scientific take on human beings.
Yes. What is physical matter though? "
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." Scientists peer beneath the atomic level etc. But matter is part of existence and therefore because I believe that all existence is in God's mind (so to speak) that it is not "separate" from Him. So for God to speak to Moses and other similar things, God is simply working within the creation that exists in Him (his mind, again lacking language).
Like other animals, we evolved certain instincts:
I have a joke. A scientist said that he figured out the answer as to whether we evolved from the apes. So they asked "Well, what's the answer? Did we evolve from apes?!" and he replied "No, not yet."
It means that Pharoah will perceive Moses as like a god. It doesn't mean he actually was God.
Speaking from the literal interpretation of the Scriptures discussed here:
Do we agree that the true God worked in or through Moses? The Jewish Scripture says "as God" or "as if you were God" (I don't see the word "god"). So, could one say that, in a sense, by God's instruction, Moses became a human representative of God? Moses did not lose his identity but the power of God worked in/through the human form. Granted, that to say that God became man, is going too far, but we also can't ignore that Moses represented God in a sense, because although Pharoah saw that it was God who worked through Moses, Pharoah may also have had a sense of fearful respect for Moses as he did for God. I.e. As the Bible says "as if you were God" or "you will be as God".
When Moses performed the acts of God, it was not Moses as merely a man. So, God acted in a man, and the man still kept his identity. This makes sense to me. God can work through or even "be" a human form, just as He worked through Moses. However, this changes nothing of our understanding that God is transcendent and remained transcendent when working through Moses.
Elijah prayed and a child came back to life. Elisha performed a similar act. (In all my years of Church attendance, I don't once recall that part of the Jewish Scriptures read.)
So, with regards to the general concept of God being in a human form, I see that these Scriptures indicate the concept. And I would think that such an act of God would have no bearing on His transcendence, any more than it did when He worked through Moses (and perhaps Elijah, and Elisha, and teaching the prophets, and other acts of God through humans, that are told about in the Jewish Scripture).
So, with regards to the Scriptures that say that God is not a man, perhaps one could interpret this as being compatible with the understanding that if God works through a human form, the human form "is not a man", i.e. it is not merely a man and at the same time, the transcendence of God is unchanged (of course). Just as Moses was not merely a "man" in the normal sense of the word, as God worked through him.
So, I think that the Scriptures that you mention, have more bearing on what it means to be a "man" and that God is not a "man" in the normal sense that we are humans. However, God's work through or in a "man" would not reflect the flaws that "man" has and so yes God is not a "man" like us, and if did use a human form, that human would also be of God, and not a "man".
Now, with regards to Christianity, I think that these Scriptures (e.g. in light of how God worked through Moses) are not the best in debates with Christians. The may have some value, because like this conversation, pointing out these Scriptures might cause Christians to explore and improve their understanding of the concepts involved and then begin to question what they actually believe about Christianity.
I tend towards the view of Jewish people, that (perhaps unfortunately) we may not have all of what Jesus taught or a full understanding of a possible movement within Judaism that involved Jesus. It may have become a concern for Roman power and then the Roman leaders perhaps became convinced that they could use the movement for their purposes. Perhaps even some Roman leaders had some sense of religious morality beyond only power motives but I have little doubt that power and control motives were generally involved.
Did God work through Jesus? I believe that "Love your enemies" is from God. It's ascribed to Jesus.
Did God become man? I don't believe so and as mentioned, just as in the case of Moses, I don't know if we need to philosophize about what God becoming man means with regards to Jesus. So many stories. We see baptism (Jewish sect?) as if Jesus may be a normal man who is transformed. The virgin birth stories say that Jesus was divine, but I think that those were fabricated as part of the use of Jesus as human-like form of God to lead Greco-Romans who believed in human-like forms of "gods" to the true God. I.e. They were accustomed to images of the "gods", so an "image" that represents the true God can help transfer their thinking to God.
Many stories in the Christian Bible, fit perfectly with the concept of a purposeful narrative for a unified religion in the Roman empire. I can share some if you'd like.
I think also the fact that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies, and Paul's errant uses of Jewish Scripture (that indicate a convincing motive was at work) are very helpful in discussions with Christians. Christians will say "2nd coming", and so I simply say that for all practical purposes the messiah still hasn't come.
Rabbi Skobac says something interesting. He speaks of Christianity as possibly of God in some way, and part of the journey to a better understanding of God for those who are not Jewish. Other Jewish people, even some rabbis, I think, see some small "messianic-like" aspects to Christianity.( Don't quote me on these, they are general ideas that I do recall. Anyone may search for this information for themselves).
In the Christian Bible there is a fascinating passage that you might find interesting. Keep in mind that many of the letters in the Christian Bible are pastoral for Church leaders.
1 Cor 15:24 "...
then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, ...then the Son himself will [also] be subjected "
This passage has an eschatological context but see what it says! Jesus will not be king and will be a "subject" in the kingdom! Again, keep in mind the pastoral nature for Church leaders. Do they understand that the story of Jesus as a "God" is only a story, and for a temporary purpose?! In 1 Cor 15:24, do we see a trinity? "
When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will [also] be subjected..." "
...so that God may be all in all". Now, I imagine that Christians may have some excuse/explanations to discount this Scripture. I trust God and "
not a man". Because as the Scriptures that you showed say, God is "not a man" that he should lie. However, I think that if something doesn't fit a preconceived notion, people will seek a way around it, rather than be objective. I believe that humans sometimes lie, even about religion. And so yes, glory to God! "
God is not a man, that he should lie" !
