ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Falaite 15 Fepueli 2019

Mahu‘inga ke tau fakavaivai ki he pule ‘a e ‘Otua

We must submit to the authority of God

1 SAMIUELA 28; 31 (1 SAMUEL 28; 31)

VEESI LAULOTO: 2 TIMOTE 1:7

He naʻe ʻikai foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate kitautolu ʻae laumālie ʻo e manavasiʻi; ka ko e mālohi, mo e ʻofa, mo e loto fakapotopoto (Uesi/West)

MEMORY VERSES: 2 TIMOTHY 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (NKJV)

Ko e konga faka’osi ‘o e talanoa fakaloloma kau ki he mo’ui ‘a Saula, ‘oku fakae’a ai ‘a e nunu’a ‘o e ‘ikai ke te falala ki he ‘Otua ‘o hange pe ko ia na’e ha ‘i he konga kimu’a ‘o ‘ene mo’ui.  ‘I he hili ha ngaahi ta’u lahi ‘o e ‘ikai ke fanongo ai ‘a Saula ki he le’o ‘o e ‘Otua, kuo fakahaa’i ‘e he ‘Otua ‘o ne aofangatuku ‘a ‘ene fakamahino ‘e ‘ikai ke toe lea kia Saula.  Na’e a’u ki he taimi na’e fehangahangai ai ‘a Saula pea mo e kau Filisitia pea ne kumi fale’i ai ki ha fefine fakalou’akau ko ‘ene kumi tokoni ki he laumalie ‘o Samiuela ke tokoni mai  ke fakamaama kiate ia pea mo e tau ‘oku teuaki.  Ko e feinga ko ‘eni ‘a Saula, na’e fehangahangai ‘aupito ia pea mo e Lao ‘a e ‘Otua – ko e lao ‘eni na’a ne tauhi pea na’a ne feinga ke fakangata he na’e tapui ke ngaue’aki  ‘a e fakalou’akau   ‘o fakatatau  ki he Lao ‘a e ‘Otua. Ka na’e fakaofo ‘a hono faka’ata ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e feinga ko ‘eni, he na’e ha mai ‘a e laumalie ‘o Samiuela kia Saula pea na’a ne toe fakamanatu ‘a e vaivai ‘o Saula – “kuo ke talangata’a kia Sihova.”   Na’e kikite’i ‘e Samiuela ‘a e ngaahi me’a kotoa ‘e hoko ‘i he vahe 31, na’e hoko kotoa ‘o mo’oni; ‘e ikuna’i ‘e Ha’a Filisitia ‘a e kau ‘Isileli, pea ‘e pekia ‘a Saula mo hono ngaahi foha ‘i he tau ‘e fakahoko.  Ka na’e ‘ikai ke fakaha ‘e Samiuela ‘e toe iku to’o pe ‘e Saula ‘a ‘ene mo’ui ‘i he taimi ‘e mate ai.  Ko e mo’ui ‘a Saula mei he kamata ki he iku’anga, ko ha mo’ui na’e fakae’ee’a ai ‘a hono fakaha ‘a e mo’ui ha tokotaha ‘oku ta’emanonga koe’uhi ko ‘ene ta’e fakaongoongo mo tukulolo kakato ki he tu’utu’uni ‘a e ‘Otua. 

These final chapters of Saul's story tell a tragic end to his life and reveal the consequences of his failure to trust God, just as his early years foreshadowed After years of Saul failing to listen to God, God finally quit speaking to him. When confronted with a new threat from the Philistines, Saul approached a medium-a witch-in hopes that she could speak with Samuel's spirit and get him the spiritual wisdom he needed for this battle. This act was done in direct disobedience to the laws of God-laws Saul had previously sought to uphold by banning the practice of mediums altogether. Through the power of God, Samuel did speak to Saul, and his words summarized Saul's great failure in life_"You did not obey the Lord." Samuel then predicted what chapter 31 proved to be true: the Philistines would defeat the Israelites, and Saul and his sons would die in the battle. What Samuel didn't reveal, though, is that Saul would take his own life. From beginning to end, Saul's life shows us the missed opportunities and spiritual unrest of a person who refuses to live in submission to God.