ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tusite 12 Fepueli 2019

Ko e sipinga mo‘ui ‘a Sonatane

The example of Jonathan

1 SAMIUELA 19-20 (1 SAMUEL 19-20)

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 meheka ‘a Saula fekau’aki mo e ngaahi lavame’a ‘a Tevita na’e iku pe ‘o ne hange ha faha (vale), pea ne tu’utu’uni  ai ke tamate’i ‘a Tevita.  Ka na’e tomu’a fakatokanga ‘e Sonatane kia Tevita pea ne hola ai ‘o hao.  ‘Oku hoko ma’u pe ‘a Sonatane ko ha sipinga ki he kalisitiane ‘i he ngaahi ‘aho ni.  Na’e mahino’i ‘e Sonatane kuo fili ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a Tevita ke ne hoko ko e Tu’i, pea na’a ne mahino’i ko e ngaahi to’onga mo e ngaue hala ‘a ‘ene tamai ‘oku ‘ikai ke lelei ki he ‘Otua.     Neongo ko Saula ko e tamai ia ‘a Sonatane, ka na’e tomu’a tukulolo mo talangofua ‘a Sonatane ia ki he ‘Eiki ‘o laka hake ‘i he’ene fakaongo ki he’ene tamai.  Na’e kau ‘a e ‘Otua pea mo Sonatane.  Na’e fakahaa’i ‘e Tevita pea mo Sonatane ‘a e mahu’inga ‘a ‘ena kaungame’a ‘aki ‘ena kovinanite ‘i hona va pea ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e  ‘Otua.  Ko e akonaki pe ‘eni ‘a Sisu ‘i he fekau lahi pe ko e Lao Koula; mu’omu’a ‘a ‘ete ‘ofa mo ‘ete tauhi ki he ‘Otua pea hoko ki ai ‘a hoto va pea mo e kaunga fononga.  Pea ‘oku kau ai ‘a ‘ete ‘ofa ki he kakai kehe ‘o hange pe ko ia na’e ha ‘i he mo’ui mo e sipinga na’e ta ‘e Sonatane. 

Saul's jealousy of David's accomplishments drove him mad, so he ordered David's death. However, Jonathan warned David and he escaped. Once again, Jonathan stands out as a model for believers today. Jonathan understood that God had appointed David to be the next king, and he knew his father's actions did not bring honor to God. Even though Saul was Jonathan's father, Jonathan was submissive first and foremost to the Lord. No one had a greater claim on Jonathan's life than God. David and Jonathan solidified their friendship with a covenant of loyalty to one another and to God.

As Jesus teaches in the Great Commandment, loyalty and submission to God are to take first priority in the life of a Christian, but this also naturally encompasses loving others, as Jonathan modeled so well.