Moses and the book of Numbers
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I don't think it's ironic. I think it's funny though. I've wondered about it myself, but realize God inspired the writing of the books of the bible so... In reality, it's God's words, not Moses'.
I found this article that explains it pretty well:
In an attempt to discredit the idea that God inspired Moses to write the first five books of the Old Testament, many skeptics and liberal Bible scholars have taken it upon themselves to hyper-analyze any and all “questionable” statements in the Pentateuch. One of the statements frenquently used to bolster the idea that Moses could not have written these five books is found in Numbers 12:3, which reads: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” After reading this statement, the question arises: “How could Moses be the meekest or most humble man in the world, and proceed to tell everyone that he is?” According to Tod Billings, the president (in 1999) of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, “if Moses really said this in reference to himself, he is vain and arrogant, not ‘very meek!’ ” (1999). Statements like those of Mr. Billings could be multiplied many times over from the pen of countless “freethinkers,” skeptics, and liberal Bible scholars. And, in all honesty, a cursory look at this statement might take even the most sincere Bible student somewhat by surprise.
Could Moses have been very meek, and still have written this statement about himself? Yes. First, if God was informing Moses what to write, then Moses had little choice in the wording of the description concerning himself. It is clear from the scope of the statement, which included “all the men that were upon the face of the earth,” that only God had the ability to know who was the meekest man living at the time of Moses (Coffman, 1987, p. 365). Does it not make sense that God would have chosen only the most humble man to bring His chosen people out of Egypt and through the wilderness?
Second, the phrase is added so that the reader can understand the narrative more fully. In the context, Moses’ brother Aaron, and sister Miriam, had spoken against Moses because he had married an Ethiopian woman. They said to Moses, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also” (Numbers 12:1-2)? These statements amounted to a direct attack upon the authority that God had given Moses. Had Moses’ siblings been permitted to continue with such sentiments, the entire authoritative structure established by God (i.e., establishing Moses as the primary leader of the Israelites) might have been jeopardized. However, because Moses was such a meek and humble man, He refused to take it upon himself to squelch this rebellious attitude. Therefore, God had to step in and speak directly to Moses’ siblings, informing Miriam and Aaron that God had a special relationship with Moses, and that his brother and sister should have been “afraid to speak against My [God’s—KB] servant Moses” (Numbers 12:8). Without the statement concerning Moses’ meekness, this narrative is somewhat incomplete. With the statement included, however, we see that Moses refused to exalt himself and set his siblings straight, so God stepped in and exalted Moses.
Third, many of the Bible writers were inspired to make comments about themselves that sound arrogant to some, yet in actuality, they are not arrogant statements, but simply documentation of a fact that God wanted those who read the Bible to know. For instance, on several occasions in the gospel of John, we read a description about a particular disciple “whom Jesus loved.” At the end of the book, the writer informs his readers that he is that disciple (John 21:20-25). Is it arrogant of John to single himself out more than the other apostles as one whom Jesus loved? Or is it the case that God wanted that information included for the benefit of the readers? Another example comes from the apostle Paul. When Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin to defend himself, he opened his speech with the statement, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1, c.f. Mark 13:11). Because Ananias, the high priest, considered this statement to be out of line, he commanded one of the soldiers who stood by Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul’s statement, however, was a simple statement of fact that contained neither arrogance nor conceit.
During Moses’ life, God considered him to be the meekest man living. God wanted the readers of the Bible to know this fact, therefore He inspired Moses to record it. The fact helps the reader understand God’s action in Numbers 12, and it is congruent with similar statements recorded by other Bible writers. The statement cannot legitimately be used to argue against the inspiration or Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.
https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=939
I found this article that explains it pretty well:
In an attempt to discredit the idea that God inspired Moses to write the first five books of the Old Testament, many skeptics and liberal Bible scholars have taken it upon themselves to hyper-analyze any and all “questionable” statements in the Pentateuch. One of the statements frenquently used to bolster the idea that Moses could not have written these five books is found in Numbers 12:3, which reads: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” After reading this statement, the question arises: “How could Moses be the meekest or most humble man in the world, and proceed to tell everyone that he is?” According to Tod Billings, the president (in 1999) of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, “if Moses really said this in reference to himself, he is vain and arrogant, not ‘very meek!’ ” (1999). Statements like those of Mr. Billings could be multiplied many times over from the pen of countless “freethinkers,” skeptics, and liberal Bible scholars. And, in all honesty, a cursory look at this statement might take even the most sincere Bible student somewhat by surprise.
Could Moses have been very meek, and still have written this statement about himself? Yes. First, if God was informing Moses what to write, then Moses had little choice in the wording of the description concerning himself. It is clear from the scope of the statement, which included “all the men that were upon the face of the earth,” that only God had the ability to know who was the meekest man living at the time of Moses (Coffman, 1987, p. 365). Does it not make sense that God would have chosen only the most humble man to bring His chosen people out of Egypt and through the wilderness?
Second, the phrase is added so that the reader can understand the narrative more fully. In the context, Moses’ brother Aaron, and sister Miriam, had spoken against Moses because he had married an Ethiopian woman. They said to Moses, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also” (Numbers 12:1-2)? These statements amounted to a direct attack upon the authority that God had given Moses. Had Moses’ siblings been permitted to continue with such sentiments, the entire authoritative structure established by God (i.e., establishing Moses as the primary leader of the Israelites) might have been jeopardized. However, because Moses was such a meek and humble man, He refused to take it upon himself to squelch this rebellious attitude. Therefore, God had to step in and speak directly to Moses’ siblings, informing Miriam and Aaron that God had a special relationship with Moses, and that his brother and sister should have been “afraid to speak against My [God’s—KB] servant Moses” (Numbers 12:8). Without the statement concerning Moses’ meekness, this narrative is somewhat incomplete. With the statement included, however, we see that Moses refused to exalt himself and set his siblings straight, so God stepped in and exalted Moses.
Third, many of the Bible writers were inspired to make comments about themselves that sound arrogant to some, yet in actuality, they are not arrogant statements, but simply documentation of a fact that God wanted those who read the Bible to know. For instance, on several occasions in the gospel of John, we read a description about a particular disciple “whom Jesus loved.” At the end of the book, the writer informs his readers that he is that disciple (John 21:20-25). Is it arrogant of John to single himself out more than the other apostles as one whom Jesus loved? Or is it the case that God wanted that information included for the benefit of the readers? Another example comes from the apostle Paul. When Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin to defend himself, he opened his speech with the statement, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1, c.f. Mark 13:11). Because Ananias, the high priest, considered this statement to be out of line, he commanded one of the soldiers who stood by Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul’s statement, however, was a simple statement of fact that contained neither arrogance nor conceit.
During Moses’ life, God considered him to be the meekest man living. God wanted the readers of the Bible to know this fact, therefore He inspired Moses to record it. The fact helps the reader understand God’s action in Numbers 12, and it is congruent with similar statements recorded by other Bible writers. The statement cannot legitimately be used to argue against the inspiration or Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.
https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=939
M
Hmm never caught that before. The closest thing I can think of is when John refers to himself as,"the disciple Whom Jesus loved."
It bothered me a little bit to have read this, but I'm sure there's an answer as to why he did write that. I'm glad that it bothers me though because it challenges me and I love challenges and seeking answers to the Bible.
It bothered me a little bit to have read this, but I'm sure there's an answer as to why he did write that. I'm glad that it bothers me though because it challenges me and I love challenges and seeking answers to the Bible.
Actually, I do not think that you need to read this with a straight face - it is ironic and highly humorous!
People often read the Bible as if it was a formal document that needs to be read and interpreted as if it was a dirge.
I know people who are acknowledged OT experts (PhD's and the like in the Old Testament) who can point to many very funny episodes - often not apparent to us who interpret what we read through 21st century eyes.
People often read the Bible as if it was a formal document that needs to be read and interpreted as if it was a dirge.
I know people who are acknowledged OT experts (PhD's and the like in the Old Testament) who can point to many very funny episodes - often not apparent to us who interpret what we read through 21st century eyes.
A wee bit ironic 
, but no more ironic than what he wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy 34:7And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
But speaking of ironic, according to Acts 7:22, Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians yet the Egyptians had no form of communication using the written spoken word as found in the scriptures of the Bible.
So how do you learn to read if you don't have a book to read from? And if you don't have the written word to learn how to spell then how do you write a book.
It is also interesting to not that none of the 'artifacts' discovered show any transitional works of man where he went from using symbolic images as found in hieroglyphic artifacts of the Egyptians and the cuneiforms of the Sumerians to using the written spoken word.
Yet many claim that Moses wrote the Pentateuch but the Covenant was written on two tables of stone, the 10 Commandments on the front and the Law and the Testimony on the back.
Ex 24:12
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Ex 32:15-16
15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
Deut 9:10-11
10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
11 And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
, but no more ironic than what he wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy 34:7And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.But speaking of ironic, according to Acts 7:22, Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians yet the Egyptians had no form of communication using the written spoken word as found in the scriptures of the Bible.
So how do you learn to read if you don't have a book to read from? And if you don't have the written word to learn how to spell then how do you write a book.
It is also interesting to not that none of the 'artifacts' discovered show any transitional works of man where he went from using symbolic images as found in hieroglyphic artifacts of the Egyptians and the cuneiforms of the Sumerians to using the written spoken word.
Yet many claim that Moses wrote the Pentateuch but the Covenant was written on two tables of stone, the 10 Commandments on the front and the Law and the Testimony on the back.
Ex 24:12
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Ex 32:15-16
15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
Deut 9:10-11
10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
11 And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
That's actually very funny, "hey guys I'm very humble, I just want the world and everyone who reads this to know that I am a very humble man". You know I'm just joking
This is actually an example many liberal scholars use trying to discredit the claim that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the bible. This is also something where someone has to study in context without rushing to judgment.
I do find this very amusing though
This is actually an example many liberal scholars use trying to discredit the claim that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the bible. This is also something where someone has to study in context without rushing to judgment.
I do find this very amusing though
I would offer...Humility is not weakness but meekness. Not using the power he has been given but showing mercy.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
The first five book are summed as one book called the "book of the law (not books).Not a book of philosophical opinions . The whole Bible (66 chapters) is the book of His perfect law, of faith.No theories
Interestingly it was to be placed on the outside of the ark as a witness to what is inside, as a witness against our flesh as it was against the flesh of Moses.Some were having faith in respect to the outward flesh of Moses... and how much more after his death?
Take this "book of the law", and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?. Deu 31:26
That was an act of Moses humilty .It comes before honor
elizabethlear.... If it were not so I would not tell you but God tells us Moses wrote the Torah which includes numbers.
"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
John 5:45-47
Just saved you a lot of researching time.
"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
John 5:45-47
Just saved you a lot of researching time.