민수기 8장 레위 사람들의 특별한 임무

12지파 족장들이 각각 균등하게 하나님을 위해 예물을 바친 7장에 이어 8장은 보다 디테일한 직무와 지시 등이 나오고 있습니다.

 

 

 

등불에 대한 지시

1.Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand." 3. And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses, 4. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

 

 

 

민수기 8장 1절에는 하나님이 모세에게 말하여 등불에 관한 언급이 나옵니다. 지속해서 신문명을 전파하는 모양새인데요. 등불 혹은 등잔대를 세우고 등잔을 앞쪽으로 비추게 디스플레이를 하달합니다. 그래서 모세는 지시대로 패턴에 따릅니다.

 

 

 레위인을 씻겨라

 

5. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6. "Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8. Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9. And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble. 10. When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levities, 11. and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord. 12. Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13. And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.

 

 

 

등불을 예쁘게 진열하기를 명한 하나님은 이어서 레위 사람들을 데리고 가서 씻기라고 합니다. 몸을 정결 혹은 성결하게 유지하기 위해 목욕의 방법에 관해 알려주는 것 같습니다. 레위인들이 제사를 주관하는 지파이다 보니 청결에 남달리 신경을 쓰게 하는 것 같은데요. 전신을 면도하고 옷을 빨게 하고 수송아지 두 마리를 데려와 속죄제를 드리는 등 봉사할 준비를 갖추게 명합니다.

 

 레위인은 내것

 

14. "Thus you shall separate the Levites from aong the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15. And after that the Levites shall go in the serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. 16. For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17. For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18. and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary."

 

 

 

레위 사람들은 하나님의 특별한 선택을 받은 지파입니다. 제사를 주관하는 역할을 부여받았기에 하나님이 레위 사람들은 내 것이라고 하셨는데요. 이스라엘 백성이나 동물 모두 첫 번째로 태어난 것은 하나님의 것이기에 가져가야 할 것이지만 대신 레위 사람들을 부리겠다는 의미인 것 같습니다. 그러한 가운데 레위 사람들은 이에 못지않게 특별한 혜택을 받았죠. 신성불가침이라고 해도 될 정도로 모든 죄를 사하여 준 것 같습니다. 레위 사람들은 사유의 개념은 주어지지 않았으나 모든 것을 사유화할 수 있고 죄를 지은 사람도 소도처럼 레위지파가 있는 곳에서는 은닉할 수 있는 곳이었죠.

 

 

 

20. Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites , the people of Israel did to them. 21. And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22. And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

 

 

 사역과 은퇴 연령

 

 

23. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24. "This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upwards they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of service and serve no more. 26. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties."

 

이렇게 하나님께 선택받은 레위 사람들의 사역 기간은 25세부터 50세까지입니다. 그래서 50세가 넘으면 봉사에서 물러나지만 대신 회막일을 돕는 역할은 관여할 수 있다고 합니다.