kikigirl
Well-Known Member
I'll bite:
While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cu****e woman. They said, “Has the L ord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the L ord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.) So immediately the L ord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the L ord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the L ord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the L ord , would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the L ord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” The L ord was very angry with them, and he departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, (Numbers 12:1-10 NLT)
I think the fact that in verse 1, Miriam is named before Aaron is significant! She could have been the instigator of the mockery against Moses' wife. Did she feel threatened by her brother's wife? She was after all, along with her brothers, receiving words from God. Did she think the Cu****e (Ethiopian) skin color would be an easy way to deride her "rival" and make her feel inferior? Did she think of her rival as of lesser worth? She clearly seemed to disapprove of the union between Moses and the Cu****e woman.
God'd punishment, IMO, is somewhat of an irony: He chose to make her SUPER white (through leprosy), since she despised darker skin!
Thoughts?
to the CF, 
