20250603 [새벽묵상] 약속을 지켜 믿음의 공동체를 이루라 | Keeping Our Promises: Building a Community of Faith (민/Num 32:28-42)

32:28 이에 모세가 그들에 대하여 제사장 엘르아살과 눈의 아들 여호수아와 이스라엘 자손 지파의 수령들에게 명령하니라

32:29 모세가 그들에게 이르되 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손이 만일 각각 무장하고 너희와 함께 요단을 건너가서 여호와 앞에서 싸워서 그 땅이 너희 앞에 항복하기에 이르면 길르앗 땅을 그들의 소유로 줄 것이니라

32:30 그러나 만일 그들이 너희와 함께 무장하고 건너지 아니하면 그들은 가나안 땅에서 너희와 함께 땅을 소유할 것이니라

28 Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.”

32:31 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손이 대답하여 이르되 여호와께서 당신의 종들에게 명령하신 대로 우리가 행할 것이라

32:32 우리가 무장하고 여호와 앞에서 가나안 땅에 건너가서 요단 이쪽을 우리가 소유할 기업이 되게 하리이다

31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said. 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.”

32:33 모세가 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손과 요셉의 아들 므낫세 반 지파에게 아모리인의 왕 시혼의 나라와 바산 왕 옥의 나라를 주되 곧 그 땅과 그 경내의 성읍들과 그 성읍들의 사방 땅을 그들에게 주매

33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.

32:34 갓 자손은 디본과 아다롯과 아로엘과

32:35 아다롯소반과 야셀과 욕브하와

32:36 벧니므라와 벧하란들의 견고한 성읍을 건축하였고 또 양을 위하여 우리를 지었으며

32:37 르우벤 자손은 헤스본과 엘르알레와 기랴다임과

32:38 느보와 바알므온들을 건축하고 그 이름을 바꾸었고 또 십마를 건축하고 건축한 성읍들에 새 이름을 주었고

34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

32:39 므낫세의 아들 마길의 자손은 가서 길르앗을 쳐서 빼앗고 거기 있는 아모리인을 쫓아내매

32:40 모세가 길르갓을 므낫세의 아들 마길에게 주매 그가 거기 거주하였고

32:41 므낫세의 아들 야일은 가서 그 촌락들을 빼앗고 하봇야일이라 불렀으며

32:42 노바는 가서 그낫과 그 마을들을 빼앗고 자기 이름을 따라서 노바라 불렀더라

39 The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair. 42 And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.

                제게는 4살 어린 여동생이 있는데요. 제 여동생은 저하고는 많이 다릅니다. 서로 다른 점이 여러가지가 있지만 그 중에 한가지가 제 동생은 좀 치밀해요. 한가지 예를 들자면 저희 아버지께서 저희와 무언가를 약속했다고 해볼게요. 제가 놀이공원에 가고 싶어서 이번 주말에 놀이공원을 가자고 조릅니다. 그러면 아버지께서 그래, 그러면 이번 주말에 가자. 약속을 하세요. 그런데 아버지께서 일을 하시다보면 약속을 잊으시는 경우가 종종 있습니다. 그러면 저는 ‘아 뭐 그럴 수 있지. 이번은 아닌가보다’ 라고 생각하고는 별말 없이 그냥 넘어가요. 또 저는 장남이라 아버지 상황을 생각하지 않을 수가 없잖아요? 그런데 제 동생은 좀 달라요. 제 동생이 뭔가를 졸라서 아버지께서 그래 그렇게 하자. 이렇게 약속을 받으면, 제 동생은 뭐부터 하냐면, 종이부터 가져옵니다. 그리고는 그 종이에 아버지 눈 앞에서 아버지가 한 약속을 적어요. 자, 아버지가 또 일이 바쁘시거나 상황이 생겨서 잊으시는 경우가 생기겠지요? 그러면 제 동생은 그 종이를 아버지한테 들이밀어요. 그때 이렇게 이렇게 약속했잖아요? 그러면요, 저희 아버지 꼼짝 못하십니다. 어떠한 상황에서도 그 약속을 지킬 수 밖에 없어요. 제 여동생이 초등학교 저학년때부터 이랬습니다. 자, 여러분 부모 자식간에도 약속이란 이렇게 중요한 것이에요. 왜냐하면 약속은 관계의 기반이기 때문입니다. 약속을 지키지 않는다면 관계는 깨어질 수 밖에 없어요. 약속이 제대로 지켜질 때에 관계가 형성되고 공동체가 만들어지는 것입니다. 오늘 말씀도 마찬가지입니다. 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손이 이스라엘 리더들 앞에서 약속을 합니다. 그리고 그 약속을 지키는 과정이 오늘 본문의 내용입니다. 오늘은 약속을 지켜 믿음의 공동체를 이루라 라는 제목으로 말씀을 나누기 원합니다.

Introduction

I have a little sister who's four years younger than me, and she's quite different. While we have many differences, one thing that stands out is how meticulous she is. Let me give you an example. Let's say my dad promises us something. I might beg him to go to an amusement park this weekend. He'll say, "Okay, let's go this weekend," and make a promise. But sometimes, with work, he'll simply forget. I usually think, "Oh, well, that's alright. Maybe not this time," and I don't make a big deal out of it. Plus, as the oldest, I can't help but consider his situation, right?

But my sister is different. When she gets Dad to agree to something, the first thing she does is grab a piece of paper. Then, right in front of him, she writes down his promise. So, what happens when Dad gets busy again or something comes up and he forgets? My sister shoves that paper in his face and says, "But you promised! Right here!" And Dad? He's got nothing. He has no choice but to keep that promise, no matter what. She's been like this since she was in elementary school.

You see, even between parents and children, a promise is that important. Why? Because a promise is the foundation of a relationship. If you don't keep your promises, the relationship will inevitably break. It's when promises are properly kept that relationships are formed and communities are built.

Today's passage is no different. The descendants of Gad and Reuben make a promise before the leaders of Israel, and today's text tells us about the process of them keeping that promise. Today, I want to share a message titled, "Keeping Our Promises: Building a Community of Faith."

                먼저 약속의 중요성입니다. 어제 말씀에서 우리는 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손이 모세에게 설명하는 것을 들었습니다. “아, 모세여 오해하지 마십시오. 우리는 가나안 정복 전쟁에서 빠지려는 것이 아닙니다. 우리도 함께 싸우겠습니다. 아니, 우리가 최선봉에 서겠습니다.” 라고 이야기 하지요. 그러자 모세가 제 여동생이 했던 것과 비슷한 행동을 합니다. 28절 함께 읽겠습니다. “이에 모세가 그들에 대하여 제사장 엘르아살과 눈의 아들 여호수아와 이스라엘 자손 지파의 수령들에게 명령하니라” 모세가 이스라엘 백성들의 리더들을 다 불러 모읍니다. 그리고는 명령의 형태로 공식적으로 공표를 해버립니다. 쉽게 말하면 계약서 쓰는거에요. 자 우리 계약서 쓸 때에 보통 갑과 을이 있고 쌍방간의 계약의 내용을 정리해서 씁니다. 그리고 일반적으로 그 밑에는 해약 또는 위약에 대한 내용이 있습니다. 이 계약을 어길 시에는 갑은 을에게 을은 갑에게 위약금 얼마얼마를 지불한다. 뭐 이런 내용이 있지요. 그래서 계약이 반드시 지켜질 수 있는 안전장치를 마련해 둡니다. 오늘 말씀도 마찬가지에요. 29절은 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손이 모세에게 구두로 얘기했던 약속들을 정리해서 보여줍니다. 그리고 30절은 이들이 약속을 어길 시에 어떤 불이익을 당할 지에 대한 위약 조항을 보여주지요. 이 모든 정황들은 우리에게 이들이 지금 하고 있는 약속을 지키는 것이 얼마나 중요한 것인지를 보여줍니다. 그것은 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손의 대답에서도 확인 할 수 있지요. 31절과 32절은 그들이 지금 이스라엘 백성들의 리더 앞에서 하고 있는 이 약속이 하나님 앞에서 하고 있는 약속이라는 것을 증명합니다. “여호와께서 당신의 종들에게 명령하신 대로” “우리가 무장하고 여호와 앞에서 가나안 땅에 건너가서” 이 약속은 공동체와 맺는 약속이지만 또한 하나님 앞에서 하고 있는 약속인 것입니다. 그렇기 때문에 이 약속은 반드시 지켜져야 하는 중요한 약속인 것입니다.

The Importance of Promises

First, let's consider the importance of promises. In yesterday's message, we heard Gad and Reuben's descendants explain themselves to Moses. They said, "Oh, Moses, don't misunderstand. We're not trying to opt out of the conquest of Canaan. We will fight alongside you. In fact, we'll lead the charge."

Then, Moses does something similar to what my little sister used to do. Let's read verse 28 together: "Then Moses gave orders concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes." Moses gathers all the leaders of the Israelite people. And then, he formally proclaims it in the form of a command.

Simply put, he's drawing up a contract. When we write a contract, there are usually two parties, Party A and Party B, and the terms of the agreement are laid out. Generally, there are also clauses about dissolution or breach of contract below. Something like, "If this contract is violated, Party A will pay Party B, or Party B will pay Party A, a certain amount in damages." These provisions act as safeguards to ensure the contract is fulfilled.

Today's passage is similar. Verse 29 summarizes the promises that the descendants of Gad and Reuben had made verbally to Moses. And verse 30 shows us the penalty clause, outlining the disadvantages they would face if they broke their promise. All these circumstances demonstrate to us how crucial it is that they keep the promise they are making.

We can also see this in the response of the descendants of Gad and Reuben. Verses 31 and 32 prove that the promise they are making before the leaders of the Israelite people is also a promise made before God. "We will do whatever the Lord has said to your servants" and "We will cross over armed before the Lord into Canaan." This promise, though made to the community, is also a promise made before the Lord. Therefore, it is a crucial promise that must be kept.

                두번째는 약속을 지킴으로 그들은 믿음의 공동체를 이루었습니다. 33절부터 42절까지의 말씀은 모세가 약속대로 이들, 갓 자손과 르우벤 자손과 므낫세 반 지파에게 요단 동쪽 땅을 떼어주는 장면입니다. 모세가 이들에게 약속을 지키고 이들 또한 마찬가지로 약속을 지키는 모습을 볼 수 있습니다. 36절과 38절을 보시면 이들이 자신들의 자녀와 가축을 위해 성읍을 건축하고 우리를 짓는 모습을 보실 수 있습니다. 어제 말씀을 기억하신다면 16절과 17절에서 이렇게 말하였던 것을 기억할 것입니다. “우리가 이곳에 우리 가축을 위하여 우리를 짓고 우리 어린 아이들을 위하여 성읍을 건축하고 이 땅의 원주민이 있으므로 우리 어린 아이들을 그 견고한 성읍에 거주하게 한 후에 우리는 무장하고 이스라엘 자손을 그 곳으로 인도하기까지 그들의 앞에서 가고” 이들은 약속만을 한 것이 아니라 약속을 지키기 위해 실제적인 준비를 하고 있는 것입니다. 그리고 이들이 약속을 지킴으로 이스라엘 백성들은 전쟁 직전이라는 중요한 순간에 분열하지 않을 수 있을 수 있었습니다. 자칫 잘못하면 모세가 말하였던 것 처럼 1세대가 범했던 죄악을 이들 또한 범할 수도 있었습니다. 한 쪽은 “애굽으로 돌아가자,” 다른 쪽은 “아니라, 그들은 우리의 밥이다.” 분열되어 공동체를 이루지 못하고 결국 광야에서 모두 죽었지요. 이들도 마찬가지로 “우리는 약속의 땅 필요 없다. 우리는 이 땅만 있으면 돼, 전쟁은 너희만 해” 라며 자신들의 이기심만을 채우려 했다면 이스라엘은 분열되어 1세대와 같은 운명을 맞이했을 것입니다. 그러나 그들은 약속을 지킴으로 이스라엘 공동체 전체가 가나안 땅을 온전히 차지하는데 필수적인 기여를 했습니다. 약속을 지킴으로 믿음의 공동체를 함께 이루어 나간 것입니다.

Keeping Promises Builds a Community of Faith

Second, by keeping their promises, they built a community of faith. Verses 33 through 42 describe Moses distributing the land east of the Jordan to them—the descendants of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—just as he had promised. We see Moses keeping his promise to them, and they, in turn, keeping theirs.

If you recall yesterday's message, you'll remember what was said in verses 16 and 17: "They came to him and said, 'We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we will arm ourselves1 and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place.'" You'll notice in verses 36 and 38 that they built cities for their children and pens for their livestock. They didn't just make a promise; they were making actual preparations to keep that promise.

And by keeping their promise, the Israelites avoided division at a critical moment right before the war. A slight misstep, as Moses had warned, could have led them to repeat the sin of the first generation. One side might have said, "Let's go back to Egypt," while the other said, "No, they're our bread." They were divided, couldn't form a community, and ultimately all died in the wilderness. If these tribes had similarly said, "We don't need the Promised Land. We're fine with just this land, you fight the war yourselves," selfishly trying to fulfill only their own desires, Israel would have been divided and met the same fate as the first generation. However, by keeping their promise, they made an essential contribution to the entire Israelite community's ability to fully possess the land of Canaan. They worked together to build a community of faith by keeping their promises.

말씀을 맺습니다. 오늘 우리는 본문의 말씀을 통해 약속을 지킴으로 믿음의 공동체를 이루는 것이 얼마나 중요한 것인지 보았습니다. 르우벤, 갓, 므낫세 반 지파는 자신들이 한 약속을 성실히 이행했고, 그 결과 그들이 바라던 요단 동편 땅을 차지할 수 있었습니다. 그리고 이스라엘 공동체 전체의 가나안 정복에도 큰 기여를 했습니다. 여러분께서는 믿음의 공동체를 위해 어떤 약속을 하셨습니까? 그 약속을 잘 지키고 계십니까? 작은 약속이라도 성실히 지켜나갈 때, 이들이 그들이 바라던 땅을 차지하면서도 공동체에 큰 기여를 했던 것 처럼, 여러분께서도 하나님께서 여러분의 삶을 축복하시고, 우리가 속한 이 한사랑 공동체에 큰 일을 이루실 것을 기도합니다.

Conclusion

Let me conclude. Today, through this passage, we've seen how important it is to build a community of faith by keeping our promises. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh faithfully kept the promises they made. As a result, they were able to claim the land east of the Jordan that they desired, and they made a significant contribution to the entire Israelite community's conquest of Canaan.

What promises have you made for the community of faith, my friends? Are you keeping them well? Just as these tribes claimed the land they desired while making a great contribution to the community, I pray that as you faithfully keep even your small promises, God will bless your life, and accomplish great things through our beloved Hansarang community.