메뚜기와 흑암의 재앙을 내린 출애굽기 10장

 

출애굽기 10장은 여덟 번째 재앙에 속하는 메뚜기와 흑암의 고통을 이집트인에게 주고, 파라오는 메뚜기는 어찌 버텨보겠는데 3일 내내 지속되는 흑암은 견디지 못하고 마침내 항복하고 모세에게 떠나라며 내 눈에 띄지 말라고 합니다. 그러나 과연 완전한 항복이었을까요?

 

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메뚜기 재앙

 

출애굽기 9장 읽기

 

1. Then the LORD said Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 

 

 

 

2. and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."

3. So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

4. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

5. and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, 

6. and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day." Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

 

 

이집트의 왕 파라오는 이스라엘 백성들을 도저히 풀어 줄 마음이 없어 보였으나 로드는 지속해서 아론과 모세더러 파라오에게 가라고 합니다. 그러면서 이번에도 말을 듣지 않으면 메뚜기 재앙을 내리겠다고 하여 다음 날 이집트 전역에 메뚜기가 출몰하게 합니다.  여러 가지 재앙 뒤에 메뚜기 재앙을 내린 것은 의도된 것보다는 자연적인 현상으로 볼 수도 있을 것 같습니다. 메뚜기는 갑작스러운 기후 변화 등으로 인해 떼로 출몰하기도 한다는데요. 나일강이 오염되면서 여러 가지 부수적인 후유증이 있어왔듯 메뚜기도 그런 현상 중 하나일 것입니다. 다만 하나님이 이를 예견하고 재앙을 내렸다는 것이 신기할 따름이지요.

 

 

 

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파라오의 회개 그러나 다시 돌변

 

7. Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?"

8. So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, " Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?"

 

 

9. Moses said, "We will go with our toung and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD."

10. But he said to them, " The LORD be with you,  if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind.

11. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

 

 

파라오는 바보는 분명해 보입니다. 이집트인들마저 두려움에 동요를 일으키는 와중에 파라오는 어떻게든 위기만 모면해 볼 생각인가 봅니다. 

 

 

 

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흑암의 재앙

 

12. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the Iocusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left."

13. So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts.

14. The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again.

15. They covered the face of the whold land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16. Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, " I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

17. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me."

 

 

18. so he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.

19. And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

20. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

 

어찌되었든 주님의 명령으로 메뚜기는 이집트 전역의 음식을 갉아먹었습니다. 그야말로 초토화가 된 것이죠. 그리고 하나님의 다음 재앙은 흑암입니다. 아무것도 보이지 않는 컴컴한 어둠을 만드니 이집트 백성들은 더욱 두려움에 빠졌을 것입니다. 

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드디어 타협하는 파라오

 

21. Then the LORD Said to Moses, " Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt."

22. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

23. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.

24. Then Phaaraoh called Moses and said, " Go, serve the Lord; your flocks and your herds remain behind."

25. But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

 

 

26. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there."

27. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

28. Then Pharaoh said to him, " Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die."

29. Moses said, " As you say! I will not see you face again."

 

 

불을 켜도 소용없는 칠흑같은 어둠이 3일째 지속되자 파라오는 드디어 무릎을 꿇습니다. 모세에게 내가 졌다면서 보내주는 대신 다시는 얼굴을 보지 말자고 합니다. 만일 어디서 한 번이라도 보게 된다면 그때는 죽여버릴 거라고 합니다. 그러자 모세도 다시는 볼 일이 없을 거라고 합니다. 아마 파라오 입장에서는 이래서 머리 검은 짐승은 거두는 게 아니라며 원망을 하지 않았으려나요? 파라오의 원죄가 있긴 하지만 모세도 나름 이집트 왕자로 대접받고 성장했는데 갑자기 자신의 뿌리들을 데리고 떠나겠다며 이집트에게 갖은 재앙과 저주를 내렸으니 말입니다.