Read Numbers 12:1-16.
[What we’re skipping:
* What God commanded Moses on top of Mt. Sinai about–burnt offerings, grain, offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, and priests and the offerings.
* Aaron and his sons were consecrated; and God accepts Aaron’s offering, but He kills two of Aaron’s wicked sons.
* More instructions about–clean and unclean animals, purfication after childbirth, leprosy, cleansing lepers, cleansing houses, bodily discharges, the Day of Atonement, the place of sacrifice, eating blood, sexual relations, God’s holiness, loving your neighbor, keeping God’s laws, child sacrifice, being holy, priests’ holiness, acceptable offerings, the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Booths, lamps in the tabernacle, bread for the tabernacle, punishment for blasphemy, “an eye for an eye,” the Sabbath Year, the Year of Jubilee, redemption of property, kindness to the poor, redeeming a poor man, blessings for obedience, punishment for disobedience, and vows. Like I said, it’s al instructions, for the most part, so if you’re interested in a particular thing, look it up.
*As far as the beginning of Numbers goes…well, it’s called “Numbers” for a reason; and we are skipping–a census of Israel’s warriors, the exemption of the Levites, where everyone’s supposed to camp, Aaron’s sons, duties of the Levites, redemption of the firstborn, duties of the Kohathites, unclean people, confession and restitution, a test for adultery, the Nazirite vow, Aaron’s blessing, offerings at the tabernacle’s consecration, the seven lamps, the cleansing of the Levites, retirement of the Levites, celebrating the Passover, the cloud covering the tabernacle, the silver trumpets, Israel leaving Sinai, the people complain (again), elders are appointed to aid Moses, and finally quail and a plague. Like I said, it’s important stuff; but, a lot of it doesn’t further “the plot.” But this does…]
1. OK…so Moses married a foreign woman, which was a no-no, right?
2. Then Miriam and Aaron take that as an opportunity to get a little too bit for their britches by saying that Moses isn’t only one God can talk to directly. (That might be true; but, at the time, it’s just Moses.) So…do you think that Moses marrying the foreign woman opened Moses up for more criticism?
3. God chews out Miriam and Aaron for saying that they were on the same level as Moses. He basically says that they might get visions from God, but Moses gets it all “uncut.” He even says that Moses gets to “see” Him. Can you understand why God is a little peeved here?
4. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, God striked Miriam with LEPROSY! Whoah. What do you think about that?
5. Then Moses asked for her to be healed, and God tells him to put her in timeout for a week outside the camp. Do you think she learned her lesson?
6. What is the lesson?
4 Comments so far
Leave a comment
ripple effect: vacaville 
hmmm…too big for their britches…yeah i can see a lesson here don’t try and say that you are on a level plain with god(or god’s patsey) that’s like saying you are on the level of a prince…so punishment for critisizing moses and declaring yourself higher than you are.
but i mean come on Moses you know that that will do you no good. how many of your forefathers did the same thing and did it turn out weel for any of them? not realy.
Comment by Wolverine October 8, 2007 @ 6:37 amYeah…pride comes before the fall. The first will be the last. You take your pick.
I don’t think Moses’ knowledge of the past could prevent him from caring about his sister.
Comment by supermannino October 8, 2007 @ 10:32 amno i meant about marrying a foreign woman…
Comment by Wolverine October 9, 2007 @ 6:42 amOh…gotcha. Good point.
Comment by supermannino October 9, 2007 @ 2:14 pm