This is an important question that deserves careful examination. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” At first glance, this verse seems to contradict the Christian belief that Jesus is God incarnate – that is, God in human flesh. However, when we look more closely at the context and meaning of this passage, we can see that there is no contradiction. Here are several key points to understand:
1. The context of Numbers 23:19
This verse comes from the story of Balak, king of Moab, who hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. However, each time Balaam tried to curse them, he ended up blessing Israel instead. Numbers 23 records the third of these blessings. In verses 19-20, Balaam affirms God’s faithfulness to keep His promises to Israel: “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.”
So in context, this passage is contrasting God’s faithfulness with human unreliability. The emphasis is on the fact that God does not change His mind or break His promises like fickle humans. He is not subject to the limitations and sinfulness that characterize fallen humanity. This in no way rules out the possibility of God becoming incarnate – it simply affirms that God’s essential nature remains unchanged and without sin.
2. The theological term “son of man”
In the Old Testament, the phrase “son of man” is used numerous times to refer to human beings in general and highlight our mortal limitations (see Psalm 8:4, Ezekiel 2:1, etc.). However, in the New Testament, “Son of Man” becomes a title that Jesus uses to refer to Himself. It highlights His identity as the incarnate Son of God who has come to identify with human weakness and ultimately redeem us from sin and death (see Mark 10:45).
So Numbers 23:19 is making a general statement about the unreliability of human beings in contrast to God’s faithfulness. But this does not preclude Jesus from referring to Himself as the Son of Man to emphasize that He has joined humanity in order to save us. The theological term “Son of Man” as applied to Christ communicates a very different meaning than its usage in the Old Testament.
3. The incarnation affirms God’s faithfulness
The doctrine of the incarnation teaches that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh and entered into human history as Jesus of Nazareth. This was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah who would redeem humanity from bondage to sin and reconcile us to God. The writer of Hebrews affirms this:
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1-3)
The incarnation demonstrates God’s amazing faithfulness to His covenant promises. By taking on human flesh, Jesus identifies fully with those He came to save. He is able to be our sympathetic high priest and the atoning sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 4:15-16). The incarnation is the ultimate expression of God’s steadfast commitment to redeem humanity, not a contradiction of His unchanging nature.
4. Jesus affirms His deity while on earth
During His earthly ministry, Jesus made a number of bold claims that affirm His divine identity and equality with God the Father:
– “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
– “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
– “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) – I AM was God’s name.
– He allowed people to worship Him (Matthew 14:33; John 20:28).
– He claimed to have authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-12).
– He claimed to be the Messiah and Son of God (Mark 14:61-64).
While Jesus was certainly human, He also repeatedly claimed to be much more – the very incarnation of God Himself. Unless we are prepared to say that Jesus was a liar or lunatic, we must accept that He is both fully God and fully man, as inconceivable as this mystery is to us.
5. God did become a man – Jesus Christ
While Numbers 23:19 says God is not a man, the New Testament makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the God-man – fully divine and fully human. Consider a few verses that explicitly affirm this:
– “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1, 14)
– “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7)
– “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)
– “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)
These and other verses expressly teach that Jesus is God in the flesh – the perfect incarnation of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). The divinity and humanity of Christ are both crucial doctrines that we must accept by faith even though they far surpass human understanding.
6. The incarnation was planned from eternity past
Some wonder if God changed His mind somewhere along the way and decided to become a man in Jesus. But the Bible is clear that the incarnation was God’s plan from before the foundation of the world:
– Jesus is the Lamb who was “foreknown before the foundation of the world” and “was made manifest in the last times” for us. (1 Peter 1:20)
– Those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29)
– We have been chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4)
– God planned for our salvation to come through Jesus Christ being offered as a sacrifice. (Revelation 13:8)
The incarnation did not happen on the spur of the moment – it was the centerpiece of God’s predetermined plan to redeem humanity through the sacrifice of His eternal Son taking on human flesh. God did not change; He graciously carried out His purposes in Christ.
7. The Old Testament foretold God coming as a man
In addition to being planned from eternity past, the incarnation of Christ was foretold in numerous Old Testament prophecies:
– Isaiah 9:6 – A child would be born who is called “Mighty God.”
– Isaiah 7:14 – A virgin would conceive and give birth to “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.”
– Micah 5:2 – The coming ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem, implying His humanity.
– Zechariah 12:10 – God Himself would be pierced when the people look on the One they pierced.
– Daniel 7:13-14 – The Son of Man would have all dominion and glory given to Him.
While these messianic prophecies contain mystery, they clearly indicate that the coming Redeemer would be both divine and human at the same time. The incarnation was not an afterthought but the fulfillment of God’s long-standing plan.
8. Jesus had to be God and man to save us
At the heart of the Christian Gospel is the doctrine of the atonement – that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins. This doctrine relies on Jesus being fully God and fully man:
– As man, Jesus could identify with us, be our substitute, and die in our place. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things.” (Hebrews 2:14)
– As God, Jesus’ sacrifice had infinite worth to atone for the sins of all who would believe in Him. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
Without the incarnation – God taking on human flesh in Christ – there could be no atonement. We needed a Savior who was Himself fully God and fully man. The incarnation was entirely necessary for God’s redemptive plan.
9. The unique Son of God became flesh
In summary, Numbers 23:19 in no way contradicts or prevents the eternal, second person of the Trinity from becoming incarnate at a point in time. The unique, one-of-a-kind Son of God took on human flesh while retaining full divinity. Listen to how the apostle John explains this sublime mystery:
“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18)
Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) because He is the uncreated, divine Son who has eternally dwelt with the Father in glory. Yet this very same Son of God willingly joined the human race through the incarnation. Glory took on humility. The eternal entered time. The infinite became finite. The Author of life tasted death. Out of His abundant love, the Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of men could become the sons of God. This amazing truth exalts both the unchanging faithfulness of God and the supreme glory of the God-man Jesus Christ!
In summary, by examining Numbers 23:19 in its context, understanding the terminology involved, and exploring relevant biblical teachings, we can see clearly that this verse does not contradict Jesus Christ’s identity as the incarnate Son of God. The divine mystery of the incarnation is central to the Gospel and God’s eternal plan to redeem a people for Himself by sending His eternal Son as the God-man Jesus Christ.
