정복 전쟁인지 약속의 땅을 받은 것인지 아리송한 민수기 21장

민수기 21장은 이스라엘 백성이 광야로 가는 중에 겪은 일련의 전투와 사건들 그리고 그들을 하나님이 어떻게 인도하셨는지에 관한 내용이 나옵니다.

 

 

가나안 왕 아랏과 전투

1. When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them capitive. 2. And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction." 3. And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.

 

 

이스라엘 백성이 가나안으로 향하는 중에 가나안 왕 아랏은 위협을 느꼈을 테죠. 인구는 늘어 거의 민족 대이동 수준으로 들어왔으니 전투태세에 들어간 것입니다. 이런 것을 생각하면 가나안인들이 무슨 잘못을 했나 싶긴 한데요. 이스라엘 백성을 전적으로 지지하는 하나님은 이들을 승리로 이끌게 만들어 주셨습니다. 그래서 이스라엘 인들은 점령한 그곳을 호르마라고 불렀다고 합니다.

 

호르마는 완전히 바침 또는 하나님께 전적으로 바쳐짐이라는 뜻입니다. 이스라엘 백성이 불순종으로 패배를 경험한 장소이자 순종과 서원을 통해 승리를 거둔 장소이기도 합니다. 하나님의 심판과 은혜가 교차하는 상징적인 지역으로 이스라엘 백성에게 하나님의 말씀에 대한 순종의 중요성과 헌신의 필요성을 가르치는 교훈적 장소로 남아 있습니다. 

 

 청동뱀을 보면 살아 남는다?

 

민수기 21장 4절은 다른 에피소드가 등장하는 것 같은데요. 이스라엘 백성이 호르산에서 홍해로 가는 고단한 여정 속에서 백성들이 또 원망을 한가득 쏟아내게 됩니다. 

 

 

4. From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go round the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." 6. Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7. And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8. And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." 9. So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. 

 

그러자 하나님은 괘씸죄로 불뱀을 보내어 공격을 가하게 하였는데요. 불뱀이란 독특한 생물체를 말하는 것인지 아니면 어떤 초자연적인 존재였는지는 의문입니다. 불에 타는 것처럼 고통스럽다는 의미로 불뱀이라고 했을 가능성도 배제하지 못하지만 여하튼 하나님이 인간에게 내린 응징도구입니다.  그렇게 불뱀으로 많은 사람을 죽이자 모세가 중재에 나서고 살려달라 애원하였겠죠. 그러자 하나님이 모세에게 청동뱀을 만들어 기둥에 달라고 하고는 뱀에 물리면 청동뱀을 보면 살아난다고 신기한 처방을 내려주셨네요.

 

민수기 20장 읽기

모세와 아론의 불순종 대가 므리바 사건이 나오는 민수기 20장

 

 

 우물의 축복

 

10. And the people of Israel out and camped in Oboth. 11. And they set out from Oboth and camped at lye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, towards the sunrise. 12. From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13. From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14. Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

 "Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,

15. and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab."

16. And from there they continued to Beer, that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, "Gather the people together, so that I may give them water." 17. Then Israel sang this song:

 "Spring up, O well!- Sing to it!- the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the seeptre and with their staffs." And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, 19. and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that looks down on the desert.

 

10절에서 20절은 이스라엘 백성이 지속해서 여정을 다니며 오봇, 이예 아바림, 그리고 모압 맞은편 광야에서 세렛 골짜기, 비드곶, 디본갓, 알본 디블라임, 느보 맞은편의 비스가산 등을 돌아다니다 비르라는 곳에서 우물을 발견하고 그곳에서 물을 마셨습니다. 물 맛이 어찌나 좋았는지 물을 찬양하는 시가 절로 나왔나 봅니다. 우물아 솟아라, 너희는 이 우물에 노래하라, 이러면서요.

 

 

 일종의 정복전쟁 같기도 한

 

21. Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22. " Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory." 23. But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24. And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25. And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Hesbon, and in all its villages. 26. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27. Therefore the ballad singers say,

 "Come to Hesbon, let it be built: let the city of Sihon be established. 28. For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed the heights of the Amon. 29. Woe to you,  O Moab, You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon. 30. So we overtherew them; Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as Medeba."

 

 

그렇게 이스라엘 백성들은 자신들의 목적지를 향해 여정을 할 때마다 난관을 만나고, 다른 나라에 들어갈 때마다 너희 우물을 마시지 않겠다, 어떤 곡식도 먹지 않겠다며 예의를 갖추는 척하지만 당연히 상대국은 위협으로 다가왔겠죠. 그래서 거절하거나 일련의 방어 태세 혹은 공격 태세를 취하면 아주 그냥 하나님의 이름으로 점령을 해버리는데요. 이게 정복전쟁이 아니면 뭐란 말입니까?

 

 

 아모리 땅을 차지하다

 

31. Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32. And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. 33. Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 34. But the Lord said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and allhis people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." 35. So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

 

어쨌거나 이스라엘 사람들은 아모리 사람들의 땅을 차지해서 살게 되는데요. 이 땅도 가나안 땅의 일부이니 약속의 땅으로 들어가는 과정으로 해석하기도 합니다. 자꾸 침략 과정이 아니라 하나님의 언약 성취와 공의의 심판 운운하면서 정당성을 부여하는 것 같지만, 뺏은 것은 뺏은 거죠.