Jump to content
GreaseSpot Cafe

Seeking the face of God


Recommended Posts

Now I posted this and it did not show up - so if I post this and it appears twice I am sorry. Then ignore this one and do the other.

Why are we told to "seek the face" of God? Is it because as you are face to face you cannot hide anything. You are open to he who looks at us? Why not "seek God"

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

-- 1 Chronicles 16:11

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

-- 2 Chronicles 7:14

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

-- Psalms 27:8

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

-- Psalms 105:4

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

-- Hosea 5:15

Here are some things that happen in a face to face

John 6:40 Will of God: "every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life."

John 14:21 "he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him."

Matt. 5:8 (3 Ne. 12:8) the pure in heart shall see God

Heb. 12:14 "follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

Gen. 12:7 Lord appeared unto Abraham

Daniel 10:5,6 Daniel sees the Lord; describes his appearance.

Ezek. 1:1 Ezekiel sees "visions of God."

Acts 7:55 Stephen sees "God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God."

Gen. 26:2 Isaac sees the Lord.

Gen. 28:13 Jacob sees the Lord in a dream.

Gen. 31:24 "God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night"

Gen. 32:30 Jacob: "I have seen God face to face"

Gen. 35:9 "God appeared unto Jacob again."

Exodus 3:2 Moses "angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire" "the bush burned with fire [but] was not consumed."

Exo. 24:9-17 Moses, Aaron, Nabab, Abihu, 70 of the Elders of Israel, and nobles of the children of Israel "saw God . . . and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone; and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness." "sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel."

1 Kings 3:5 "Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night."

2 Chron. 1:7 "God [did] appear unto Solomon."

Num. 11:25 "Lord came down in a cloud"

Num. 12:6,8 "If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream . . . and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold."

1 Sam. 3:21 "And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh" to Samuel

Ezek. 1:26-28 Ezekiel sees throne of God, sapphire stone, as the appearance of a man, brightness of a fire, as the appearance of a rainbow around.

Amos 9:1 Amos sees the Lord

Acts. 7:2 God appeared to Abraham

2 Chron. 18:18 Micaiah said, "I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left."

Moses 7:4 Enoch sees the Lord

Abr. 1:15 Abraham sees Jehovah

Moses 8:22 Shem, Ham, and Japeth "walked with God"

Daniel 7:9 Daniel "beheld...the Ancient of days...whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne was like a fiery flame...thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand [100 billion] stood before him: the judgment was set"

Daniel 3:22,25 after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire, the king's counselor said, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire . . . and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Moses 1:5 "No man can behold all my woks except he behold all my glory, and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth."

1 Ne. 2:16 the Lord "visits" Nephi.

2 Ne. 2:4 Jacob "hast beheld in they youth his glory"

1 Ne. 1:8 Lehi "saw God"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

I love the doctrinal discussions and you always have some good topics!

I know for us--Jesus declared God(Exegesis) for us. If no one has seen God, how could the Lord appear to the OT saints, wrestle with Jacob, show his back to Moses etc? Because God is Spirit and spirit does not have flesh and bones--God is not inherently bodied, BUT he appeared to people temporarily in bodily form in OT times as a precursor to His FULL incarnation in Jesus. For God who said "Light shall shine out of darkness", He has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

Seeking His face implies an intimacy. David was in hiding from His enemies--and he sought the intimate face of God. Was God hiding His face from David?

We seek His hand--what He will give us, but do we seek His face? To know him closely. Not just His will--but Him. Who He is--His manner-His character--His wisdom.

Psalm 30, 7

O LORD, when you favored me,

you made my mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face,

I was dismayed.

Have you ever heard that God sometimes hides His face? If we know Him--we know EXACTLY what that means. He is hiding His favor. What does that cause we, who intimately know Him, to do?

Man, we start seeking His face in those dark times. Usually, down on ours! :)

143, 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD;

my spirit fails.

Do not hide your face from me

or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

We seek that intimacy with Him--that knowing Him--His hiding ---it causes us to truly seek HIM--not just His hand of goodness.

My darkest times are when I cannot find God--my most wrenching are when I start really looking-My most joyous are when He again reveals Himself to me.

Even the tiniest glimpse revives me.

He shows me His face. I know Him.

Edited by geisha779
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone?

I am just curious - Seek the FACE of God.

It tells us to seek or look with all our hearts - does not say seek the heart of God from what I saw -- Put on the mind of Christ... But seek the FACE of God. Why?

Seeking God's face connotes an intimacy because you want to be with the Father. As apposed to seeking His Hand, which is what a lot of Christians do when they put their prayer lists in front of Him. There is nothing wrong in praying your needs and wants, for we are told to do just that with supplication and thanksgiving. But just praising the Lord God and Father just for who He is and who He is alone, therefore seeking HIS FACE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we can seek it, it can be found.

It's not far from you.

Not far at all.

With all your heart....

What does this mean?

To you really....

Is one willing to put aside what they think and be shown.

Is this also seeing?

Shown by God not by men.

So how could I answer a question like this?

All I can do is say what comes to mind, as others do.

Whatever is revealed in your heart is yours, not mine.

Then watch as things overlap and show themselves.

It won't be you doing it, but you being shown.

The work is in listening. And speaking......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Numbers 12:4-8 (KJV)

4And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

5And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

6And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

7My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

=============

I think everyone knows that face-to-face communication is more intimate than any other form.

Modern technology can fill in when that's not possible- but lacks the same intimacy.

We can mail a letter, make a phonecall, send an email, use IM or IRC/chat, even chat with audio and video,

but none of it is quite the same as face-to-face communication.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Interesting and yet another figure of speech. I always find it very comforting on the occasions when the vicar at my church gives the farewell blessing, "The Lord make his face shine upon you." It feels like a hug. I like the idea of God's face shining on me and smiling lovingly at me. Difficult to hug someone if you are not face to face.

Nu 6:25

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee

In Crosswalk I put in "face" and "shine" and got a dozen wonderful verses, of which this is the last:

2Co 4:6

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Which looks a bit like, "turn your eyes upon Jesus" or "what would Jesus do?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...