In Genesis 18, Abraham is visited by three “men” and he puts forth a great deal of effort to ensure that these three are well taken care of. He has Sarah bake fresh bread, he has one of his servants kill a fatted calf, and he brings out milk and butter… Clearly these three are important, even though we are never specifically told how Abraham recognizes them. As the chapter progresses, though, we find out that one of the “men” has a plan to destroy the city where Abraham’s nephew, Lot, is living. As they discuss this, the other two head towards Sodom. In Genesis 19, we find out that the other two “men” were actually angels, but they are going to test the people of Sodom, and give them a chance to show their worth before making a decision whether to destroy the city or not. The men of Sodom prove themselves to be the scum of the earth, and fire and brimstone rains down as planned, but not until after they escort Lot and his wife, and the two daughters that didn’t marry Sodomites out of the city. By this point, we understand that God has taken human form, specifically so that He can talk with Abraham face-to-face. Abraham must have realized who he was talking to, as evidenced by the preferential treatment he gave his visitors. How did he know? I would have to say that he probably felt God’s presence and so just knew. Of course, it’s possible that Abraham recognized God in human form because he had met God in human form before.
In Genesis 14, Abraham met up with someone named Melchizedek, the King of Salem, and Priest of the Most High God. Where did he come from? It doesn’t say in Genesis 14, but it does say that Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. In Hebrews 7, we are told that Melchisedec is without father or mother or beginning or ending of days, which would suggest that he was God Himself. It does seem odd that if God used the same manifestation in chapters 14 and 18 of Genesis, that it would not have referred to Him as Melchizedek both times. I am forced to conclude that God appeared to Abraham differently on those two occasions. Of course, this begs the question, why is it that Abraham is the only person in the entire Old Testament that God net with in the form of a man? (NOTE: I realize that Jacob seemed to think that he wrestled with God, but I personally don’t think that it was God Himself, but even if it was, then why only those two?)
Moses met with God once, in Exodus 3, but God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. The Bible says that Moses could see the flames in the bush, but he could also see that the bush was not being consumed by the fire. Was it necessary to show Moses a miracle in order to get his attention?
After Moses accepted his assignment, he led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and they were led through the wilderness by a pillar of smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night. That was the only manifestation of God that most of the Israelites ever saw.
1 Timothy 3:16, talking about Jesus, refers to Him as God manifest in the flesh. We have a tendency to think of Jesus, in the flesh, as being the Son of God (or God the Son), and, while Jesus was in the flesh, there was a definite difference between that flesh, and God the Spirit. In very many ways, however, Jesus in the flesh was just another manifestation of God. God did not want us to attribute divinity to that flesh; perhaps that’s why Abraham was the only person in the Old Testament to meet God in the flesh.
Nebuchadnezzar may have seen Jesus before his time, though. In Daniel 3, we are told that the king had the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thrown into the fiery furnace, but when he looked in, he saw four “men” walking around in the furnace, and the form of the fourth was “like the Son of God.” How would Nebuchadnezzar recognize a Son of God? Perhaps, like Abraham, he simply felt God’s presence…
In Genesis 14, Abraham met up with someone named Melchizedek, the King of Salem, and Priest of the Most High God. Where did he come from? It doesn’t say in Genesis 14, but it does say that Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. In Hebrews 7, we are told that Melchisedec is without father or mother or beginning or ending of days, which would suggest that he was God Himself. It does seem odd that if God used the same manifestation in chapters 14 and 18 of Genesis, that it would not have referred to Him as Melchizedek both times. I am forced to conclude that God appeared to Abraham differently on those two occasions. Of course, this begs the question, why is it that Abraham is the only person in the entire Old Testament that God net with in the form of a man? (NOTE: I realize that Jacob seemed to think that he wrestled with God, but I personally don’t think that it was God Himself, but even if it was, then why only those two?)
Moses met with God once, in Exodus 3, but God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. The Bible says that Moses could see the flames in the bush, but he could also see that the bush was not being consumed by the fire. Was it necessary to show Moses a miracle in order to get his attention?
After Moses accepted his assignment, he led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and they were led through the wilderness by a pillar of smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night. That was the only manifestation of God that most of the Israelites ever saw.
1 Timothy 3:16, talking about Jesus, refers to Him as God manifest in the flesh. We have a tendency to think of Jesus, in the flesh, as being the Son of God (or God the Son), and, while Jesus was in the flesh, there was a definite difference between that flesh, and God the Spirit. In very many ways, however, Jesus in the flesh was just another manifestation of God. God did not want us to attribute divinity to that flesh; perhaps that’s why Abraham was the only person in the Old Testament to meet God in the flesh.
Nebuchadnezzar may have seen Jesus before his time, though. In Daniel 3, we are told that the king had the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thrown into the fiery furnace, but when he looked in, he saw four “men” walking around in the furnace, and the form of the fourth was “like the Son of God.” How would Nebuchadnezzar recognize a Son of God? Perhaps, like Abraham, he simply felt God’s presence…
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