Parasha Ki Tissa

\Con`tra*dic"tion\, n. An assertion of the contrary to what has been said or affirmed; denial of the truth of a statement or assertion; contrary declaration; gainsaying. n 1: opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas 2: (in logic) a statement that is necessarily false; "the statement `he is brave and he is not brave' is a contradiction"

A contradiction is a statement of opposites. It says one thing while meaning another. “Microsoft Works” for example could be considered a contradiction. So could the phrase “honest politician.” Contradictions abound all over entertainment, news, and the internet. There are even those who teach that there are contradictions in the Bible.

It is true that some statements in the Scriptures seem to contradict each other but they simply do not. Some phrases do seem to make no logical sense in comparison to others, yet there are no contradictions in text of Genesis to Revelation.

The few verses in the Bible that may seem to cancel each other out can be understood by the willing. Like a person digging for buried treasure, the reader must be willing to search deeper to find the truth. Such is the case in this week’s Torah Parasha called “Ki Tissa” and an apparent contradiction concerning Moshe.

Within the chapters of our reading is the story of Moshe experiencing the presence and power of Yahweh Almighty. ‘“Then Moshe said, “Now show me your glory” And Yahweh said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, Yahweh, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live,”’ Shemot (Exodus) 33:18-21. What transpired after this conversation has been written about, preached on, and analyzed for thousands of years. Moshe hid behind a rock and Yahweh passed by. “And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen,” said Yahweh in Shemot 33:23.

Yahweh’s admonition that if a person were to look upon Him then they would die, and indeed, this whole event is puzzling when one considers a another verse in the Exodus story - “And Yahweh spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,” Shemot 33:11. How can Yahweh say that man will die if He sees Yahweh’s face yet this verse says that Moshe spoke “face to face” with Yahweh? If you think this is interesting then just read Amos 5:4, “For thus saith Yahweh unto the house of Yisra’el, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” In one pasuk (verse) Yahweh says to seek Him and live and another He says to seek Him will result in death! To bring more confusion here’s a prayer of Dawid from Tehillim (Psalms) 27, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Yahweh, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.” Is this more proof of a contradiction?

Say what?

No. There is no contradiction here. Yahweh meant what He said when He told Moshe that to see Him would result in death. Yahweh also meant what He said when He called Yisra’el to seek His face and live. How can this be?

Well, many apparent inconsistencies in the Scriptures are simply misunderstandings. First of all, the Bible speaks to the reader on many levels – the plain, the hidden, the physical, the spiritual, the mystical, and so on. Also, much is lost when the original Hebrew text is translated into Greek, or English, or Spanish, or any other language. Conflicts occur when verses are taken out of context and each different Bible translation adds to the confusion. Take for example the New International Version (NIV) that completely deletes over 45 verses that are found in other Bible translations. For example, you won’t find Mattitiyahu (Matthew) 18:11 in the NIV. Here’s what it says, "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” (This is just one reason why Emet Ministries supports the new Restoration Scriptures Version available at www.yourarmstoisrael.org)

In our present dilemma it must be understood that Yahweh was not speaking from both sides of His mouth. The “no man see me and live” pasuk is perfectly in line with the “seek me and live” verse when a person considers the teachings of Yahshua HaMoshiach. “Then said Yahshua unto his talmidim (disciples), If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his execution stake, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it,” Mattitiyahu 16:24-25. True life is found in death. When you die to your sinful desires and fleshly nature, the yetzer hara, then and only then can you experience the life of Messiah. When a person “sees” Yahweh they do die – they die to themselves and thus they are changed.

Avraham, Ya’acov, Moshe, Dawid, and even Kefa all died and yet lived once they truly experienced Yahweh. Rabbi Sha’ul (Paul) had a vision of Yahshua on the road to Damascus and was never the same. He died to his ambitions and lived to teach the message of Moshiach. “I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of Elohim, who loved me, and gave himself for me,” Galatians 2:20.

So, if a contradiction is a statement of opposites then there is no contradiction in our weekly reading. Moshe saw Yahweh. Moshe died, yet Moshe lived. True life is found in dying to self and living for Yahweh.

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