The Bible says. “If a prophet will arise from among you, or
a person who has a vision in his dream, and he indicates to you a sign (in the
heavens), or a miracle (upon the earth), and then the sign or the miracle which
he told you happens, (and he) says, “Let’s go after other gods which are
unacquainted to you, and let’s worship them!” You should not listen to the
words of that prophet, or to the person, who had a vision in his dream, for
G-d, your G-d, is testing you, to know whether you do in fact love G-d, your
G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul.”
G-d is giving this false prophet the possibility to change
the rules of nature and make a supernatural event, when he is a false and
misleading individual, just to test us! Does G-d really need this, to know if
we really love him or not? G-d knows everyone’s mind and heart. G-d is
everywhere. “The whole world is filled with His glory,” including one’s mind
and heart. Why would G-d need a scheme and method to discover who we are and
what’s really going on within us?
When creating the world, G-d made rules of nature that are
meant to specifically follow a predictable pattern, so that we should think the
world runs on its own, without any Divine intervention. There is a general rule, “G-d does not
make a miracle and change these rules of nature that He Himself put in to place
unless there is some real purpose and reason to do so.”
Since G-d knows everything, why is G-d, allowing a miracle
to take place just to test and see if we will fall for this grandiose show of
power from an individual or not? If nature dictates that the miracles not take
place, why is G-d giving this person the possibility to break the rules of
nature?
In regards to tests, we are already acquainted with them,
right at the beginning of Genesis.
Abraham was blessed miraculously with a child at the age of
100, something which was totally unusual and supernatural even for that time.
G-d promised Abraham that He would make a great nation out of this child Isaac,
and at the age of 37, G-d asks Abraham to “bring him up there for a burnt
offering on one of the mountains, where I will tell you.”
Why did G-d do this? What was the purpose?
The Bible tells us, “..Now I know that you are a G-d fearing
man and that you did not withhold your son, your only one from, me.”
The commentator Rashi explains “now I know…”, ” G-d says,
there are nations and Satan who pester me all the time with questions why am I
showing favoritism to you. But now I can make known to them, and answer them,
when they see for themselves the dedication and loyalty you have for G-d.”
In our verse regarding the false prophet the Bible uses the
same wording. “To know whether you do in fact love G-d …..” According to
Rashi’s understanding of the word, “to know”, it would mean to make known to
the world.
When we are faced with struggles and personal challenges and
we overcome them, this is making a loud statement to our surroundings and the
world. Notwithstanding our tests on our faith we remain strong, we still
believe firmly. This becomes an influence on our surroundings and helps fulfill
the purpose we were put in this world to begin with, “ “to perfect the world
under the sovereignty of the Almighty.”
Besides having proven ourselves to G-d and therefore earned
a special closer relationship with Him, we become partners with G-d in imbuing
the world with His awareness and spirituality.The world is elevated and refined
further every time we overcome a personal challenge.
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