Difference between revisions of "Bizarre Prophetic Commands/1/en"
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<p>Most people would probably not envy the prophet's life. Spending one's days chastising a nation who does not want to change and foretelling doom and destruction to those who don't want to hear is not an easy task. When their message was not to the liking of the masses or rulership, prophets were often ridiculed and, at times, even imprisoned or physically threatened. Sometimes, though, the prophetic mission itself provoked humiliation or distress, as Hashem tasked the prophet with performing bizarre actions and deeds as signs for the nation.  Some of the more troubling of these include:</p> | <p>Most people would probably not envy the prophet's life. Spending one's days chastising a nation who does not want to change and foretelling doom and destruction to those who don't want to hear is not an easy task. When their message was not to the liking of the masses or rulership, prophets were often ridiculed and, at times, even imprisoned or physically threatened. Sometimes, though, the prophetic mission itself provoked humiliation or distress, as Hashem tasked the prophet with performing bizarre actions and deeds as signs for the nation.  Some of the more troubling of these include:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li><b>Yeshayahu's nakedness</b> – In <a href="Yeshayahu20" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 20</a>, the prophet is commanded to remove his sackcloth and shoes, and walk around naked "three years as a sign and wonder for Egypt and Kush".</li> | + | <li><b>Yeshayahu's nakedness</b> – In <a href="Yeshayahu20" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 20</a>, the prophet is commanded to remove his sackcloth and shoes, and walk around naked "three years as a sign and wonder for Egypt and Kush" who would be taken into captivity and similalrly be forced into nakedness..</li> |
<li><b>Yechezkel's lying on his side</b> – In Yechezkel 4, he is directed to lie on his left side for 390 days and then his right side for 40 more days to "carry the sins" of Yehuda and Yisrael. Hashem further tells him that that he will tie him with rope so that he not turn from side to side during his symbolic besiegement.</li> | <li><b>Yechezkel's lying on his side</b> – In Yechezkel 4, he is directed to lie on his left side for 390 days and then his right side for 40 more days to "carry the sins" of Yehuda and Yisrael. Hashem further tells him that that he will tie him with rope so that he not turn from side to side during his symbolic besiegement.</li> | ||
| − | <li><b>Eating barley bread in dung</b> - During this period of time, Yechezkel is commanded to eat meager rations of multi-grain bread, baked in human dung</li> | + | <li><b>Eating barley bread in dung</b> - During this period of time, Yechezkel is commanded to eat meager rations of multi-grain bread, baked in (or on) human dung: "וְעֻגַת שְׂעֹרִים תֹּאכְלֶנָּה וְהִיא בְּגֶלְלֵי צֵאַת הָאָדָם תְּעֻגֶנָה לְעֵינֵיהֶם".  This was to represent the conditions of famine during the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem.</li> |
| − | <li>Yechezkel's shaving of his head | + | <li><b>Yechezkel's shaving of his head and beard</b> – In Yechezkel 5, Hashem tells Yechezkel to shave his hair and beard, to burn a section, cut a section and throw the last third to the wind as a sign of the destruction and exile of the nation.</li> |
| − | <li>Hoshea's marrying a prostitute</li> | + | <li><b>Hoshea's marrying a prostitute</b> – Finally, in Hoshe's first prophecy, he is commanded to marry a prostitute and have children with her.</li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
<p> </p> | <p> </p> | ||
Version as of 02:01, 5 October 2018
Bizarre Prophetic Commands
Introduction
Most people would probably not envy the prophet's life. Spending one's days chastising a nation who does not want to change and foretelling doom and destruction to those who don't want to hear is not an easy task. When their message was not to the liking of the masses or rulership, prophets were often ridiculed and, at times, even imprisoned or physically threatened. Sometimes, though, the prophetic mission itself provoked humiliation or distress, as Hashem tasked the prophet with performing bizarre actions and deeds as signs for the nation. Some of the more troubling of these include:
- Yeshayahu's nakedness – In Yeshayahu 20, the prophet is commanded to remove his sackcloth and shoes, and walk around naked "three years as a sign and wonder for Egypt and Kush" who would be taken into captivity and similalrly be forced into nakedness..
- Yechezkel's lying on his side – In Yechezkel 4, he is directed to lie on his left side for 390 days and then his right side for 40 more days to "carry the sins" of Yehuda and Yisrael. Hashem further tells him that that he will tie him with rope so that he not turn from side to side during his symbolic besiegement.
- Eating barley bread in dung - During this period of time, Yechezkel is commanded to eat meager rations of multi-grain bread, baked in (or on) human dung: "וְעֻגַת שְׂעֹרִים תֹּאכְלֶנָּה וְהִיא בְּגֶלְלֵי צֵאַת הָאָדָם תְּעֻגֶנָה לְעֵינֵיהֶם". This was to represent the conditions of famine during the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem.
- Yechezkel's shaving of his head and beard – In Yechezkel 5, Hashem tells Yechezkel to shave his hair and beard, to burn a section, cut a section and throw the last third to the wind as a sign of the destruction and exile of the nation.
- Hoshea's marrying a prostitute – Finally, in Hoshe's first prophecy, he is commanded to marry a prostitute and have children with her.
