Auspices and Signs
| 3 › 4 › 17 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Ways of Getting Information
In both the Old and New Testament leading guys believed in portents, omens, signs, and dream interpretations, and much else. Dream interpretation is godo if you learn an adequate method. Jungian dream interpretation is fine, for example. There is more on it on another page.Omens and signs
Moses was called OK; he had been raised in Egypt by Egyptians. Good company is something to thank for [cf. Acts 7:20-2].It is also good to be guided into ease by fair judges – some of whom keep interpreting signs and wonders as an art or for fun or diversions. Perhaps to forecast the future somehow too. There are striking examples of it, such as the astrologer William Lilly who in his 1644 Almanac predicted a Great Plague of London in 1665 and the catastrophic Great Fire of London in 1666. One should get proficient in decoding some fundamental signs and auspices.
Auspices are reckoned with throughout the Bible. Auspices have to do with looking at birds, but not exactly as an ornithologist. The basic aim to get at certain portent values. What a Roman augur studied was the flight of birds, the feeding of birds to discover omens. An augury can also reveal kind patronage and definite guidance, in such an understanding. And also, an augury can stand as a prophetic sign and a likeable, favorable one.
In stories of Vikings by Snorre Sturlason and others, stress is put on decoding dreams as portents, that is, auspices. Correspondingly, in the Old Testament, kings that were accomplished diviners or had such experts around, were not in-valid in God's eyes. The loss of God's favour manifested as not having divining answers, such as in the case of King Saul [Samuel 8, 10 etc.].
The real value of a token, sign or augury can be difficult to ascertain where values drift and float, or if the inner meanings in each instance depends partly on ourselves. That could be possible. We find the prophet's Elisha's grave admonishion to a king, based on portent-making.
The very well uplifted hands of Moses were terribly required
AMALEKITES CAME and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua,"Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. [8-11]
When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses,
"Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered". [Exodus 17:8-14, in extracts]
God's hail struck Egypt
THE LORD SAID to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt - on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt."Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields - both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail."
Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. [See Exodus 9:22-33: much shortened]
- The Bible says the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and thus inflicted severe persecutions on the Israelites. Blame the right one if you have a desire to blame anyone.
Dream Guidance
Sister-married
IN GERAR Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him,"You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman."
Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, "She is my sister," and did not she also say, "He is my brother"? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."
Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience ..." [Genesis 20:1-7]
- Abraham had married his half-sister before the Law of Moses came about and strictly forbid it and would have it punished with death.
"Tell me your dreams"
Joseph once came to the Egyptian king's chief cup-bearer and the chief baker one morning, and they were dejected. For "We both had dreams," they said, "but there is none to interpret them."Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." [Genesis 40:2-8, excerpts]
Literature
 |
 |
 |
 |
USER'S GUIDE to abbreviations, the site's large bibliography, letter codes, dictionaries, site design and navigation, tips for searching the site and page referrals. [LINK]
DISCLAIMER: To help us out: [LINK]
© 1998–2007, Tormod Kinnes. All rights reserved. [E-MAIL]