선택(選擇)의 주제(主題) 앞에서
2026.3.3
(렘38:1-13)
1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2 "This is what the LORD says: 'Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. He will escape with his life; he will live.' 3 And this is what the LORD says: 'This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.'" 4 Then the officials said to the king, "This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin." 5 "He is in your hands," King Zedekiah answered. "The king can do nothing to oppose you." 6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. 7 But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, 8 Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to him, 9 "My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city." 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies." 11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes." Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
내가 왕 이라면
시드기야 라면
적군에게 항복해야 생명을 보존할 것이고
그렇지 않으면 적의 칼과 창, 그리고 기근, 역병에 의해 처참한 죽음을 당할 것이며
예루살렘 성은 함락되고야 말 것이라는 예언자를 어떻게 하게 되었을까?
나 역시
내가 왕 이라도
당시의 고관대작(高官大爵) 권력의 위치에 있더라도
당시의 그들 같이
그 예언자를 죽여야 한다고...능지처참(陵遲處斬)해야 해야 한다고 강력주청(强力奏請)하지 않았을까...??? 생각된다
만일 그런 상황이 온다면
나는 과연
용기백배(勇氣百倍)
무소불위(無所不爲)의 기개(氣槪)로
예레미야 와 같은 목회자(牧會者)의 귀결(歸結)을 맞이할 수 있을까?
교인 중에 김집사님이 한 이야기가 생각난다
만일 내가 어떠한 말을 하느냐에 따라
내 눈앞에서 내 자식을 찢어 죽인다고 한다면
나는 과연 어떤 선택을 할까...
지극고민(至極苦悶)...무섭고 두렵기까지 하다 ...라는
더욱 겸손해야 하겠다는 생각을 한다
그런 상황을 맞이하지 않도록
또한 그런 상황에서 성령의 탁월하신 지도를 받을 수 있도록
최고최선선택(最高最善選擇)
하나님도 인정(認定)하시는 바로 그 선택(選擇)을 할 수 있도록...!