YoushallhavenoothergodsbeforeMe.-Exodus20:3
너는나외에는다른신들을네게있게말지니라－출애굽기20:3

GodhadseizedtheattentionofPharaohandtheEgyptianswithaseriesofplagues.NowtheyweredyingtoberidoftheirHebrewslaves.ButGoddidn’twanttheIsraelitestoleaveEgyptempty-handed.Afterall,theyhad400yearsofwagesduethem.Sotheyaskedtheirformermastersforarticlesofsilver,gold,andclothing,andtheygotthem.Exodus12:36saysthattheIsraelites"plunderedtheEgyptians."

Itwasn’tlong,however,untilGod’speoplefellintoidolatry.Theyusedtheirgoldtomakeagoldencalf,whichtheyworshipedwhileMoseswasonMountSinaireceivingGod’slaw(32:1-4).

ThistragicexperiencehighlightsthetensionthatChristiansarerequiredtomaintainregardingtheirpossessions.Thereismuchinoursocietythatweenjoy,butmaterialthingsalsoposegravedangerswhenweusethemthoughtlessly.OsGuinnesssaysthatweare"freetoutilize"but"forbiddentoidolize."Weare"strangersandpilgrimsontheearth"(Hebrews11:13),andwemustnotbecomesoenamoredwith"therichesofEgypt"thatwegrowcomplacentandforgetourtruecalling.

AreweusingourmaterialblessingstoservetheLord?Orhavewebecomeslavestothem?-HaddonRobinson

하나님은일련의재난으로바로와애굽인들을긴장시키셨습니다.이로인해그들은히브리노예들을내쫓고싶어죽을지경이되었습니다.그러나하나님은이스라엘백성들이빈손으로애굽을떠나는것을원치않으셨습니다.결국그들은그들이받아야할400년간의노임을받게되었습니다.그들은옛주인들에게은,금,그리고의복을요청하였고,그물품들을얻었습니다.출애굽기12장36절은이스라엘민족이“애굽사람의물품을취하였더라”고말하고있습니다.

그렇지만오래지않아하나님의백성들은우상숭배에빠져들게되었습니다.그들은그들의황금으로금송아지를만들어모세가하나님의율법을받으러시내산에올라가있던동안에그것을숭배하고제사드렸습니다(32:1-4).

이비극적인경험은그리스도인들에게그들의재산관리에서주의할점을강조하고있습니다.오늘날우리사회에는즐길수있는것들이더많이있습니다.그러나우리가물질을아무생각없이사용하면그것은우리를심각한위험속으로몰아넣기도합니다.오스기네스는우리에게“사용은자유”이지만“우상화는금지”되어있다고말해줍니다.우리는“이땅에서는외국인과나그네”(히11:13)이므로,자기만족에빠져참된소명을잊게하는"애굽의부"를탐닉해서는안됩니다.

우리는물질의축복을하나님을섬기는데사용하고있습니까?아니면그것들의노예가되어있습니까?

Ihaveanoldnaturethatnoisilyclamors
Tosatisfyemptydesire;
ButGodinHisgoodnesshassentmeaHelper
Whowhispers,"Yourcallingishigher."-Gustafson
내게는허무한욕구를만족시키기위해
요란하게안달하는오래된천성이있네
그러나좋으신하나님께서내게돕는이를보내주셨네
그분이속삭이시네,“네소명은더높이있다”라고
(오늘의양식/2005.11.10)