God Living Among Men

Introduction

Is it possible for God to live among his creation? Can he live among humanity?

The ancient greeks said “no”, they said that the gods of ancient Greece only lived on Mount Olympus.

The gods could interact with human beings and influence their lives - but it was impossible for their gods to live among human beings.

When we read Psalm 46 we see something that would startle the ancient greeks.

Salmo 46:4–5 NIV

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

It speaks about a city called the city of God.

In that city, there is a river that flows out bringing life and refreshment to everyone.

…and guess what?

The Psalm says that this is the place were God dwells.

What city, in the entire world, was known as the city of God?

Remember the Psalms were written by the ancient hebrews, the children of Israel.

They lived in what we now know as the land of Israel.

The title city of God was given to a specific city in this land.

It also went by the name City of David.

Others called it Zion.

…do you know what city this is?

It is the city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem in the Bible is the city of God.

So the writer of this Psalm looks towards Jerusalem, a city loved by the ancient Israelites, and knows that it is the city where God’s presence dwells in a very special way.

Now what’s so important about this city being the place where God dwells?

Well, the Psalmist says that because God dwells in this city it will never fall.

In fact, if this city were attacked by the enemy, God would surely defend this city because in doing so God is defending his own honor and his people who praise his name.

It is a great privilege for a city to be known as the city of God because it provides its inhabitants assurance that they are safe and nothing will ever destroy them.

So, as christian believers we understand that God has dwelt with his people since ancient times.

God dwelt with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

He dwelt in the tabernacle of Moses as the hebrew children wandered through the dessert.

He dwelt in Solomon’s temple.

It would be wonderful for all of us to one day travel to Jerusalem and visit the ancient sites mentioned in the Bible.

It would be great to walk next to the Wailing Wall which is the only thing left from Herod’s Temple and is the very same temple that Jesus and his disciples visited to worship God.

But it is no longer the city of God in the sense that God’s presence dwells there such that Jerusalem will never be destroyed.

You see Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70 AD.

The temple was destroyed, homes were burned down, and many people were executed by the roman army.

This is important because this Psalm promises that Jerusalem would not be destroyed - but it was destroyed. So the question we need to answer - does God dwell anywhere? Does God continue to dwell with men?

The answer to this question is yes.

God sent his son, Jesus Christ, the son of God, who was not only a man but was God in the flesh and he dwelt among men.

Juan 1:14 NIV

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This means that when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, it was God himself living, breathing, and walking amongst his creation.

But Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected, and has ascended to heaven.

Does that mean that God no longer dwells among men?

The answer is yes…God continues to dwell among men in this way:

Gálatas 2:20 NIV

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul teaches us that Christ dwells in everyone that follows Jesus.

Christ, God himself, dwells in the lives of those who have confessed and been forgiven of their sins.

…so if God dwells in us…guess what?

We will never be destroyed.

God will protect all those in whom he dwells and will ensure they arrive safely into his presence according to God’s appointed time.