Jw Broadcasting Sept 24 : Making up stories about Miriam

by raymond frantz 7 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  raymond frantz

  https://youtu.be/MVhVtXH3Fn0?si=Yw_PSZgYh8xvMOy8

  So the following video is part of the latest jw broadcasting for September 2024
  The script for this video is taken from the publication "Immitate their faith" which is like "My book of Bible Stories" but for adults but is full of inaccuracies and outright falsehoods and here we deal with an outright fabrication about Miriam, the sister of Moses:

  Under the subtitle "Miriam the Proud" we read:
  Privileges and prominence bring blessings as well as dangers. At the time Israel was freed from slavery, Miriam was likely the most prominent woman in the nation. Would she succumb to pride or ambition? (Proverbs 16:18) Sadly, for a time she did.

  A few months after the Exodus, Moses welcomed a group that came from afar—it was his father-in-law, Jethro, bringing along Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and their two sons. Moses had married her during his 40-year sojourn in Midian. Zipporah had earlier returned to her family in Midian, perhaps for a visit, and now her father was bringing her to the Israelite encampment. (Exodus 18:1-5) Imagine the stir their arrival caused among Moses’ people! Likely, many were eager to see the wife of the man God had chosen to lead them out of Egypt.

  Was Miriam pleased as well? Perhaps at first. But it seems that in time she gave in to pride. She might have felt threatened, thinking that Zipporah would replace her as the most prominent woman in the nation. In any case, Miriam and Aaron engaged in negative talk. And such talk, as it often does, soon turned bitter and spiteful. At first their talk focused on Zipporah; they complained that she was not an Israelite but a Cushite. a But the talk escalated into complaining about Moses himself. Miriam and Aaron were saying: “Is it only by Moses that Jehovah has spoken? Has he not also spoken through us?”—Numbers 12:1, 2.
  --------
  The Midrash explains the entire story as follows: It became known to Miriam and Aaron that Moses had separated from intimacy with his wife Ziporah. They disapproved of this separation because they considered her to be outstandingly righteous... Their complaint, therefore, was not about the union between Moses and Tzipora, but about their separation. The only justification they could find for Moses's celibacy was in order to maintain his prophetic state. This explains their claim that God spoke not only to Moses but also to them, yet they had not separated from their spouses.(=In other words, they were in no doubt of their status are highly prominent members of the Jewish community, as the Watchtower will have you believe)
  The account continues:
  But God rebuked them by calling them all out "suddenly", causing Miriam and Aaron a great burning sensation since they lacked immersion in a mikva after marital relations. God thus demonstrated to them Moses's unique level of prophecy for which he had to be prepared at all times, thereby justifying his separation from Tzipora. Afterwards, "God's wrath flared against them."[15] Rabbi Louis Ginzberg wrote the anger of God to them.
  (So the following is apparently God told Aaron and Miriam)
  ... I Myself ordered him to abstain from conjugal life, and the word he received was revealed to him clearly and not in dark speeches. He saw the Divine presence from behind when It passed by him. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against a man like Moses, who is, moreover, My servant? Your censure(=accusation)is directed to Me, rather than to him, for "the receiver is no better than the thief," and if Moses is not worthy of his calling, I, his Master, deserve censure."
  So this responce by God is recorded in the book the  Legends of the Jews vol. III[16]
• 

  road to nowhere

  No wonder I never made elder. I bumped my wife every opportunity especially after meetings or travel to assemblies.
• 

  Beth Sarim

  Mike & Kim had a very recent video about this today

  They uploaded a very " culty clip"".

  About obeying the organization at no matter what the cost.

  They put a clip in there from a secret leaked video a few years ago. Where a spokesman said the prime objective is the ""organizations image"" or directives.

  Voila,,,,& there we have it!!!
• 

  Longlivetherenegades

  They will keep pushing their speculation and assumptions as means to extract loyalty from their members who think those speculation and assumptions are reality.
• 

  NotFormer

  "They put a clip in there from a secret leaked video a few years ago. Where a spokesman said the prime objective is the ""organizations image"" or directives."

  Makes me think of Star Trek's Prime Directive of non-interference. But WT's prime directive seems to be deliberately about interference. Interfere with the smallest details of congregants private lives and interfere with ordinary people by knocking on doors and manning the trolleys/carts conspicuously in their way. I say the last phrase because last time I saw the trolley in town, it was set up so that if I had walked the way I had planned to, I would have had to pass them, and I wasn't in the mood for a chat with them (probably wouldn't have happened, it usually never does, but I didn't take the chance), so I ended up walking up a different side of the street than I had wanted to*.

  * It didn't interfere with any real plans like stopping in a certain shop, or anything like that, I just noticed that them being on the corner that day made me feel uncomfortable. Other times I don't care.
• 

  Journeyman

  The OP mentions that the recent publication "Imitate Their Faith" is:

  'like "My book of Bible Stories" but for adults but is full of inaccuracies and outright falsehoods'.

  That was a major irritation I had with that book too. Congregations studied it together for a few months a couple of years ago, and although it seems a good idea to have a book that tells the stories of specific Bible characters - a collection of biographies, if you like - I also found there there were too many assumptions and suppositions made in the book that are completely unsupported by the scriptures. It follows a recent pattern of them simply making up elements within the Bible accounts (such as the recent convention video where they invented a sister for Jonah, just to have scenes of dialogue).

  For example, in the chapter about Elijah, describing the account where he is waiting for a coming storm that God has promised and he has his attendant watching for a sign of its arrival, the Bible account at 1 Kings 18:42-44 says:

  Then he [Elijah] said to his attendant: “Go up, please, and look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said: “There is nothing at all.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time his attendant said: “Look! There is a small cloud like a man's hand ascending out of the sea.” He now said: “Go, say to Ahab, ‘Hitch up the chariot! Go down so that the downpour may not detain you!’”

  However, the section about this in the "Imitate Their Faith"book says this (bold mine for emphasis):

  "Because Elijah had confidence in Jehovah’s promise, he eagerly sought evidence that Jehovah was about to act. He sent his attendant up to a high vantage point to scan the horizon for any signs of impending rain. Upon his return, the attendant delivered this unenthusiastic report: “There is nothing at all.” The horizon was clear, and the sky, evidently cloudless. Now, did you notice something unusual? Remember, Elijah had just told King Ahab: “There is the sound of the turmoil of a downpour.” How could the prophet say such a thing when there were no rain clouds to be seen?

  [...]

  Next, notice how watchful Elijah was. He sent his attendant back, not once or twice, but seven times! We might imagine the attendant tiring of such a repetitive task, but Elijah remained eager for a sign and did not give up. Finally, after his seventh trip, the attendant reported: “Look! There is a small cloud like a man’s palm ascending out of the sea.” Can you picture that attendant holding his arm outstretched and using his palm to gauge the size of one little cloud coming up over the horizon of the Great Sea? The attendant may have been unimpressed. To Elijah, though, that cloud was significant. He now gave his attendant urgent directions: “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Hitch up! And go down that the downpour may not detain you!’”​

  If you read the Bible verses, there is absolutely nothing to suggest the attendant is "unenthusiastic" or "unimpressed". He is obedient to what is asked by his master, he keeps doing what he is told without any sign of resistance or complaint, and he gives accurate observations. The attendant obviously also obeyed in going and notifying Ahab when asked, as the next verses state Ahab acted on the news. Yet the Org seems determined to paint him as somehow reluctant or negative. I've no idea why, and it irritated me.

  The only thing I could think of is that they were trying to emphasise Elijah's watchfulness by downplaying or ignoring the role his attendant played, making it seem that only Elijah was keen and observant. But they could've just as easily made the attendant an example of 'obedience' (which they're usually so keen to do), who kept doing what his master asked even though being sent back seven times, and it would have fitted the Bible account more accurately.

  There were other examples of assumptions like this at various points in the book which ruined the whole supposed biographical approach for me, and I was glad to see the back of that book when the study was finished.

  Interestingly, in common with many recently published books, after it was released with some fanfare and had been studied in the congregations, it has barely been referred to since! 🤣

  
  
• 

  liam

  You're a SIMP!
  
• 

  Beth Sarim

  ""They willl keep pushing their speculation & assumptions""

  The governing body is neither inspired nor infallible.

  We can assume,,evidently, perhaps,,could be,,likely,,,clearly,,, no doubt,,,,