ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Falaite 12 Ma’asi 2021 

Now I know

Kuo u toki ‘ilo 

'Ekisoto 18 (Exodus 18)

(v. 10-11) Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.”

(v. 10-11) Pea pehē ‘e Setelō, Ke mālō‘ia ‘a Sihova, ‘a ia kuo ne fakahaofi kimoutolu mei he nima ‘o e kau ‘Isipite, pea mei he nima ‘o Felo, ‘a ia kuo ne fakahaofi ‘a e kakai mei he lalo nima ‘o e kau ‘Isipite. Kuo u toki ‘ilo ‘oku lahi ‘a Sihova ‘i he ngaahi ‘otua kotoa pē; he ‘i he me‘a na‘a nau fakamofutofuta ai na‘a ne ha‘aki kinautolu.

*Commentary:  The Reformation Study Bible*

Now I know. This formula could indicate either the beginning of Jethro's faith (2 Kin. 5:15) or its strengthening (1 Kin. 17:24). In any event, Jethro offers sacrifices and shares the communion meal as a worshipper of the Lord of Israel, the one true God. By delivering the Israelites from Egypt, God has made Himself known to Jethro (cf. 7:5).

*Tohi Vete:  Tohitapu Ako ‘a e Fakalelei Lotu´*

Ko e fakalea ko ‘eni, na’a ne faka’ilonga’i ‘a e kamata’anga ‘o e tui ‘a Setelo´ (2 Tu’i 5:15) pe, ko hono fakamalohi’i ‘a ‘ene tui ( 1 Tu’i 17:24).  Ka neongo ia´, na’e fai ‘e Setelō ha feilaulau mo kai ‘ohomohe ko ‘ene hū ia ki he ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, ko e ‘Otua pe ia ‘e taha mo mo’oni´.  ‘I hono fakahaofi ‘o e kakai ‘Isileli mei ‘Isipite´, na’e fakahaa’i ‘e he ‘Otua Ia kia Setelō (7:5).

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        GOD IS SPIRIT

            Doctrine

The Westminster Confession of Faith begins its chapter on God and the Trinity by affirming that "there is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts” (2.1). We cannot see him with our eyes (1 Tim. 6:16). Thus, in the prologue to his Gospel, John tells his readers, "No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18). And Paul speaks of God as the “King of the ages, immortal, invisible” (1 Tim. 1:17). As a spirit, God is necessarily invisible.

            Seeing God in Christ

The concept of the vision of God has a long and complicated history in the Christian church. How can God's people actually see God? Is it even possible? The answer is both yes and no. Indeed, God's children through the ages have longed to see him who is spirit. For example, Moses asked to see God's glory (Ex. 33:18), partly because he was God's representative to the people and partly because he wanted assurance of God's presence

with him on Mount Sinai. The request to see God's glory was the same as asking to see him. After all, God replied, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live" (v. 20; see also v. 23). Paul certainly confirms this when he proclaims that God "dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see" (1 Tim. 6:16). Seeing God is not, as far as the Scriptures are concerned, the same thing as seeing a dog or seeing a soccer game.

Throughout the history of the church, theologians have spoken of the vision of God in a number of ways. First, to see God is to comprehend God. That remains utterly impossible for us as humans; finite creatures can never comprehend the infinite God. This matter is so important that we will return to it later.

Second, God "stoops" to our weakness by way of theophanies, whereby God, for the sake of revelation, makes himself visible. Over the course of church history, various theologians have objected to the idea that we cannot see God. These people have been called Anthropomorphites and have typically argued that the Scriptures are clear: God appeared to human beings. True, some people in the Old Testament saw partial revelations of him, but saying that they saw him "appear" (see Gen. 18:1) is not to say that they saw God in himself but to say that they saw him as he manifested himself for the sake of revelation.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        KO E ‘OTUA´, KO E LAUMALIE

            Tokateline

‘I he Tefito’i Tui ‘a e Uesiminisitaa, ‘oku kamata’aki ‘a e vahe fekau’aki mo e ‘Otua mo e Tulinitii ‘a e fakamo’oni ko eni, “ ‘Oku taha mātē pe ‘a e ‘Otua mo’ui mo mo’oni, ‘a ia ‘oku ta’efa’alaua mo haoahaoa, ko e laumalie ma’a ‘asinisini fau, ta’ehamai, ‘ikai ha no sino pe kongokonga”. ‘Oku ‘ikai malava ke tau mamata kiate Ia ‘aki hotau mata fakamatelie (1 Tim 6:6). Pea ‘i he’ene talateu ki he’ene koosipeli, ‘oku pehee ai ‘e Sione, “Ko e me‘a ki he ‘Otua, kuo te‘eki ke mamata ki ai ‘e ha taha ‘i ha taimi” (Sione 1:18). Pea ‘oku fakamatala’i ‘e Paula ‘a e ‘Otua ko e “Tu‘i ‘Itāniti, ko e Ta‘e‘auha, ko e Ta‘ehāmai” (1 Tim 1:17). ‘I hono tu’unga ko e laumalie, kuopau ke ne ta’ehaa.

            Mamata ki he ‘Otua´ ‘ia Kalaisi

Ko e fakakaukau ‘o e mamata (visone) ‘a e tangata ki he ‘Otua´, ‘oku ‘i ai hono hisitolia tu’uloa mo fihi ‘i he tu’u ‘a e siasi faka-kalisitiane. Ko e ha e founga ne mamata ai ‘a e kakai ‘a e ‘Otua ki he ‘Otua? ‘Oku malava nai ha me’a pehee ke hoko? Ko e tali, ‘oku ‘io pea toe ‘ikai. ‘Io, ko e fanau ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘i he ngaahi kuonga kehekehe, na’a nau vivili ke mamata ki he ‘Otua, neongo ko e laumalie. Fakatātā; na’e kole ‘a Mosese ke mamata ki he langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua (‘Eki 33:18), ko e taha ‘ene fiema’u, koe’uhi ko e fakafofonga ia ‘o e ‘Otua ki he kakai, pea taha, na’a ne fiema’u ke ne fakapapau’i ‘a e lotolotoi ‘a e ‘Otua ‘iate ia lolotonga ‘ene ‘i Mo’unga Sainai. Ko e kole ke mamata ki he naunau ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘oku tatau pe ia mo e kole ke mamata tonu ki he ‘Otua. Koe’uhi, na’e ‘osi tala pe ‘e he ‘Otua,  “‘E ‘ikai te ke lava ke sio ki hoku mata; he ‘oku ‘ikai ha tangata te ne sio ki hoku mata, pea mo‘ui.” (v.20, 23). ‘Oku fakamo’oni mai ki heni ‘a Paula he’ene tala ko e ‘Otua ‘oku “ ‘afio ‘i he maama ta‘efa‘a fotuaki; ‘a ia kuo te‘eki ke mātā ‘e ha tangata, pe te ne lava ke sio ki ai” (1 Tim 6:16). Ko e mamata ki he ‘Otua, fakatatau ki he lau ‘a e Folofola, ‘oku ‘ikai tatau mo ha’a te mamata ki he monumanu´ (hufanga he fakatapu) pe ko ha’a te mamata sipoti.

‘I he hisitolia ‘o e siasi, ‘oku fakamatala’i ‘e he kau teolosia ‘a e visone ‘o e ‘Otua (mamata ki he ‘Otua) ‘i ha ngaahi founga kehekehe. ‘Uluaki, ko e mamata ki he ‘Otua, ko hono mahino’i ‘a e ‘Otua. Pea ‘oku kei taumama’o eni ia ki he tangata; ko e me’a fakatupu ‘oku pokosi’i mo fakangatangata, pea ‘oku matu’aki ta’emalava ke ne a’usia ‘a e ‘Otua ta’engata ta’efa’alaua. ‘Oku fu’u mahu’inga ‘a e kaveinga ko eni, pea te tau toe foki mai ki ai ‘amui ange.

Ua, ‘oku “tulolo” ‘a e ‘Otua ki hotau tu’unga vaivai ‘o fou ‘i he ngaahi teofanio (theopanies), ‘a ia ko e ‘Otua, ‘i he’ene taumu’a levelesio, ‘oku ne fakaha mai Ia kiate kitautolu. ‘I he hisitolia ‘o e siasi, na’e ‘i ai ‘a e tokolahi ‘i he kau teolosia, na’a nau faka’ikai’i ‘a e fakakaukau, ‘oku ‘ikai malava ke tau mamata ki he ‘Otua. ‘Oku ‘iloa ‘a e fa’ahinga ko eni, ko e kau ‘Anitolomofaite, pea na’a nau tala, ‘oku ha mahino mei he Tohitapu: na’e ha ‘a e ‘Otua ki he tangata. ‘Io, ‘oku mo’oni na’a mamata ha ni’ihi ‘i he Fuakava Motu’a ki ha ha faka-konga mai ‘a e ‘Otua kiate kinautolu. Ka ko e pehe na’a nau mamata ki he’ene “ha mai” (Sen 18:1), na’e ‘ikai ko ‘enau mamata ki he ‘Otua ‘i hono tu’unga ‘Otua, ka ko ‘enau mamata kiate ia ‘i he founga na’a ne fakahaha mai ia ‘i he’ene taumu’a faka-levelesio.