[ Psalms 72:1 - 72:7 ] - hymn 362 May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. [ PSALM 72:6 ] In July 2022, Britain¡¯s prime minister was forced to step down after what many felt were lapses in integrity (the newly appointed prime minister stepped down just months later!). The event was triggered when the country¡¯s health minister attended an annual parliamentary prayer breakfast, felt convicted about the need for integrity in public life, and resigned. When other ministers resigned too, the prime minister realized he had to leave. It was a remarkable moment, originating from a peaceful prayer meeting. Believers in Jesus are called to pray for their political leaders (1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2), and Psalm 72 is a good guide for doing so, being both a ruler¡¯s job description and a prayer to help them achieve it. It describes the ideal leader as a person of justice and integrity (VV. 1-2), who defends the vulnerable (V. 4), serves the needy (VV. 12-13), and stands against oppression (V. 14). Their time in office is so refreshing, it¡¯s like ¡°showers watering the earth¡± (V. 6), bring- ing prosperity to the land (VV. 3, 7, 16). While only the Messiah can perfectly fulfill such a role (V. 11), what better standard of leadership could be aimed for? The health of a country is governed by the integrity of its office-bearers. Let¡¯s seek ¡°Psalm 72 leaders¡± for our nations and help them to embody the qualities found in this psalm by praying it for them. SHERIDAN VOYSEY | | [ ½ÃÆí 72:1 - 72:7 ] - Âù¼Û°¡ 362 Àå ±×´Â º¥ Ç® À§¿¡ ³»¸®´Â ºñ °°ÀÌ ¶¥À» Àû½Ã´Â ¼Ò³«ºñ °°ÀÌ ³»¸®¸®´Ï [½ÃÆí 72:6] 2022³â 7¿ù ¿µ±¹ ÃѸ®´Â û·Å¼º¿¡ ¹®Á¦°¡ ÀÖ´Ù´Â ¿©·Ð ¶§¹®¿¡ »çÅðÇØ¾ß Çß½À´Ï´Ù. (±×¸®°í ÈÄÀÓ ÃѸ®µµ ºÒ°ú ¸î ´Þ ÈÄ¿¡ »çÀÓÀ» Çß½À´Ï´Ù!) ÀÌ ÀÏÀÇ ¹ß´ÜÀº º¸°ÇºÎ Àå°üÀÌ ÀÇȸ¿¡¼ÀÇ ¿¬·Ê Á¶Âù ±âµµÈ¸¿¡ Âü¼®Çß´Ù°¡ °øÁ÷ÀڷμÀÇ Ã»·Å¼º¿¡ ÀÚÃ¥°¨À» ´À³¢°í »çÀÓÇÑ µ¥¼ ºñ·ÔµÇ¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ´Ù¸¥ Àå°üµé±îÁö »çÀÓÇϱ⿡ À̸£ÀÚ ÃѸ®´Â Àڽŵµ ¶°³ª¾ß ÇÑ´Ù°í ´À²¼´ø °ÍÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ÇÑ Æò¿ÂÇÑ ±âµµ ¸ðÀÓ¿¡¼ ½ÃÀÛµÈ ³î¶ó¿î ÀÏÀ̾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ¿¹¼ö´ÔÀ» ¹Ï´Â ¼ºµµµéÀº ±×µéÀÇ Á¤Ä¡ ÁöµµÀÚµéÀ» À§ÇØ ±âµµÇØ¾ß ÇÕ´Ï´Ù (µð¸ðµ¥Àü¼ 2:1-2). ÁöµµÀÚÀÇ ¿ªÇÒÀ» ¸í½ÃÇÏ°í ±×µéÀÇ ¼ºÃ븦 ±â¿øÇÏ´Â ±âµµ¹®ÀÎ ½ÃÆí 72ÆíÀº À̸¦ À§ÇÑ ÁÁÀº Áöħ¼ÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ»óÀûÀÎ ÁöµµÀÚ´Â °øÁ¤ÇÏ°í Á¤Á÷Çϸç(1-2Àý), ¿¬¾àÇÑ ÀÚ¸¦ º¸È£ÇÏ°í(4Àý), ±ÃÇÌÇÑ ÀÚ¸¦ ¼¶±â¸ç(12-13Àý), ¾ÐÁ¦¿¡ ¸Â¼´Â(14Àý) »ç¶÷À̶ó°í ¼³¸íÇÕ´Ï´Ù. ±×µéÀº ¡°¶¥À» Àû½Ã´Â ¼Ò³ª±â¡± (6Àý)¿Í °°ÀÌ »ý¸íÀ» ÀÏÀ¸Å°¸ç ¶¥¿¡ ¹ø¿µÀ» °¡Á®¿É´Ï´Ù(3, 7, 16Àý). À̺¸´Ù ´õ ÈǸ¢ÇÑ ¸®´õÀÇ ¸ð½ÀÀÌ ¾îµð ÀÖÀ¸¸ç, ±×¸®°í ¸Þ½Ã¾Æ°¡ ¾Æ´Ï¸é ÀÌ ¿ªÇÒÀ» ¿ÂÀüÈ÷ Çس¾ ºÐÀÌ ´©°¡ ÀÖÀ»±î¿ä(11Àý)? °øÁ÷ÀÚÀÇ Ã»·Å¼ºÀº °Ç°ÇÑ ³ª¶ó¸¦ ¸¸µì´Ï´Ù. ±¹°¡¸¦ À§ÇØ ¡°½ÃÆí 72ÆíÀÇ ÁöµµÀڵ顱ÀÌ µÉ¸¸ÇÑ Àι°µéÀ» ã¾Æ³»°í, ±×µéÀÌ ÀÌ ½ÃÆí ¸»¾¸´ë·Î ½ÇÇàÇØ ³ª°¥ ¼ö ÀÖµµ·Ï ÇÔ²² ±âµµÇսôÙ. |