Manifested in the Flesh
and man became a living being Genesis 2:7
Became – The Bible is without doubt the most fascinating book in the world. Why? Because it is simply beyond reasonable inference to imagine that all of the intricacies woven into its fabric could have been concocted by human beings. From beginning to end, the language of the Bible is filled with surprises, deep insights and tasty linguistic treats. None are more fascinating than the implications provided by the use of the verb chayah (to live, have life). Yesterday we discovered that there is a marvelous connection between the idea of God’s word becoming in Micah and the rest of the prophets. At the very least, this implies that God’s verbal instruction to His people manifested itself in the prophet. How that occurs is a mystery, but no more mysterious than this use of chayah, found here in the story of the creation of Man.
Man was made nephesh (the Hebrew word that encompasses will, emotions, mind, body and spirit – a total person). The same creative manifestation demonstrated in God’s word showing up (somehow) in the prophets is at the bottom of what it means to be alive. God’s breath manifested itself in the dust-formed creature and ha.a.dam le.ne.fesh cha.yah (literally, “the earth-made a person was made alive”). It’s almost as though the text says, “Personal life happened in this lump of formed dirt.” How life came to be in Man is not essentially different than how God’s word came to be in Micah. Think about that for the next 100 years!
We also learned that God’s personal name, YHWH (Yahweh) is also, at its core, the verb chayah. When God manifests His word in Micah, and when He manifests His life in Man, He merely makes tangible what He is. Take that thought and read John 1: 14 from a Hebrew perspective. “The Word became flesh.” Somehow God was made alive as basar (tangible body). This is not only saying that Yeshua was born as a man. This is saying that the Messiah, promised from eternity, now happened in bodily form. A divine representative of the Father now existed as the same kind of living being as all animal and human bodies. God’s mysterious chayah is demonstrated in yet another, unparalleled way.
Think about what this means for human life – for you and me. No, it does not mean that each of us has a spark of divinity. That is pure Greek philosophy. The New Age is nothing new. What this means is that you and I are in some respect vehicles by which God is manifested in His creation. We are fully equipped to reveal His glorious chayah. Whatever it means to be created in His image, it at least means that God plans to use my nephesh chayah as a demonstration of His glory. To be alive is to be what God intends for His purposes.
How far is God from manifesting Himself in your life? Take a breath. That’s how far.
