Sunday, February 21, 2010

Does Exodus contradict itself about saying Moses talked to God "face to face"?

Question from Keri's Bible class:

It says that Moses sat down and talked to God face to face, yet it later says that God put Moses in a cleft so that he couldn't see God's face because nobody had ever seen God's face. Don't these accounts seem to contradict themselves?

Answer from Pastor Bob:


Exodus 33:11 says Moses spoke with God "face to face" but Exodus 33:20 says nobody can see God's face and live, and Exodus 33:23 says God allowed Moses to see His back, but not his face. Apparently when the scripture says Moses spoke "face to face" this expression was not meant to be taken literally, but was a way of saying that they spoke personally.

1 comment: