Nature_of_God

Libby Schleider December 16, 2009 Intro to the Old Testament Topic B: The Nature of Revelation DIVINE REVELATION IN THE HEBREW BIBLE After forty years of endlessly wandering the desert land, Moses heard YHWH’s voice commanding his people to continue their journey to the promised land of their ancestors. Thus a new covenant was made: a covenant between a new generation and YHWH, a covenant between Israel and the god of Israel. Divine revelation in the book of Deuteronomy is established primarily on celestial and verbal communication between YHWH and Moses. YHWH speaks to Moses revealing truths unknown to man; in turn, Moses records those truths, eventually becoming the book of Deuteronomy. Its audience: Israel. Divine revelation as a verbal, textual affair between YHWH and Moses is clearly present in the Pentateuch culminating with Deuteronomy. In Exodus Moses ascends Mount Sinai to speak with the god of Israel. Through Leviticus and Numbers their divine communication remains verbal and textual: YHWH speaks, Moses writes. In the final verses of Deuteronomy, as Moses dies and Joshua becomes his successor, YHWH continues the same style of communication. Joshua’s writings from YHWH spoken truths become the sixth book in the Bible. This pattern continues with Samuel, Isaiah, Elijah and Elisha. It would appear that the Hebrew Bible relies on divine revelation in the form of a verbal and textual agreement; however, there are many different modes of revelation and many different ways by which the god of Israel reveals himself. The Hebraic Bible characterizes YHWH as the all-knowing, omnipotent, omnipresent, benevolent god of Israel. He is incomprehensible, an infinite being, while man is a finite being with finite knowledge making it impossible to understand perfectly the god of Israel. When YHWH manifests himself in the Old Testament it is in a way that the human mind can grasp. He reveals only part of himself in a visible form. The burning bush account in Exodus 3 is a clear example of such a divine revelation. The scene itself occurs on Horeb, which, according to v.1, is “the mountain of elohim.” In v.4 “elohim called to him out of the bush.” Elohim presented himself in the form of a burning bush, v.6 “I am the elohim of your father, the elohim of Abram, the elohim of Isaac, and the elohim of Jacob.” It is an appearance of YHWH to the human mind. This visible mode of divine revelation is called a theophany. Following in Moses’ footsteps, Joshua is leading the Israelites to the promise land when he encounters a man near Jericho. Joshua inquires if the man is on his or his enemies’ side. Chapter 5 of Joshua v. 14, “He replied, ‘Neither; but as commander of the army of YHWH I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, an he said to him, ‘What do you command your servant, my lord'’ YHWH again manifests himself in the form of another human being so that man could comprehend his divine truth. In Joshua, chapter 6 v. 2 “YHWH said to Joshua,” the ‘commander of the army of YHWH’ becomes YHWH himself. Joshua’s encounter with this man outside Jericho is a second example of theophany. YHWH listens to his people and hears the cries of their desperation and oppression. In Exodus, elohim promises the Israelites to deliver them from Egyptian power. He provided them a leader with Moses and after elohim cast ten plagues on Pharaoh’s people and land, the Israelites are freed. Pharaoh follows in hopes of killing them all, but the elohim intervenes. He parts the Red Sea allowing Moses and his followers to escape their hunters. The definition of miracle reads, “an event in nature so extraordinary in itself, and so coinciding with a prophecy or a command of a spiritual leader or teacher, as to fully warrant a conviction that god has wrought it with the design of certifying this teacher or leader that he has been commissioned by god.” This is a mode of divine revelation because it illustrates the supernatural power YHWH possesses. His celestial power would not have been understood by the mind of any man if elohim hadn’t revealed it himself.” This mode of divine revelation illustrates the supernatural power elohim possesses. No man would never quite understand the extraordinary power and wonder of YHWH if he had decided not to reveal it himself. Divine revelation can also appear in the form of an angel. In the book of Daniel chapter 9, Gabriel an angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel. In v.21-23, “While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision.... He said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.’” YHWH uses angels throughout the Hebraic Bible to revel himself and his will. Michael, a leading angel appears to Daniel twice. Although angels are sent by YHWH, it is not always a pleasurable experience. In 2 Samuel 24, elohim sends an angel to punish King David and the Israelites, but stopped him before he destroyed Jerusalem after King David repented and offered sacrifice to YHWH. Angels as a mode of divine revelation allow YHWH to reveal his will whether it is truth and blessings or curses and punishments. Divine revelation in Deuteronomy is strictly verbal communication between YHWH and Moses. Moses listens to the words of YHWH and writes the book of Deuteronomy. With that being said, divine revelation throughout the Hebrew Bible is anything but restricted. YHWH appears throughout the Bible with auditory and visionary senses, dreams and visions, miracles and angels.