-32) And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:10-11) They saw His feet, but not His face. We'll study more about why in a future lesson.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.” So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.” Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. (Exodus 24:12-15)
Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:16-18)
Awesome, that God would allow man to have fellowship with Him! What is man that You are mindful of him,And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4-5) Let's not misunderstand, Lord God, the Son of God is meeting with Moses; and God the Father is the cloud that covered the mountain for six days, just like God the Father at Christ Jesus transfiguration came in a cloud and overshadowed them. As He also said to the Jews, "I and My Father are one.” ...‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:30, 36-38)
He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the Lord God would give Moses a lot of instructions during the forty days and forty nights...
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