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BSF Study Questions Revelation Lesson 22, Day 5: Revelation 17:15-18

Summary of passage:  The angel tells John that the woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.  The waters are the peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.  The beast will kill the prostitute according to God’s purposes and allow the beast to rule.

Questions:

12)  God is in control and He’s the one who puts it into their hearts what to do.

13)  Personal Question.  My answer:  God is in control here and always to accomplish His purposes here on earth.

14)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Knowing God wins makes it easy to proclaim His glorious name.  I’m not experiencing persecution at this time and haven’t really.  Knowing God’s word helps me see through deception.

Conclusions:  Question 12 & 13 are redundant and the same.  Question 14:  It’s not about knowing God wins; it’s about knowing God.  Weak lesson.

End Notes:  We are told who the woman is:  “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”  Some scholars say this is Rome and in the minds of the first century Christians it was definitely Rome.  Still, futurists say the city could be Jerusalem or the entire world system.

All the people will come together under the Antichrist until God turns their hearts to destroy the great city.  They will turn on themselves and destroy the prostitute.  Scholars say this is probably during the mid-point of the Tribulation.

God is the one orchestrating all of this as the angel states.  He is using the ten kings to judge the prostitute.

In the next chapter we will see Babylon’s destruction.

Conclusions to Lesson 22:  The most powerful lesson here in Revelation 17 is one we often forget:  God orchestrates world events.  He makes world leaders act for His purposes.  God is a God of action.

Secondly, we see that God wins and therefore, as Christians we win.  We cannot be defeated by Satan.  Emmanuel, God is with us, and if we’d keep that in mind–the big picture–our everyday circumstances and trials will be nothing but chaff in the wind.

BSF Study Questions Revelation Lesson 22, Day 4: Revelation 17:6-14

Summary of passage:  The angel told John he’d explain the mystery of the woman and the beast she rides.  The beast will be destroyed.  The inhabitants whose names are not in the book of life will be astonished to see this.  The 7 heads are 7 hills and 7 kings.  5 kings have fallen, 1 is, and 1 will come.  The beast is the 8th king who will be destroyed.

The 10 horns are 10 kings who have yet to receive their kingdom but will for 1 hour.  They have 1 purpose and will hand over their power to the beast.  They will war with the Lamb but the Lamb will overcome along with the Lamb’s faithful.

Questions:

9a)  The mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides.

b)  The one goal of the 10 kings is to give their power and authority to the beast and war against the Lamb.

c)  The Lamb wins!

d)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Every.

10)  The Lord:  “who is, and who was, and who is to come”

The beast:  “you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up and go to his destruction”.

Verb tense jumps out at me right away.  The beast exists for a finite amount of time.  God is eternal, always, and forever.  He is past, present, and future.  The beast is a moment in time.  He appeared once, is not presently evident, and will in the future again make his presence known.

Remember also the beast was killed, resurrected, and raised (who was, is not, will come). (Revelation 13:3).  God has always been, never killed, and will always be.

11a)  Because the beast will make every effort to deceive the faithful and turn them from the Lamb.  The wisdom comes from God. (Revelation 13:18).

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Read and study the Bible, pray, grow closer to Jesus, do His will in my life. I try to follow His will and His commandments in all things in my life.  The results have been good.

Conclusions:  Groaned at Question 9d.  11a was intuitive.  11b is what we all should be doing to have Godly wisdom in our lives.  So much more we could have analyzed in this passage especially the symbolism of the numbers and the Antichrist, but instead we focused on an elementary reading of the passage.  See End Notes for more in depth analysis of passage.

Question 10 was my favorite.  It’s important to remember God is in control and He controls the beast who will only be allowed to reign for a finite amount of time.  God reigns forever.

End Notes:  Scholars note the similarity of the beast’s description with Revelation 13:3 “had a fatal wound, but it was healed” and all were astonished (read impressed) and followed.  Here, the people marvel as well when the beast once was, is not, and will come.

The beast is persecuting God’s people but its destruction is coming.

In Revelation 13:18 we saw a call for wisdom as well and here for the people to have insight into the true nature of the beast.  We also saw in Revelation 13 how the heads, crowns, and horns represented the beast’s authority, power, and strength.

This is one of the most difficult and controversial passages to interpret in the book of Revelation.

Now we see the 7 heads representing 7 hills.  Some scholars say there is no doubt this is Rome, built upon 7 hills and 7 emperors of Rome.  Rome was built on 7 mountains and a Roman coin shows the goddess Roma sitting on 7 mountains.  A few scholars bring in the Catholic Church with its reference to Rome.  This was used heavily in the push-back against Rome in the Reformation.  Now, however, most scholars dismiss this interpretation altogether.

However, Daniel refers to mountains as governments (Daniel 2:35).

Everything we read in Revelation is a symbol for a historical reality unless the text states otherwise.  We have understood all the sevens in the book (seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls) as symbolically representing a complete judgment against a nation.  However, there is one seven that we took literally:  the 7 churches because they were named individually.

Here, we are told the 7 heads represent 7 kings.  Scholars who argue that this passage is about Rome point out that if the angel had left the image at this we would be forced to understand the 7 kings as a symbol representing all the kings of the Roman Empire and what they would do.  However, the angel numbers the 7 kings and gives details about them:  “Five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.”  This leads scholars to say these are the specific emperors around John’s time.  Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero are the five who have fallen.  The one who is reigning now is Vespasian.  Then the one to come who will “remain only a little while” is Titus who ruled only from 79-81 AD.  After Titus is Domitian.  He is the eighth emperor who is like the beast, belongs to the seven, and goes to destruction.   These scholars say the 10 horns is the 10 provinces of the Roman Empire.

However, the 5 that have fallen could be the empires that have fallen before John’s day:  Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece.  One could be Rome.  The one yet to come could be the revival of the Roman empire or the world order before the End Times.  This one will be eclipsed by the Antichrist.

Daniel 2 & 7 had Daniel see visions of these empires as well as we studied in Lesson 8.

One thing we know for sure is verse 11:  The beast is the 8th king and he will be destroyed!  Yeah, God!

The 10 kings could be literal or symbolic as of a coalition of nations.  Some commentators see this at the EU since those nations can be traced back to the Roman Empire or even NATO.  The point is we are already seeing sovereign nations join with others and give their power over to a single ruler–which is what the Antichrist in the End Times will do.

Whoever they’ll be, they have one purpose:  to war against the Lamb in the battle alluded to in the sixth and seventh bowls (Revelation 16:12-21).

Conclusions to commentary:  A difficult passage to be sure but one thing is certain:  Christ wins!  Keep that in mind when reading all the details of the before.  The end game is what is important; how we get there, albeit relevant, not so important.

BSF Study Questions Revelation Lesson 22, Day 3: Revelation 17:3-6

Summary of passage:  John was then carried away into the desert where he saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.  The woman was dressed as royalty, dripping in jewels.  She held a golden cup filled with her adulteries.  She had written on her forehead “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes, and of the Abominations of the Earth.”  She was drunk with the blood of the saints who bore testimony to Jesus.

Questions:

6)  The woman was riding on the beast.  She was “dressed in purple and scarlet and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.”  The beast was “covered with blasphemous names and had 7 heads and 10 horns.”  The woman held a golden cup full of her adulteries and had written on her forehead “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes, and of the Abominations of the Earth.”  She was drunk with the blood of the saints who bore testimony to Jesus.

7a)  She’s the corrupter of men and she’s drunk with the blood of the saints, those who bore testimony to Jesus.  She persecutes God’s people and revels in it.

b)  2 Chronicles and Jeremiah tells us how God uses Babylon as punishment for His disobedient people.  Daniel 5 tells how the King of Babylon did not honor God and instead insulted God by drinking from His sacred objects from the temple and praising false gods instead of God.  Same here.  The woman is false religion personified and she’s riding the Antichrist.  Babylon is a country known for its false gods and the one God chose to judge His people.  It’s appropriate then since she’ here to bring punishment for disobedience to Him.

8 )  Part personal question. My answer:  God’s “things” is Him and the actions we do for Him.  Material, glittering goods are just that–things of the earth we enjoy here but not in heaven and which often we spend too much time acquiring.  Our focus should be on God and His “things” which is loving others and being like Jesus.  The glittering things are meant to seduce us away from Him.  I’m more drawn to God’s things for they are everlasting.  All else falls away.

Conclusions:  Question 8 highlighted the seduction of man by Satan and how it’s all a just a farce and a show.  None of it is real.  Satan is out for blood as this passage clearly shows and if we’d remember that visual of him drinking our blood, we’d probably sin less.

End Notes:  John now is carried from heaven to earth in his vision.

This is the same beast we saw in Revelation 13:1.  The Antichrist.  The fact she’s sitting on the beast suggests she is supported by him and she is in some way dominating him and controlling him.  To earth she appears religious.  God clearly sees otherwise.

She is richly adorned.  As you may recall, only Roman Emperors can wear purple togas and only the rich were allowed to wear a purple outline on their togas.  Scarlet also was a costly cloth.

Roman prostitutes frequently wore a headband with their name on it.  Despite her appearance, she is nothing but a prostitute.

This woman is NOT the woman from Revelation 12 who represented God’s people, Israel.  Here, she is false religion and idolatry. The two women are meant as contrasts–God versus Satan.

She is the literal city of Babylon but the mystery of the other Godless cultures.  She is the mother of what Satan devised against God.  The beast will rebel against her and bring about her ruin (Revelation 17:16).  Revelation 16:6 describes the prostitute in the same way.

Jeremiah describes prostitutes (Jeremiah 4:30) and Babylon (Jeremiah 51:7-8) in the same manner.

John was amazed because of the ferventness of the religious persecution.

BSF Study Questions Revelation Lesson 22, Day 2: Revelation 17:1-2

Summary of passage:  An angle beckons John to come and see the prostitute who committed adultery with the kings of the earth and intoxicated the inhabitants of the earth as well.

Questions:

3a)  “The punishment of the great prostitute”

b)  All of earth’s inhabitants including the kings of the earth

4)  Idolatry

5a)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Not sure what BSF is going for here.  The definition of the word “appeal” according to Webster’s Dictionary is “the power of arousing a sympathetic response; attraction.”  No one immediately comes to mind.  I like certain politicians and celebrities and heads of state etc because they are personable.  Does that mean I agree with them or support them 100%?  No.  But sympathy?  Yes.  A very basic human emotion.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Any attraction of the world.  Desire for material objects and a nice life I’d say.  It’s not even that I want more.  It’s more I’d like to be secure in my future and in the present. Not sure that is taking away from God however.

Conclusions:  Question 5 is out of place.  Big time.  I don’t think the prostitute was a public figure so why this analogy was chosen I’m not sure.  The question could have been more effective if it asked who in your life appeals to you.  I would say more people have those close to them or acquaintances they admire more so than public figures–basically unknowns.  Has no relevance to the passage whatsoever.

End Notes:  Revelation 17 & 18 will be about the fall of Babylon which represents the world system and its judgment which reaches its climax during the Great Tribulation.

In the Old Testament Babylon was associated with evil since it was the nation of Babylon that conquered the Jews and shipped them off.  In John’s day, Babylon is Rome and the Roman Empire.  In the End Times, it will be the entire world.

Babylon is the essence of all evil.  Since Genesis 11 when the Tower of Babel was built, Babylon is the great prostitute here.

Since its one of the angels from the bowl judgments we just witnessed in Revelation 16 we can conclude this takes place during the Great Tribulation as well.

Some scholars say Babylon represents 3 systems:  1)  Religious system (Revelation 17)  2)  World system (Revelation 18)  3)  A literal city (Revelation 18).

Some scholars say the woman is Rome and the beast is the Roman Empire.  I prefer the entire world view.

Punishment is rendered judgment in other Bible translations.  There is no doubt here:  the prostitute or Babylon or the world will face judgment and punishment.  She represents idolatry (Jeremiah 3:6-9; Ezekiel 16:30; Hosea 4:11-12).  The Old Testament refers to many wicked cities as prostitutes such as Ninevah (Nahum 3:4), Tyre (Isaiah 23:16-17), and Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:15) due to their immoralities.

History of Babylonian Religion:  The religion of Babylon was founded by the wife of Nimrod, Noah’s great grandson according to legend.  She was a high priestess who claimed she gave birth to a son conceived by a miracle.  This son, named Baal, was considered a savior and he also was killed and brought back to life according to Babylonian belief.  All of this predates Christianity.

Revelation 17:15 tells us the waters the prostitute sits on are “peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages”.  False religion.

Revelation 14:8 mirrors Revelation 17:2:  “Fallen is Babylon gate Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

The kings and inhabitants were drunk on idolatry.  Worshipping false gods instead of the One, True God.  This has nothing to do with marriage because the kings and the inhabitants are considered pagans since they are worshipping false gods and pagans don’t marry their gods.

In conclusion, the great prostitute leads people away from God as we’ve seen throughout history and will continue to see until the Second Coming.

Fun Fact:  Babylon is mentioned 287 times in Scripture, more than any other city except Jerusalem.

BSF Study Questions The Life of Moses Lesson 22, Day 5: Psalm 90

Summary of passage:  A prayer by Moses to God.  Moses praises God’s majesty and His power and anger.  He says life is quick to man but not to God.  He asks for a heart of wisdom and asks God to relent His wrath and have compassion on His servants.  Show love and favor upon them.  Make His work the work of their hands.

Questions:

12a)  In this passage, Moses is praising God and has a healthy fear of God.  He is also afraid.  He is yearning for God to show him a heart of wisdom and for God’s favor.  He is pleading with God to have compassion and love on them.

b)  Omnipotence, omniscience, compassion, love, goodness, God’s wrath, God’s power, God’s judgment, God’s unchangingness

c)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Anytime I think on God it helps me be a better person, inspires me, and gives me purpose in life.

d)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Well, I had underlined in my bible verse 12.  It’s a great, short prayer for us to use each day wisely and grow in Him.  It’s a good prayer model all around as it speaks to God’s greatness, God’s favor, God’s compassion, and God’s will for our lives.

Conclusions:  No one is sure when Moses wrote this.  It could have been at any time so to correlate it to Numbers 20 is a stretch.  I believe our time would have better been spent in Deuteronomy 3:23-27  where Moses pleads with God to undo His judgment upon Him.  Perhaps we will study this later but now would be a good time while all these events are swirling around in our heads.

Questions such as part d are becoming more and more frequent it seems and are just filler to me. I’m not sure how I feel about them as of yet.  They are so broad that it’s hard to truly get anything out of them.

End Notes:  If indeed Moses wrote this (scholars are not 100% sure but believe most likely only Moses could have written this), it’s about God’s eternal character and man’s limited time and ability to connect with God while on earth.  Therefore, we see Moses’s appeal for wisdom to not waste his life (or our lives) in such little time and do His will.  For living our way leads only to “trouble and sorrow”.

Moses speaks of being satisfied in the morning with God’s unfailing love.  This is the gathering of manna and for us the Word of God.

We see man’s frailness in the dust, a brief watch, and grass which ultimately dies.

Great verse 14 that shows Moses asking for joy and gladness and to know that their afflictions are for their own good.

Only when we do God’s work for our hands will we grow our hearts, souls, and minds. Not our will but His be done.

BSF Study Questions The Life of Moses Lesson 22, Day 4: Numbers 20:14-29

Summary of passage:  Moses sent a message to the King of Edom, requesting to pass through his territory.  The Israelites promised to not drink nor eat nor take anything from them–merely to stay on the road through their country onto the Promised Land.  Edom refused.  Moses asked again, this time offering to pay for any water used.  Again, they were refused.  Edom marched their army against the Israelites and the Israelites backed down.

At Mount Hor, near Edom’s border, the Lord told Moses and Aaron that it was Aaron’s time to die.  Aaron and his son, Eleazar, were to go up on Mount Hor, where Eleazar would put on Aaron’s garments and take over as High Priest.  Moses did as commanded and when Aaron died he was mourned 30 days.

Questions:

9a)  Possibly because the Israelites were related to the Edomites as descendants of Jacob’s brother, Esau, and they didn’t want to fight their relatives.  Also because the Lord had not told Moses to go that way.  I’m assuming the Israelites are still being led by the cloud.

b)  Take a long, hard detour and go around through more desert .

c)  When God tells you to resist.  When God tells you to yield.  There are no hard, fast rules here and every situation is different.  It’s all on what God wants, not the individual.

10)  Aaron knew he was dying so he had time to say good-bye to his family and friends.  To make amends if he had to.  Presumably to offer sacrifices and die a cleansed man.  And he was honored by being taken away to Mount Hor ceremoniously.  Furthermore, Aaron was mourned by the people for 30 days.  Although we can’t say for certain Miriam didn’t have any of this, we know Aaron did.  And that is full of grace.

11a)  Aaron died a physical death.  Jesus’ priesthood is forever and perfect and ever-lasting.  Only through him can we have eternal life.  And on a chronological note:  Aaron’s passing tells us where we are at in history and just how much time has passed.  Important in the march towards Jesus.

b)  Personal question.  My answer:  The power of the cross and what happens next sustains me when this life becomes seemingly impossible.  My home is not here.  I need not depend on man.  Only Jesus.

Conclusions:  Great chapter in the Bible.  I love how we see the death of Miriam, the condemnation of Moses and Aaron, the hard hearts of the Edomites, and the death of Aaron all together.  For here we see God’s amazing grace and mercy and will.  And I believe most of us would say it’s not our will but God’s for I’m not for sure any of us would have condemned Moses nor rejected Moses at the footsteps of Edom.  God’s ways, not ours.

Despite my belief that Aaron is nothing but a follower, God honors him here.  God honors followers as well as leaders.  Everyone matters to Him despite his or her sins.  Not everyone has the strength of character to be a leader.  And that’s okay.  Look at Aaron.  He was second in command to Moses, a man above all men in terms of closeness to God.  He was second in command to God.  God spoke to Aaron and appeared to him.  That’s something I can’t say about me.  Even in sadness there is God’s mercy.

End Notes:  We are in the final leg now of the approach to the Promised Land.  Scholars break the journey down into five stages:

Stage One:  The Exodus from Egypt and the journey to Mount Sinai (Exodus 12:31 to 18:27).
Stage Two:  The time at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1 to Numbers 10:10).
Stage Three:  The first attempt to enter the Promised Land, beginning at Mount Sinai, which failed as the people rebelled and refused to enter (Numbers 10:11 to 14:45).
Stage Four:  The 38 years of wandering in the wilderness, waiting for the generation of unbelief to die (Numbers 15:1 to Numbers 20:13).
Stage Five:  The Israelites succeed in their second attempt to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:14 to Joshua 2:24).

Why the Edomites refused such a simple request is not recorded (and seemingly unwarranted).  Perhaps out of fear or just because they didn’t want 2 million people traipsing through their backyard.  But there is no retribution on the part of the Israelites and Moses in fact commands the Israelites not to hate them (Deuteronomy 23:7).  Yet for the rest of Biblical history, there is war and strife between the two nations.

Note how 38 years is boiled down to a mere 5 1/2 chapters while the year at Mount Sinai is 50 chapters!  Presumably, nothing of note happened in 38 years.  The people lived out their lives normally, sadly waiting for God’s judgment time to pass.

Lesson to us:  we can exist, but not live.  We can wander around for years and find ourselves right back where we started.

Note how Moses who represented the law, Miriam who represented prophets, and Aaron who represented priests all died before the Promised Land.  Only Joshua (whose name means Jesus) led the way!  How cool is that!

Aaron as the first high priest of Israel deserved to be honored.  His position alone demands it.  The man may fail but the priesthood (and the path to God through our High Priest, Jesus) will not.

Map of Mount Hor:  http://bibleatlas.org/full/mount_hor.htm

Another Map of Mount Hor showing entire Exodus Route:  http://www.keyway.ca/gif/wildjour.gif

BSF Study Questions The Life of Moses Lesson 22, Day 3: Numbers 20:1-13

Introductory Note:  Since Day 2 and Day 3 are the same passage, my summary and end notes are exactly the same as well.

Summary of passage: After 38 years of wandering, Miriam died (scholars date this as the first month of the 40th year of wandering). Again, grumbling by the Israelites against Moses and Aaron because there is no water. Same complaints about food, etc. Moses and Aaron feel down at the Tent of Meeting. The glory of the Lord appeared and told Moses to speak to a rock with his staff and water would appear. Moses struck the rock twice with his staff and water rushed out. However, God rebukes Moses and Aaron for his lack of faith and sentences them to die before the Promised Land is reached as well.

Questions:

6a)  “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together.  Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.”

b)  Moses did take the staff as commanded and did gather the Israelites together in front of the rock.  However, here Moses did his own thing.  He rebuked the people and took credit for bringing water from the rock.  He struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it.

7a)  They didn’t trust that God’s words were enough.  They thought they needed action so they struck the rock.

b)  They didn’t follow God’s commands.  They took credit for bringing up the water.

c)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Not sure.  This is one of those questions I’ll have an answer to when I get to heaven.

8a)  They will not live to see the Promised Land as well.

b)  Yes.  As leaders they are held to a higher standard than the other Israelites (James 3:1).  Their lack of faith can influence countless others.  Aaron is to be expected.  He’s a follower, period.  Moses, however, was so close to God–closer than anyone before or after–that God must have been heartbroken at Moses’s lack of faith.  It would be similar to a betrayal by your best friend–only infinitely more so.

Conclusions:  The personal question was again in my opinion questionable.  I see it as a reminder that our actions do affect those around us and it’s something we need to be cognizant of.

I’m seeing the overall pattern here:  Trust in God.  Never doubt Him.  He will reward you if you do.  Punish you when you don’t.  Either on this side of heaven or the other.  Trust, trust, trust.  He will never let you down.

End Notes: The Israelites are back at Kadesh (see MAP and MAP) where they first told God “no” about entering the Promised Land (Numbers 13:26-28).

Miriam’s death here is important; it showed the Israelites He was serious about everyone dying before entering the Promised Land. She’s the first of Moses’s family to suffer for their collective sins. Although Miriam had great moments of faith (Exodus 2:4-8; 15:20-21), one major sin marked her for life. We see this today in the downfall of politicians or celebrities. Great lesson for us: no one is exempt from God’s judgment.

Timeline: This is the beginning of the last year of wandering. It appears the Israelites camped at Kadesh here for 3-4 months (based off of Numbers 33:38) perhaps because of Miriam’s death. Aaron will die four months later. The bible doesn’t tell a lot of what happened in this 38 years. Presumably, nothing of consequence as the Israelites merely lived out God’s judgment.

Here we see a new generation of unbelievers as the old generation is dying.

Moses also was not commanded to speak to the nation nor to rebuke there. Here, we see Moses as we’ve never seen him before–utter contempt for the people he has so often saved from destruction. We also see pride when he says “we” as if God were not enough. Moses’s heart had twisted and God obviously didn’t like what He saw.

Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock. I can just imagine his frustration at the people boiling over. However, in his anger, he makes a fatal mistake–literally.

Yet God is so gracious and so good and so loving He provides for His people despite their sins.

Moses did not believe God. He probably remembered back in Exodus 17 where he had to strike the rock.

The punishment was strict. But as we all know, those who know God are called to a higher standard. Can you imagine the standard Moses had to live up to? A lot of pressure. Yet because he was so close to God and a leader, his punishment reflects God’s expectations of those who know Him. Great lesson for us as well.

Moses’s sin was small compared to the Israelites’ sins. Yet not in God’s eyes. God says in Deuteronomy 32:51 that Moses “broke faith” with Him and “did not uphold my [God’s] holiness amongst the Israelites.” A warning to us all–what we consider as a small sin can be huge to God.

Moses pleads with God to let him go over to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 3:23-27) and when God says no, Moses blames the people. Poor, poor Moses. He has seen time and time again of God reversing His initial punishment, not ridding the land of the Israelites and not giving Miriam leprosy that he thinks for sure God will relent and reverse His position. But God does not. Our hearts bleed for him; yet, God remains good and gracious and kind and judging. His ways, not ours.

The picture of Moses reflecting Jesus here is now tainted. Moses struck twice; Jesus only once.