‘Now the man Moses was very humble, above all the men that were on the face of the earth.' Moses himself was not like that, says the writer. He probably did not defend himself. Nor did he go to Yahweh about it. He was very humble, above all men who were on the face of the earth. This does not mean... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh spoke suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, “Come out you three to the tent of meeting.” And they three came out.' Then Yahweh called Moses, Aaron and Miriam to come out to the Tent of meeting. It was seemingly ‘out of the blue'. None would know the reason for the call, and Aa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth.' Yahweh then came down to the door of the Tent of meeting in a pillar of cloud and called for Aaron and Miriam to approach. Even at this stage they probably still ha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said, “Hear now my words. If there is a prophet among you, I Yahweh will make myself known to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream.' Firstly He confirmed what a prophet was. He was a man who received visions and dreams. That, said Yahweh, was how He made Himself known to the ge... [ Continue Reading ]
“ My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even openly (manifestly), and not in dark speeches, and the form of Yahweh shall he behold. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” Then He sternly reminded them what... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against them, and he departed, and the cloud removed from over the Tent. And, behold, Miriam was skin-diseased, as white as snow. And Aaron looked on Miriam, and, behold, she was skin-diseased.' And Yahweh's aversion to their behaviour was revealed by His next ac... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, lay not, I pray you, sin on us, in that we have done foolishly, and in that we have sinned.' Broken in heart and spirit and recognising how foolish they had been Aaron turned to what he knew was her only hope. Gone was his sense of equality with Moses. Gone w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb.' He begged that she might not be as a stillborn baby coming from its mother's womb wrinkled, partially formed and looking grotesque, a baby that no one bothered to clean it up. For if sh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “Heal her, O God, I beseech you.' So Moses heard their plea and prayed to Yahweh and begged Him to heal her. Note that his prayer was to ‘God', not ‘Yahweh', recognising that by her behaviour Miriam had put herself outside covenant promises. Moses is ever the fin... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up without the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.” ' Yahweh's reply was stern. It was important that Miriam learned her lesson. She must face up to he... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Miriam was shut up outside the camp seven days, and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.' So Miriam was made an outcast from the camp for seven days, after which she was allowed in again. It could hardly go unnoticed. All would know that she had been stricken by Yahweh, e... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And afterwards the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.' The whole incident is a reminder that those who are truly servants of God should be honoured as such, and that to seek to harm them is to bring a person under the judgment of Yahweh. While their bodies may... [ Continue Reading ]