Numbers 12:9–16, Friday, April 11, 2025

"When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease."— Numbers 12:10 (NIV)

I’ve just returned from the Called to Wholeness retreat. This program is designed for clergy who have reached significant milestones—5, 10, 15, or 20 years since ordination, including those like me who have transferred into new conferences. It’s a time to pause, revisit our ordination vows and calling, and share deeply in small groups.

Before the retreat, we were asked to prepare a one-page biography, like a resume. But when our small group met for the first time, our fellow pastors began sharing their life stories with tears. I ended up putting aside the page I had prepared and simply told the story of my journey.

All of us had experienced difficult lives. Childhood experiences, though unique, shared common threads—feelings of loneliness, exclusion, bright moments shadowed by sudden pain. Yet through those moments, we met God, found wise mentor pastors, and encountered companions who helped us arrive where we are today. Our paths, though different, carried a similar rhythm of pain, grace, and growth.

The retreat reminded me: we are not working for the church, but sent by God into the church. That change in perspective was deeply moving. The Jesuit retreat center in Los Altos, founded over a hundred years ago, overlooks the entire Bay Area. Once just another hilltop, now surrounded by wealth and high land values, this quiet space still stands—an oasis for spiritual renewal and remembering one’s calling. It was the perfect place for such reflection.

Today’s Scripture comes after the people of Israel experienced God’s Spirit and the provision of quail following their complaints. Suddenly, the story shifts: we read that Moses married a Cushite woman (Cush referring to present-day Ethiopia), and Miriam criticized him for it. As a result, she was struck with a skin disease, and Moses interceded on her behalf with a desperate prayer for healing.

This episode seems disconnected from the flow of the narrative—it doesn't neatly follow the manna and quail stories nor lead directly into the next chapter, which begins the spies' journey into Canaan (Numbers 13). Instead, it feels like a vivid memory inserted into the record—one that marks a sudden and serious disruption in Israel's wilderness journey.

Miriam was Moses’ sister, a key figure in his life and a woman of wisdom, often appearing at significant turning points. While the text says God struck her with disease as a response to her criticism, Moses did not respond with punishment. Instead, he sent her outside the camp and stopped the journey, waiting in hopeful prayer for her healing.

Wilderness life was not smooth. Unpredictable, confusing, and unprecedented situations required courage, discernment, and constant adaptation. Numbers 12 reflects this reality—a sudden, unexpected event that disrupted their progress and demanded a compassionate response.

Life, too, often unravels in the face of the unexpected. We hesitate, we fall into conflict, or we learn, grow, and gain wisdom. Very few lives move along a smooth, planned path.

Reflection

What unexpected turns or disruptions are you facing in life right now?

Intercessory Prayer

• Please pray for all our ministers. Not only for their individual responsibilities, but also that they may serve Yeolin Church with wholehearted devotion.

• Pray that Yeolin Church may walk faithfully with the Lord through any unexpected events or disruptions we may encounter in the future.