18/03/14

God and man

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man [Ishi], that he should lie [fail]; neither the son of man [Adam], that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?


People usually understand today's message as God is not a man that He should lie or repent (make a mistake) in what He did or spoke and not to execute what He has committed. But to really understand today's message we need to compare it with Hosea 2:16.

In Hosea 2:16 the Lord says in that day we shall call Him man (Son of Man) and no longer will we be able to say we do not know the Lord, for that Son of Man will show us God in/through Him (Matthew 1:23).

In Numbers 23:19 the first word 'man' is not the Hebrew word 'Adam', it is the word 'Ishi', but the second word is 'Adam'. Ishi refers to a man not connected to the nature of Adam or not a son of Adam. In Genesis 5:1-2 we read God cursed mankind by inducing the nature through the generations of Adam. God later specifies in Exodus how this nature gets transferred and that is only through the father.

Hosea 2:16 speaks of God coming as man and this man would not have the nature of Adam even though He would be born out of man and that this man will make God visible in Him and through Him. That is why Jesus was born through a virgin so that He be born out of man and yet does not have the nature of Adam in Him. Even though Mary was a sinner yet her nature was not transferred to Jesus for the nature comes via the father only.

It does not mean only the father's nature comes to the child. We see many a time the child has the mother's nature very predominant. Bible states when the father and mother come together as one the (spiritual) seed which is in the father when it comes alive in the womb of the mother also gets the nature (and curses) of the mother. But here the father can allow or disallow.

The earthly Father of Jesus was the Holy Spirit and no a man and Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Since it was not a union of a man and woman so the nature of Mary was not transferred to Jesus, she became just a pot in which the seed took root. Bible also says the Holy Spirit groomed Jesus as a child to grow in wisdom and spirit so even as a child the weakness of Mary and other family members did not affect Him.

So we see Jesus as man was for the generation of Adam but technically was promised to Abraham and David so was known as son of Abraham and son of David and not son of Adam.

Today's message say only those who have the nature of Adam and not the nature of God make mistakes and thus repent, and they fail to fulfil a promise.

The message is not only for us to know about God and Jesus but is about ourselves. If we are making mistakes for which we repent or fail in our task that means we still operate in our old man which is Adam's nature. The Lord is telling us if we walk more and more in the Spirit and come in the nature of Lord which is Christ then we will not make mistakes or fail. That is why Paul says in Christ I can do all things, so let us forsake the sinful nature of Adam and come more and more in Christ.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, people do not know You because they do not see You in us. We still struggle in the flesh and battle with our sinful nature. Lord we pray for more and more of your Spirit that we may overcome the Adam nature and it not be dead for ever from within us and only your nature be seen in us and we be called Sons of our Father in Heaven...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Hosea 2:16 - And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi [man]; and shalt call me no more Baali [unknown God].

John 14:7 - If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Genesis 5:1-2
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Exodus 20:5 - Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Matthew 1:1-2
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren;

Matthew 1:23 - Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel [God with us], which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 2:4 - Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)