This chapter starts out with the account of Miriam and Aaron murmuring against Moses. It seems that they spoke against the fact that Moses had married a woman. (Ethiopian) It is unclear if this is speaking of Zipporah, the Midianite woman Moses wed while in Midian after fleeing from Pharoah or of another wife Moses may have married while in Pharoah's court or perhaps from among the mixed multitude that came with the Israelites out of Egypt. So it is unclear if this passage is referring to Zipporah or to another wife of Moses. Either way, Miriam and Aaron murmured among the people concerning this wife. They did not come straight to Moses with their complaint, but spoke behind his back about this foreign wife. We do not know what the complaint about this wife entailed. Was it because she was a foreign wife or because Moses was influenced by this wife or was it something about this wife's personality that Miriam and Aaron had difficulty with. We don't know the details.
Also, Miriam and Aaron questioned if God only spoke through Moses but also by them. Were they jealous of Moses' special standing with God? Were they desirous of having such a close relationship with God as Moses had? The text does not make it very clear. However God was aware of their murmuring and called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Did they think that God would not be aware of what they were speaking and thinking concerning Moses? They were going to soon find out.
When they came to the entrance, the presence of the Lord appeared and God confronted Miriam and Aaron about their sin. Addressing Miriam and Aaron, the Lord tells them that He chooses the prophet among them (who was Moses) and will make Himself know to him in a vision and speak to him in a dream (vs. 6)
Verse 7 says that Moses is not called in such ways, because Moses is faithful and God speaks with Moses as one would speak to another face to face.. continued
This chapter starts out with the account of Miriam and Aaron murmuring against Moses. It seems that they spoke against the fact that Moses had married a woman. (Ethiopian) It is unclear if this is speaking of Zipporah, the Midianite woman Moses wed while in Midian after fleeing from Pharoah or of another wife Moses may have married while in Pharoah's court or perhaps from among the mixed multitude that came with the Israelites out of Egypt. So it is unclear if this passage is referring to Zipporah or to another wife of Moses. Either way, Miriam and Aaron murmured among the people concerning this wife. They did not come straight to Moses with their complaint, but spoke behind his back about this foreign wife. We do not know what the complaint about this wife entailed. Was it because she was a foreign wife or because Moses was influenced by this wife or was it something about this wife's personality that Miriam and Aaron had difficulty with. We don't know the details.
Also, Miriam and Aaron questioned if God only spoke through Moses but also by them. Were they jealous of Moses' special standing with God? Were they desirous of having such a close relationship with God as Moses had? The text does not make it very clear. However God was aware of their murmuring and called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Did they think that God would not be aware of what they were speaking and thinking concerning Moses? They were going to soon find out.
When they came to the entrance, the presence of the Lord appeared and God confronted Miriam and Aaron about their sin. Addressing Miriam and Aaron, the Lord tells them that He chooses the prophet among them (who was Moses) and will make Himself know to him in a vision and speak to him in a dream (vs. 6)
Verse 7 says that Moses is not called in such ways, because Moses is faithful and God speaks with Moses as one would speak to another face to face.. continued
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