Matthew 1:20
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
When instructing Moses about the future Mediator that will stand between Him and Israel, Hashem spoke of a prophet 'like' Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). Looking therefore at the life and ministry of Moses, we should be able to define our mysterious prophesied Mediator.
Let us look at Moses’ conception. Feeling threatened by the proliferation of the Hebrews in his country, Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites to his building ambitions. One of Pharaoh’s wise men came to him one day with a star-omen that a boy is to be born to the Israelites that would deliver them from his hand. Our angry Pharaoh then decided to kill all male new-born throwing them into the Nile River.
At that time, Amram who already had a son, Aaron and a daughter, Miriam, divorced his wife because he didn’t want to be faced with the possible tragedy ordered by Pharaoh. Because of his clout as a Levite, many of Israel followed Amram’s sample which caused Miriam, a child, to be an angelic voice of rebuke chastising him with the following words: "What you have done is worse that Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s decree was only against males, yours is against males and females alike. His decree may not come to pass, but yours certainly will!" Upon these words, Amram returned to his wife only to find that she was three months pregnant. The Talmud alludes to a miraculous conception.
I cannot ascertain that this Talmudic story is the report of true events, but it certainly offers a very uncanny parallel with the Master’s conception. Actually, Jewish sages refer to Moses as the first redeemer, and Messiah as the second.
In the conception accounts of the Master we also have wise men, Chaldean astronomers, who come to Herod, a Pharaoh-like king, with an indication from the stars that the Savior of Israel is born in Bethlehem, Judea. This in turn provokes Herod to want to kill all two years and under babies in that city. A little while before, Joseph, thinking that Miriam his fiancé committed adultery found himself with no other option but to divorce her, but like Amram did, he returns to her after the intervention of an angelic messenger.
Isaac, with his birth prophecied through the stars and his untimely death prevented by an angelic intervention truly is our foreshadow.
PRAISE
“O, for the wonders of the Torah! Why do so many seek wisdom and wonder north and south, east and west, high and low? All the secrets of heaven and earth, as well as past present and future are imbedded right there in the Words of theTorah."
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
When instructing Moses about the future Mediator that will stand between Him and Israel, Hashem spoke of a prophet 'like' Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). Looking therefore at the life and ministry of Moses, we should be able to define our mysterious prophesied Mediator.
Let us look at Moses’ conception. Feeling threatened by the proliferation of the Hebrews in his country, Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites to his building ambitions. One of Pharaoh’s wise men came to him one day with a star-omen that a boy is to be born to the Israelites that would deliver them from his hand. Our angry Pharaoh then decided to kill all male new-born throwing them into the Nile River.
At that time, Amram who already had a son, Aaron and a daughter, Miriam, divorced his wife because he didn’t want to be faced with the possible tragedy ordered by Pharaoh. Because of his clout as a Levite, many of Israel followed Amram’s sample which caused Miriam, a child, to be an angelic voice of rebuke chastising him with the following words: "What you have done is worse that Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s decree was only against males, yours is against males and females alike. His decree may not come to pass, but yours certainly will!" Upon these words, Amram returned to his wife only to find that she was three months pregnant. The Talmud alludes to a miraculous conception.
I cannot ascertain that this Talmudic story is the report of true events, but it certainly offers a very uncanny parallel with the Master’s conception. Actually, Jewish sages refer to Moses as the first redeemer, and Messiah as the second.
In the conception accounts of the Master we also have wise men, Chaldean astronomers, who come to Herod, a Pharaoh-like king, with an indication from the stars that the Savior of Israel is born in Bethlehem, Judea. This in turn provokes Herod to want to kill all two years and under babies in that city. A little while before, Joseph, thinking that Miriam his fiancé committed adultery found himself with no other option but to divorce her, but like Amram did, he returns to her after the intervention of an angelic messenger.
Isaac, with his birth prophecied through the stars and his untimely death prevented by an angelic intervention truly is our foreshadow.
PRAISE
“O, for the wonders of the Torah! Why do so many seek wisdom and wonder north and south, east and west, high and low? All the secrets of heaven and earth, as well as past present and future are imbedded right there in the Words of theTorah."
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