[Hosea 4] 길갈과 벧아웬의 암소들

4장부터 호세아서의 어조가 달라집니다. 1-3장까지는 변호사의 입장에서 말씀을 전했다면, 4장부터는 뭐랄까? 검사의 입장에서 말씀이 선포된다 할 수 있겠습니다. 호세아 4장에서 하나님께선 1)길갈과 2)벧아웬으로 올라가지 말라 하십니다. 1)길갈은 애굽의 수치가 굴러간 곳(여호수아 5장)이고, 2)벧아웬(Beth Aven)은 본래 하나님의 집이란 뜻의 벧엘을 사람들이 조롱하기 위해 붙인 이름으로 그 뜻은 속임과 허무의 집입니다.

호세아 시대, 일찍이 하늘이 열였던 장소 벧엘(벧-집, 엘-하나님)은 거짓의 소굴 벧아웬으로 전락했고, 죄의 수치를 벗어버렸던 영광의 장소 길갈은 이젠 하나님의 백성들이 절대 가지 말아야 할 수치의 소굴이 되어 버렸습니다. 그렇게 된 이유는 한 가지 때문이었습니다. 그들이 목자의 음성을 듣지 않고, 완강한 암소같이 행했기 때문입니다. 양과 암소는 둘 다 자기고집이 세다는 공통점이 있습니다. 하지만 그 둘의 결정적인 차이는 양은 자기 목자의 음성을 듣는다는 것입니다. *내 양은 내 음성을 들으며 나는 그들을 알며 그들은 나를 따르느니라(요10:27)

누가 안전합니까? 길갈에 있다고 안전한 것이 아닙니다. 벧엘에 있다고 안전한 것이 아닙니다다. 일요일마다 교회 다닌다고 해서 안전한 것이 아니고, 어떤 직분을 갖고 어떤 중요한 사역을 한다고 해서 나는 안전하다 말할 수 있는 것이 아닙니다. 누가 안전합니까?

어디에서든 목자의 음성을 듣는 이가 안전합니다. 몸은 길갈과 벧엘에 있지만, 마음은 완강한 암소같아서 도무지 목자의 음성을 듣지 않는다면, 당신의 영혼은 지금 너무 위험합니다. 끝까지 목자의 음성을 듣지 않는 길갈과 벧아웬의 암소들을 향해 하나님께선 “이젠 그들을버려 두라 leave him alone.”(호세아 4:17) 말씀하시기 때문이다. 목자의 음성이 더 이상 들리지 않는다면 이미 그것은 가장 무서운 형벌 가운데 떨어진 것입니다.

여러분, 우리는 지금 안전합니까? 나의 영혼, 정말 안녕합니까? 오늘 목자의 음성을 듣고 있습니까?

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From chapter 4 onward, the tone of the book of Hosea changes. A good way to put it is this: in chapters 1-3, Hosea speaks from the perspective of a defense attorney; in chapter 4, he proclaims from the perspective of a prosecutor. In Hosea 4, God tells the people not to go up to 1) Gilgal and 2) Beth Aven. 1) Gilgal is the place where the shame of Egypt was rolled (Joshua 5), and 2) Beth Aven is the name people gave to mock Bethel, which originally meant the house of God, and its meaning is a house of deception and futility.

In Hosea's day, Bethel (Beth-home, El-God), the place where the heavens once opened, became Beth-aven, the den of deceit. And Gilgal, the place of glory where the shame of sin was removed, became a den of shame where God's people should never go. This happened for one reason: they would not listen to the voice of their shepherd and behaved like stubborn heifers. Sheep and heifers have one thing in common: they are both stubborn. But the crucial difference between the two is that sheep listen to their shepherd. *My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27).

Who is safe?

Being in Gilgal does not make you safe; being in Bethel does not make you safe. You are not safe because you go to church every Sunday, You are not safe because you are an pastor or elder or deacon, You are not safe Just because you're doing important church minisrty.

Who is safe?

If your body is in Gilgal and Bethel, but your heart is like a stubborn heifer, and you refuse to listen to the voice of the Shepherd, your soul is in great danger right now, because God says to the heifers of Gilgal and Bethel who refuse to listen to the voice of the Shepherd to the end, “Leave them now, leave him alone” (Hosea 4:17). If the voice of the shepherd is no longer heard, it has already fallen into the most dreadful punishment.

Are we safe right now? Are your soul really well?, Are you hearing the voice of the Shepherd today?

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Starting from chapter 4, the tone of the book of Hosea shifts. While chapters 1-3 are presented from the perspective of a defense attorney, chapter 4 speaks from the perspective of a prosecutor. In Hosea 4, God instructs us not to go to 1) Gilgal and 2) Bet-Aven.

Gilgal is the place where the shame of Egypt rolled away (Joshua 5), and 2) Bet-Aven is a mocking name given to Bethel, which originally meant "the house of God." Bet-Aven translates to "the house of deceit and emptiness."

During Hosea's time, Bethel, once a place where heaven was opened, has fallen to become the den of lies known as Bet-Aven. Meanwhile, Gilgal, a place that once shed the shame of sin, has turned into a den of disgrace that God’s people should absolutely avoid. The reason for this decline is simple: they did not listen to the voice of their Shepherd and instead acted like stubborn heifers.

Both sheep and heifers share the common trait of being obstinate. However, the key difference is that sheep listen to their Shepherd’s voice. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

Who is truly safe? Being in Gilgal does not guarantee safety, nor does being in Bethel. Attending church every Sunday or holding an important position in ministry does not mean you are safe. Who is safe? It is those who hear the voice of the Shepherd, regardless of where they are. If your body is in Gilgal or Bethel, but your heart is like that of a stubborn heifer, refusing to listen to the Shepherd's voice, then your soul is in great danger. God says of those stubborn heifers in Gilgal and Bet-Aven, "Leave them alone" (Hosea 4:17). If you can no longer hear the Shepherd's voice, you have already fallen into one of the most fearful punishments.

Are we safe right now? Is our soul truly well? Are we listening to the voice of the Shepherd today?