What are the implications for understanding the Bible of the Unitarian-like view that God is just one person, not a Trinity?
It leaves it more open as to the reason and implications of the plurality of Elohim. Probably God is regarded in a context of His council with sons of God as we see in Job 1. Then that is assumed through scripture.
"Let us make man in our image". God is not a man. God is one, not a plural. So despite rabbinical teachings, this probably means man is made like the sons of God and God - the nature shared by God and the sons of God. Like the angels, in other words, and with qualities the angels share with God Himself. Intellect and speed of thought. Tendency to reason and work out what is to be done, as well as listening for commands to obey. Not like brute beasts.
Abraham would have known the one Jesus called the Father, in particular as the one God. He believed that only this one God, the Almighty, is above all responsible for creation. He met this one God. He heard the voice of this one God and received promises from Him in visions over a period of many decades. If he met others who some would say include the Son of God before the incarnation, he understood that there is just one who is the Almighty God, not all three he met at Mamre. By 'Almighty' his understanding would have been of one God who is stronger than all the others (the Semitic word for Almighty is similar to the word for the mightiest creature, a shedu, a lama or lamassu, like a huge winged lion, like a very powerful angel more powerful than a sphynx, hence 'Al Shaddai'). He would have contrasted this God known personally to him, as much more powerful than any of the gods worshipped around him, king over them all, superior in wisdom and power and love, and ultimately responsible for all creation, even creation that happens through other gods or angels, being highest over all these angels, these gods.
Visions seen by many through the scriptures of the one they called God, even sometimes pagans such as Abimelech and Balaam, but also many Israelites, where they saw someone called God, this would have been the Father. God Himself was seen in visions. And sometimes very, very rarely this same God was seen physically, such as by many Israelites of the Exodus.
True prophets, although not usually directly communicating with God Himself, were always indirectly at least, sometime on rare occasions directly. communicated with by the Father, often as a result of the Father Himself personally speaking something, other times by the Holy Spirit communicating to them the thoughts of God.
