What is the meaning of this title anyway?
If it means that his mother was a virgin that conceived from God - So there's no real father but God.
This concept is far away judaism.It sound like stories from Greek/Roman Mythology.
There are several stories in the bible of God Helping woman to conceive.In all of them there was a father involve.
The concept of barren woman that eventually succeed to concieved by the help of God
The concept of barren woman that eventually succeed to concieved by the help of God is very common in Bible:
1.Abraham & Sara:
And He said: 'I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.' And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.-- Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.-- And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: 'After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?' And the LORD said unto Abraham: 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD. At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.'
(Genesis 18:10-14)
And the result:And the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken. And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
(Genesis 21:1-3)
2.Jacob & Rachel:
And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob: 'Give me children, or else I die.' And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said: 'Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?'
(Genesis 30:1-2)
and the result:And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. (Genesis 30:22)
3.Birth of Samson:
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bore not. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her: 'Behold now, thou art barren, and hast not borne; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
(Judges 13:2-3)
and the result:And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
(Judges 13:24)
4.Birth of Prophet Samuel:
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
...but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.
...And she vowed a vow, and said: 'O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.'
...And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel: 'because I have asked him of the LORD.'
(Samuel1 1)
All of those stories there are childless woman that God "Help" them to concieve.In all of those stories the father was involve in the concieving...
The concept of having sex in order to concieve
In Judaism Sex between married couple is not a sin,on the contrary it's a commandment:
And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
(Genesis 1:27-28)
Those verse are consider in Judaism as a commandment do bring children to the world.If you understand this concept you can understand that there's no reason that a prophet/Massiha will be from a virgin woman...
What is a miracle?
God created the natural rules.When God "break" his own rules - we call it a miracle.
In Judaism God "break" his own rules only if there's a reason or purpose.
few examples:
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and bring forth My hosts, My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth My hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.'
(Exodus 7:3-5)
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs in the midst of them;and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am the LORD.'
(Exodus 10:1-2)
And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I will get Me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten Me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.'
(Exodus 14:16-18)
And Israel saw the great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD; and they believed in the LORD, and in His servant Moses.
(Exodus 14:31)
the miracles of Exodus had a purpose - To strengthen the faith of Israel in God and in Moses prophethood.
So those are miracles with purpose.There's also miracles with special reason:
Sara birth in the age of 90 was due to the covenant that God maid with Abraham:
And God said: 'Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
(Genesis 17:19)
Some of the miracles were done because of righteous person pray:
And she vowed a vow, and said: 'O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.'
(samuel1 1:11)
So every miracle has a purpose or a reason.
What purpose or reason has the virgin birth miracle? It's unnecessary miracle !
Is a virgin conceiving is a miracle?
When 90 years old woman get birth - It's a miracle.Everyone knows that 90 years can't get birth and if she does - they say:"It's miracle!".
When a woman who claim to be a virgin get birth - ppl will say...ok you can imagine what ppl will say...
It's like a wood failing in the wood and no one hear it.If no one can know if the woman is virgin or not for them it's not a mircle...
No comments:
Post a Comment