God is not a man.

Main thought: God is not like us, so you can run with what God told you . . . and keep running with it. (No matter changing circumstances)

intro

You can express a lot by about a person by explaining what they are not

If a person says, “I am not a fan of Pres. Biden, or I am not fan of Donald Trump” you’ve learned something about them

an upset parent will say, “I’m not one of your little friends” . . . in order to express the nature of the parent/child relationship

a woman might tell a man, “I’m not one of those _____ who you are used to dating”

I am telling you I am, but informing you of who I am not

God is not a man!

Numbers 23:19 NASB95

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

background

This was spoken by God during a time period when the people of Israel (600,000 fighting men, 2 mil)are passing though the wilderness on their way to the promised land.

An enemy king named Balak is willing to pay a man named Balaam (some type of guy apparently known for this type of thing) to curse the people of Israel.

Balaam a guy who knows about God, but does not really follow God, does have enough sense to be afraid of God (especially he God almost killed him in chapter 22) . . . so Balaam tell the king that he can only do what God tells him to do

So they go to a location where they can see the part of the Israelite group (so large), they offer sacrifices to try to appease God, and the king eagerly awaits to hear Balaam curse the Israelites. However, the Lord instructs Balaam to instead of cursing them, to pronounce a blessing over the Israelites.

The king is furious at the turn of events, but he figures that if they go to a new location, see a different part of the Israelite group, and make a new offering that perhaps Balaam will be allowed to curse the Israelites. And this verse is the Lord’s reply to this idea that maybe God will allow the Israelites to be cursed now that they are at a new location, see a different part of the Israelite people, and have offered even more sacrifices

The first part of the reply is . . .

God is not a man

Let’s deal with that thought . . . God is not human, he is not a human being

Yes, we are made in His image, and God made us like him, but He is not like us

just like if you drew a picture of me, doesn’t mean that I am a picture

or if you made a statue of me, doesn’t mean that I am a statue

the picture reminds you of me, the statue reminds you of me, but the picture/nor the statue is me

just because we are a picture of him, does not mean that he is a human being

Just because we can communicate with God doesn’t make Him one of us

we can talk to him through prayer

he can communicate to us through thoughts, dreams, visions, and even audibly if God so desired (when Jesus was baptized, the people heard a voice, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased)

but just because we have the ability to communicate with God, does not make him a man

we can communicate with our dogs, (sit, go, fetch) but it doesn’t make us dogs

God is not one of us, God is not a man

Just because we an relate to God, doesn’t mean he is one of us.

From the Bible we have learned to call him Father, but he is not like an earthly Father.

In fact Jesus taught us, “Our father which are in HEAVEN” . . . let’s be clear this is a heavenly thing, that’s a totally different level

though he has allowed us to relate to him, does not mean that we are like him, or that he is like us

God is not one of us, God is not a human, God is not a man

Heard of the friend zone?

you want to have a romantic relationship, and they just want to be friends

they don’t see you in that way

words that every guy who likes a girl, don’t want to hear, “I only think of you as a friend . . . you’re like my brother”

Sometimes we try to put God in the “man zone”

We only think of God as a man

We think He is the “man” upstairs

like He is a human like us, but with more power than us, and more knowledge than us . . . an upper level human

that’s why we challenge his decisions with an attitude

because men can be challenged, and we think God is a man

that’s why we break promises to him, and it’s no big deal

because we think God is a man

that’s why we try to get away with doing wrong, because we think if we can’t see him, He can’t see us

but God is not a man, he is everywhere, and he sees in the dark just like he sees in the light

that’s why many don’t care to learn the scriptures, because it’s just the words of another man

But God is not a man

in fact the Bible says that God is a spirit

God is His own category . . . Lord God Almighty

That’s why the angels cried Holy, Holy, Holy

He is the one who was, is, and is to come

the creator of the universe

God is Infinite = can’t be measured

Eternal = everlasting, no end to him

Transcendent = above everything

Immutable = unchangeable

Omnipotent = all powerful

Omniscience = all knowing

Omnipresent = he is everywhere at the same time

Immanent = present in everything and sustaining everything

Righteous = he is always right

Holy = there is none like him

He exist in three persons Father, Son, and Holy Ghost . . . yet is one God

God is not a man, he is not one of us!

so we need to take him out of the “man zone” and put him in the “God zone”, then we will understand that . . .

God is not a man that he should lie (God does not lie)

we live in a culture of lying: people lie out of fear, or trying to impress, to avoid punishment, to avoid being embarrassed, or lie trying to gain something

advertisers lie

salespeople lie

politicians lie

employers lie

employees lie

the authorities lie

people lie to the authorities

people lie to themselves

and when we put God in the man zone, we think God lies too

But God does not lie: God doesn’t spread falsehoods, tell untruths, God does not make up stuff

even if he could lie, God has no reason to lie - who does he fear, who does he need to impress, what could he gain, he owns the world?

God is not a man that he shoul lie!

in fact, God is truth, Jesus said, “I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life”

God is so much truth, that Hebrews says, “it is impossible for God to lie”

remember he creates things with this words, so whatever he says . . . happens

God couldn’t lie if he tried

in fact God is so much truth, that when he swears on something, he swears on himself

people have to swear on something else: my mommas grave, on everything I love, on my kids life

but God swears on himself

God does not lie . . .

what else?

Nor a son of man that he should repent

Each of us who have been born, is a “son of man” or “daughter of man”, so this is another term to describe human beings

“repent” means to turn/change . . . we say repent or turn from your sins, change from your sinful ways

in this case the term “that he should repent” is not talking about turning from sins, but a turn from the your previous decision, changing of your mind, scrapping your original plan, reversing field

People will change on you, reverse field on you

human beings are just wishy-washy, sometimey

return all your calls and texts one month, ghost you the next

fans will cheer you one week, and boo you the next

People will change on you especially if there is a change in the circumstances or the situation

in love relationships - nobody wanted you, until you came into that million dollar inheritance. now, “he’s kind of cute”

if enough people protest or boycott, then companies will reverse their policies

if enough a politician can get enough votes, he will revisit his previous position

people reverse field all the time

in this situation, the king thought that moving to a different location, getting a different view, and offering more sacrifices, might cause God to reverse field and allow the people of Israel to be cursed

But changing of conditions can’t influence or pressure God into changing his mind . . . because God is not the son of man that he should repent . . . he is immutable (unchanging, “I change not”)

Let me phrase this verse this way, God is not like humans, God is faithful

consistent, can be counted on, steady, trustworthy, dependable

being faithful is just part of His character, and nothing can take him out of character, for if we was not faithful, he would not be God

2 Timothy 2:13 NASB95

13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent!

then the last part of the verse

Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

God sums it all up by asking two rhetorical questions:

Have you known God not to do what He says?

Have you know God not to follow through?

The answer of course is no: God always does what he says, God always follows through

Not only does God speak the truth, but he is able to make every promise good

So whatever God told you, promised you, put in his word, said

run with that . . . and keep on running with that

go with that . . . keep going with that

trust in that . . . keep trusting in that

believe in that . . . keep believing in that

and whatever God warned you about . . . live by that . . . and keep living by that

take God out of the “man zone” and treat his words with the utmost respect, take them with unwavering faith

Remember: they went to different place, saw a different section of the people, and made a new offering

hoping that if they changed things up, God would give a different answer . . .but God remained the same

and too many times we are like this king and Balaam: our situation has changed, our circumstances have changed, we are living in a new part of life, even we have changed . . . so we put God in the “man zone” and think he has changed too

we fear that possibly with this new circumstance, what God said, won’t hold true

we mistakenly doubt that in this different situation, maybe what he promised, he is unable to fulfill

we are afraid that in this new season, that what God declared won’t come to pass

but the word is, that God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent!

if he said it, he will do it . . .

if he promised it, he will make it good

if he declared it, it will come to pass

it doesn’t matter if everything has changed, and nothing is the same

it doesn’t matter if things have happened that you didn’t see coming

it doesn’t matter if the whole world seems upside down . . . God is still God!

“all things work together for your good for them that love God” still holds true . . .

I am here to let you know that God is God, and you can keep running with that!

“The lord is my light an my salvation” still holds true . . . keep running with that

“though my enemies came upon me to eat my flesh, they stubmled and fell” that still holds true . . . keep running with that

“God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” it still holds true . . . . keep running with that

if God be for me, who can be against me . . . keep running with that

whatever God’s word says, is still the truth . . . . you can keep running with that, living by that

many have moved from kid to teenager, teenager to young adult, young adult to full adult, full adult to middle age, middle age to senior, senior to getting way up there

let me share something with you, whatever God said when you were a young adult . . . keep running with that now that you are a full adult

you have changed, times have changed, but times have not changed God

Whatever God said before the storm came your way, is true during the storm and after the storm

before inflation, God was your provider, during inflation, God is your provider

though your whole world has changed, you can count on God to be right there, ever faithful, so keep trusting and keep believing

even if someone tries to curse you like in this story, once God calls you blessed, you are blessed . . . if you are his child, you are blessed!

You don’t have to respond with fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt . . . like God is like a man, and not telling the truth

Has he said, and will he not do it?

or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

And that goes for warnings too, God is still telling the truth

whatever you sow, that shall you also reap . . .

after death comes the judgment

Jesus says that he is coming back

he said what he meant, and he meant what he said

People make the same mistake with Jesus

Jesus was born as a man, but also fully God . . . and people want to treat him like a man

just a religious option

just a man ahead of his time

just an influential personality

just someone to emulate if you desire

just someone to quote every now and then

but salvation comes from no other!

salvation hasn’t changed . . . people have been trying to change it since the days of the apostle Paul

usually try to throw in some works . . . have to be to a certain level of holy

you live holy because you are saved, but living holy doesn’t make you saved

salvation is still the same: for by grace are you saved through faith . . . faith in who is is, and what he did on the cross for us

But what God said still stands

some of you are starting to doubt your salvation, devil throwing some weaknesses in your face:

if you are saved by grace through faith, you are saved by grace through faith

why?

Numbers 23:19 NASB95

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?