Mulling over George Pope to Steve Asher 22 Nov 2005

 SA>  GP> Yes, that was the stated reason, but it's apparent from the
 SA>  GP> circumstances that Moses was snookered into that whole sin/error
 SA>  GP> deal!
 SA>
 SA> Interesting. Do you have any evidence from scripture to back up that
 SA> claim? (Take your time)

 GP> How about the first time God asked Moses to give water to the
 GP> people, Moses was commanded to strike the rock with the staff.

Do you think Moses was "snookered"? More likely, striking the rock
to give water was a fore-runner of the "rock of our salvation", who
provides the water of life freely.

 GP> This second time God says "take up thine rod(ie. the same as last
 GP> time) and speak to the rock" (a very subtle change in verb. . . the
 GP> fact he was told to take up the rod would make it seem obvious that
 GP> a repeat performance was required!)

No need to strike the rock for water a second time ... merely ask for
the water of life & it will be provided.

 SA>  GP> Maybe because the prophets clearly taught that no mediator was
 SA>  GP> required, and the prophets spoke the Word of God?
 SA>
 SA> Interesting. Maybe the prophets did clearly teach that no mediator
 SA> was required, but I would prefer you to post some evidence from
 SA> scripture to support your view, given that Moses was effectively
 SA> the mediator of the covenant with Israel ... God spoke to and
 SA> through Moses. Were the prophets themselves not mediators?

 GP> Okay, from Scripture -- I don't know chapter/verse, but in
 GP> Solomon's dedication prayer for the temple, it was stated in
 GP> Scripture, that any time ANYONE turns towards(the language is
 GP> inclusive of physical and spiritual turning) the temple(ie.
 GP> Jerusalem) and prays for God's forgiveness/help, that God WOULD
 GP> hear/heed that prayer!

 GP> Because I care,
 GP> <+]::-{)}  (Cyberpope(the Bishop of ROM!))

I guess you were unable or unwilling to read to the end, but it is
worth a try if you are able.

 SA> If the prophets "clearly taught" that no mediator was required, why
 SA> did Jeremiah the prophet, in Jeremiah 31:31-32 record the Lord as
 SA> saying... "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make
 SA> a new covenant with the house of Isael, and with the house of Judah:
 SA> Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the
 SA> day that I took them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant
 SA> they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord."
 SA>
 SA> What do you think that new covenant might be? Who do you think
 SA> the mediator of the new covenant might be?

Cheers, Steve..

---