ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tokonaki Fepueli 27, 2021

 Let my people go

Tukuange hoku kakai

 'Ekisoto 5 (Exodus 5)

 (v. 1) Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”

 (v. 1) PEA hili ia na‘e ‘alu atu ‘a Mōsese mo ‘Ēlone, ‘o na fakahā kia Felo, ‘o pehē, Ko e folofola eni ‘a Sihova ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, Tukuange hoku kakai ke fai ha kātoanga kiate au ‘i he Toafa.

 *Commentary: Matthew Henry*

 Their demand is piously bold: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, v. 1. Moses, in treating with the elders of Israel, is directed to call God the God of their fathers; but, in treating with Pharaoh, they call him the God of Israel, and it is the first time we find him called so in scripture: he is called the God of Israel, the person (Gen. 33:20); but here it is Israel, the people. They are just beginning to be formed into a people when God is called their God. Moses, it is likely, was directed to call him so, at least it might be inferred from ch. 4:22, Israel is my son. In this great name they deliver their message: Let my people go.

 They were God's people, and therefore Pharaoh ought not to detain them in bondage. Note, God will own his own people, though ever so poor and despicable, and will find a time to plead their cause. "The Israelites are slaves in Egypt, but they are my people,' says God, "and I will not suffer them to be always trampled upon.' See Isa. 52:4, 5.

 He expected services and sacrifices from them, and therefore they must have leave to go where they could freely exercise their religion, without giving offence to, or receiving offence from, the Egyptians. Note, God delivers his people out of the hand of their enemies, that they may serve him, and serve him cheerfully, that they may hold a feast to him, which they may do, while they have his favour and presence, even in a wilderness, a dry and barren land.

 *Tohi Vete: Matiu Henelē*

 Ko e tuʻutuʻuni malohi mo taʻeufi eni: Ko e folofola eni ‘a Sihova ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, Tukuange hoku kakai. ‘I he fono ‘a Mosese mo e kau ‘ulumotu’a ‘o ‘Isileli, na’e tu’utu’uni ke ne tala ko e ‘Otua, ko e ‘Otua homou ngaahi kui: ka ‘i he fekau na’e tala kia Felo, na’e ui ‘a e ‘Otua´, ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, pea ko hono fuofua ngaue’aki eni ‘i he Tohitapu ‘a e hingoa ko eni; ‘oku ui ia ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, ‘o ‘uhinga ko e tokotaha (Senesi 33:20); ka ‘i he potu tohi ko ‘eni, ‘oku ‘uhinga ia ki he kakai.  Ko e kamata eni ‘o hono fakatahataha’i kinautolu ko ha kakai ‘i hono ui ‘a e ‘Otua´, ko honau ‘Otua.  Mahalo pe na’e ‘uhinga ‘a hono ui ‘a e ‘Otua´ ‘aki ‘a e hingoa ko ‘eni´ ko e fakalave ki he vahe 4:22, ko ‘Isileli ko hoku foha.  Pea ‘i he huafa lahi ko ‘eni´, na’a na ‘ave ‘aki ‘a e fekau mahu’inga:  ke tukuange hoku kakai.

 Ko e kakai kinautolu ‘a e ‘Otua´, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha totonu ‘a Felo ke ne tuku popula kinautolu.  Fakatokanga’i ange, ‘oku ‘a e ‘Otua´ ‘a hono kakai, neongo te nau masiva mo li’ekina, pea te nau ui tokoni kiate Ia.  “Ko e kakai ‘Isileli ‘oku nau nofo popula ‘i ‘Isipite, ka ko e kakai kinautolu ‘a’aku, ko e folofola ia ‘a e ‘Otua, pea ‘e ‘ikai te u tukuange kinautolu, pe ke laiki ai pe ‘e honau fili ´”  (Vakai kia ‘Aisea 52:4, 5).

 Na’e fiema’u ‘e he ‘Otua´ ke tauhi ange kiate Ia ‘aki ha feilaulau, ko ia ai na’e fiema’u ke nau mavahe ‘o fononga ki ha feitu’u ‘e tau’ataina ai ‘enau lotu´, ‘o ‘ikai te nau fakafepaki ki he kau ‘Isipite´, pe ke hoko ‘a e kau ‘Isipite´ ko ha fakafe’atungia kiate kinautolu.  Fakatokanga’i ange, ‘oku fakahaofi ‘e he ‘Otua´ ‘a hono kakai´ mei he nima ‘o honau ngaahi fili, ke nau tauhi ange kiate Ia, pea ke nau ngaue fiefia ange kiate Ia, pea ke nau fai katoanga kiate Ia, pea te nau fai ia, ‘i he’enau ma’u ‘a e langilangi pea mo e lotolotoi ‘iate kinautolu ‘a e ‘Otua, neongo te nau ‘i ha toafa pakukā mo li’ekina.

 GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, ‘OKU . . )

 2        GOD IS SIMPLE

            Doctrine

          God's Simplicity Revealed in Christ's Death

A. W. Tozer notes, "When God justifies a sinner, everything in God is on the sinner's side. All the attributes of God are on the sinner's side. It isn't that mercy is pleading for the sinner and justice is trying to beat him to death. All of God does all that God does.”? If God is for us, all of God, not a part of God, is for us. The infinite, eternal, unchangeable God who is goodness and wisdom himself is on our side (Rom. 8:31). So in the death of Christ, we see the simplicity of God revealed in the sense that all his attributes gloriously harmonize. We possess not a verse here or there but rather a glorious picture of God's simple undivided essence in the way he orchestrates the whole of our redemption, especially at the cross.

 2        KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU LAULOTAHA

             Tokāteline

            Fakahā ‘a e laulōtaha ‘a e ‘Otua´ ‘i he pekia ‘a Kalaisi´

 Na’e pehe ‘e A W Tozer,

“ ‘I he taimi ‘oku fakatonuhia’i ai ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e tokotaha angahala, ‘oku ‘omi ‘a e katokatoa ‘o e ‘Otua´ ki he tafa’aki ‘a e tokotaha angahala.  ‘Oku ‘omi kotoa ‘a e ngaahi ‘ulungaanga ‘o e ‘Otua´ ki he tafa’aki ‘a e tokotaha angahala.  ‘Oku ‘ikai ke pehe ke taukapo’i ‘e he’ene meesi´ ‘a e tokotaha angahala´ kae hanga ‘e he’ene faitotonu´ ‘o tautea’i ia ke ne mate ai.  ‘Oku fai kotoa ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e ngaue kotoa ‘oku mafeia ‘e he ‘Otua.” 

 Kapau ‘oku kau ‘a e ‘Otua´ mo kitautolu, ko e kotoa ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘o ‘ikai ko ha konga pe, ‘oku kau mo kitautolu.  Ko e ‘Otua ta’emalaua, lau’itaniti mo ta’eliua, ‘a ē ‘oku lelei mo poto, ‘oku ne kau mo kitautolu (Loma 8:31).  Ko ia ai ‘i he pekia ‘a Kalaisi, ‘oku tau mamata ki he laulotaha ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i hono fakaha mai ‘i ha tu’unga ‘oku fehūmalie’aki ‘a hono ngaahi ‘ulungaanga ‘i he tu’unga fakalangilangi.  ‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau ma’u ha veesi ‘oku tōtōholo ‘i he Tohitapu´, ka ‘oku tau ma’u ha ‘ata fakalangi ‘o e laulōtaha ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i hono uho’i ‘Otua, ‘a ē ‘oku ‘ikai lava ke māvahevahe, ‘o tautefito ki he’ene fokotu’utu’u mo ‘ene fakahoko ‘a hotau huhu’i, ‘a ē na’e fakahoko ‘i he kolosi.