Matthew’s Gospel records that a star appeared to signify to the magi that Christ has come and guide them to him:

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.’When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.”’ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.’When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was.When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy;and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.” Matthew 2:1-12

According to some early Christian writings and authorities, the star wasn’t an astral object but an angelic creature who appeared as such for the sake of the magi:

The ‘star’ goes before the magi and comes to rest ‘over the place where the child’ is. This is no ordinary star, and attempts to identify it with a planetary conjunction, comet, or supernova are futile. The Protevangelium of James (21:3), Ephrem the Syrian in his commentary on the Diatessaron, and Chrysostom in his commentary on Matthew all rightly recognize that the so-called star does not stay on high but moves as a guide and indeed comes to rest very near the infant Jesus. Matters become clear when we recall that the ancients generally believed stars to be animate beings, and Jews in particular identified them with angels (cf Job 387). The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy, 7, and Theophylact must be right in identifying the magi’s star with an angel, and one may compare the angelic guide of the Exodus (Ex 2}:20, 23; 32:34). (The Oxford Commentary on the Bible, edited by John Barton, John Muddiman [Oxford University Press, 2001], p. 849; bold emphasis mine)

Here are the quotes from the Protevangelium, Arabic Gospel, and Theophylact:

21. And, behold, Joseph was ready to go into Judæa. And there was a great commotion in Bethlehem of Judæa, for Magi came, saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him. And when Herod heard, he was much disturbed, and sent officers to the Magi. And he sent for the priests, and examined them, saying: How is it written about the Christ? Where is He to be born? And they said: In Bethlehem of Judæa, for so it is written. And he sent them away. And he examined the Magi, saying to them: What sign have you seen in reference to the king that has been born? And the Magi said: We have seen a star of great size shining among these stars, and obscuring their light, so that the stars did not appear; and we thus knew that a king has been born to Israel, and we have come to worship him. And Herod said: Go and seek him; and if you find him, let me know, in order that I also may go and worship him. And the Magi went out. And, behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before them until they came to the cave, and it stood over the top of the cave. And the Magi saw the infant with His mother Mary; and they brought forth from their bag gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by the angel not to go into Judæa, they went into their own country by another road. (Protoevangelium of James (c. 150))

And:

7. And it came to pass, when the Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem of Judæa, in the time of King Herod, behold, magi came from the east to Jerusalem, as Zeraduscht had predicted; and there were with them gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And they adored Him, and presented to Him their gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling-bands, and, on account of the smallness of her means, gave it to them; and they received it from her with the greatest marks of honour. And in the same hour there appeared to them an angel in the form of that star which had before guided them on their journey; and they went away, following the guidance of its light, until they arrived in their own country. Matthew 2:1-12 (Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour (c. 600))

Finally:

2. Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him. It is said that these Magi were descendants of Balaam the soothsayer; and that when they discovered Balaam’s oracle, “A star shall arise out of Jacob” (Num. 24:17), they understood the mystery concerning Christ, and so they came desiring to see Him that had been born. “For we have seen His star in the east.” When you hear “star,” do not think that it was a star such as we see, but a divine and angelic power that appeared in the form of a star. The Magi were astrologers, and so the Lord used what was familiar to them to draw them to Himself. In the same manner, the Lord astonished Peter the fisherman by the multitude of fish which he caught by the name of Christ. That the star was an angelic power is apparent from the fact that it shone even by day, and that it moved as they moved, and stood still as they rested; also, that it moved from Persia in the north to Jerusalem in the south. For a star never moves from north to south. “And are come to worship Him.” These Magi are seen to possess great virtue. For if they came to worship Christ in a strange land, how much more would they preach Him with great boldness in Persia?…

6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah. Since Bethlehem was small, it was despised, but now it is greatly renowned for Christ Who came forth from it. For all people from the ends of the earth come to venerate this holy Bethlehem. For out of thee shall come a Governor. Rightly did he say, “out of thee shall come” and not “in thee shall remain.” For Christ did not remain in Bethlehem, but came out from, that is, left it after His birth, and spent most of His years in Nazareth. The Jews say that this prophecy concerns Zerubbabel, but they plainly are lying; for Zerub-babel (See Haggai and Mt. 1:12) was not born in Bethlehem, but in Babylon. Consider his name: “Zeru” means “seed” or “birth,” and “babel” means “Babylon,” therefore, “he that was born in Babylon.” But even the prophecy refutes them where it says, “His goings forth are from the beginning, and in the days of the age” (Micah 5:2). Of whom else are the goings forth both from the beginning and in the days of this age if not of Christ, Who had two goings forth, that is, a double genesis? The first, His begetting, was from the beginning from the Father, and the second, His Nativity according to the flesh, was in the days of this age, and took its beginning from the Theotokos and occurred in time. Let the Jews say, therefore, that Zerubbabel was from the beginning; but they have no grounds on which to make this claim. Who shall shepherd My people Israel. The prophecy said, “shall shepherd,” not “tyrannize” or “devour” them. For the other kings were not shepherds but wolves. But Christ is a shepherd, as He Himself says, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11). “My people Israel” means those who believed, whether Jew or Gentile. “Israel” means “seeing God,” so all those who see God are Israelites, even those who are Gentiles.

7. Then Herod summoned the Magi secretly. He summoned them secretly on account of the Jews, for he suspected that perhaps the Jews would highly esteem the Child and devise means to save Him as their future liberator. Therefore Herod meets with the Magi secretly. And carefully ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. That is, he learned the exact time. The star had appeared to the Magi before the Lord was born. Since their journey would take a long time, the star appeared well before His birth so that they could worship Him while He was still in swaddling clothes. Some say that the star appeared simultaneously with Christ’s birth, and that the Magi came two years later and found the Lord neither in swaddling clothes nor in the manger, but in the house with His mother when He was two years old. But you, O reader, consider the former interpretation to be better…

8-9. And when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also. And when they had heard the king, they departed. The Magi were guileless and thought that Herod, too, spoke without guile. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them. The star was hidden for a time by God’s providence so that they would inquire of the Jews, and Herod would be troubled, and thus the truth would be made all the more apparent. But when they had departed from Jerusalem, it again appeared and guided them; from which it is clear that the star was a divine power. Until it came and stood over where the young Child was. This, too, was extraordinary. For the star descended from the heights and came closer to the earth to show them the place. For if it had appeared to them from the heights, how would they have been able to know the particular spot where Christ was? For the stars are visible over a great area. So it is that you may see the moon over your house, while it appears to me that it is over my house alone; and, in short, to each one the moon, or a star, appears to stand over them alone. Neither could this star have pointed out where Christ was if it had not descended and all but stood over the head of the Child. (Excerpts from The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew Explained by the Blessed Theophylact, Chapter Two. The Magi and the slaying of the children.; emphasis mine)

As the Oxford Commentary stated, the Bible describes angels as stars:

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7

The morning stars are paralleled with the sons of God, which is a reference to angels since at this point in the creation God had not yet created mankind. For angels as the sons of God see the following: Job 1:6; 2:1; Genesis 6:1-14.

Other examples include:

“And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit;he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft…They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abad′don, and in Greek he is called Apol′lyon.” Revelation 9:1-2, 11

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain.And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while.” Revelation 20:1-3

The star that came down to rule over the abyss is clearly identified as an angel.

It is, thus, likely that what the magi saw was an angelic power appearing as a shiny astral object for the express purpose of leading them to Christ the King.

All scriptural references taken from Revised Standard Version (RSV).

In this very short post, I will cite a tradition found in the major commentaries of the Quran that show how the followers of Muhammad’s companions were baffled by the Quranic claim that Jesus’ mother was the sister of Aaron. They clearly saw that this meant that Mary was Moses’ sister, which in turn makes Moses Jesus’ maternal uncle!

Here are the Quranic texts:

(Remember) when the wife of ‘Imran said: “O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.” Then when she delivered her [child Maryam (Mary)], she said: “O my Lord! I have delivered a female child,” – and Allah knew better what she delivered, – “And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast.” S. 3:35-36 Hilali-Khan

Then, carrying (the baby in her lap), she came to her people. They said: ‘O Maryam (Mary), surely you have brought quite an amazing thing. O sister of Harun (Aaron)! Neither was your father a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman.’ S. 19:27-28 (Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/19/st43.htm)

And Maryam, the daughter of Imran who guarded her private sexual part, so We introduced therein out of Our Spirit. And she testified to the truth of the statements of her Nourisher-Sustainer and His Writings. And she happened to be out of those who are content. S. 66:12 (Dr. Kamal Omar https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/66/st48.htm)

Now contrast that with the Maryam of the Holy Bible:

“Then Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing.” Exodus 15:20

“The name of Amram’s wife was Joch′ebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.” Numbers 26:59

“The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abi′hu, Elea′zar, and Ith′amar.” 1 Chronicles 6:3

And here is the tradition:

وَقَالَ اِبْن جَرِير حَدَّثَنِي يَعْقُوب حَدَّثَنَا اِبْن عُلَيَّة عَنْ سَعِيد بْن أَبِي صَدَقَة عَنْ مُحَمَّد بْن سِيرِينَ قَالَ أُنْبِئْت أَنَّ كَعْبًا قَالَ إِنَّ قَوْله : يَا أُخْت هَارُون ” لَيْسَ بِهَارُون أَخِي مُوسَى قَالَ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ عَائِشَة كَذَبْت قَالَ يَا أُمّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنْ كَانَ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَهُ فَهُوَ أَعْلَم وَأَخْبَر وَإِلَّا فَإِنِّي أَجِد بَيْنهمَا سِتّمِائَةِ سَنَة قَالَ فَسَكَتَتْ وَفِي هَذَا التَّارِيخ نَظَر

It was narrated from Ibn Jarir, narrated from Yaqub, narrated from Ibn U’laya, narrated from Sa’id Ibn Abi Sadaqa, narrated from Muhammad Ibn Sireen who stated that he was told that Ka’b said the verse that reads, “O sister of Harun (Aaron)!” (Sura 19:28) does not refer to Aaron the brother of Moses. Aisha replied to Ka’b, “YOU HAVE LIED.” Ka’b responded, “O Mother of the believers! If the prophet has said it, and he is more knowledgeable, then this is what he related. Besides, I find the difference in time between them to be 600 years.” He said that she remained silent. (Ibn Kathir,  Q. 19:28 https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=7&tSoraNo=19&tAyahNo=28&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1)

This same hadith is narrated by both al-Qurtubi (https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=5&tSoraNo=19&tAyahNo=28&tDisplay=yes&Page=2&Size=1&LanguageId=1), as well as  al-Tabari (https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=1&tSoraNo=19&tAyahNo=28&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1).

The latter also narrated the following report:

الْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { يَا أُخْت هَارُون } اِخْتَلَفَ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل فِي السَّبَب الَّذِي مِنْ أَجْله قِيلَ لَهَا : يَا أُخْت هَارُون , وَمَنْ كَانَ هَارُون هَذَا الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ اللَّه , حَدَّثَنَا اِبْن حُمَيْد , قَالَ : ثنا الْحَكَم بْن بَشِير , قَالَ : ثنا عَمْرو , عَنْ سِمَاك بْن حَرْب , عَنْ عَلْقَمَة بْن وَائِل , عَنْ الْمُغِيرَة بْن شُعْبَة , قَالَ : أَرْسَلَنِي النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَعْض حَوَائِجه إِلَى أَهْل نَجْرَان , فَقَالُوا : أَلَيْسَ نَبِيّك يَزْعُم أَنَّ هَارُون أَخُو مَرْيَم هُوَ أَخُو مُوسَى ؟ فَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا أَرُدّ عَلَيْهِمْ حَتَّى رَجَعْت إِلَى النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , فَذَكَرْت لَهُ ذَلِكَ , فَقَالَ : ” إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَمُّونَ بِأَسْمَاءِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلهمْ ” . وَقَالَ بَعْضهمْ : عَنَى بِهِ هَارُون أَخُو مُوسَى , وَنُسِبَتْ مَرْيَم إِلَى أَنَّهَا أُخْته لِأَنَّهَا مِنْ وَلَده , – حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى , قَالَ : ثنا عَمْرو , قَالَ : ثنا أَسْبَاط , عَنْ السُّدِّيّ { يَا أُخْت هَارُون } قَالَ : كَانَتْ مِنْ بَنِي هَارُون أَخِي مُوسَى

The people of commentary and interpretation have differed on the reason why it was said “O sister of Harun!” (Of Sura 19:28), and who this Harun was that Allah mentioned…

It was narrated by Ibn Hamid, narrated by Al Hakam Ibn Bashir, narrated by Amr, narrated by Simak Ibn Harb, narrated by Alqama Ibn Wa’il, narrated Al-Mughira Ibn Shu’ba who said, “The prophet sent me to fetch some of his needs from the people of Najran who said, ‘Doesn’t your prophet claim that Harun the brother of Mariam (Mary) is the brother of Moses?’ I did not know how to respond to them until I returned to the prophet. I related to him all what was said and he replied, ‘They used to name themselves after the names of those who came before them.’”

Others said the Harun referred to is the brother of Moses, and Mariam was classified as his sister for she is a (descendent) of (his) son.

It was narrated by Musa, narrated by Amr, narrated by Asbat, narrated by Al-Suddi who said regarding “O sister of Harun!” (Surah 19:28) that (Mariam) was a descendent of the tribe of Harun, the brother of Moses. (Tabari)

Notice that it was the Christians and Jews who knew the Scriptures and knew the biblical expressions that caught this egregious blunder on Muhammad’s part. They saw that the expression “sister of Aaron” could only mean that Muhammad erroneously confused Jesus’ mother with Moses’ sister.

So much for the Muslim claim that the Quran is the uncreated speech of the true God and a living miracle.

All scriptural citations taken from the Revised Standard Version (RSV).

FURTHER READING

The following articles and rebuttals go in great depth on this Quranic blunder, refuting the feeble attempts of Muhammadan polemicists to explain this egregious mistake away:

Does The Quran Mistakenly Teach That Moses Is Jesus’ Uncle?

Is Mary the Sister of Aaron?

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Sister of Aaron

Jesus is from the Seed of David

Is Mary from the tribe of Levi or Judah?

Imran’s Fatherhood: Part I, Part II

What type of Messiah does the Quran say Jesus Happens to Be? Pt. 1

What type of Messiah does the Quran say Jesus Happens to Be? Pt. 2

Anti-Trinitarians often cite the following words of our Lord to the rich young ruler:

“And a ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.’” Luke 18:18-19

They interpret this as a denial of our Lord’s Deity, and explain this as Jesus’ affirming that the Father alone is essentially good and therefore essentially God.

Despite having repeatedly addressed this objection in my articles, rebuttals and sessions (the links to which will be posted at the conclusion), I’ve chosen to respond once again but from a different angle. I have also decided to go with the Lukan version of this exchange since I’ve already analyzed the Markan and Matthean accounts elsewhere.    

THE HOLINESS AND PURITY OF CHRIST

In order to correctly understand what Jesus did not mean, we need to first analyze our Lord’s response to the ruler in the overall context of what the author of Luke-Acts taught as a whole in respect to Christ’s impeccable and infallible character.

All throughout Luke-Acts, Christ is said to be absolutely holy, righteous and innocent, since he is the unique Son of God who always pleases the Father.

This is a fact to which God, the holy angels, believers, unbelievers, and even demons all attest:

“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How shall this be, since I have no husband?’ And the angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.’” Luke 1:34-35

“and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:22

“And he went down to Caper′na-um, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath;and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.’And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region… Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.And demons also came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.” Luke 4:31-37, 40-41

“Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’” Luke 23:46-47

“But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,” Acts 3:14

“Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,” Acts 7:52

“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth;’” Acts 22:14

The foregoing illustrates that it makes no sense to assume that Christ was denying his absolute goodness, and therefore his essential coequality with God.

Rather, Jesus’ questioning the young man was meant to help the latter to further reflect more deeply upon the implications of his flattering words. I.e., if Christ is good, and only God is good, then this means that Christ must be God. And if the man truly believed this, would he then be willing to give up his idolatrous lust of riches in order leave everything behind for the sake of following Jesus?   

After all, the same ten commandments, which our Lord referred to, teach that a person cannot have any other god or idol which would hinder him/her from loving God unconditionally. And yet the man’s riches prevented him from loving Jesus fully and completely:

“‘You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.”’ And he said, ‘All these I have observed from my youth. And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich.” Luke 18:20-23

In other words, the Lord’s statements were intended to show the young ruler that he is the good God that all must love unconditionally!

CHRIST: THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

This fact is brought out more explicitly in what Christ went on to say right after the man walked away due to his unwillingness to give up everything for the sake of Jesus:

“Jesus looking at him said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ Those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But he said, ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God.’” Luke 18:24-27

Pay carefully attention to the Lord stating that salvation is a work which is impossible for any man to accomplish. This is why God alone is able to save human souls.

Note the Matthean and Markan parallels, which drive this point home:

“When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:25-26

“And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”” Mark 10:26-27

Now if Christ were a mere human being who is less than absolutely good then he would not be able to save any human life. As a finite, temporal creature, Jesus would himself need God to save him.

And yet Luke-Acts teach that Christ came into the world as the Savior who offers his soul for the salvation and redemption of mankind!

“And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11

“For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” Luke 22:19-20

Jesus himself proclaimed that he has power to forgive sinners, something that God alone possesses:

“On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, ‘Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?’ When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Rise and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the man who was paralyzed—‘I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.’ And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.’” Luke 5:17-26

The Lord does here what the Hebrew Scriptures attribute to YHWH alone, namely, the power to forgive sins, heal diseases and know the hearts and minds of individuals:

“then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and render to each whose heart thou knowest, according to all his ways (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men);… If they sin against thee—for there is no man who does not sin—and thou art angry with them, and dost give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; yet if they lay it to heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to thee in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have acted perversely and wickedly’; 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions which they have committed against thee; and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” 1 Kings 8:39, 46-50  

“would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,” Psalm 103:2-4

Here are further examples of Christ granting forgiveness and salvation to anyone trusting in his name:

“And he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” Luke 7:48-50

“And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by any one,came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!’But Jesus said, ‘Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.’And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” Luke 8:43-48

Jesus even sent out his apostles to proclaim that everyone must turn to and believe in the Son of God to receive forgiveness of sins, since there is no other Person and name given to mankind, which can save anyone besides that of the risen Lord!

“Then he said to them, ‘These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” Luke 24:44-47

The disciples would even perform miracles in Jesus’ name to prove that he alone saves:

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:37-38

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, astounded.  And when Peter saw it he addressed the people, ‘Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him… and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.… having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.’” Acts 3:12-13, 15-16, 26

“On the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Ca′iaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a cripple, by what means this man has been healed, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man that had been healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.” Acts 4:5-14  

“God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31

“And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised… Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:22-23, 38-39

“and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” Acts 15:9-11

“and brought them out and said, ‘Men, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” Acts 16:30-31

To say that this proclamation is remarkable, in fact astonishing, would be putting it mildly, since the Hebrew Bible is explicitly clear that YHWH is the only Savior who saves people from their lawlessness!

“Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’ ONLY in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were incensed against him. In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory.” Isaiah 45:21-25

ISAIAH’S SUFFERING SERVANT

Related to this issue of Christ saving human beings is the prophecy of Isaiah 53, which our Lord and Acts referenced:

“He said to them, ‘But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was reckoned with transgressors”; for what is written about me has its fulfilment.” Luke 22:36-37  

“So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless some one guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: ‘As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.’ And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus.” Acts 8:30-35

Here is the passage in question:

“Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:1-12

YHWH’s Servant is said to be his very own Arm, e.g., his divine Power, sent forth to bear the sins of the nations by giving up his soul as a guilt offering and making intercession for the transgressors. YHWH’s Servant is further described as being righteous, having no deceit in his mouth.

By citing this Old Testament prophecy, Christ and his followers were identifying Jesus as that very sinless servant of YHWH whom the Lord sent to do what is impossible for any mere human being to accomplish, namely, save the world from its sin.

The prophet himself affirms that this is a work which no mere creature is qualified to carry out, which is why YHWH had to do it himself by sending forth his very own eternal Arm, i.e., the Servant:

“Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intervene; then his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him.” Isaiah 59:15-16

“I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me victory, and my wrath upheld me.” Isaiah 63:5

CONCLUSION

We have established that according to Luke-Acts Jesus is the absolutely holy and righteous Son of God who performs the humanly impossible task of saving the nations and forgiving their sins. And since God alone is essentially pure and good, and since he alone is able to save anyone from his/her transgression, this means that the Lord wasn’t denying his Deity to the rich man.

Rather, Jesus was leading the man to the inevitable realization that since Christ is absolutely good then he must be God in essence. And if so then the man had to be willing to give up everything for the Lord Jesus, including his own riches which had become his idol.

Sadly, this is something the young ruler was unwilling to do, proving that he didn’t really believe the things that came out of his mouth. The man was simply flattering Christ with the hopes that the Lord would appease him and justify his idolatrous lust of money.

I end this with the following syllogism since it will help the readers see that, according to Luke-Acts, Jesus is God in the flesh:

1. God alone is intrinsically good, goodness being essential to his very nature.
2. The work of saving sinners is an impossible task for any human being to perform.
3. God alone is able to save mankind from their sins.
4. Jesus is absolutely holy, righteous and pure.
5. Jesus is able to save human beings from all their sins.
6. Jesus must, therefore, be God in the flesh since he does what is impossible for human creatures to do, and is essentially good as God is.
7. At the same time, Jesus is not the Father or the Holy Spirit, but one with them.
8. Therefore, the one true God who alone is good eternally subsists as the Father, the Son that became human, and the eternal Spirit.

All biblical citations taken from the Revised Standard Version (RSV).

FURTHER READING

Jesus Christ – The Absolutely and Essentially Good God

How can Jesus be God when he says that only God is good?

Addressing Williams’ False Allegations Pt. 3

Addressing Williams’ False Allegations Pt. 4

In this post I will be refuting some additional Muslim claims in support of their belief that Muhammad is prophesied in the Holy Bible.

I will be focusing on the assertions that Paran is another name for Mecca and that God’s promise to make Ishmael a great nation must mean making his descendants great religiously and spiritually through Muhammad.

THE ISRAELITES GO TO MECCA?

Some Muslims argue that the wilderness of Paran where Ishmael settled,

“He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.” Genesis 21:21

Refers to the region of Arabia, particularly Mecca. They further assert that Moses announced that God’s law would be revealed there:

“This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.” Deuteronomy 33:1-2

The problem with this claim is that Paran is nowhere near Mecca, just as the following references attest:

Paran, El-paran

(peace of caverns), a desert or wilderness, bounded on the north by Palestine, on the east by the valley of Arabah, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the west by the wilderness of Etham, which separated it from the Gulf of Suez and Egypt. The first notice of Paran is in connection with the invasion of the confederate kings. ( Genesis 14:6 ) The detailed itinerary of the children of Israel in ( Numbers 33:1 ) … does not mention Paran because it was the name of a wide region; but the many stations in Paran are recorded, chs. 17-36. and probably all the eighteen stations were mentioned between Hazeroth and Kadesh were in Paran. Through this very wide wilderness, from pasture to pasture as do modern Arab tribes, the Israelites wandered in irregular lines of march. This region through which the Israelites journeyed so long is now called by the name it has borne for ages –Bedu et-Tih , “the wilderness of wandering.” (“Bible Geography,” Whitney.) “Mount” Paran occurs only in two poetic passages, ( 33:2 ); Habb 3:3 It probably denotes the northwestern member of the Sinaitic mountain group which lies adjacent to the Wady Teiran . (It is probably the ridge or series of ridges lying on the northeastern part of the desert of Paran, not far from Kadesh. –ED.) (Smith’s Bible Dictionary)

Arabah [N] [E]

(burnt up). Although this word appears in the Authorized Version in its original shape only in ( Joshua 18:18 ) yet in the Hebrew text it is of frequent occurrence. It indicates more particularly the deep-sunken valley or trench which forms the most striking among the many striking natural features of Palestine, and which extends with great uniformity of formation from the slopes of Hermon to the Elanitic Gulf (Gulf of Akabah) of the Red Sea; the most remarkable depression known to exist on the surface of the globe. Through the northern portion of this extraordinary fissure the Jordan rushes through the lakes of Huleh and Gennesaret down its tortuous course to the deep chasm of the Dead Sea. This portion, about 150 miles in length, is known amongst the Arabs by the name of el-Ghor. The southern boundary of the (Ghor is the wall of cliffs which crosses the valley about 10 miles south of the Dead Sea. From their summits, southward to the Gulf of Akabah, the valley changes its name, or, it would be more accurate to say, retains old name of Wady el-Arabah. (Ibid.; bold emphasis mine)

Paran (פָּארָן, paran). The region of wilderness south of Israel and west of Edom (Gen 21:21; Num 10:12; 12:16; 13:26; Deut 1:1; 1 Sam 25:1). Paran and Kadesh are often listed in parallel. For example, in Num 13:26 the Israelite spies return to “Paran, at Kadesh” (ESV). Deuteronomy 1:1 contrasts with Deut 1:2 by alternately using Paran and Kadesh, which suggests that the two names refer to the same location. (John D. Barry et al., eds., “Paran,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary, Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016)

Arabah (עֲרָבָה, aravah; “desert,” “wasteland,” or “barren area”; modern “Aravah” or “Arava”). An arid desert valley that runs from the south end of the Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba, the northern tip of the Red Sea. The Arabah Valley is roughly 6 miles wide and 200 miles long. In modern usage, the term “Arabah” typically indicates the valley’s 100-mile stretch between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. (R. L. Drouhard, “Arabah,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary; bold emphasis mine)

In fact, if the Muslims were to be consistent then they would have to argue that Moses and the Israelites spent a portion of their 40-year wilderness wandering in Mecca!

Paran (Hb pa’ran, most frequently the name of a desert region). The place name Elparan (Gn 14:6) no doubt is associated with the desert; this place is thought to be identical with Elath* by some scholars. The desert of Paran was the home of the Ishmaelites (Gn 21:21). It was, the itinerary according to P (cf. PENTATEUCH), reached by the Israelites after the desert of Sinai (Nm 10:12), and they camped in this desert for some time (Nm 10:12; 13:3, 26, mission and return of the scouts). In Dt 1:1 Paran is vaguely defined as a place in the desert. Hadad of Edom passed through the desert of Paran on his journey from Midian* to Egypt (1 Kings 11:18). The mountains of Paran are the place from which the theophany* appears (Dt 33:2; Hab. 3:3); like most other names mentioned in the theophanies, Paran reflects the region S of Judah. The desert of Paran is probably that region of the Negeb* which lies S of Kadesh-barnea*. (John L. McKenzie, Dictionary of the Bible, p. 637; bold emphasis mine)

Paran [N] [H]

abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns, ( Genesis 21:21 ), a desert tract forming the north-eastern division of the peninsula of Sinai, lying between the ‘Arabah on the east and the wilderness of Shur on the west. It is intersected in a north-western direction by the Wady el-‘Arish. It bears the modern name of Badiet et-Tih, i.e., “the desert of the wanderings.” This district, through which the children of Israel wandered, lay three days’ march from Sinai ( Numbers 10:12 Numbers 10:33 ). From Kadesh, in this wilderness, spies (q.v.) were sent to spy the land ( Numbers 13:3 Numbers 13:26 ). Here, long afterwards, David found refuge from Saul ( 1 Samuel 25:1 1 Samuel 25:4 ). (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)

Now compare the above with the following OT passages:

“In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.” Genesis 14:5-7

“On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. They set out, this first time, at the LORD’s command through Moses.” Numbers 10:11-13

“So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.” Numbers 12:15-16

“The LORD said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.’ So at the LORD’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.” Numbers 13:1-3

“At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.'” Numbers 13:25-27

“These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)” Deuteronomy 1:1-2

In light of the foregoing, do Muslims seriously want Christians to believe that Moses and the Israelites traveled from Sinai all the way to Mecca and back during their 40-year desert sojourning?

Continuing further:

“Now Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David got up and went down to the wilderness of Paran.” 1 Samuel 25:1

Are we to assume that David went to Mecca after Samuel’s death?

“But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking men from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage.” 1 Kings 11:17-19

“God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.” Habakkuk 3:3

Interestingly, the preceding passages connect Mount Paran with Seir and Teman. Both Seir and Teman are associated with Edom. Here is McKenzie regarding the locations of Seir and Teman:

Seir (Hb se’ir), a geographical name; Seir is associated with Esau* and Edom* and the association is expressed in a play on the words se’ar, “goat,” and sa’ir, “hairy,” in Gn 25:25; 27:11, 23. The name appears as the designation of a land, of a mountain, and as a gentilic. There is no doubt that the mountain is the chain which extends SW of the Dead Sea along the W side of the Arabah*, rising to an average height of 5000 ft. The name was later extended to the corresponding mountain chain on the E side of the Arabah. As a territorial designation the term is used more loosely of the region adjacent to the mountain chain, substantially identical with the territory of Edom … Israelite tradition itself recognized that the claim of Edom to Seir and its settlement there were older than its own claim to Canaan. It was the region of Esau the brother of Jacob … The mountain becomes a loose designation of its inhabitants as “the men of Seir or Mt Seir” (2 Ch 20:10, 22f; 25:11, 14); these must be the Edomites … (McKenzie, pp. 783-784; bold emphasis mine)

Teman (Hb teman, “the south”), a place name; a region of Edom (Je 49:7; Ezk 25:13; Am 1:12; Ob 9) mentioned with Dedan* (Ezk 25:13), famous for its wise men (Je 49:7), the place from which Yahweh appears (Hab 3:3; mentioned with Mt Paran*); genealogically reckoned a descendant of Esau and a son of Eliphaz (Gn 36:11, 15, 42; 1 Ch 1:36, 53). The situation is unknown except that it must be in the territory of Edom. Very frequently in the OT teman is used to signify simply “south” as a point of direction. (McKenzie, p. 872; bold emphasis mine)

J. Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, p. 897, states:

TEMAN.- A tribe (district) of Edom.

In light of this, it is little wonder that Hadad of Edom passed through Paran enroute to Egypt. It makes no sense for Hadad to travel from Edom to Mecca in order to get to Egypt.

Furthermore, there is no evidence apart from the later Muslim traditions that Ishmael ever married a Jurhumite woman since the Holy Bible indicates that he married an Egyptian. The Holy Bible also tells us where Ishmael’s sons settled:

“This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.” Genesis 25:12-18

McKenzie locates Shur around the area of Palestine and Egypt:

Shur (Hb sur), a geographical name which designates the slopes of Palestine and E of Egypt and N of the deserts of the Sinai peninsula. The Hb word suggests sur, “wall”, and some geographers have thought that the name alludes to the line of fortresses constructed by the Egyptians to protect the E frontier of Egypt. The region is the scene of the flight of Hagar* in the account of J (Gn 16:7). Abraham dwelt for a time in the Negeb* between Kadesh* and Shur (Gn 20:1). The Israelites traversed the desert of Shur after crossing the Sea of Reeds (Ex 15:22). The area from Havilah* to Shur was the home of the Amalekites* and other nomad tribes (Gn 25:18; 1 S 15:7; 27:8). (McKenzie, pp. 810-811; bold emphasis mine)

This conclusively demonstrates that neither Ishmael nor his twelve sons settled in Mecca, nor is Paran another name for Mecca!

10,000 JIHADIS?

Muslims also believe that the reference to God coming with 10,000 of his holy ones in Deut. 33:2,

“And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai, And rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, And he came from the ten thousands (meribbot) of holy ones: At his right hand was a fiery law for them.”

Is actually referring to the conquest of Mecca where Muhammad entered into the city with 10,000 of his jihadis according to the Islamic sources.

There are at least two problems with this assertion.

First, the verse doesn’t say ten thousand but rather ten thousandS!

The expression meribbot, which comes from rebabah, is often employed elsewhere in relation God’s heavenly host, I.e., to the company of God’s angels that surround God’s throne and who often accompany the Lord when he descends to the earth to accomplish a particular task:

“With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands (ribbotayim alpe shinan), the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place. Thou didst ascend the high mount, leading captives in thy train, and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.” Psalm 68:17-18

“As I looked, Judgment before the Ancient One thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands (elep alpayim alpin) served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand (waribbo rabbawan ribban) stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10

Therefore, the ten thousands of holy ones are not Muslim Jihadis but God’s angelic entourage who descended with YHWH during the Exodus to accompany Moses and the Israelites.

The New Testament provides further corroboration for this point since it attests that God came down with his myriads of angels who stand before him in heaven to transmit the Law through Moses:

“you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Acts 7:53

“Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary.” Galatians 3:19

“For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him,” Hebrews 2:2-3  

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22-24

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’” Revelation 5:11-12  

The second problem is that according to the Muslim sources, Muhammad did not enter Mecca with ten thousand soldiers, but with twelve thousand!

“I note that according to the statements of ‘Urwa, al-Zuhri and Musa b. ‘Uqba, the total number of the 2 armies with which he faced Hawazin was 14,000 SINCE HE HAD BROUGHT 12,000 TO MECCA, IN THEIR VIEW, and 2,000 of the al-tulaqa had been joined to these.” (Ibn Kathir, The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya, translated by Professor Trevor Le Gassick, Reviewed by Dr. Muneer Fareed [Garnet Publishing Court, 8 Southern Court, South Street Reading, RGI 4QS 2000], Volume III, p. 440; capital emphasis mine)

And:

“‘Urwa b. al-Zbayr stated, ‘He had 12,000 men with him.’ Al-Zuhri and Musa b. ‘Uqba said the same…” (Ibid., p. 386)

BECOMING A GREAT NATION

According to Genesis, God promised to make Ishmael a great nation (Cf. Genesis 16:10; 17:18-20; 21:13). The Muslims argue that part of being a great nation includes receiving God’s commandments (Cf. Exodus 32:9-10; Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Genesis 18:18-19; Quran 2:132-133; 16:123). As such, this means that God would make Ishmael’s offspring great by raising up for them a prophet, namely, Muhammad.

The Muslims have erroneously assumed that being a great nation necessarily includes receiving revelation from God. Even though it is true that part of what made Israel a great nation was the receiving of God’s law, there is nothing in the phrase itself which warrants such a conclusion.

Note how both the term “great” and the phrase “great nation” are used throughout the OT:

“Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.” Genesis 10:12

“Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.’” Deuteronomy 1:28

“(The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim.” Deuteronomy 2:10

“It is also counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there – but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim – a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place,” Deuteronomy 2:20-21

“driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day,” Deuteronomy 4:38

“Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak?’” Deuteronomy 9:1-2

“then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.” Deuteronomy 11:23

“For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day.” Joshua 23:9

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.’” Jeremiah 6:22

“For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.” Jeremiah 50:9

“Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.” Jeremiah 50:41

“And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:11 – Cf. 1:2, 3:2-3

The preceding examples show that the greatness of these nations and cities had nothing to do with receiving the laws and testimonies of God. In fact, many of them were heathens who worshiped false gods!

In light of the foregoing, we now turn our attention to the passages in question to see what exactly made Ishmael a great nation:

“And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before you!’ God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant WITH HIM as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father TWELVE PRINCES, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.’” Genesis 17:15-21

“Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Genesis 21:8-13, 18

According to these passages, Ishmael becoming a great nation did not include the covenant promises!

God specifically says that his covenant was with Isaac and that Abraham’s offspring would be reckoned through Isaac’s line, not Ishmael. Ishmael’s greatness would be based on God granting him twelve sons who would become rulers, forming a great nation. Genesis records that God fulfilled his promise to Ishmael during the latter’s own lifetime:

“These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, TWELVE PRINCES according to their tribes. (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.” Genesis 25:12-18

The God-breathed Scriptures show how God reaffirmed his covenant with Isaac and Jacob, making their seed as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sand of the earth:

“And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.’ And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, DO AS SHE TELLS YOU, for THROUGH ISAAC shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.’” Genesis 21:8-13

“Abraham gave ALL HE HAD to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.” Genesis 25:5-6

“Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you AND TO YOUR OFFSPRING I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN and will give to YOUR OFFSPRING all these lands. And IN YOUR OFFSPRING all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.’” Genesis 26:1-5

“Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to YOUR OFFSPRING. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and IN YOU and YOUR OFFSPRING shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’” Genesis 28:10-17

“And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.’” Exodus 3:6-8

“See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them … The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN.” Deuteronomy 1:8, 10

“And because he loved your fathers and chose their OFFSPRING after them and brought YOU out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for AN INHERITANCE, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” Deuteronomy 4:37-39

“Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous AS THE STARS AS HEAVEN.” Deuteronomy 10:22

“But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.” 2 Samuel 17:11

“Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy.” 1 Kings 4:20

“And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.” Nehemiah 9:22-25

The aforementioned passages emphatically prove that all the nations would be blessed in the seed of Isaac and Jacob, not Ishmael!

In light of the above, God’s promise to make Ishmael a great nation has nothing to do with either the covenant promises or Muhammad.

FURTHER READING

IS MUHAMMAD IN THE BIBLE? HAMZA YUSUF EXPOSED

MUHAMMADAN FRAUD ALI ATAIE EXPOSED: ISAIAH 42

Hamza Abdul Malik and the Ishmael Connection