목축업에 적합한 땅을 약속받은 르우벤과 갓 자손 민수기 32장

민수기 32장은 이스라엘 자손 중 르우벤 자손과 갓 자손이 가나안 땅 동쪽에 있는 길르앗과 야셀 지역을 요청하는 내용입니다. 그들은 이 땅이 자신들의 주업인 목축업에 적합하다고 판단한 것 같은데요. 처음에는 반대했으나 이들이 대신 전쟁에 참여하겠다고 해서 얻어냈다고 합니다. 자세한 내용을 살펴보겠습니다.

 

목축업에 적합한 땅

1 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of liverstock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation. 3 "Atoroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshnon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." 5 And they said, "If we have found favour in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan."

 

 

지속되는 정복전쟁 중이었나 봅니다. 가나안 땅 근처에 도달한 이스라엘 민족 중 이스라엘의 첫 번째 아들인 르우벤의 자손들과 7번째 아들인 갓 자손들은 목축업에 적합한 장소를 찾고는 이곳에 머물게 해달라고 했나 봅니다. 당연히 모세는 처음에 이것들이 전쟁은 하기 싫고 정착해서 살고 싶은 거구나 해서 괘씸하게 생각합니다.

 

민수기 31장 읽기

전쟁과 순종에 관한 민수기 31장

 

6. But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LOrd had given them. 10 And the LOrd's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11 'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upwards, shall see the land to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, ' 13 And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. 14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still ore the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel! 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destory all this people."

 

 

게다가 모세는 니들이 갑자기 이러면 전쟁 의지가 꺾이지 않겠느냐고 합니다. 하지만 이들은 자신들은 어떻게서든 전쟁에 참여하겠다고 합니다. 다만 이 땅이 워낙 목축업에 적합해서 정착하길 건의하는 겁니다. 아시다시피 우리는 목축들이 많잖아요, 하면서 설득했던 모양입니다. 모세는 이들의 진심을 읽고 노발대발 모드를 거뒀다고 합니다.

 

 확답을 받다

 

16 Then they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east." 20 So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if for the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. 23 But if you will not do so, behold you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep and do what you have promised." 25 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord orders."

 

르우벤과 갓 자손들은 자신들이 목축업에 적합한 땅을 얻는 대신 이스라엘 전쟁에 참여하고 승리할 때까지 돌아오지 않겠다며 진정성을 보여줍니다. 이에 모세도 확실한 다짐을 받고 수락하였습니다.

 

 

 합의가 이루어지고

 

28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, "If the people of who is armed to battle before the Lord, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30 However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possions among you in the land of Canaan." 31 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, "What the Lord has said to your servants, we will do, 32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan."

 

 

모세는 이들의 확고한 답을 받고 엘르아살과 여호수아에게 교통 정리를 해줍니다. 그리하여 르우벤 자손과 갓 자손이 전쟁에 참여한 후 약속대로 그들의 땅으로 돌아갈 것이라고 합니다. 그러면서 약속을 지키지 못하면 그 땅으로 돌아가지 못할 것이란 엄포도 놓습니다. 이들은 반드시 전장에서 이기고 오겠다고 하고요.

 

  33 And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their terriories, the cites of the land throughout the country. 34 And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nim rah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the people of Reuben built Heshbon. Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal-meon(their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39 And the sons of Machir the son of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvothjair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

 

상당히 영리하면서 책임감 있는 행동을 했던 르우벤과 갓 자손이었습니다. 자신이 돌아올 곳이 있고 가족과 정착할 곳이 있다는 것이 얼마나 동기부여를 하는지 아는 것이죠. 그리고 일단 자신의 지분을 챙기는 영악함까지 말입니다. 그렇게 자기 땅을 확보하는 과정과 약속 이행에 대한 책임 그리고 지속적인 정착과 경제적 자립을 하는 과정에서 므낫세 반 지파도 이 지역에 함께 정착하여 훗날 후손이 살게 됩니다. 그리고 이 지역은 현재 기준으로 요르단 동쪽 부근이라고 하네요.