seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.
10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!”
14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.
Oh, what a cool story! Well, maybe not so much for Miriam, come to mention it!Here's the link to the commentary I read.
For he had married an Ethiopian woman: Interestingly, they criticized Moses and his wife over something she had no control over — her appearance, either because she was an Ethiopian (a black or dark African) or had a dark complexion as an Ethiopian.
As the following verses will show, the complaint over Moses’ wife was not the real issue. Many people are criticized over things that are not the real issue, or things they have no control over.
Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? This question was meant to tear Moses down, asked with the assumption that Moses was spiritually proud. The idea was that Moses arrogantly presented himself as the only spokesman of God to Israel.
Has He not spoken through us also? This question was meant to lift Miriam and Aaron up. They wanted some of the authority and attention Moses received by God’s appointment.
I speak with him face to face: The basis of the complaint of Miriam and Aaron was essentially, “What’s so special about Moses?” Here, God explained exactly what was so special about him. Most prophets receive revelation through a dream or in a vision; God spoke with Moses face to face.
Suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow: Leprosy was a disease of bodily decay and corruption; it was considered to be a “walking death” — and Miriam had a seriously advanced case of leprosy instantly. At this moment, God caused her body to reflect her heart.
Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper: It seems that Miriam did not immediately know this; the sense seems to be that Aaron noticed it first as he turned and looked.
Please heal her, O God, I pray: When Moses spoke, it was in prayer for his accusers. Moses certainly was a man faithful in the Lord’s house.
Moses married a black girl! AAWWWEEE! How could he run the whole Israelite trek? He was married to a black girl!Miriam came up with this racist plan. Of course they had been told they, Israelites, were the chosen ones. Moses married a woman who was not an Israelite! She was black! That means any child they had would be black! How could Moses have done such a horrible thing?!?
Isn't it something... God turned Miriam "snow white" [verse 10].
I thought Miriam was married to Aaron. All these years, I thought this was a married couple who were trying to take over the show. I'm wrong again. Miriam was Moses' older sister, according to "Got Questions".
So, God ordered Moses, and his brother, and his sister, to the Tent of Meeting. Moses didn't say a word during the whole "hearing". God told Aaron and Miriam to back off.
God wasn't messing with dreams and visions to accomplish Moses Mission. God talked to Moses face to face.
Moses had a relationship with God and the color of his wife's skin was an adornment, not something to be hated.
God made black skin too!
Isn't it ironic that Miriam's skin turned "snow white"? Don't hate her because she's white.
So, the whole nation of Israel waited for a week while Miriam sat outside of camp getting her flesh back... literally and figuratively.
Moses married a black girl... Miriam turned "snow white".
