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하나님은 애굽에서 구원하신 이스라엘 백성을 가나안으로 이끌어가기 전, 군인 수를 세라는 명령을 내리심으로 그들을 하나님 나라의 군대로 세우십니다. 

[ 민수기 1:1 - 1:54 ] (찬송351장)

1이스라엘 자손이 애굽 땅에서 나온 후 둘째 해 둘째 달 첫째 날에 여호와께서 시내 광야 회막에서 모세에게 말씀하여 이르시되 2너희는 이스라엘 자손의 모든 회중 각 남자의 수를 그들의 종족과 조상의 가문에 따라 그 명수대로 계수할지니 3이스라엘 중 이십 세 이상으로 싸움에 나갈 만한 모든 자를 너와 아론은 그 진영별로 계수하되 4각 지파의 각 조상의 가문의 우두머리 한 사람씩을 너희와 함께 하게 하라

 5너희와 함께 설 사람들의 이름은 이러하니 르우벤 지파에서는 스데울의 아들 엘리술이요 6시므온 지파에서는 수리삿대의 아들 슬루미엘이요 7유다 지파에서는 암미나답의 아들 나손이요 8잇사갈 지파에서는 수알의 아들 느다넬이요 9스불론 지파에서는 헬론의 아들 엘리압이요 10요셉의 자손들 중 에브라임 지파에서는 암미훗의 아들 엘리사마요 므낫세 지파에서는 브다술의 아들 가말리엘이요 11베냐민 지파에서는 기드오니의 아들 아비단이요 12단 지파에서는 암미삿대의 아들 아히에셀이요 13아셀 지파에서는 오그란의 아들 바기엘이요 14갓 지파에서는 드우엘의 아들 엘리아삽이요 15납달리 지파에서는 에난의 아들 아히라이니라 하시니 16그들은 회중에서 부름을 받은 자요 그 조상 지파의 지휘관으로서 이스라엘 종족들의 우두머리라

 17모세와 아론이 지명된 이 사람들을 데리고 18둘째 달 첫째 날에 온 회중을 모으니 그들이 각 종족과 조상의 가문에 따라 이십 세 이상인 남자의 이름을 자기 계통별로 신고하매 19여호와께서 모세에게 명령하신 대로 그가 시내 광야에서 그들을 계수하였더라 20이스라엘의 장자 르우벤의 아들들에게서 난 자를 그들의 종족과 조상의 가문에 따라 이십 세 이상으로 싸움에 나갈 만한 각 남자를 그 명수대로 다 계수하니 (중략)

 44이 계수함을 받은 자는 모세와 아론과 각기 이스라엘 조상의 가문을 대표한 열두 지휘관이 계수하였더라 45이같이 이스라엘 자손이 그 조상의 가문을 따라 이십 세 이상으로 싸움에 나갈 만한 이스라엘 자손이 다 계수되었으니 46계수된 자의 총계는 육십만 삼천오백오십 명이었더라

 47그러나 레위인은 그들의 조상의 지파대로 그 계수에 들지 아니하였으니 48이는 여호와께서 모세에게 말씀하여 이르시되 49너는 레위 지파만은 계수하지 말며 그들을 이스라엘 자손 계수 중에 넣지 말고 50그들에게 증거의 성막과 그 모든 기구와 그 모든 부속품을 관리하게 하라 그들은 그 성막과 그 모든 기구를 운반하며 거기서 봉사하며 성막 주위에 진을 칠지며 51성막을 운반할 때에는 레위인이 그것을 걷고 성막을 세울 때에는 레위인이 그것을 세울 것이요 외인이 가까이 오면 죽일지며 52이스라엘 자손은 막사를 치되 그 진영별로 각각 그 진영과 군기 곁에 칠 것이나 53레위인은 증거의 성막 사방에 진을 쳐서 이스라엘 자손의 회중에게 진노가 임하지 않게 할 것이라 레위인은 증거의 성막에 대한 책임을 지킬지니라 하셨음이라 54이스라엘 자손이 그대로 행하되 여호와께서 모세에게 명령하신 대로 행하였더라

 도움말

21-43절) 중략된 이 부분에는 “그들의 종족과 조상의 가문에 따라 이십 세 이상으로 싸움에 나갈 만한 각 남자를 그 명수대로 다 계수하니”라는 표현이 반복되면서 지파별로 등록된 사람의 수가 기록되어 있다(르우벤=46,500명; 시므온=59,300명; 갓=45,650명; 유다=74,600명; 잇사갈=54,400명; 스불론=57,400명; 에브라임=40,500명; 므낫세=32,200명; 베냐민=35,400명; 단=62,700명; 아셀=41,500명; 납달리=53,400명).

[ Numbers 1:1 - 1:54 ]

1The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.3 From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.4 And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.5 And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;8 from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;10 from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;11 from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;15 from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”16 These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named,18 and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,19 as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.20 The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:21 those listed of the tribe of Reuben were46,500.22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were59,300.24 Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:25 those listed of the tribe of Gad were45,650.26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:27 those listed of the tribe of Judah were74,600.28 Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:29 those listed of the tribe of Issachar were54,400.30 Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:31 those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were57,400.32 Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:33 those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were40,500.34 Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:35 those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were32,200.36 Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:37 those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were35,400.38 Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:39 those listed of the tribe of Dan were62,700.40 Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:41 those listed of the tribe of Asher were41,500.42 Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:43 those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were53,400.44 These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house.45 So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel—46all those listed were603,550.47 But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe.48 For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel.50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle.51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.52 The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard.53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses. 

Who is God like?

Thinking & Understanding

Before the beginning of the journey towards the Promised Land, God ordered Moses to take a census of Israel. He told Moses to take a census first by households, then according to every male, then to count the number of men over the age of twenty who were able to go to war (vv. 1-16). A total of 603,550 men over the age of twenty were listed in the army (vv. 17-46). The Levites, who were exempt from this list, were responsible for maintaining and moving the tabernacle (vv. 47-51). All the tribes of Israel were encamped around the tabernacle.  

Who is God?

Vv. 1-54 God organised Israel in an orderly manner. He built up the community by bestowing various ranks and responsibilities. Order and structure are reflections of God’s method of rule. Do you respect the order of your church community? Do you willingly abide by the decisions of the community leaders? 

What lesson is God teaching me?

Vv. 3, 17-47 The census reflected Israel’s identity and this identity determined their way of life. The counting of the number of men who were ‘able to go to war’ was an indication that the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land would not be an easy road but one that would consist of continuous battles. More than visible enemies, the Israelites would especially have to fight to protect their purity and identity as holy people.

Prayer

Lord, help us not to forget that we have been called to be spiritual soldiers.