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NASB | Exodus 33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Exodus 33:11 And so the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his attendant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. |
Bible Question: My Christian group has a concern. Ex33:11 Says the Lord spoke face to face to Moses. Ex33:20 Says no one will look upon Me and live. Please explain |
Bible Answer: You ever tell someone over the phone "I'm gonna tell you right now in your face"! Face to face is not what we as men say "face to face" If you notice face to face is not in capital letters. Face to face can mean presence to presence or the "outer appearance" of a person. Now in these modern times we think of face to face like, eyes , nose , and mouth face . Back in those days it was not like that. When you search the scriptures you have to ask God to lead you in His understanding and lean not toward your own understanding. Remember God spoke to Moses in a pillar of cloud ,Exodus 33:9 " and the cloud decended and stood at the door of the tabernacle and the Lord talked with Moses" this was presence to presence. Now notice when Moses said " Please show my Your Glory" Exod.33:18. God then said to him .."You cannot see My (notice "my" is capitalized)face;for no man shall see Me and live"Exod.33:20 So it LOOKS like God is contradicting Himself but look again. Moses wanted to see God in all His Glory, Moses had already seen the "Hind or Back" parts of God when he parted the Red Sea . Now Moses wanted to see ALL of God's glory FACE TO FACE but it would have killed him, Moses did not have the proper body to see God in all of His Glory. When we get up every morning we see the glory of God everyday, but we do not die, because when have not seen All His Glory FACE TO FACE. We see the Hind parts of God. Remeber also when you study to look words in the bible up in your dictionary . Sometimes words have several meanings as in the word "face" and don't forget to consider the whole text and try to understand God's word as a spiritual soul first and human later. This is why so many people think the Bible contradicts itself because they think God is not like us, but we were made in His image and we have His likeness. He is not made in our image with our likeness. Happy Bible Study and May God continue to bless you every deed. Dora |