Numbers 12:1-16 was a story that expresses how God communicates differently with every individual. Here are is my initial response to the narrative: I think there are a few parts of this passage that I find strange. I think it is strange how God favors Moses more than anyone else. Just because Moses is a good, humble man should not make him the more favorable human being the Lord should express himself through. I feel like the Lord is saying to Miriam and Aaron that they will never get the gifts Moses receives because they will never be as good as him. I also find it disturbing how just Miriam is punished for what Miriam and Aaron did together. Maybe I am missing a piece of the story, but asking that question to the Lord should not result getting
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According to Bellinger Jr, New International Biblical Commentary, he gives us a story line of Numbers very briefly. Chapters 1-25 gives us the stories of the generation that lived during the book Exodus, and chapters 26-36 tell the story of the new generation. Numbers 11 marks the start of another rebellion against God and his covenant. In Numbers 11, the Israelites are complaining about how malnourished they are. They haven’t been eating any kind of meat, but the Lord has been providing them with other food such as manna. Manna was a seed that looked like a resin. When they cooked it, it turned into fresh loaves of bread that tasted like something made with olive oil. The Israelites were saying “if only we had meat to eat!” They were also saying that they would rather be still enslaved in Egypt because they were getting better food. God was insulted by this. In Numbers 13, Moses sent out some men to explore the land of Canaan. When they reported back, they told Moses how fruitful the land was and everything great about the land. However, they were intimidated by the force and army power they would have to go up against. They changed their mind about it and lied about all the wonderful things the land held. There are many reoccurring themes that Bellinger Jr covers in all of Numbers. Holiness is a central theme to Numbers. Their camp was organized so that the tabernacle was in the middle. The tabernacle is a place of the holy divine presence which needs to be guarded. Order is another theme. The first section of Numbers, there is order within the people. They are living how God intended them to live. However, order is lost as the people begin to rebel. Disobedience is a continuation of our loss of order theme. The older generation reject God’s gifts and function out of fear rather than faith. Land is the fourth theme. The promised land is the end goal for the Israelites. The last
According to Bellinger Jr, New International Biblical Commentary, he gives us a story line of Numbers very briefly. Chapters 1-25 gives us the stories of the generation that lived during the book Exodus, and chapters 26-36 tell the story of the new generation. Numbers 11 marks the start of another rebellion against God and his covenant. In Numbers 11, the Israelites are complaining about how malnourished they are. They haven’t been eating any kind of meat, but the Lord has been providing them with other food such as manna. Manna was a seed that looked like a resin. When they cooked it, it turned into fresh loaves of bread that tasted like something made with olive oil. The Israelites were saying “if only we had meat to eat!” They were also saying that they would rather be still enslaved in Egypt because they were getting better food. God was insulted by this. In Numbers 13, Moses sent out some men to explore the land of Canaan. When they reported back, they told Moses how fruitful the land was and everything great about the land. However, they were intimidated by the force and army power they would have to go up against. They changed their mind about it and lied about all the wonderful things the land held. There are many reoccurring themes that Bellinger Jr covers in all of Numbers. Holiness is a central theme to Numbers. Their camp was organized so that the tabernacle was in the middle. The tabernacle is a place of the holy divine presence which needs to be guarded. Order is another theme. The first section of Numbers, there is order within the people. They are living how God intended them to live. However, order is lost as the people begin to rebel. Disobedience is a continuation of our loss of order theme. The older generation reject God’s gifts and function out of fear rather than faith. Land is the fourth theme. The promised land is the end goal for the Israelites. The last