20250605 [새벽묵상] 광야에서의 시험을 이기고 온전한 신뢰를 이루라 | Overcoming Wilderness Trials, Achieving Complete Trust in God (민/Num 33:38~56)

33:38 이스라엘 자손이 애굽 땅에서 나온 지 사십 년째 오월 초하루에 제사장 아론이 여호와의 명령으로 호르 산에 올라가 거기서 죽었으니

33:39 아론이 호르 산에서 죽던 때의 나이는 백이십삽 세였더라

38 At the Lord’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. 39 Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

33:40 가나안 땅 남방에 살고 있는 가나안 사람 아랏 왕은 이스라엘 자손이 온다는 소식을 들었더라

40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

33:41 그들이 호르 산을 떠나 살모나에 진을 치고

41 They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

33:42 살모나를 떠나 부논에 진을 치고

42 They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

33:43 부논을 떠나 오봇에 진을 치고

43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

33:44 오봇을 떠나 모압 변경 이예아바림에 진을 치고

44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.

33:45 이임을 떠나 디본갓에 진을 치고

45 They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

33:46 디본갓을 떠나 알몬디블라다임에 진을 치고

46 They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

33:47 알몬디블라다임을 떠나 느보 앞 아바림 산에 진을 치고

47 They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

33:48 아바임 산을 떠나 여리고 맞은편 요단 강 가 모압 평지에 진을 쳤으니

33:49 요단 강 가 모압 평지의 진영이 벧여시못에서부터 아벨싯딤에 이르렀더라 

48 They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 49 There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim.

33:50 여리고 맞은편 요단 강 가 모압 평지에서 여호와께서 모세에게 말씀하여 이르시되

33:51 이스라엘 자손에게 말하여 그들에게 이르라 너희가 요단 강을 건너 가나안 땅에 들어가거든

33:52 그 땅의 원주민을 너희 앞에서 다 몰아내고 그 새긴 석상과 부어 만든 우상을 다 깨뜨리며 산당을 다 헐고

33:53 그 땅을 점령하여 거기 거주하라 내가 그 땅을 너희 소유로 너희에 주었음이라

33:54 너희의 종족을 딸 그 땅을 제비 뽑아 나눌 것이니 수가 많으면 많은 기업을 주고 적으면 적은 기업을 주되 각기 제비 뽑은 대로 그 소유가 될 것인즉 너희 조상의 지파를 따라 기업을 받을 것이니라

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.

33:55 너희가 만일 그 땅의 원주민을 너희 앞에서 몰아내지 아니하면 너희가 남겨둔 자들이 너희의 눈에 가시와 너희의 옆구리에 찌르는 것이 되어 너희가 거주하는 땅에서 너희를 괴롭게 할 것이요

33:56 나는 그들에게 행하기로 생각한 것을 너희에게 행하리라

55 “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’”

                저는 고등학생일때 공부를 무척 싫어했습니다. 저희 고등학교는 그 당시에 야간자율학습, 이른바 야자라는 것을 했었는데 덕분에 아침 7시까지 학교를 가서 저녁 10시나 되어서야 학교에서 나올 수 있었습니다. 고3때는 주말에도 학교를 나가야 했죠. 문제는 제가 이 공부를 왜 해야하는지 이해를 할 수가 없었다는 것입니다. 저는 야자 시간에 주로 영어나 일본어등 어학을 공부했습니다. 그런데 선생님들 눈에는 영어는 그렇다 치지만 일본어같이 대학입시에 쓸모 없는 과목을 공부하는 것이 이해가 되지 않으셨던 것이지요. 그래서 늘 국영수 위주로 공부하라는 잔소리를 들었어야만 했습니다. 그러다가 첫 대학입시 시험에서 실패를 하게 되지요. 당연한 결과 였습니다. 하지만 그 시험결과를 통해서 저는 제가 학생으로서 얼마나 부족한 사람인지를 깨닫게 되었지요. 그래서 재수를 하는데 참 마음이 쉽지 않았던 기억이 납니다. 시험이란 그렇습니다. 시험을 좋아하는 사람은 없지요. 왜냐하면 시험은 우리의 현재 상태를 적나라하게 드러내기 때문입니다. 하지만 바로 그렇기 때문에 우리는 시험이 필요한 지도 모릅니다. 오늘 말씀도 마찬가지 입니다. 오늘 말씀의 시작은 므리바 물에서 하나님을 믿지 못하여 백성들 앞에서 하나님의 거룩함을 나타내지 못했던 아론의 죽음으로 시작합니다. 광야길은 시험의 길이었습니다. 그리고 그 시험을 통하여 하나님께서는 우리의 온전한 신뢰를 구하십니다. 오늘은 광야에서의 시험을 이기고 온전한 신뢰를 이루라는 제목으로 말씀을 전하기 원합니다.

Introduction

When I was in high school, I really disliked studying. My high school had something called "night self-study," which meant I'd go to school at 7 AM and not leave until 10 PM. In my senior year, I even had to go to school on weekends. The problem was, I just couldn't understand why I had to study. During those self-study hours, I primarily focused on languages like English or Japanese. However, my teachers couldn't understand why I was studying Japanese—a subject useless for college entrance exams—even if they tolerated English. So, I constantly heard nagging about focusing on core subjects like Korean, English, and Math. Ultimately, I failed my first college entrance exam. It was an obvious outcome. But through that result, I realized how inadequate I was as a student. I remember how difficult it was to prepare for the re-take exam.

Exams are like that. No one likes them, because they starkly reveal our current state. Yet, perhaps that's exactly why we need exams. Today's passage is no different. It begins with the death of Aaron, who, at the waters of Meribah, failed to trust God and uphold His holiness before the Israelites. The wilderness journey was a path of trials. And through those trials, God seeks our complete trust. Today, I want to share a message titled, "Overcoming Wilderness Trials, Achieving Complete Trust in God."

                첫째로 하나님께서는 광야에서 우리를 시험하십니다. 그런데 우리가 알아야 할 것을 우리의 삶과 죽음이 하나님의 손 안에 있다는 것입니다. 방금 말씀드렸듯이 오늘 말씀은 아론의 죽음으로 시작합니다. 38절 함께 읽겠습니다. “이스라엘 자손이 애굽 땅에서 나온 지 사십 년째 오월 초하루에 제사장 아론이 여호와의 명령으로 호르산에 올라가 거기서 죽었으니.” 자, 아론이 죽은 것이 하나님의 명령이었다고 합니다. 아론의 삶과 죽음이 하나님 손에 있는 것입니다. 그런데 우리는 여기서 아론이 죽었어야 했던 이유를 알고 있습니다. 왜 였습니까? 20장을 보면 제가 간단히 말씀드렸던 것 처럼 가데스 므리바에서 모세와 아론이 하나님을 믿지 못하고 온전한 순종을 하지 않았습니다. 반석에게 명령하라고 하셨는데 그들은 ‘우리가 너희를 위하여 이 반석에서 물을 내랴’ 라면서 지팡이로 반석을 두 번 치지요. 그 결과 모세와 아론은 이스라엘 앞에서 하나님의 거룩하심을 나타내지 못하고 광야에서 죽게 되었습니다. 재미있는 것은 33장에 기록되어있는 이 꼼꼼한 여정표중에 설명이 나와있는 부분은 죄다 물과 연관이 있다는 것입니다. 그런데 그 각 장소마다 말씀을 찾아보면 흥미로운 표현이 나옵니다. 8절의 마라만 한 번 보겠습니다. 에담 광야로 사흘 길을 가서야 도착한 곳입니다. 여러분 사람이 물이 없으면 3일을 버틸수가 없습니다. 그런데 도착했더니 물이 써요. 마실 수가 없습니다. 너무나 치명적인 상황입니다. 죽기 직전이에요. 그런데 이 상황에서 이들에게 물을 달게 바꾸어주시며 출애굽기 15:25 은 이렇게 말하고 있습니다. “여호와께서 그들을 위하여 법도와 율례를 정하시고 그들을 시험하실새.” 여러분, 하나님께서 우리를 시험하실 때에는 우리의 가장 치명적인 부분을 건드리십니다. 이것 아니면 죽을 수도 있을 것 같은 정말 눈 앞이 깜깜해지는 그런 상황을 허락하세요. 가데스 므리바에서 아론도 마찬가지였어요 그들의 형제 미리암이 거기서 죽었어요. 너무 마음이 힘들어요. 나는 지금 위로가 필요한데 내가 가장 약해진 그 때에 사람들이 몰려와서 물이 없다고 다투기 시작합니다. 정신이 나갈 것 같아요. 야 나도 죽었으면 좋겠다 막 그래요. 이렇게 우리를 한계까지 몰아넣는 시험 앞에서 우리의 진짜 믿음은 적나라하게 드러나게 되는 것입니다. 그런데 재미있는 것은요 그렇게 반석을 두 번 쳤을 때에도 물은 나왔다는 것입니다. 하나님의 시험이 우리를 죽이시려고 하시는 것이 아니라는 것입니다. 그랬다면 아론과 모세는 그자리에서 죽었어야 마땅합니다. 오늘 본문 말씀 39절에 아론이 몇살까지 삽니까? 123세까지 삽니다. 그리고 하나님께서 명령하실 때에 그는 죽음을 맞이하였습니다. 비록 하나님께서 우리를 시험하시지만 그리고 그 시험은 우리의 가장 치명적인 부분을 다루시는 시험이지만 우리의 삶과 죽음은 하나님의 손에 있는 것입니다.

A. Wilderness Water Incidents: God's Sovereignty Over Life and Death (Numbers 33:38-39 & Related Journey Points)

First, God tests us in the wilderness. But what we need to know is that our lives and deaths are in God's hands. As I just mentioned, today's passage begins with Aaron's death. Let's read verse 38 together:

"On the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, Aaron the priest went up Mount 1Hor at the Lord’s command and died there." (Numbers 33:38 NIV)

Aaron’s death, it says, was at the Lord’s command. Aaron’s life and death were in God’s hands. And we know the reason why Aaron had to die. Why was that? As I briefly mentioned, in chapter 20, at Kadesh Meribah, Moses and Aaron failed to trust God and did not obey completely. God commanded them to speak to the rock, but they said, "Must we bring you water out of this rock?" and struck the rock twice with their staff. As a result, Moses and Aaron failed to display God's holiness before Israel and were destined to die in the wilderness.

It's interesting that among the detailed itinerary recorded in Numbers chapter 33, every location that comes with an explanation is connected to water. And when you look up the scriptures related to each of those places, fascinating phrases emerge. Let's look at Marah in verse 8. They reached it after a three-day journey into the Desert of Etham. You know, a person can't survive three days without water. But when they arrived, the water was bitter. They couldn't drink it. It was a fatal situation; they were on the verge of death. Yet, in this desperate situation, God made the water sweet, and Exodus 15:25 says this:

"There the Lord issued a ruling and an order for them and put them to the test." (Exodus 15:25 NIV)

Friends, when God tests us, He touches our most vulnerable points. He allows situations where we feel like we might die, where everything looks utterly bleak. It was the same for Aaron at Kadesh Meribah. His sister Miriam had just died there. His heart was heavy. He needed comfort, but at his weakest moment, people swarmed him, arguing about the lack of water. It must have felt overwhelming, as if he wanted to just give up. It is in the face of such trials, pushing us to our limits, that our true faith is starkly revealed.

But what's interesting is that even when Moses and Aaron struck the rock twice, water still came out. God's testing is not meant to destroy us. If it were, Aaron and Moses should have died right there. How old was Aaron when he died, according to verse 39? He lived to be 123 years old. And he met his death at God's command. Though God tests us, and though these tests address our most critical weaknesses, our lives and deaths are always in God's hands.

                두번째, 하나님께서 광야의 시험을 허락하시는 것은 우리로 하나님을 온전히 신뢰하게 하기 위함입니다. 오늘 말씀에서 아론의 죽음을 제외하면 돋보이는 부분이 바로 40절의 가나안 사람 아랏 왕에 대한 설명과 50-56절까지의 가나안 정복 명령과 경고 부분입니다. 하나님께서 이스라엘 백성을 광야에서 얼마나 치명적인 방법으로 시험하셨는지 이야기 했지요. 그래서 이들이 하나님을 신뢰하는지 하나님을 정말 믿는지 시험하셨습니다. 그리고 그들을 그렇게 시험하셨던 것은 바로 이들로 하나님을 온전히 신뢰함으로 가나안 사람들을 심판하는 하나님의 심판자로서의 역할을 수행시키기 위함이었습니다. 그래서 오늘 말씀은 40절 가나안 사람 아랏왕에 대해서 언급 하고 있는 것이지요. 21:1-3을 보면 아랏 왕은 가나안 사람인데도 네게브 광야에 거주를 하지요. 40절에 ‘가나안 땅 남방에 살고 있는’ 이라고 적혀있지만 이는 ‘가나안 땅 네게브 지방에 살고 있던’ 이라는 뜻입니다. 아마도 가나안땅 최남방 경계에서 살고 있던 것이 아닌가 싶습니다. 이 아랏 왕이 이스라엘이 온다는 말을 듣고 선제공격을 하지요. 그러자 하나님께서는 그들의 성읍을 다 멸하게 하십니다. 굳이 아직 가나안 정복 전쟁이 시작되지도 않은 시점에서 그를 언급하는 것은 하나님의 가나안에 대한 심판이 완전히 확정되었다는 뜻이지요. 그래서 50-54절까지 하나님께서는 가나안땅의 완전한 정복과 점령을 명령하십니다. 52절을 함께 읽어보겠습니다. “그 땅의 원주민을 너희 앞에서 다 몰아내고 그 새긴 석상과 부어 만든 우상을 다 깨뜨리며 산당을 다 헐고” 여러분 어제의 말씀을 기억하시나요? 33장을 시작할 때에 하나님께서 이스라엘 백성들을 애굽에서 건지시며 뭐라고 말씀하셨습니까? 4절 “그들의 신들에게도 벌을 주셨더라” 즉, “심판하셨더라” 라는 말씀을 하시지요. 마찬가지입니다. 하나님께서 가나안의 우상들을 완전히 심판하시기 원하십니다. 그래서 선택한 것이 이스라엘 백성이었습니다. 그런데 이 이스라엘 백성들이 하나님을 온전히 신뢰하지 못하고 그 명령에 순종하지 못하면 어떻게 된다고 하십니까? 56절입니다. 함께 읽겠습니다. “나는 그들에게 행하기로 생각한 것을 너희에게 행하리라” 가나안을 향한 하나님의 심판이 그들에게 임할 것이라고 하십니다. 이제야 의문이 풀립니다. 아 하나님께서 이스라엘 백성들에게 그토록 철저한 광야의 시험을 하셨던 것은 바로 이들로 하나님을 온전히 신뢰하게 하기 위해서였구나. 그래서 이들로 하나님의 뜻을 온전히 이루게 하기 위함이였구나.

B. The Ultimate Purpose of Wilderness Trials: Achieving Complete Trust in God (Numbers 33:3-4 & 33:51-56)

Secondly, God allows wilderness trials to make us trust Him completely. Apart from Aaron's death, the prominent parts of today's passage are the mention of King Arad the Canaanite in verse 40 and the command and warning regarding the conquest of Canaan in verses 50-56.

We've talked about how devastatingly God tested the Israelites in the wilderness. He tested whether they truly trusted Him, truly believed in Him. And the reason He tested them this way was precisely to enable them to act as God's instruments of judgment, performing the judgment of the Canaanites by trusting God completely. That's why today's passage mentions King Arad the Canaanite in verse 40. According to Numbers 21:1-3, King Arad, though a Canaanite, lived in the Negev desert. Verse 40 says, "who lived in the Negev of Canaan," implying he lived on the southernmost border of the land of Canaan. When King Arad heard that Israel was coming, he launched a preemptive strike. As a result, God allowed them to utterly destroy their cities. The very fact that he is mentioned, even before the actual conquest of Canaan began, signifies that God's judgment on Canaan was already definitively pronounced.

Therefore, from verses 50-54, God commands the complete conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan. Let's read verse 52 together:

"drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high plac2es." (Numbers 33:52 NIV)

Friends, do you remember yesterday's message? When chapter 33 began, what did God say when He delivered the Israelites from Egypt? Verse 4: "the Lord had brought judgment on their gods." It means, "He had judged them." It's the same here. God desired to utterly judge the idols of Canaan. And He chose the Israelites for this purpose.

But what would happen if these Israelites failed to trust God completely and obey His command? Verse 56 tells us. Let’s read it together:

"then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them." (Numbers 33:56 NIV)

God says the judgment intended for Canaan would fall upon them instead. Now the mystery is solved. Ah, God put the Israelites through such thorough wilderness trials precisely to make them trust Him completely. And so that they might fully carry out God's will.

                말씀을 맺습니다. 어제와 오늘을 관통하는 33장의 말씀은 하나님께서 우리의 믿음을 연단하고 하나님을 더욱 깊이 신뢰하도록 인도하시는 은혜의 자리입니다. 때로 그 연단과 시험은 우리의 가장 치명적인 부분을 건드릴 수 있습니다. 그러나 하나님께서 우리에게 주시는 시험은 우리를 죽이시려는 것이 아닙니다. 우리로 하나님을 온전히 신뢰하게 하기 위함입니다. 이시간 그러한 시험가운데 계신 분이 계시다면 오늘의 말씀이 조금이나마 위로가 되기를, 그리고 하나님을 신뢰하심으로 그 시험을 이겨내시고 온전히 순종하시기를 기도합니다. 함께 기도하시겠습니다.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude our message. Numbers chapter 33, which spans yesterday and today, is a testament to God's grace, refining our faith and leading us to trust Him more deeply. Sometimes, this refinement and testing can touch our most vulnerable points. However, the tests God gives us are not meant to destroy us. They are meant to lead us to trust Him completely.

If there is anyone here today who is currently in the midst of such a trial, I pray that today's message offers you a measure of comfort. And I pray that by trusting God, you will overcome your trial and obey Him completely.

Let us pray together.