Difference between revisions of "The Prophet from Beit El/2"
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<point><b>Doubts</b> – Despite the prophet's discomfort with Yerovam's reformation, he was not certain that it was illegitimate.  After all, if Yerovam had been chosen by God to establish a new monarchy, perhaps his cultic reforms were also Divinely sanctioned.  The fact that Yerushalayim was filled with idolatrous shrines only increased the prophets confusion, making him wonder whether not just the Davidic dynasty, but also Yerushalayim was being rejected.</point> | <point><b>Doubts</b> – Despite the prophet's discomfort with Yerovam's reformation, he was not certain that it was illegitimate.  After all, if Yerovam had been chosen by God to establish a new monarchy, perhaps his cultic reforms were also Divinely sanctioned.  The fact that Yerushalayim was filled with idolatrous shrines only increased the prophets confusion, making him wonder whether not just the Davidic dynasty, but also Yerushalayim was being rejected.</point> | ||
<point><b>The invitation of the prophet from Beit El</b> – It was this confusion that led the prophet to wonder how he should view the Man of God.  Was he an emissary of Rechovam, only claiming to speak the Divine word for political gain, or was he a true prophet, declaring the reformation in Beit El problematic? Filled with uncertainty, the prophet decided to test the Man of God, assuming that if he were willing to go against his own word, he must be a false prophet.</point> | <point><b>The invitation of the prophet from Beit El</b> – It was this confusion that led the prophet to wonder how he should view the Man of God.  Was he an emissary of Rechovam, only claiming to speak the Divine word for political gain, or was he a true prophet, declaring the reformation in Beit El problematic? Filled with uncertainty, the prophet decided to test the Man of God, assuming that if he were willing to go against his own word, he must be a false prophet.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>How was the Man of God duped?</b> It is possible that the Man of God was duped because he thought that it was really only eating by the king himself that was problematic | + | <point><b>How was the Man of God duped?</b> It is possible that the Man of God was duped because he thought that it was really only eating by the king himself that was problematic. There was no reason that eating by a true prophet, though, should be construed as the prophet having a political agenda.  Thus when the prophet told him that he had received word from God allowing a meal, he was not suspicious as it did not seem as if Hashem was changing His mind, since the original intent of the prohibition would not apply when eating with a fellow prophet.</point> |
<point><b>Why does the נביא מבית אל get the prophecy?</b> Since the prophet from Beit El was a true prophet it is not odd that he should receive prophecy. Moreover, since he had come to the wrong conclusions based on his personal test, Hashem needed to correct his misconception.</point> | <point><b>Why does the נביא מבית אל get the prophecy?</b> Since the prophet from Beit El was a true prophet it is not odd that he should receive prophecy. Moreover, since he had come to the wrong conclusions based on his personal test, Hashem needed to correct his misconception.</point> | ||
<point><b>Harsh punishment</b></point> | <point><b>Harsh punishment</b></point> |
Version as of 13:24, 10 December 2017
The Prophet from Beit El
Exegetical Approaches
Reversal of Prophecy
The Prophet from Beit El hoped that by having the Man of God disobey his own words and prophetic sign, he could undo the prophecy against Beit El (and restore legitimacy to the worship taking place there.)
- Reaffirm status of Beit El – According to R. Samet, after the Man of God cast doubt on the legitimacy of the new worship during the dedication ceremony, the prophet from Beit El realized he needed to reaffirm his prophetic position and thereby restore Beit El's religious status. By getting the Man of God to accept his word, he could assert himself as the more senior prophet, and prove that his stance towards the new worship was the correct one.
- Reverse the prophetic sign and its content – Prof. Simon, in contrast, assumes that the fate of the new religious system was less troubling to the old prophet than the prophecy regarding the burial plots, and it was mainly this which he wanted to prevent coming to fruition. He suggests that the act of undoing a prophetic sign12 was believed to actively affect the word of God that lay behind the sign.13 Thus, the prophet believed that if could reverse the decrees against eating etc. he could also undo the prophecy which lay behind them.
- Corrective– It was imperative for the prophet from Beit El to get the prophecy so that after the Man of God died, he could confirm to the city that this happened by the word of Hashem for his transgression.18 In so doing he was able to reverse some of the damage done by his deception of the Man of God.
- Test – R. Samet adds that the prophecy was also a test to the false prophet. Would he change in the aftermath of hearing the word of God, recognize the truth of the original prophecy, and help spread it, or would he remain mired in his old ways?
Test of Prophet
The Prophet from Beit El did not know if the Man of God was a legitimate prophet or an emissary sent by Rechovam to attack Beit El for political reasons. His invitation was intended to discover whether or not he truly spoke the word of Hashem.
- The Man of God was a Divine messenger – Nili Samet21 points out that in Tanakh when a prophet "eats by a king" it means that they are being being financially supported by him, and, as such, are expected to express a certain political opinion or religious agenda. As evidence, she points to the Baal prophets who were "אֹכְלֵי שֻׁלְחַן אִיזָבֶל" and to Amos 7 where Amaziah says to Amos, "חֹזֶה לֵךְ בְּרַח לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וֶאֱכׇל שָׁם לֶחֶם וְשָׁם תִּנָּבֵא".22 If so, the Man of God was prohibited from eating to demonstrate that he was not for hire, but was a true prophet, expressing the message of Hashem, and not an emissary of a king.
- The Man of God did not share Yerovam's agenda – Chen-Tziyon Nayot instead suggests that the prohibitions related to the Man of God's need to clarify that he was not one of the עולי רגל who had come to Beit El to celebrate the new holiday and that he did not view Beit El as a holy city.23 Since eating and drinking in the "Hoy City" were a big part of pilgrimage experiences, the Man of God was prohibited from doing so.
Act of Altruism
The prophet's motives were misguided, but altruistic. He simply wanted to prevent the Man of God from going home hungry.
Personal Gain
The prophet from Beit El aimed to protect his prophetic business and standing with the king / hoped to sway the Man of God to defect to Beit El and work with him in his prophetic business.