ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Falaite Ma’asi 19 2021

The Ark of the Covenant

Ko e ‘Aʻake ‘o e Kovinānite´

'Ekisoto 25 (Exodus 25)

(v. 10-16) 10 They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.

(v. 10-16) 10 Pea te nau fa‘u ha ‘a‘ake ‘aki ‘a e papa sitimi: ko hono lōloa ko e kiupite ‘e ua mo e haafe, pea ko hono māukupu ko e kiupite ‘e taha mo e haafe, pea ko hono mā‘olunga ko e kiupite ‘e taha mo e haafe. 11 Pea te ke ‘aofi ‘aki ia ‘a e koula haohaoa, te ke ‘aofi ‘a loto mo tu‘a, pea te ke ngaohi ‘i hono funga ha teuteu koula takatakai. 12 Pea te ke haka ki ai ha kavei koula ‘e fā, ‘o ‘ai ki hono va‘e ‘e fā; pea te ke tau ha ua‘i kavei ‘i hono tafa‘aki ‘e taha mo e ua‘i kavei ‘i hono tafa‘aki ‘e taha. 13 Pea te ke ngaohi ‘akau ha‘amo ‘aki ‘a e ‘akau sitimi, ‘o kofu ‘aki ‘a e koula. 14 Pea te ke velo ‘a e ‘akau ha‘amo ‘i he ngaahi kavei ‘i he tafa‘aki ‘a‘ake ke kauala ‘aki ‘a e ‘a‘ake. 15 ‘E tuku ma‘u pē ‘a e ‘akau ha‘amo ‘i he ngaahi kavei ‘o e ‘a‘ake, ‘o ‘ikai to‘o mei ai. 16 Pea te ke tuku ki he ‘a‘ake ‘a e fakamo‘oni ‘a ia te u ‘atu.

*Commentary:  The ESV Study Bible*

The Ark of the Covenant

The ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:10–22; 37:1-9) was the only piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place; the ark and its contents were kept hidden from view at all times. The ark itself was a wooden chest, overlaid with pure gold, measuring 3.75 feet long, 2.25 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high (1.1 m x 0.7 m x 0.7 m). It contained within it the two stone tablets of the Testimony (the Ten Commandments). The author of Hebrews adds that it also contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded" (Heb. 9:4). The ark was not to be touched by human hands. Two wooden poles, overlaid with gold, were used to transport it and were not to be removed from the ark. The mercy seat, or atonement cover, was a solid golden slab that fitted perfectly on top of the ark. The golden cherubim, which were hammered out of the same piece of gold, had wings outstretched over the mercy seat and faces that looked downward (in reverent awe). It was here, from between the cherubim, that God spoke to Moses, the  representative of the people of Israel. Ancient iconography often depicts cherubim as having a lion-like body, wings, and a human face.

*Tohi Vete:  Tohitapu Ako ‘a e ESV*

Ko e ‘a’ake ‘o e kovinanite (‘Ekisoto 25:10-22; 37:1-9) ko e naunau pe ‘eni ‘e taha na’e ‘i he potu toputapu; ko e ‘a’ake mo hono ngaahi ‘elemeniti na’e tauhi kotoa ia ke puli mei he kakai ‘i he taimi kotoa.  Ko e ‘a’ake ko ha puha papa, na’e fiofio koula, na’e fute 3.75 ‘a hono loloa, fute 2.25 ‘a hono maokupu, fute 2.25 ‘a hono ma’olunga.  Na’e ‘i loto ‘a e ongo maka ‘o e fekau ‘e honofulu.  Pea ‘oku talamai ‘e he fa’u tohi ‘o e tohi Hepelu na’e ‘i ai ha ‘ainga mana, pea mo e tokotoko ‘o ‘Elone´ ‘a ia na’e muka mai” (Hepelu 9:4).  Ko e ‘a’ake´ na’e tapu ke ala ki ai ha nima ‘o ha tangata.  Na’e ‘i ai ‘a e ongo ‘akau ha’amo, na’e kofu’aki ‘a e koula, na’e ngaue’aki ki hono hiki holo pea na’e ‘ikai ke mavahe mei he ‘a’ake.  Ko e hoifua’anga´ na’e koula haohaoa pea na’e tapuni’aki ia ‘a e ‘a’ake.  Na’e ‘i ai ‘a e selupimi koula, ‘a ia na’e tuki mei ha konga koula pe ‘e taha, na’a na tu’u kuo mafola ‘i ‘olunga hona kapakau ‘o fakamalumalu ki he hoifua’anga; na’a na fehangahangai, ka na hanga foki ki he hoifua’anga (ko ‘ena ‘a’apa).  Ko e potu ia na’e fetaulaki ai ‘a Mosese pea mo e ‘Otua, ko e fakafofonga ‘o e kakai ‘Isileli.  Ko e kau ta tongitongi ‘o ono’aho´, na’a nau tā ‘a e selupimi ‘o ‘ai ha sino’i laione, kapakau, kae fotunga hange ha tangata.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        GOD IS SPIRIT

            Doctrine

            Seeing God in Christ

Fourth, God enables his children to see him in the person of his Son. In the Upper Room Discourse in John's Gospel, Philip asks to see the Father (John 14:8). He claims that seeing the Father will make him content. But with a tender rebuke, Christ informs Philip, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (vv. 9-10).

While it is impossible for us to see God, who is spirit, we truly "see" him in the face of Jesus Christ, who is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15). Thus, we

see God in his Son, the God-man. We see the invisible God because of the visible man Christ Jesus. The desires of Moses and Philip are good desires. But they are only fulfilled through Christ, for it is impossible to see God as he "sees” himself.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        KO E ‘OTUA´, KO E LAUMALIE

            Tokāteline

            Mamata ki he ‘Otua´ ‘ia Kalaisi

Faa´, ‘oku fakamafai’i ‘e he ‘Otua ‘ene fanau ke nau mamata kiate Ia ‘o fou ‘i he pesona ‘o e ‘Alo. ‘I he malanga ‘i he Loki ‘i ‘Olunga ‘i hono hiki ‘i he koosipeli ‘a Sione, na’e kole ai ‘e Filipe ke mamata ki he Tamai (Sione 14:8). Na’a ne pehee, ka mamata ki he Tamai ‘e toki fiemalie leva. Ka na’e ‘itengia ia ‘e ‘Sisu ‘i he’ene pehe ange, “Ko futu ‘eku ‘iate kimoutolu, pea kuo te‘eki koā ke ke ‘ilo au, Filipe? Ko ia kuo ne mātā au, kuo ne mātā ‘a e Tamai; pea fēfē ai ho‘o pehē, Tuku ke mau sio ki he Tamai?‘Ikai ‘oku ke tui, ‘oku ou ‘i he Tamai, pea ko e Tamai ‘oku ‘iate au: ko e ngaahi lea ‘oku ou fai kiate kimoutolu, ‘oku ‘ikai te u lea‘aki meiate au. Ka ko e Tamai ‘oku ne fai ‘ene ngaahi ngāue, he‘ene nofo‘ia au.” (Sione 14:9-10).

Neongo ‘oku ‘ikai ke malava ke tau mamata ki he ‘Otua, he ko e laumalie, ka ‘oku tau “mamata” mo’oni kiate Ia ‘i he fofonga ‘o Sisu Kalaisi, “ ‘a ia ko e ‘Īmisi ia ‘o e ‘Otua ko e Ta‘ehāmai, ko e ‘Uluaki ia na‘e fakatupu,” (Kolose 1:15). “Io, ‘oku tau mamata ki he ‘Otua fou ‘i hono ‘Alo, ‘a e ‘Otua-mo-tangata. ‘Oku tau mamata ki he ‘Otua ta’ehamai koe’uhi ko e tangata hamai ko Kalaisi Sisu. Ko e vivili ‘a Mosese mo Filipe na’e lelei pe. Ka ko hono fakahoko’anga na’e fou ‘ia Kalaisi, he ‘oku ‘ikai ‘aupito pe ke tau lava ke “mamata” ki he ‘Otua ‘i hono tu’unga lauikuonga faka-’Otua.