Does God have a body like man? Did He play tricks with Moses?
Those sentences which are colored in orange are from Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati book Satyarth Prakash (The Light of Truth) and those which are colored in black are Jerry Thomas’s response.
"And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put these in a cliff of rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts but my face shall not be seen." (33:20 – 23.)
C. Now reader! Is there any doubt left in your mind as to the God of the Christian having a body like that of a man? (Mark) How He played tricks with Moses and posed as God!
Answer: In fact, if one examines all the appearances of God Yahweh to His prophet Moses, then the obvious conclusion should be that the Holy God of the Bible is the One True God.
First let us quote this very passage in its context.
Exodus 33:7-23:
Exodus 33:7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.
Exodus 33:8 So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
Exodus 33:10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.
Exodus 33:11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:12 Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.'
Exodus 33:13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people."
Exodus 33:14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:15 Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.
Exodus 33: 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who [are] upon the face of the earth."
Exodus 33:17 So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
Exodus 33:18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory."
Exodus 33:19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Exodus 33:20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."
Exodus 33:21 And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
Exodus 33:22 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.
Exodus 33:23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
Points to be Noted from the Entire Context:
(a) It was Prophet Moses who built the tabernacle and Prophet Joshua continued to stay in the tabernacle. So it was not at all possible for anyone to play regular tricks here.
(b) When Prophet Moses entered the tabernacle, a pillar of cloud descended and stood at the tabernacle door. This clearly points out that God who spoke to Prophet Moses was a supernatural being. I have not heard of any hill man descending on a pillar of cloud.
(c) These appearances were regular and witnessed by a very large public. These two factors rule out the appearance of the pillar of cloud being a coincidence or even the possibility of being hallucinated.
(d) Though Prophet Moses spoke to God directly, he never saw the face of God. This is another clear indication that the God who spoke to Prophet Moses is a supernatural being.
(e) This God, when His glory passes by, could cover the cleft of a rock by His hand and at the same time pass by. Can any hill man or even a city dweller be ever able to do that?
Therefore, from the very same passage which Maharishi quoted, no one can conclude that God who spoke to Prophet Moses was a hill man unless the reader has a very low level of IQ and high level of blatant bias.
If we study each and every passage of the appearance of God to Prophet Moses in the Holy Bible, the only conclusion we can ever reach is that the one who spoke to Prophet Moses was none other than the One True God.
Let us see the first appearance of God to Prophet Moses. Exodus 3: 2-6.
Exodus 3:2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
Exodus 3:3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
Exodus 3:4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
Exodus 3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand [is] holy ground."
Exodus 3:6 Moreover He said, "I [am] the God of your father–the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
This very passage when examined one can see that God of the Holy Bible is beyond the limitations of the creations that He created. A bush can burn and yet not be consumed by it. Two natures, which naturally appear to be m
utually exclusive, can coexist in the appearance of God.
Likewise every single passage of either public appearance or personal appearance of God to His Prophets clearly and conclusively proves that God of the Holy Bible is the One True God.
Now, this one cannot have this same certainty of the sages who wrote Vedas or the deity(s) that appeared to them.
Out of the ten books of the Rig Veda, almost one full book, the ninth book, is dedicated to the eulogies of the intoxicated drink called Soma- a deity of Vedas. When one examines such hymns, the obvious question that comes to the mind is- were all the hymns of Vedas written by the men who got intoxicated by Soma? Were their trances nothing but dreams of an intoxicated man? Is this what they called as mysticism?
Let us read three such Hymns.
Rig Veda 9: 6: 1-9
1. SOMA, flow on with pleasant stream, a Bull devoted to the Gods, ur Friend, unto the woollen sieve.
2 Pour hitherward, as Indra's Self, Indu, that gladdening stream of thine, and send us coursers full of strength.
3 Flow to the filter hitherward, pouring that ancient gladdening juice, streaming forth power and high renown.
4 Hither the sparkling drops have flowed, like waters down a steep descent they have reached Indra purified.
5 Whom, having passed the filter, ten dames cleanse, as ’twere a vigorous steed, while he disports him in the wood,—
6 The steer-strong juice with milk pour forth, for feast and service of the Gods, to him who bears away the draught.
7. Effused, the God flows onward with his stream to Indra, to the God, so that his milk may strengthen him.
8 Soul of the sacrifice, the juice effused flows quickly on: he keeps his ancient wisdom of a Sage.
9 So pouring forth, as Indra's Friend, strong drink, best Gladdener! for the feast, thou, even in secret, storest hymns.
Now, these Vedic sages also prayed to Soma to make them better. Did they consider the state of being intoxicated as better than the normal state? If so, then is it what they called as mysticism?
Rig Veda 9:4:1-10
1. O Soma flowing on thy way, win thou and conquer high renown; and make us better than we are.
2 Win thou the light, win heavenly light, and, Soma, all felicities; and make us better than we are.
3 Win skilful strength and mental power. O Soma, drive away our foes; and make us better than we are.
4 Ye purifiers, purify Soma for Indra, for his drink: make thou us better than we are.
5 Give us our portion in the Sun through thine own mental power and aids; and make us better than we are.
6 Through thine own mental power and aid long may we look upon the Sun; make thou us better than we are.
7 Well-weaponed Soma, pour to us as stream of riches doubly great; and make us better than we are.
8 As one victorious unsubdued in battle pour forth wealth to us; and make us better than we are.
9 By worship, Pavamana! men have strengthened thee to prop the Law: make thou us better than we are.
10 O Indu, bring us wealth in steeds, manifold quickening all life; and make us better than we are.
Now, one of the places that this Soma grew (dwelled) was in mountain top.
Rig Veda 9:18:1-3
1. THOU, Soma, dweller on the hills, effused, hast flowed into the sieve; all-bounteous art thou in carouse.
2 Thou art a sacred Bard, a Sage; the meath is offspring of thy sap: all-bounteous art thou in carouse.
3 All Deities of one accord have come that they may drink of thee: all-bounteous art thou in carouse.
By now, it should be very clear that which “hill man” tricked whom and how.
Oh our countrymen, we urge you to reject such fallacious, erroneous ways and come to the One True Living God, the Only Holy God- Yahweh who is incarnated as LORD Jesus Christ.
