3 BIG crises in the aftermath of Mt. Sinai
Numbers 11-13 looks at three crises that follow immediately after the profound Sinai experience.
1 - the Israelites CRAVE the food of Egypt (you can take Israelite out of Egypt, but you can't take Egypt out of Israel...) God is of course frustrated - and many people end up being killed. The grave site of these people is named, "The Graves of Addiction" - fascinating...
2 - There is a rebellion against Moses led by his sister Miriam and bro Aaron. I think it grew out of Miriam's prophetic leading (she led the worship as Israelites left the Red Sea) and she won over Aaron, the high priest of the people...now what did they need Moses for (especially because he has a wife from Egypt/Midian? Much like when he was the only judge for Israel, only this time God (not Jethro) offers the solution. He sends his spirit down on 70 elders to prophesy to show God's blessing of Moses and again delegates the function of the prophet into these elders (not through Miriam). Later, it says that Moses was the greatest PROPHET (not judge, or priest...) who ever lived...I think this is the first time "prophecy" is introduced into the Israelite narrative...
3 - Last crisis is what the spies see in the Promised Land...giants (and descendants from the Nephilim...an intriguing people who may actually have come from divine angelic intercourse with humanity, or may have been the offspring of kings). But these GIANTS are a big problem for Israel. These 10 spies think that Israel is to take the Promised Land without the help of God... Caleb and Joshua however note in Numbers 14 that "their protection is gone" - the Hebrew indicates that it is the SHADOW of these Amalekties, Jebusites, Canaanites, etc has "turned from them". Shadows apparently are "ancient demonic helpers" and the fact that their shadows "have turned from them" displayed God's fight for his people Israel had already begun on the spiritual plane!
Created almost 2 years ago
