Lesson summary
One page: key verse, five things to remember, the comparison chart, and a reflection question.
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All lessons › Stop 3 of 8
Stop 3 · Sinai Ridge
Can God Become a Man?
The incarnation, and the God who showed no form at Sinai.
Step 1 of 5 · about 5 min left
What happened at Sinai
At Mount Sinai, all of Israel heard God speak. Yet the Torah stresses what they did not see:
“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure.”
Deuteronomy 4:15–16God chose to be heard but not seen, so that no one would ever picture Him in a human or animal shape.
What Christianity teaches
Christianity teaches the : God the Son took on human flesh as Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe Jesus was fully God and fully human at the same time. As the Gospel of John puts it, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
For Christians, this shows God's love: He came close enough to suffer alongside us.
What the Hebrew Bible says
A clear boundary
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.”
Numbers 23:19“For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst.”
Hosea 11:9“For I am the LORD, I do not change.”
Malachi 3:6“Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.”
Psalm 146:3Judaism reads these verses as a firm line: the Creator is not part of His creation. God can be near, caring, and present, but He never becomes a human being.
Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith
1God exists and is the Creator of all2God is One, a unique unity3God has no body or physical form4God is eternal: the First and the Last5Pray to God alone6The words of the prophets are true7Moses was the greatest prophet8The Torah came from God9The Torah will never be replaced10God knows our deeds and thoughts11God rewards good and punishes evil12The Messiah will come13The dead will live againHighlighted: the principles this stop and the last one explore.
Side by side
Side by side: God and humanity
4 comparisonsTopic Judaism Christianity Can God take a body? No. God has no body or form (Deut. 4:15) Yes. God the Son became human in Jesus (John 1:14) Does God change? Never (Mal. 3:6) God's nature never changes. The Son added a human nature Who may be worshiped? God alone, never a human being Jesus is worshiped as God the Son How is God near? Through His presence, the Torah, and prayer In Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit A closer look at Isaiah 9:6
Christians often cite Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a Child is born… and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God.” Jewish readers make three points:
- In Hebrew, the verbs are past tense: a child has been born, in Isaiah's own day.
- Commentators such as Rashi identify the child as King Hezekiah.
- Hebrew names often praise God. Isaiah means “God saves,” and Elijah means “my God is the LORD.” Neither man was God.
Pause and ponder
Why might God want to be heard, but never seen?
Five things to remember
- At Sinai, Israel heard God's voice but “saw no form” (Deuteronomy 4:15).
- Christianity teaches the incarnation: God the Son became human in Jesus.
- The Hebrew Bible says God is “not a man” (Numbers 23:19; Hosea 11:9) and does not change (Malachi 3:6).
- Maimonides' third principle of faith: God has no body or form.
- Hebrew names often praise God. That doesn't make the person God.
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