In the last devotion, we looked at examples of people who said they saw God. This daily devotional looks at some of the different forms God takes to reveal Himself to us.
Nuggets
- God can come to mankind as an angel.
- Visions are more than just dreams.
- Dreams are probably a more common way God appears to people.
To read devotions in the How Do We See God? series, click the button below.
There are several examples in the Bible where people said they saw God. Some would argue that couldn’t be the case as God said mankind cannot see Him and live (Ex. 33: 20).
In the last devotion, we gave examples of people who said they did see God. What they saw may have been a manifestation of God.
If they didn’t really see God, what did they see?
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Angels
"Praise the LORD, you strong and mighty angels, who obey his commands, who listen to what he says" (Ps. 103: 20 GNT)
God can come to mankind as an angel.
Most Bible scholars believe, many times, when the people who said they saw God, instead they saw angels. Genesis 18: 2 describes where Abraham had a visit by heavenly beings: “He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him …” (HCSB). Many believe that these were angels, even though it is translated men.
Exodus 33: 11, where it says God and Moses talked face to face, could be a figure of speech. However, Galatians 3: 19 does say that the law was given to mankind by angels. “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary” (GNT). God sent an angel to the burning bush to talk with Moses (Ex. 3: 2).
Why would God send an angel to do the calling and the giving of the law just to show up and chitchat with Moses face to face otherwise? That would mean the important stuff got the angel visits and the everyday visits were by God. Really?
Manoah said, “… We shall surely die, for we have seen God” (Jud. 13: 22 ESV). You have to read Judges 13: 22 in the context of the rest of the chapter.
Judges 13: 3 says, “And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman [Manoah’s wife] and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.” (ESV). The angel even comes back a second time when Manoah asks nicely (Judges 13: 8-9). He didn’t believe his wife when she said she had seen an angel.
God appeared to Hagar in the form of an angel. “The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur” (Gen. 16: 7 ESV). This was when she was running away from Sarah.
One problem is that angels, as well as God, are spirits. Hebrews 1: 14 says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (NIV). That raises the question that if God is a spirit and we can’t see Him, how can we see angels, who are also spirits?
Visions
Visions are more than just dreams.
Visions were not people’s minds playing tricks on them when they were asleep. It is more like going into a trance than a sleep.
However, God can and did come to people in their dreams. But we are talking visions right now.
When we just read Isaiah 6: 1, Daniel 7: 9, and Amos 9: 1, we don’t have the passage in context. Isaiah 1: 1, Daniel 7: 2, and Amos 1: 2 says what the prophets are recounting are visions Isaiah, Daniel, and Amos had.
It is kind of like my Insomnia Buddy and me. One time I sent her a message saying, “I was dreaming I was driving to Nashville. I got a late start because I left after I had a meal with someone. I figured I could get a motel if I thought I was going to fall asleep. But then I woke up.” If you miss the first and last sentences, you might think I was actually taking a road trip.
Ezekiel had a vision in which he saw the glory of God (Ezek. 8: 3-4). Those verses read, “He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley” (ESV).
Whether people are physically transported in the vision or just go there in their spirit, the outcome is still the same. They are transported to where God wants them to be.
Dreams
Dreams are probably a more common way God appears to people.
Jacob saw God in a dream when he was heading to Haran. Genesis 28: 12-13 says, “And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring’ (ESV). God wanted to make sure Jacob had stopped for the day so he could focus on what God was telling him.
You would think that God coming to people as angels would mean He would take on some type of form. It is conceivable that He would remain in His spirit form in visions and dreams. However, He may take a more physical form.
Making the Connections
We are so quick to discount a dream or a vision that we believe came from God. It is easy for us to convince ourselves that it was not from God.
It is even easier to convince ourselves that God wouldn’t appear to us.
God can still come to us even in this chaotic world we live in.
Do I think God still sends angels to us? Well, He could. God can do anything.
We just have to make sure the vision or dream is from God, and not Satan trying to derail us. How do we do that?
How Do We Apply This?
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
In the next devotion, we will continue our discussion on what forms God has taken when He has interacted with man.
Lord. Whether You come to us or You send one of Your angels, whether You come in a physical form or a spiritual form, we thank You for coming. Thank You for loving us enough that You want to spend time with us, correct us, and grow us into what we should be. Help us to draw even closer to You. May we always look to You. Amen.
What do you think?
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