Gospels Part 062
If no one has ever seen God, as John says several times, who did individuals see in the passages of the Hebrew Scriptures where they are described as seeing God?
How do we reconcile the statements of the apostles John and Paul, and Jesus Christ Himself, that no one has ever seen God with the many biblical accounts that describe people seeing God? Let’s look at some of these examples, starting in Exodus when Moses asks the Lord to show him His Glory.
Exodus 33:21-23,
“And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
Here we see that Moses only saw the back of the Lord, but Moses clearly saw Him.
In another case, the 70 elders of Israel ate with God and saw him. We read about this in Exodus 24:9-11.
“Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.”
Here it is stated twice that these dozens of leaders of Israel saw God, but we’re given very little detail other than that fact.
Scripture mentions a number of other individuals who saw God, including Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, Gideon, Isaiah and Ezekiel. This would be a great study to take up on your own as we will not go into all those examples now. But what does this mean?
The only way we can make sense of this is to understand that no man has seen God the Father at any time. What these people saw in these passages, and at other times when God appeared to individuals, was the Word of God who was God and who later was born as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1, 14).
Let’s notice proof of this in Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4.
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”
Here Paul clearly tells us that the God who interacted with Israel during the Exodus period was the Being who became Jesus Christ. But let’s look at this more closely to see what Paul is really telling us here.
I should first mention that this word “followed” here is not the best translation. The Greek word akoloutheo means to walk along a road together. Often it does mean “followed” because it’s the word used of the disciples following Jesus Christ along the road as they traveled together. But in this case the Rock wasn’t following the Israelites, it was leading or accompanying them as they journeyed the path through the wilderness together. That is what the word means in this context.
But why does Paul twice refer to Jesus Christ as “that spiritual Rock” and “that Rock”? Why use the word, Rock? The Exodus story says nothing about a “Rock” traveling with the Israelites. The only rock noted is one that Moses strikes to bring forth water, but that rock isn’t traveling with them. Why does Paul mention a “Rock” accompanying them on their journey?
Paul is making a clear reference to Deuteronomy 32, which is an extended praise to the Lord who had delivered and led Israel and protected them even when they were unfaithful to Him. It’s a direct tie-in to the Exodus story, where Moses talks about God being Israel’s “Rock” who has been with them right up to their entering the Promised Land. Here, Moses recaps the Exodus story and Israel’s journey just before they enter the Promised Land.
Now let’s notice in multiple verses in Deuteronomy 32 how Moses repeatedly refers to the Lord, YHWH, as “the Rock.” This is from the New Living Translation, which makes some of the wording more clear:
“I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is . . . But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation . . . You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth . . . How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up? But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock, as even they recognize.”
In this chapter Moses refers to the Lord, YHWH, five times as Israel’s “Rock.” Paul, who trained under Gamaliel, one of the greatest rabbis in his day, obviously has this in mind when he refers to the events of the Exodus and wilderness journey and tells us, “that Rock was Christ.”
Other Old Testament writers also referred to God/the Lord/YHWH as their or Israel’s “Rock.” A word search shows there are at least 24 other verses, mostly in the Psalms, that refer to God being Israel’s “Rock.” Paul likely has many of these references to God as Israel’s Rock in mind when he tells us, “and that Rock was Christ.”
When Paul wrote “that Rock was Christ,” he wasn’t pulling the word “Rock” out of thin air. He knew that Moses, David, Isaiah and Habakkuk all referred to God/YHWH as their or Israel’s Rock. “Rock” was a Hebrew figure of speech meaning a source of protection, shelter and safety. Paul was intimately familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and their repeated references to “Rock” as a term applying to God/YHWH. Paul clearly tells us who that Rock was— “that Rock was Christ.”
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
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Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
!["Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'”](/sites/default/files/public/styles/fp_widescreen_768x432/public/image/article/2017/07/07/img2617-2.jpg.webp?h=a141e9ea&itok=yHZczEcq ""Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'”")
