20250429 [새벽묵상] 누가 하나님이 인정하시는 지도자인가? | Who does God truly recognize as a leader? (민/Num 16:12~35)

16:12 모세가 엘리압의 아들 다단과 아비람을 부르러 사람을 보냈더니 그들이 이르되 우리는 올라가지 않겠노라

16:13 네가 우리를 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅에서 이끌어 내어 광야에서 죽이려 함이 어찌 작은 일이기에 오히려 스스로 우리 위에 왕이 되려 하느냐

16:14 이뿐 아니라 네가 우리를 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅으로 인도하여 들이지도 아니하고 밭도 포도원도 우리에게 기업으로 주지 아니하니 네가 이 사람들의 눈을 빼려느냐 우리는 올라가지 아니하겠노라

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come! 13 Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us! 14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves? No, we will not come!”

16:15 모세가 심히 노하여 여호와께 여짜오되 주는 그들의 헌물을 돌아보지 마옵소서 나는 그들의 나귀 한 마리도 빼앗지 아니하였고 그들 중의 한 사람도 해하지 아니하였나이다 하고

15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

16:16 이에 모세가 고라에게 이르되 너와 너의 온 무리는 아론과 함께 내일 여호와 앞으로 나아오되

16:17 너희는 제각기 향로를 들고 그 위에 향을 얹고 각 사람이 그 향로를 여호와 앞으로 가져오라 향로는 모두 이백오십 개라 너와 아론도 각각 향로를 가지고 올지니라

16:18 그들이 제각기 향로를 가져다가 불을 담고 향을 그 위에 얹고 모세와 아론과 더불어 회막 문에 서니라

16:19 고라가 온 회중을 회막 문에 모아 놓고 그 두 사람을 대적하려 하매 여호와의 영광이 온 회중에게 나타나시니라

16:20 여호와께서 모세와 아론에게 말씀하여 이르시되

16:21 너희는 이 회중에게서 떠나라 내가 순식간에 그들을 멸하려 하노라

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you and they and Aaron. 17 Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it—250 censers in all—and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.” 18 So each of them took his censer, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire assembly. 20 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”

16:22 그 두 사람이 엎드려 이르되 하나님이여 모든 육체의 생명의 하나님이여 한 사람이 범죄하였거늘 온 회중에게 진노하시나이까

22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?”

16:23 여호와께서 모세에게 말씀하여 이르시되

16:24 회중에게 명령하여 이르기를 너희는 고라와 다단과 아비람의 장막 사방에서 떠나라 하라

23 Then the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

16:25 모세가 일어나 다단과 아비람에게로 가니 이스라엘 장로들이 따랐더라

16:26 모세가 회중에게 말하여 이르되 이 악인들의 장막에서 떠나고 그들의 물건은 아무 것도 만지지 말라 그들의 모든 회중에서 너희도 멸망할까 두려워하노라 하매

16:27 무리가 고라와 다단과 아비람의 장막 사방을 떠나고 다단과 아비람은 그들의 처자와 유아들과 함께 나와서 자기 장막 문에 선지라

25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents.

16:28 모세가 이르되 여호와께서 나를 보내사 이 모든 일을 행하게 하신 것이요 나의 임의로 함이 아닌 줄을 이 일로 말미암아 알리라

16:29 곧 이 사람들의 죽음이 모든 사람과 같고 그들이 당하는 벌이 모든 사람이 당하는 벌과 같으면 여호와께서 나를 보내심이 아니거니와

16:30 만일 여호와께서 새 일을 행하사 땅이 입을 열어 이 사람들과 그들의 모든 소유물을 삼켜 산 채로 스올에 빠지게 하시면 이 사람들이 과연 여호와를 멸시한 것인 줄을 너희가 알리라

28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29 If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”

16:31 그가 이 모든 말을 마치자마자 그들이 섰던 땅바닥이 갈라지니라

16:32 땅이 그 입을 열어 그들과 그들의 집과 고라에게 속한 모든 사람과 그들의 재물을 삼키매

16:33 그들과 그의 모든 재물이 산 채로 스올에 빠지며 땅이 그 위에 덮이니 그들이 회중 가운데서 망하니라

16:34 그 주위에 있는 온 이스라엘이 그들의 부르짖음을 듣고 도망하며 이르되 땅이 우리도 삼킬까 두렵다 하였고

31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

16:35 여호와께로부터 불이 나와서 분향하는 이백오십 명을 불살랐더라

35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

                  저도 올해로 미국에서 산지가 벌써 20여년이 다 되어갑니다. 이민 생활을 오래하다 보니 원치 않아도 들려오는 이야기들이 있습니다. 그 중에서 이민 교회가 깨어지는 이야기는 들을 때마다 마음이 아픕니다. 특히 제가 몸 담았던 공동체가 깨어졌다는 소식을 들었을 때에는 정말 마음이 쉽지 않았습니다. 어떤 때에는 신학적인 분쟁 때문에 어느 때에는 누군가의 잘잘못으로 성도들 간에 균열이 일어나고 결국 두 파로 갈라져 교회가 깨어집니다. 양쪽 모두 자신들이 하나님의 뜻 안에 있다고 주장하며 상대편은 하나님을 대적하는 집단이라고 몰아세웁니다. 그 과정 가운데 많은 사람들이 상처를 입고 교회를 떠나게 됩니다. 참으로 무서운 일이 아닐 수 없습니다. 오늘 말씀도 마찬가지입니다. 레위 자손 고라와 르우벤 지파 다단과 아비람, 그리고 온이 회중의 지도자들을 모아 모세와 아론에게 반기를 들었습니다. 신학적인 논쟁으로, 또 모세의 리더쉽이 무능력하다고 트집잡으며 공동체 전체에 균열을 일으킵니다. 공동체가 깨어지기 직전입니다. 자 그렇다면 누가 하나님이 인정하시는 지도자일까요? 우리는 이미 결과를 알고 있습니다. 그러나 오늘의 말씀을 통하여 우리는 하나님이 인정하시는 지도자가 어떤 사람인지 다시 한 번 볼 수 있기를 원합니다.

Brothers and sisters, it's hard to believe, but I've been in the States for nearly twenty years now. And after all this time living the immigrant life, you hear things. You hear stories you don't necessarily want to hear.

And one of the things that always breaks my heart is when I hear about immigrant churches falling apart. Especially when it's a community I was once a part of – when I heard that fellowship had broken down, it really hit me hard.

Sometimes it's over theological disputes, other times it's because of personal failings, and the congregation gets fractured. Eventually, the church splits into two. Both sides, they claim they're the ones following God's will, and they paint the other side as being against God. And in the process, so many people get hurt, and they walk away from the church. It's a truly terrible thing. And that's what we see in our scripture today.

The Levite, Korah, along with Dathan and Abiram from the Reubenites, and On, they gathered the leaders of the congregation and rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They stirred up division throughout the whole community, picking at theological arguments and criticizing Moses' leadership, claiming it was ineffective. The community was on the verge of collapse. So, the question we have to ask ourselves is, who does God truly recognize as a leader?

Now, we know how the story ends. But through today's message, I pray we can gain a fresh understanding of what kind of person God recognizes as a leader.

                  먼저 모세에게 반기를 든 사람들의 모습을 함께 보기 원합니다. 어제 말씀에서 고라는 하나님께서 회중 모두와 함께 하시는데 어찌하여 아론과 그의 자손만이 제사장 직분을 갖느냐며 반발하였습니다. 그렇다면 다단과 아비람이 주장하는 말은 무엇이었을까요? 먼저 13절입니다. “오히려 스스로 우리 위에 왕이 되려 하느냐” 이들은 모세가 이들의 왕이 되려 한다고 주장하고 있습니다. 그러나 가만히 생각하면 모세는 이들의 왕이 될 수가 없지요. 하나님이 이스라엘의 왕이시기 때문입니다. 모세는 그저 하나님의 명령을 대언하는 자였을 뿐입니다. 그러나 그들은 눈에 보이지 않는 하나님은 보지 못하고 자신들 눈 앞에 있는 모세만이 보였던 것입니다. 13절에 “네가 우리를 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅에서 이끌어내어 광야에서 죽이려 함이 어찌 작은 일이기에” 여기서 말하는 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅이 무엇입니까? 애굽입니다. 약속의 땅인 가나안 땅을 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅이라고 불렀던 것을 애굽에 빗대어 비아냥 거리고 있는 것입니다. 들어가보지도 못한 가나안 땅이 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅이라면 우리가 있던 애굽이야말로 젖과 꿀이 흐르던 땅이 아니냐 하는 것입니다. 가만히 보면 이들이 하는 말은 모두 눈에 보이는 것과 관련이 있습니다. 14절에 “네가 우리를 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅으로 인도하여 들이지도 아니하고 밭도 포도원도 우리에게 기업으로 주지 아니하니” 이들이 주장하는 것은 무엇입니까? 젖과 꿀이 흐르는 땅, 밭과 포도원, 기업을 왜 우리에게 주지 아니하느냐 하는 것입니다. 이들이 구하는 모든 것은 눈에 보이는 것들이지요. 그렇다면 이들에게 눈에 보이지 않는 하나님에 대한 경외와 눈에 보이지 않는 것을 믿는 믿음이 어디에 있습니까? 그래서일까요? 이들이 모세에게 말합니다. “네가 이 사람들의 눈을 빼려느냐?” 비유적인 표현으로 네가 사람들을 속이려느냐는 말입니다. 하나님은 눈에 보이지도 않는데 다 거짓말이잖아? 어딜 속이려고? 결국 모세, 다 네가 한거잖아 하는 말이지요. 이들에게는 눈의 욕심. 눈에 보이는 것이 중요하였습니다. 눈에 보이지 않는 하나님은 언급도 되지 않습니다.

First, let's look at those who rebelled against Moses. Yesterday, we heard how Korah challenged Moses, saying, "The whole community is holy, every one of them! Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?" (Numbers 16:3). He questioned why only Aaron and his sons should have the priesthood, since the Lord is with all the people.

So, what was Dathan and Abiram's complaint? Let's look at verse 13: "Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now1 would you also lord it over us?" They accused Moses of trying to be their king.

But if you think about it, Moses couldn't be their king. God is the King of Israel. Moses was simply the one who spoke God's commands. But they were so focused on what they could see, on Moses right in front of them, that they couldn't see the invisible God.

Verse 13 continues, "Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness?" Now, what land are they calling "a land flowing with milk and honey?" Egypt! They're twisting the description of the Promised Land, Canaan, and sarcastically applying it to Egypt. They're saying, if the land we haven't even entered, Canaan, is supposed to be the land of milk and honey, then Egypt, where we came from, was truly the land of milk and honey!

You see, everything they're saying is focused on what they can see. Verse 14: "Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards."2 What are they demanding? The land of milk and honey, fields, vineyards, an inheritance – all things they can see!

So, where is their reverence for the unseen God? Where is their faith in what they cannot see? That's why they say to Moses, "Will you gouge out the eyes of these men?" (Numbers 16:14). It's a figurative way of saying, "Are you trying to deceive us?" They're implying, "God is invisible, so it's all a lie, isn't it? What are you trying to pull?" Ultimately, they're blaming Moses for everything. Their desires were fixed on what their eyes could see; visible things were what mattered to them. The invisible God doesn't even get a mention. And because of that, they didn't fear God.

                  그래서일까요? 이들은 하나님을 두려워하지도 않습니다. 16-18절까지 모세가 고라의 무리에게 아론과 함께 향로를 들고 나아오라고 할 때에 이들이 하나님을 두려워했다면 절대로 그 자리에 설 수 없었을 것입니다. 레위기10:1-2에서 심지어 아론의 자식들 조차 향로에 다른 불을 담아 분향했을 때에 하나님의 심판을 받아 죽었던 것을 기억하실 것입니다. 그러나 이들은 하나님을 두려워하였던 것이 아니라 눈에 보이는 사람 수를 믿었던 것 같습니다. 19절에 보니 이들이 향로를 가지고 회막 문에 설 수 있었던 것은 이들에게 다른 계획이 있었던 것임을 알 수 있지요. “온 회중을 회막 문에 모아 놓고 그 두 사람을 대적하려 하매.” 아, 사람 수로 밀어붙이려고 했구나. 그리고 바로 그 때에 하나님의 영광이 나타나셔서 상황에 개입하십니다.

In verses 16-18, when Moses tells Korah and his followers to bring their censers with Aaron, if they had feared God, they never would have dared to do it! Remember in Leviticus 10:1-2, even Aaron's own sons, Nadab and Abihu, were struck dead by the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire in their censers. But these rebels, they weren't fearing God; they were trusting in the number of people on their side.

Verse 19 tells us that they gathered the whole community against Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Ah, they were planning to overwhelm them with sheer numbers! But then, the glory of the Lord appeared, and God intervened in the situation.

                  이제 모세를 보겠습니다. 15절에서 모세는 다단과 아비람의 말을 듣고 심히 노하여 그가 자신의 사리사욕을 채우지 않았음을 하나님께 증언합니다. 그는 눈에 보이는 재물이나 편안함이 아닌 보이지 않는 하나님이 중요하였습니다. 그래서 이들에게 심히 노하였음에도 불구하고 이들에게 반박하지 않고 하나님께 그 상황을 올려드리는 것입니다. 또한, 20-22절에서 반역하는 이들로 인해 온 회중을 멸하시려는 진노하신 하나님 앞에 모세와 아론은 엎드려 회중을 위하여 중보합니다. 고라와 그의 무리들이 하나님의 진노를 촉발하여 온 회중에게 화가 미치게 한 것과는 정반대의 모습이지요. 그래서 하나님께서는 모세와 아론에게만 말씀하십니다. 그리고 모세를 통하여 하나님의 진노를 피할 방법을 알려주시지요. 그것이 무엇이었습니까? 24절입니다. “너희는 고라와 다단과 아비람의 장막 사방에서 떠나라” 이 말씀을 모세에게만 하셨기 때문에 모세가 직접 다단과 아비람에게 가서 전해야만 했습니다. 27절을 보니 무리가 그 말씀에 순종하여 그들은 화를 면하는 것을 볼 수 있습니다. 만약 다단과 아비람이 이제라도 뉘우쳐서 자신들의 처자와 아이들을 장막에서 떠나게 하였다면 그들은 살 수 있었을 지도 모릅니다. 그 예로 고라의 자손들은 민수기 26:11을 보니 죽지 않았습니다. 그러나 30절을 보니 이들은 하나님을 멸시함으로 회중 가운데서 망하게 되었습니다. 그러나 모세는 하나님의 뜻만을 구하였습니다. 28절이야말로 왜 하나님이 모세를 지도자로 인정하셨는지 정확히 나와있지요. 함께 읽겠습니다. “여호와께서 나를 보내사 이 모든 일을 행하게 하신 것이요 나의 임의로 함이 아닌 줄을 이 일로 말미암아 알리라” 바로 모세는 철저히 모든 일을 보이지 않는 하나님의 뜻을 따라 행하는 자였기 때문입니다. 자신의 뜻이 아닌 오직 하나님의 뜻을 구함으로 그 뜻을 이루는 자였기 때문입니다.

Now, let's look at Moses. In verse 15, when Moses heard what Dathan and Abiram said, he became very angry and testified to the Lord that he had not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor had he wronged any of them. His heart wasn't set on earthly possessions or comfort; the invisible God was what mattered to him. So, even though he was angry with them, he didn't argue back; he brought the situation before God.

Furthermore, in verses 20-22, when God's anger flared up against the whole assembly and He threatened to destroy them, Moses and Aaron fell facedown and pleaded with God to spare the people. This is the complete opposite of Korah and his followers, who provoked God's wrath and endangered the entire community. That's why the Lord spoke only to Moses and Aaron. And He told Moses how to avoid His wrath. What was it? Verse 24: "Go away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram!" God only gave this instruction to Moses, so Moses himself had to go and warn Dathan and Abiram.

Verse 27 shows us that the people obeyed God's command and moved away from the tents, and they were spared. If only Dathan and Abiram had repented, even at that point, and led their wives and children away from their tents, they might have been saved. For example, Numbers 26:11 tells us that Korah's sons did not die. But verse 30 says that Dathan and Abiram, because they despised the Lord, perished in the sight of all Israel.

Moses, however, sought only God's will. Verse 28 clearly explains why God recognized Moses as a leader. Let's read it together: "Moses said, 'By this you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it is not my idea.'" You see, Moses was committed to doing everything according to the will of the invisible God. He wasn't pursuing his own agenda, but only God's will, and he worked to accomplish it.

                  말씀을 맺습니다. 오늘 말씀에 모세와 아론을 대적하였던 것은 다름아닌 백성의 지휘관들이었습니다. 이들로 말미암아 이스라엘 백성 전체가 죽임을 당할 뻔 하였습니다. 이스라엘 백성들이 약속의 땅으로 들어가기 직전에 하나님께 반역하였던 것 또한 각 지파의 수령들이었던 정탐꾼들의 악평 때문이었습니다. 이들로 인하여 이스라엘은 가나안 땅으로 들어가지 못하고 광야에서 죽음을 맞이하게 되었습니다. 만약 이들이 하나님의 뜻을 구하였다면. 만약 이들이 하나님께서 그 땅을 우리에게 주시리라 라고 선포하는 사람들이었다면 어떻게 되었을까요? 여러분 오늘 말씀을 통하여 드러나는 하나님이 인정하시는 지도자는 누구입니까? 눈에 보이는 것. 우리가 원하는 것을 찾는 사람입니까? 또는 눈 앞에 보이는 현실에 낙망하여 불평하는 사람입니까? 아니면 나의 임의로 결정하고 행동하는 것이 아니라 하나님의 일을 구하고 그 뜻에 따라 행하는 자입니까? 여러분, 여러분 마음의 동기를 다시 한번 살펴보시기 바랍니다. 우리는 우리가 원하는 것을 얻기 위해 스스로를 속일 수도 있는 자이기 때문입니다. 분노할 때에도 사람을 향하는 것이 아니라 하나님께 그 상황을 올려드리고 교회를 위하여 중보하는 여러분 되시기를. 그래서 여러분을 통해 하나님의 뜻이 공동체에 이뤄지는 일이 일어나기를. 우리의 생각과 우리가 바라는 것이 아닌 하나님의 뜻을 따라 하나님의 일을 행하는 여러분 되시기를. 그래서 각 영역에서 하나님이 인정하시는 구역장, 부서장, 장로, 집사, 지도자 되시는 여러분 되시기를 주님의 이름으로 축원합니다.

In conclusion, brothers and sisters, today's passage shows us that it was the leaders of the people who opposed Moses and Aaron. And because of them, the entire nation of Israel was nearly destroyed. It was also the negative report of the tribal leaders, the spies, that caused Israel to rebel against God just before entering the Promised Land. Because of them, Israel failed to enter Canaan and perished in the wilderness. If only they had sought God's will... If only they had been the ones proclaiming that God would give them the land...

So, brothers and sisters, who is it that God recognizes as a leader, as revealed in today's message? Is it someone who seeks what is visible, what we desire? Or is it someone who is discouraged by the present reality and complains? Or is it someone who doesn't act on their own initiative but seeks God's will and acts according to it?

I urge you, examine the motives of your heart. Because we are capable of deceiving ourselves to get what we want. Even in our anger, may you be those who turn to God instead of turning against people, those who intercede for the church. So that through you, God's will may be done in our community. May you be those who do God's work according to His will, not our own thoughts or desires. Therefore, in every area of your lives, may you be recognized by God as faithful members, elders, deacons, and small group leaders. In the name of our Lord, I pray.