makes it possible.... for the sake of argument.... Also can apply... You are putting your own interpretation on the scriptures here. Which does not change the fact the the Bible is very clear that the Ishmaelite's were NOT considered brethren to the Israelites. Just as it is clear that the child of promise was Isaac.. And from his line prophets would come. Not even the Quran backs up your supposition that Ishmael was the child of promise.. As the child is not named so leaving you to interpret things yourselves.
these points can also apply to other leaders and prophets of the time... Solomon.. David.. For a start. A comparison should be on their works and ministry.
[/SIZE]1. Ministry Core #1: Moses brought salvation to God's people from physical slavery and led them to a physical Promised Land of peace and plenty. Jesus brought salvation to God's people from spiritual bondage and showed them the way to a spiritual Promised land of peace and plenty (heaven). The ministry of Muhammad did not entail him bringing salvation to God's people.
2. Ministry Core #2: Moses was uniquely a mediator between God and God's people, averting God's wrath, interceding for them and standing between them and God (Numbers 21:7, 16:42-50, Exodus 15:23-25, Exodus 19). This was the core part of Jesus' ministry as well, interceding on behalf of God's people (1 Tim 2:5, Heb 7:25), averting God's wrath.
3. Ministry Core #3: Moses brought a new covenant to the Israelites – Moses and Jesus were the only two people in history who brought or mediated a covenant of between God and his people. The new covenant of Jesus was prophesied by Jeremiah:
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
Jesus taught with authority a new internally-directed law as part of this new covenant (e.g. Matthew 5-7). Muhammad never claimed to bring any new covenant, but rather intended to restore the same system as in the days of Abraham.
Actually, the Tawrat and Qur'n state outright what the unique characteristics of Moses are:
"Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders" (Deuteronomy 34:10-11)
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses .. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles.." (Numbers 12:6-8)
"Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." (Exodus 33:11)
So we can add two more "unique characteristics" of Moses to our list now:
4. Ministry Core #4: Speaking with God directly, not through angel intermediaries or dreams
Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses regularly heard God directly rather than through visions or angel intermediaries (Numbers 12:6-8, Ex 33:11). The Qur'n agrees with this: In Sura Al-Nisa 4:163-164 the Qur'n says that Muhammad and all the other prophets were simply inspired, but "…to Moses God spoke directly (تَكلِيمَا)". Moses is listed separately because God spoke to him directly.
Muhammad used to receive revelation through the angel Gabriel (Baqarah 2:97). Jesus is also described of speaking with God directly, even face-to-face. In his transfiguration on the mountaintop (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), God addressed Jesus directly on a mountain-top, just as he did to Moses. It is clear throughout the Gospels that Jesus heard directly from God without an angel intermediary.
5. Ministry Core #5: Performed Powerful Miraculous Signs
According to the Qur'n , Jesus performed many supernatural miracles (3:49, 2:253), but according to the Qur'n , Muhammad's only miraculous sign was the Qur'n (29:48-51). Both Jesus and Moses performed numerous mighty miracles which are well-documented in their scriptures.
If we want to look at more superficial similarities, we can still find twice the amount as that drawn by Naik and Deedat:
6. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses were Israelites.
7. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses were born into poor, non-influential families, but Muhammad was born into a prominent family.
8. Both Jesus and Moses were raised by their own mothers, but Muhammad was raised in the desert by the Bedouin wet-nurse Halimah.
9. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses were plotted to be killed at infancy by a ruler's edict.
10. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses were rescued by divine intervention at infancy (Exodus 2:2-10; Matthew 2:13)
11. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses travelled from Egypt to Palestine where they completed their ministry.
12. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses spoke with God "face to face" on a mountain (Exodus 33:11 Matthew 17:3), after which their faces "shone" (Exodus 34:29, Matthew 17:2)
13. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses demonstrated supernatural control over the waters; Moses dividing the Red Sea, Jesus calming the storm.
14. Moses was prepared in the wilderness for forty years, Jesus for forty days. (Acts 7:23 with Exodus 7:7, Matthew 4:1)
15. Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses prophesied events that were fulfilled (Deuteronomy 18:15-22; 28:15-29:67; Matthew 24)
http://www.unchangingword.com/md_in_bible_dt18.php
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[/FONT]I have spoken of Covenants before.. Where does this Sura claim Mohammed authored a covenant with God? It states We took from the prophets.. And then ? Were these covenants given over to Mohammed? Which ones? Since all the major biblical covenants were given for set purposes to particular prophets. I see the only biblical covenant muslims may loosely adhere to is the Abrahamic Covenant.. But even in that you do not adhere to all the terms. I have not found anything in the Quran to suggest any new covenant with God was authored by prophet Mohammed.. When covenants are mentioned it in some way applies to the Biblical covenants.
To be continued...
Peace unto you.
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