The Dwelling of God is with flesh

​In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. None of his court magicians or enchanters could tell him the dream or interpret it.  The king insisted repeatedly that he would not trust any of his wise men to interpret the dream unless they first tell him what the dream was.  One of these wise men responds, "The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" (Dan. 2:11).

This reaction highlights a basic difference between the faith of the Christian and whatever it is that the pagan or unbeliever trusts in.  The assumption of the world is that if there is a god, he is far away and unknowable. Unbelief says the dwelling of the gods "is not with flesh."  God cannot be known or touched.  God is not here with us in the flesh, because he is too great to be among us mere mortals, so the thinking goes.

We know differently. In the case of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was able to see and interpret the dream.  This is because God the Holy Spirit was dwelling within Daniel.  For us we know that in fact God does dwell with flesh, namely in the flesh of Jesus Christ, who is truly man and truly God.  Jesus is God incarnate, literally God in the flesh.  Our God has a body.  A body that was born, suffered, died, and was buried.  A body that rose victorious over death.  And Jesus still has His body.  He is still fully God and fully human, and He is in all places with His body.

As Christians we know that God's dwelling is with flesh, it is with us.  Moreover, our own bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  That is, God dwells in each of us, so that we may be witnesses to the saving works of Christ in our words and actions.  Thanks be to God.