King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 8 notes
1And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
Were they trying to say that Moses was taking too much upon himself and lording it over them,
despite the fact that he, Moses, had married 👰 a foreigner and a stranger, thus breaking the law of God?
Likely they used his mixed marriage as a case against Moses, and maybe expected him to acknowledge that he had broken the law of God and thus was not an exemplary leader.
This was unfair, considering that Moses had married before even the law and his calling.
Why would they use that against their brother?
Maybe they felt their junior brother had become too much for them; after all, God speaks to them as well.
But in this they were wrong, and were going to have a rude awakening when God educates them that there are realms of communication with God depending on your rank.
And some men need to be feared by virtue of their intimacy with the Father, even if they are your brother.
I am just wondering, why did Moses record all these happenings?
I get it that he had to record the tabernacle's structure and how to build it, and the rituals, but the happenings and these events — why?
It was to preserve knowledge, wisdom and posterity.
So the future descendants would gain wisdom from the past and know where they came from and whose they are. That is in itself wisdom — penning down all these thoughts.
3( Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
He speaks to Moses mouth to mouth.
So literally God speaks and he answers, and he speaks and God also answers.
He was at that level with God.
Whiles with others God just speaks, or even shows them pictures 🖼 and images and leaves them to ponder the meaning.
It is not less powerful or effective necessarily, but it is less intimate.
After all, some sections of scripture came by such means, i.e. visions and dreams, and it does not make them less authentic.
9And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.
10And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
The Lord departed in anger, and in a sense from the leprosy that was immediately to come on Miriam.
All lepers were not to come into the congregation of the Lord, and with Miriam's leprosy as white as snow, our holy God departed.
In anger and in holiness.
11And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
13And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
Heal her now — such audacity.... Oh my God, such intimacy. And at this realm of intimacy one cannot but get an answer.
Moses was so intimate with God, God said, I will, but not now, maybe later. 😼
I reckon that there is a certain realm and level of intimacy where it's like you asking your fellow man face to face to do you a favour.
Even if he will not, he won't ignore you; you will get an answer of no, because of such and such.
There are times in prayer and fellowship where we experience such intimacy.
For Moses, he lived there. Always with God.
And Jesus too.
The relationship of Moses we have much to learn from, in terms of the ways and mind of God.
Moses said to heal her now.
If it was some other person or prophet, the answer of no, as given in this case, would be realised when Miriam is not healed of her leprosy, and then one continues in prayer, and likely fasting, and realizes the answer on the seventh day.
However, with Moses, whom the Lord speaks to mouth to mouth 👄,
the Lord tells him, I won't heal her now as you have requested, because I'm really mad 😡 about this situation and would let her be in this situation for a few days to drive home 🏡 the lesson.
That is relationship and intimacy.
14And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
This analogy is not just that, but truth.
God was their father, Miriam was a prophetess, and the Lord loved her as a father loves his daughter, but she needed to be corrected.
What a relationship. This is mind-blowing.
15And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
She wasted everybody's time.
The Lord wanted her case to be public ridicule. Now everyone knew why they were not moving.
The whole nation is waiting for Miriam.
The Lord did this so she learns not to blaspheme next time.
16And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.