In a number of verses God says he is not a man (or son of man). Is God declaring that in his NATURE he can not take the FORM and NATURE of a man—whom he created after his own image and glory—but still maintain his divine nature? Through Jesus (who possesses the divine qualities of holiness, forgives sins and is called the Word of God) God was both a manifestation of the nature of God and Man.
Jesus’s human nature was also shown when he became hungry, thirsty, sorrowful and when he was tempted of the devil—who was defeated in every temptation by Jesus’s wisdom
Why would it be unthinkable for God to appear as a man? After all, isn’t man the ONLY being—out of all creation—that God created in the image of God [Genesis 1:27] and to man was given dominion over everything that creepeth over the face of the earth? Rather, a more sensible question would be: if God created man in his image, why would he appear in different and less glorious forms but NOT in the form of a man—created after His own image and glory? This is the great MYSTERY OF GOD!
Jesus stated that he existed before Mary gave birth to him as flesh:“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” [John 8:58] This demonstrates that Jesus exists in eternity
Jesus’s divine and human nature can be understood from one of many incidents. when he was 12, his parents took him to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover feast and when the feast ended they traveled a day’s journey back to Nazareth assuming Jesus was among the community of travelers. They searched for him and eventually found him back in the temple engaging the teachers. When they told him they had been looking for him, he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49
But soon after “he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Luke 2:51
So in this account you have the Son of God who puts his submissiveness to his heavenly Father first. After he has performed his divine calling in the temple he becomes submissive to his human parents.
Unfortunately, these verses below are usually quoted out of context to prove that God cannot be man:
“For I am the LORD, I change not; THEREFORE YE SONS OF JACOB ARE NOT CONSUMED. (promise kept)
Malachi 3:6 KJV
“And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, THAT HE SHOULD REPENT.
1 Samuel 15:29 KJV
“God is not a man, THAT HE SHOULD LIE; Neither the son of man, THAT HE SHOULD REPENT: Hath he SAID , and SHALL HE NOT DO IT? Or hath he SPOKEN, and SHALL HE NOT MAKE IT GOOD?”
Numbers 23:19 KJV
In the above verses, God is saying his NATURE is distinct to that of man who breaks his covenants, he does not lie and does not need to repent. God does what he says he will do and what he speaks, he will make good on it. Those who insist that God cannot be man therefore are of the limited view that for God to be man, He would have to give up his divine nature and take on purely the nature of man. This view undermines God’s power to possess both a divine nature and human nature if it pleases him as he did when Jesus came in the flesh and dwelt among men.
“Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall clear the way before Me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to His temple, and the messenger of the COVENANT, whom ye delight in, behold, he cometh, saith the LORD of hosts.”Tanakh Jewish Bible Micah 3:1
In the above verse, God is speaking, and He says that the messenger (John the Baptist) would prepare the way “before Me.” So, it is the LORD God Himself who was coming! Then, God says it is “the Lord” who will come, “the messenger of the covenant.” So, God is EQUATED with the Lord who was to come. It is one of many occasions where Jesus is called “God” The use of the word “delight” shows that God coming in the flesh would be a joyous celebration for mankind.
Jesus stated that he existed before Mary gave birth to him as flesh:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” [John 8:58]
Jesus said to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” [John 8:56]
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the FLESH is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the FLESH is not of God: and this is that spirit of ANTICHRIST, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
1 John 4:2-3 KJV
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11