20251210 [새벽묵상] 믿음의 유산, 어떻게 지킬 것인가? | How Shall We Preserve the Legacy of Faith? (수/Josh 16:1~10)

16:1 요셉 자손이 제비 뽑은 것은 여리고 샘 동쪽 곧 여리고 곁 요단으로부터 광야로 들어가 여리고로부터 벧엘 산지로 올라가고

16:2 벧엘에서부터 루스로 나아가 아렉 족속의 경계를 지나 아다롯에 이르고

16:3 서쪽으로 내려가서 야블렛 족속의 경계와 아래 벧 호론과 게셀에까지 이르고 그 끝은 바다라

Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

1 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. 2 It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth, 3 descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the Mediterranean Sea.

16:4 요셉의 자손 므낫세와 에브라임이 그들의 기업을 받았더라

4 So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.

16:5 에브라임 자손이 그들의 가족대로 받은 지역은 이러하니라 그들의 기업의 경계는 동쪽으로 아다롯 앗달에서 윗 벧 호론에 이르고

16:6 또 서쪽으로 나아가 북쪽 믹므다에 이르고 동쪽으로 돌아 다아낫 실로에 이르러 야노아 동쪽을 지나고

16:7 야노아에서부터 아다롯과 나아라로 내려가 여리고를 만나서 요단으로 나아가고

16:8 또 답부아에서부터 서쪽으로 지나서 가나 시내에 이르나니 그 끝은 바다라 에브라임 자손의 지파가 그들의 가족대로 받은 기업이 이러하였고

16:9 그 외에 므낫세 자손의 기업 중에서 에브라임 자손을 위하여 구분한 모든 성읍과 그 마을들도 있었더라

5 This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:

The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon 6 and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah on the east. 7 Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. 8 From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. 9 It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.

16:10 그들이 게셀에 거주하는 가나안 족속을 쫓아내지 아니하였으므로 가나안 족속이 오늘까지 에브라임 가운데에 거주하며 노역하는 종이 되니라

10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

            성경에서 인생역전을 한 대표적인 인물을 꼽으라면 누구를 꼽을 수 있을까요? 네, 바로 요셉을 꼽을 수 있을 것입니다. 요셉의 삶은 롤로코스터 그 자체이지요. 아버지의 가장 사랑받는 아들이었던 그는 자신의 형제들에게 배신당하여 노예로 팔려가게되지요. 그런데 거기서도 누명을 쓰고 죄수로 떨어지고 마는 그야말로 인생의 밑바닥을 찍었습니다. 그러나 그런 말도 안되는 억울함과 기다림의 시간 가운데서도 그는 끝까지 하나님을 붙들었습니다. 그리고 애굽의 총리가 되는 입지전적인 인물이 되지요. 이러한 요셉의 믿음은 자신의 두 아들이 아버지 야곱의 양자가 되는 열매로 맺어지게 됩니다. 이는 요셉의 두 아들 므낫세와 에브라임 또한 이스라엘의 한 지파로서 인정받게 되는 역사적인 사건이지요. 만약 요셉의 믿음이 없었더라면 이스라엘은 우리가 알고 있는 열 두 지파가 아니라 열 한 지파가 되었을지도 모릅니다. 요셉의 신앙의 열매, 그의 믿음의 유산이 두 아들 에브라임과 므낫세의 후손들에게 전해져 내려오는 것이 바로 오늘 본문의 말씀이지요. 그러나 오늘 본문의 말씀도 어제 말씀처럼 그 끝은 비슷한 결말로 마무리가 됩니다. 그들이 게셀에 거주하는 가나안 족속을 쫓아내지 아니하였다 라는 말씀으로 결론이 나지요. 오늘은 “믿음의 유산 어떻게 지킬 것인가?” 라는 제목으로 말씀을 나누기 원합니다.

[Introduction]

If you were to name a representative figure in the Bible who went from rags to riches, who would you choose? Most likely, you would name Joseph.

Joseph’s life was an absolute rollercoaster. The most beloved son of his father, he was betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery. There, he was falsely accused and imprisoned—hitting rock bottom. Yet, through that incredible injustice and long period of waiting, he held onto God until the very end, ultimately rising to become the Prime Minister of Egypt.

This faith of Joseph bore fruit when his two sons were adopted by his father Jacob. This was a historical event where Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were recognized as individual tribes of Israel. Without Joseph's faith, Israel might have been eleven tribes, not the twelve we know.

The continuation of Joseph’s legacy of faith—his heritage—to the descendants of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, is the focus of our passage today.

However, today's text ends with a similar conclusion to yesterday's reading: they did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer.

Today, I want to address the question: How Shall We Preserve the Legacy of Faith?

            먼저 요셉의 자손들이 받은 믿음의 유산에 대해 함께 보시겠습니다. 오늘 말씀 1-4절은 요셉 자손들에게 주어진 기업의 경계를 알려주고 있습니다. 그런데 요셉 족속은 므낫세와 에브라임으로 나뉘어 땅을 배분받지요. 4절의 말씀을 함께 읽어보겠습니다. “요셉의 자손 므낫세와 에브라임이 그들의 기업을 받았더라.” 자 1절에서 분명 제비를 뽑은 것은 요셉 자손이라고 하는데 경계와 성읍을 배분 받는 것은 하나의 요셉 지파가 아닌 에브라임과 므낫세가 각각 받는 모습을 보여줍니다. 왜 요셉의 족속은 둘로 나뉘어 기업을 따로 받는 것일까요? 그 근거는 바로 창세기 48:5에서 찾을 수 있습니다. 제가 읽어보겠습니다. “내가 애굽으로 와서 네게 이르기 전에 애굽에서 네가 낳은 두 아들 에브라임과 므낫세는 내 것이라 르우벤과 시므온처럼 내 것이 될 것이요.” 야곱은 므낫세와 에브라임을 자신의 아들들과 동등한 지파로 삼아 각각 기업을 주었습니다. 그 결과로 므낫세와 에브라임은 독립적인 지파로서 땅을 기업으로 받게 된 것입니다. 1절에서는 요셉의 자손들, 4절에서는 그 요셉의 자손들을 므낫세와 에브라임 두 지파로 나누어 설명하면서 이스라엘의 열 두 지파 체계를 유지하는 동시에 요셉의 집안에 두 배의 몫을 주려는 하나님의 섭리를 보여주시는 것이지요. 이들은 하나의 지파이지만 또한 동시에 두 지파만큼의 몫을 받았던 것입니다. 또한 순서적으로 보면 가장 큰 땅을 배분 받은 유다 지파에 이어 요셉 지파가 등장하는 것에도 의미가 있습니다. 이는 창세기 49장에서 야곱이 죽기 전에 열 두 아들들을 축복 할 때에 유다와 요셉을 특별히 더 많이 축복했던 것과도 연관이 있지요. 지리적으로도 마치 유다 지파는 남쪽을 대표하고 요셉 지파는 북쪽을 대표하는 양대 축처럼 배치되는 것을 볼 수 있습니다. 그것을 강조하기 위해서 였을까요? 2-3절에 요셉 자손이 받은 땅은 다른 지파들과는 다르게 동서남북 각 경계에 대해 고르게 설명하지 않고 주로 남쪽 경계만 상세하게 전하고 있습니다. 이렇듯 이들은 아버지 요셉의 신실한 믿음으로 하나의 지파임에도 불구하고 두 배의 몫을 받게 되는 축복을 누리게 되었습니다. 또한 그들이 받은 땅은 훗날 북 이스라엘의 핵심 지역이 되고 그 초대왕인 여로보암 1세도 에브라임 출신이지요. 하나님은 요셉 자손들에게 그들의 아버지 요셉의 믿음에 걸맞는 놀라운 유산을 주신 것입니다.

Point 1: The Inherited Legacy of Faith

First, let us look at the legacy of faith that the descendants of Joseph received.

Verses 1-4 describe the boundary of the inheritance given to the descendants of Joseph. The House of Joseph was divided into two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. Let's read verse 4 together:

"So the descendants of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance."

Verse 1 clearly states that the lot was drawn for the descendants of Joseph, but the territory and boundaries are distributed separately to Ephraim and Manasseh. Why was the House of Joseph divided into two separate inheritances?

The basis for this is found in Genesis 48:5. Let me read it: "Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine."

Jacob elevated Manasseh and Ephraim to the status of his own sons, granting them equal tribal status and separate portions. The result was that they received territory as independent tribes. Verses 1 and 4 maintain the system of the twelve tribes while simultaneously demonstrating God's providence to grant Joseph's house a double portion. They were one tribe, yet they received the portion of two tribes.

Furthermore, it is significant that the tribe of Joseph appears immediately after the tribe of Judah, which received the largest portion. This mirrors Jacob's final blessings in Genesis 49, where Judah and Joseph were uniquely blessed above the others. Geographically, Judah represented the south and Joseph represented the north, positioning them as the two great pillars of Israel.

Thus, because of their father Joseph's faithful trust in God, they were blessed with a double portion, despite being a single line. This land later became the core region of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Jeroboam I, the first king of the North, was from Ephraim. God gave the descendants of Joseph an incredible legacy worthy of their father's faith.

            그러나 오늘의 본문도 그 끝은 영 시원치 않습니다. 10절의 말씀을 함께 읽어보겠습니다. “그들이 게셀에 거주하는 가나안 족속을 쫓아내지 아니하였으므로 가나안 족속이 오늘까지 에브라임 가운데에 거주하며 노역하는 종이 되니라” 에브라임은 게셀에 거주하는 가나안 족속을 쫓아내지 않았습니다. 오히려 가장 현실적인 선택을 하는 모습을 보여줍니다. 바로 그들을 쫓아내는 것이 아니라 그들을 노예로 삼아 세금을 거두고 노동력을 얻었던 것입니다. 이들을 노예로 삼았다는 것은 충분히 이들을 쫓아낼만한 힘과 능력이 있었다는 말입니다. 그러나 에브라임은 힘이 있었음에도 하나님의 말씀에 온전히 순종하지 아니하고 자신들의 생각에 지혜로운 것을 선택했습니다. 게셀의 가나안 족속을 진멸하는 것보다 노예로 삼는 것이 경제적으로 훨씬 이득이었기 때문입니다. 이는 이들의 눈에는 지혜로운 선택이었을지 모르지만 훗날 사사기 시대에 끊임없이 이들로 영적인 타협과 우상숭배를 하게 하는 올무가 되어 이들을 지독히도 괴롭히는 최악의 선택이었습니다. 이미 에브라임은 하나님으로부터 놀라운 믿음의 유산을 받았습니다. 그 유산은 수많은 고난과 역경 속에서도 하나님을 끝까지 붙들었던 요셉의 믿음과 신앙으로부터 비롯된 것이었습니다. 그 믿음의 유산이 세대를 뛰어넘어 이들에게 주어졌는데 이들은 눈 앞의 이득을 위해서 하나님의 말씀이 아닌 자신들의 지혜를 선택했습니다. 그 결과 그들은 그렇게 놀라운 믿음의 유산을 받았음에도 그것을 온전히 누릴 수 없게 되었습니다.

Point 2: The Failure to Preserve the Legacy (10)

However, the conclusion of today's text is far from satisfactory. Let’s read verse 10 together:

"They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are subject to forced labor."

Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites residing in Gezer. Instead, they made a seemingly pragmatic choice: rather than destroying them, they subjected them to slavery for tribute and labor. The fact that they were able to enslave them indicates that Ephraim had the power and ability to drive them out entirely.

Yet, despite having the strength, Ephraim chose not to fully obey God's command, opting instead for what they considered to be a wiser, more realistic option. Subjugating the Canaanites of Gezer was economically more profitable than destroying them.

This may have seemed like a wise choice in their eyes, but in the coming era of the Judges, this decision became a deadly snare, leading to spiritual compromise and idolatry that severely afflicted them. It was, in fact, the worst possible choice.

Ephraim had already received an amazing legacy of faith—a heritage born from Joseph's trust in God through immense suffering and adversity. This legacy was given to them across generations, yet for the sake of immediate material gain, they chose their own human wisdom over God’s Word. As a result, despite having received such a profound legacy, they failed to fully enjoy it.

            말씀을 맺습니다. 오늘 우리도 요셉 자손처럼 귀한 기업을 받았습니다. 고난과 역경 가운데에서도 믿음을 잃지 않았던 우리 부모님들의 기도와 신앙. 그리고 예수님의 십자가의 구원으로 주어지는 하나님의 나라가 바로 그것입니다. 그러나 우리가 그렇게 놀라운 믿음의 유산을 받았어도 말씀에 순종하지 않고 작은 이득을 위하여 나의 지혜를 따른다면 우리는 그 유산을 온전히 누릴 수 없게 됩니다. 믿음의 유산 어떻게 지키시겠습니까? 하나님을 믿는 믿음으로 나의 지혜를 의지하지 않고 말씀을 의지하여 순종하시는 여러분 되시기를 주님의 이름으로 축원합니다.

[Conclusion]

Today, we too have received a precious inheritance, much like the descendants of Joseph. This includes the faith and prayers of parents who never lost hope during times of trial, and, most supremely, the Kingdom of God given through the salvation of Jesus Christ on the cross.

But if we, having received such an astonishing legacy, choose not to fully obey the Word—if we follow our own wisdom for the sake of small, immediate gain—we cannot fully possess that inheritance.

How will you preserve the legacy of faith given to you?

I urge you, in the name of the Lord, not to rely on your own wisdom, but to trust in the living God and obey His Word in full sincerity, so that you may preserve and fully enjoy the magnificent legacy of faith.