Numbers chapter 12

After reading chapter 12:

*In this chapter, we learn that Miriam and Aaron, Moses's sister and brother, were upset because Moses had married a Cushite woman. Why this made them upset is not stated, but there are some possibilities. 1. She was not an Israelite. The Israelites had been told in Exodus 34:16 that marrying foreign  women was not God approved. Why did Moses get a pass? 2. One possible interpretation of Cushite is Ethiopian. In that case, this may have been a matter of racial prejudice, because of her dark skin. It could be both reasons or neither.

* Miriam and Aaron wanted equal billing with Moses because Yahweh had also spoken through them. What this had to do with Moses's wife is a mystery. Apparently God preferred Moses to be in charge because he was the humblest man on earth. Wow! That's quit an accomplishment.

*So, Yaweh called the three of them to stand in front of the tabernacle. He came down in the pillar of cloud and asked Miriam and Aaron to step forward. Then he rebuked them for daring to speak against  Moses. Everyone else only gets revelations in dreams and visions, and we know how reliable those are. But Moses speaks clearly with God, face to face, and sees Yaweh's form. They should have been afraid to speak against him.  This passage makes me wonder if the authors wrote it in response to Israelites in their time questioning the authority of Moses. It directly contradicts other scriptures that no one has seen God. It also directly contradicts the notion that God is a pure spirit being, if he has a face, a form, and a voice there must be a physical component to him. Likewise, if he can be seen and heard by humans, why hasn't he shown himself to anyone else, especially in modern times? Why would he need to cloak himself in mystery?

*When God was finished talking, the cloud lifted and Miriam was found to be leprous, white as snow, perhaps in contrast to the dark skin of the cushite? Of course that made her unclean. Moses and Aaron pleaded for Yahweh to heal her. He told Moses she would have to spend seven days outside of camp like all the other unclean people. So, the Israelites did not break camp till Miriam was "clean" again. Why wasn't Aaron punished too?

*Verse 14 says if Miriam's father had spit in her face she would have been in disgrace for seven days. We have come across no precedent or law about this yet but my study bible tells me there will be an explanation in Deuteronomy. We will wait and see.