The Mystery of YHVH: When God Visited Earth
It's a profound idea that God, the creator of all, would come to earth and share a meal with humans. Despite how incredible this sounds to us, the great YHVH (often translated as LORD) — the I AM that I AM — has truly visited earth in human form. For the Jewish people, this is unimaginable. They recall what Moses, guided by God's Spirit, declared:
19And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." 20But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" 21Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock (Exodus 33:19-21).
Can Humans See the Face of God?
Yes, if we were to see God in His full essence, His glory would overwhelm us. However, an examination of several Old Testament Scriptures shows that YHVH did appear in human form. God visited Abram, whose name was later changed to Abraham. Here's what the Word of God states:
The Appearances of YHVH to Abraham
Genesis 12:7—Then YHVH appeared to Abram…
Genesis 15:1—And the word—YHVH came to Abram in a vision…
Genesis 17:1—And YHVH appeared to Abram…
Genesis 18:1—Then YHVH appeared to him at the oaks of Mamre.
In the Hebrew of the above verses, the word "appeared" is the passive form of "to see," suggesting that Abraham saw YHVH in human form. This divine encounter is depicted in Genesis 18:1-2. For those unfamiliar with the English translation, "LORD" corresponds to the Hebrew YHVH—the creator God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Genesis 18: A Lunchtime Visit from the Almighty
1Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth (Genesis 18:1-2; emphasis added).
Christian scholars believe this lunchtime visit with Abraham to be a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God, the One who is YHVH in human form. The text clearly states that He appeared with two others as men. Two angels who accompanied Him that day went down to Sodom and brought Lot out of the city while the LORD listened to Abram's intercession. Three times, we read that the three people having lunch were called "men" (verses 2, 16, and 22). One of the three was YHVH:
Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD (Genesis 18:22).
As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham, the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place (Genesis 18:33).
Jesus and Abraham: The "I AM" Connection
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus told the Jews that He had met Abraham. Here’s what He said:
56“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple (John 8:56-59).
God has appeared to us in human form as Yeshua, meaning “YHVH Saves”—the Hebrew name for Jesus. Jesus is not just a man; He is God embodied in human flesh. Just as Abraham stood before the LORD to intercede for others, we have Jesus (the "I AM") interceding for us. When you feel overwhelmed, remember that the God who visited Abraham is the same God who walks with you now. Take a moment today to "stand before the LORD" and pray for someone in your "Sodom"—a place or person in need of rescue. Keith Thomas
Continue Your Journey…
If you found this meditation meaningful, maybe you’d like to explore the series, The Faith of Abraham; the study is called: Abraham's Dinner Guests.
YouTube video teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos