I was wondering that God has an image even before "the Word made flesh" and "Moises saw the back parts of God."
Hi santgem, well there are quite a few times where "the Lord" or the "Angel of the Lord," the Son did appear to people in the OT as a 'man.' I believe that "the Angel of the Lord" was actually the name of God in the OT, as that is what was the name initially in the episode of burning bush, but then it states it is the LORD.
Exo 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.
v. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
v. 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."
It doesn't seem like He appeared as a man in the burning bush, but He also appeared to Gideon as "the Angel of the Lord... face to face."
Jdg 6:12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"
Jdg 6:22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face."
v. 23 Then the LORD said to him, "Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die."
He does seem to have appeared to Adam and Eve as a man 'walking' in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Three 'men' appeared and visited with Abraham and ate a meal with him.
Gen 18:1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.
v. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
A 'Man' wrestled with Jacob all night and this I believe was a literal event that happened, yet represents a parable about Israel.
Gen 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
v. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
He also appeared to Moses and many elders of the Israelites, I'm not sure what form this was, but it was in some kind of recognizable image and notice He had "feet."
Exo 24:9 Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
v. 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.
So this is the Scripture that I could find that I felt could help to show that the Son did have an image before He was a human man, and when appearing to people in the OT He did literally appear in a human form.
mercy, peace and love
Kat