Moses And Exodus Religion Essay, Research Paper

Were Moses and Samuel Prophet Material?

To acquire a good thought of being a Prophet or what a Prophet is we must look at many beginnings. This means we must look at the events that happened in the Bible and do decisions about each event or subdivision. Were Samuel and Moses Prophets? Did they receive messages from God, or was it their imaginativeness? We will trust to detect this in looking closer at all of their lives.

What is a Prophet? Among the Hebrews a Prophet is called a navi. This means speechmaker and translator. Therefore, a Prophet is person whom interprets God. How does a Prophet know he/she is a Prophet? God gives us a really good narrative in Moses & # 8217 ; life of a definition of a Prophet. God found out that Aaron and Miriam were talking severely of Moses, so the Bible tells us that God commanded that they come out of the collapsible shelter in which they were run intoing. God so proceeds to explicate what a Prophet is. Miriam and Aaron had really doubted that Moses was a Prophet. This did non look to delight God. Numbers 12:2 reads, & # 8220 ; Has the Lord spoken merely through Moses? & # 8221 ; they asked. & # 8220 ; Hasn & # 8217 ; t he besides spoken through us? & # 8221 ; and the Lord heard this. & # 8221 ; ( NIV ) Miriam and Aaron were kicking in this transition. God was angry when He learned this. This is why He told them the definition of a Prophet.

Miriam and Aaron stood outside the collapsible shelter along side of Moses. God summoned for Miriam and Aaron. It so says that He tells them what a Prophet is. This is the first clip in the Bible that God really tells us the guidelines of prognostication. The definition of this is found in Numbers 12:6-8. It reads:

& # 8220 ; He said listen to my words: When the Prophet of the Lord is among you. I reveal

Myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is non true of my servant Moses ; He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and non in conundrums ; he sees the signifier of the Lord. Why when you were non afraid to talk against my servant Moses? & # 8221 ; ( NIV )

The definition of a Prophet is given here. A adult male by the name of Benedict Spinoza, would reason that when Prophets see God in visions, they are merely imaging these visions. He claims that Nebiims such as Samuel heard an fanciful voice. He says,

& # 8221 ; & # 8230 ; The Prophets perceived what has been revealed of God merely by the work of imagination. & # 8221 ; ( p.23 ) He is really rough in his perceptual experiences of Samuel and is soft on Moses. He feels Moses was a Prophet because he talked to God face to face, nevertheless he is still baffled by why Moses merely saw God & # 8217 ; s endorse side? He writes this, & # 8221 ; Moses did non go on to see anything except God & # 8217 ; s rear. Therefore, I do non doubt there is some enigma hidden here & # 8230 ; & # 8221 ; ( p.14 ) This shows that Spinoza is funny and doubts Moses and his negotiations with God. He says that Moses is a Prophet and is one of the lone Prophets in the whole Old Testament. He seems to be a spot weary though in his house standings with Moses. Abraham Heschel points out to us that Moses did non experience the same manner the Prophets did when they had Prophetic dreams he tells us this, & # 8220 ; The Prophets when they had the Prophetic experience, their limbs trembled, their physical strength weakened, ideas became baffled, and at that place heads were left free. & # 8221 ; ( Heschel 27 )

This tells us what the Prophets would see when God visited them. Of class, Heschel so tells us that Moses was di

fferent. He tells us this “Moses heard the voice and would stand on his feet…the remainder of the Prophets would fall on their faces and would tremble.” ( Heschel 28 ) I judge that it teaches us a few things. The first thing that it teaches us is that Moses is a adult male whom is really of import. The 2nd thing I feel it teaches is that there is no uncertainty that Moses is a Prophet.

Samuel is a male child when God foremost appears to him. In fact, it is about abashing that Samuel does non recognize it is God talking to him, nevertheless, he is lying down and God does look to him. Spinoza claims that the voice Samuel hears is that of Eli & # 8217 ; s. Samuel is non a Prophet the first clip he hears the Lord, nevertheless, he does go a Prophet. Everything he told his brother Eli, was a true vision. I can non see that Samuel was conceive ofing any vision he had with the Lord. It is even said in the Bible in 1 Samuel 3:19, & # 8221 ; The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and he allow none of his words autumn to the land & # 8221 ; . ( NIV ) This shows that the Lord talked to Samuel in other dreams and visions all through his life. This is merely as God told us in Numbers 12. This one case can non be called fanciful for two grounds.

Number one is that Samuel is told that God will transport out against Eli. He is told that Eli will pay for the requital that his boies had carried out, and his failure to keep them. This does non sound like something Eli would wish upon himself. It besides becomes true. Eli & # 8217 ; s make out becomes broken, when the Ark of God was captured by the Philistines. All of Samuels & # 8217 ; s vision & # 8217 ; s go true this is a ground to believe.

Number two is that the Bible specifically tells us that Samuel is a Prophet. The Bible Tells us in 1 Samuel 3:20, & # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; Samuel was attested as a Prophet & # 8221 ; ( NIV ) Much of our theories and our judgements must come from the textual discoveries and the readings throughout texts. A batch of the grounds must come from our ain belief and when we feel these beliefs happened. Prophecy is a really difficult affair to nail, nevertheless, I judge that I will lodge with the Bible on this affair.

Were they Prophets? This is a really large piece to our mystifier we can turn out that they are above Imaginary claims, it easy to see the true instructions of Moses. Were Moses and Samuel Prophets? We have taken a deeper expression into their lives to state. Moses was different and a more synergistic individual with God. God visited Samuel all his life. Moses is one of the lone people who sees God in the Old Testament. Samuel hears the Lord and is told of future things to go on. God tells us in Numbers that Moses sees him in his signifier and that Moses is talked to by God face to face. This transition teaches us that Moses is in a class of Prophetic definition. This proves Spinoza and his theory incorrect. Moses was really a Prophet and God even tells us this. This means that Samuel and Moses were Nebiims harmonizing to God & # 8217 ; s definition. I feel this is a good adequate definition to travel on because they were visited in dreams, and the things they preached and talked about came true.

Bibliography

The Holy Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986

Heschel, Abraham J. Prophetic Inspiration After the Prophets. Hoboken, NJ:

Ktav Publishing House Inc, 1996

Spinoza, Baruch. Theological-Political Treatise. Translated by Martin D. Yaffe. Pre-publication bill of exchange. 1998