Moses and the Prophets.

The language in which the Ten Commandments were written has something to do with the astrological sign of Capricorn.

Either Moses' own planets in Capricorn and/or transits of Capricorn influenced him to choose language that was slightly threatening and severe.

Capricorn is the great rule maker, so God's message was expressed as a set of rules.

So what Moses was saying may not have been bad in itself.
It is just the language that is threatening.

He may not have intended future generations to live in fear of these guidelines.
But he could see what was needed to improve the children of Israel.

One tends then to think that more is better.
So Moses (or his successors) went on to write the five books of the law.
Extrapolating from the Ten Commandments the style rather than the content of what God wanted.

So we get the law which is "man-made" as Jesus called it, because it is extrapolated from the original message.

In the story of Moses it constantly refers to Pharaoh's heart being hardened.

Moses' message was from the heart.

When God is present there are words and showings but not everything can be said to be God's word.

God allows us to work things out and realize things in His presence.
Occasionally there are contradictions or corrections.
There may be errors.

But the heart of the message is clear.  The mind returns to it again and again.

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'"  Matthew 22:37 (NRSV)
"'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Matthew 22:39b (NRSV)
("'On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'"  Matthew 22:40 (NRSV))

"'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you'"  Luke 6:27,28 (NRSV)

We have seen how the law was extrapolated from the Ten Commandments which were essentially the commandments of love expressed according to Capricorn (as rules).

The prophets had great faith and great love.
Elijah's love for the widow and her son.
Elisha's love for Elijah.

Elijah says, "'It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my ancestors.'"  1 Kings 19:4b (NRSV)  This is after he has killed the priests of Baal.

God tries to show Elijah with the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire - God was not in these violent events but in the "sound of sheer silence" which followed.

So the prophets interpreted the word of God according to their understanding.

With David and the prophets we see God's presence (or the word) coming and going.
They have great love for God but their understanding is incomplete.
They interpret the word according to the standard wisdom of the times, i.e. the notion of rewards and punishments.
The sufferings and misfortunes of Israel are attributed to the nation's turning away from God.

Isaiah has God say, "What to me are the multitude of your sacrifices?"  Isaiah 1 11a (NRSV)
"learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.  Come let us argue it out."  Isaiah 1:17,18a (NRSV)

The word of God can be said to be in this but Isaiah's fear then takes over when he links this to punishments in the form of wars and battles etc..

The prophets' understanding was that worldly events were caused by God punishing or rewarding people.

Fear caused them to say these things even though the word of God did not stipulate this.

In Jeremiah for example God warns His people of invasions and wars which they are not strong enough to win.
This is God's love for His people Israel.

The linking of this, however, to the concept of punishment for wickedness and iniquity was not necessarily God's word.
It may have been Jeremiah's reaction to God's word.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel see things and they interpret them according to their understanding - the standard wisdom of the time.

How many times does God say "Fear not!"
For it was their fear which made them speak of punishments.

Daniel sees visions and has dreams - these are symbolic and he interprets them according to his understanding.

The prophets were not perfect but they may still have had contact with God.

"The color of the water is that of its container." - Al-Junayd (14th century Sufi).

"the forms taken by religious experience are provided by the conceptual equipment of the experiencer." - John Hick The Fifth Dimension.

We share in the work.

And that work is Love.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A, and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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