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NASB | Genesis 18:2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 18:2 When he raised his eyes and looked up, behold, three men were standing [a little distance] from him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down [with his face] to the ground, |
Subject: Mark, Couldn't of been God.... |
Bible Note: This is a complex issue, to be sure. What does it mean when the biblical writers speak of "seeing God"? We tread in deep waters and on shaky ground when we attempt a definition. We know that God is spirit (John 4:24; is it then possible to see "the essence of God" with eyes of clay? Perhaps -- and I venture with great caution -- we attach a meaning to "see" that is more limited in scope than that which the biblical writers meant for it to be. We can "see" in the mind's eye what cannot be seen by our physical eyes. Perhaps something of this sort came about in connection with the Christphanies or Theophanies of the Old Testament. One thing stands out as being abundantly clear: Whatever the method God used to reveal himself, He left no doubt in the minds of the beholders Who He is. God chose to reveal Himself in a special, supernatural way, but the exact means by which He did this remain, for this writer, one of God's mysteries. Similarly, the details of Christ's transfiguration and His post-ascension appearance to Saul of Tarsus are, to some degree, shrouded in mystery. The apostle, in his John 1:18 verse, may have been speaking of another kind of "seeing God" than were the Old Testament writers. This may not be a very intelligent exegesis, or the right one, but it's the best I can manage on this side of heaven. --Hank |