ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite 15 Ma’asi 2021

 I love my master

‘Oku ou ‘ofa ki hoku ‘eiki

'Ekisoto 21 (Exodus 21)

(v. 5-6) But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

 (v. 5-6) Ka ‘o kapau ‘e mātu‘aki lea ‘e he tamaio‘eiki, ‘o pehē, ‘Oku ou ‘ofa ki hoku ‘eiki, ki hoku uaifi mo ‘eku fānau; ‘e ‘ikai te u ‘alu tau‘atāina: pea ‘e toki fakahopo ia ‘e hono ‘eiki ‘i he ‘ao ‘o ‘Elohimi, ‘o ne fakaofi ia ki he matapā, pe ki he pou matapā; pea ‘e vili hono telinga ‘e hono ‘eiki ‘aki ha vili; pea te ne nofo ko ‘ene tamaio‘eiki ‘o ta‘engata.

*Commentary:  David Guzik Study Notes on Exodus*

 If, after the six years of servitude, a servant wished to make a life-long commitment to his master – in light of the master’s goodness and his blessings for the servant – he could, through this ceremony, make a life-long commitment to his master.

 This commitment was not motivated by debt or obligation, only by love for the master, and the good things that the master had provided for the servant.

 His master shall bring him to the judges: This describes the public and recognized ceremony for recognizing a willing slave, one who had fulfilled his obligation yet still wanted to serve his master out of love.

 “The ‘judges’ changed the slave’s status from temporary to permanent by a ceremony at the doorpost of the master’s house.” (Kaiser)

 His master shall pierce his ear with an awl: In the ceremony, the servant’s ear was pierced – opened – with an awl. This was done in the presence of witnesses, and then he shall serve him forever.

 It’s a remarkable thing to think of this ceremony being carried out. A servant said, “I know I have fulfilled my obligations to my master, and I have served what I have owed. Yet I love my master and am so grateful for what he has given that I will gladly obligate myself for life, not out of debt or shame or defeat, but out of love.”

 Psalm 40:6 later spoke of this ceremony taking place between the Father and the Son, where the Psalmist spoke prophetically for the Messiah: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears You have opened. Jesus was a perfect bond-slave to the Father (Philippians 2:7).

 “That awl represents the nail that affixed Christ to the cross, and we must expect it in every true act of consecration.” (Meyer)

 *Tohi Vete:  Lesoni Ako Tohitapu ‘a Tevita Kuisaki*

Ka hili ha ta’u ‘e ono ‘o e ngaue popula, pea loto ‘a e popula ko ia ke ne hokoatu ‘ene ngaue ki he’ene ‘eiki´, koe’uhi ko ‘ene failelei kiate ia mo e ngaahi tapuaki kehekehe ‘oku ne ma’u, ‘e malava pe ke ne hokoatu pea ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a hono ouau ‘i he’ene tukupā ke ne li’oa ‘ene mo’ui ma’a e ‘eiki. 

 Ko e tukupā ko ‘eni na’e ‘ikai makatu’unga ‘i ha mo’ua pe fatongia, ka ko e ‘ofa pe ki he ‘eiki,  mo e ngaahi lelei na’a ne ma’u mei he’ene ‘eiki.  ‘Oku ‘omi ‘a e popula ‘o fakahā ‘i he ha’oha’onga ‘o ha fakataha’anga ke faka’ilonga’i ko e loto pe ‘eni ‘o e popula ke hokoatu ‘ene tauhi ki hono ‘eiki koe’uhi pe ko ‘ene ‘ofa.  ‘E hanga leva ‘e he fakamaau ‘o liliu ‘a e tu’unga ‘o e popula mei he’ene ngaue fakataimi ki he ngaue tu’uma’u pea ‘oku fai eni ‘i he pou matapā.

 Ko e ouau ko ‘eni, ko hono vili ‘a e telinga ‘o e popula – ke avangi.  Na’e fai eni ‘i he ha’oha’onga ‘o e kau fakamo’oni ke mahino te ne tauhi ‘a hono ‘eiki ki ha’ane mate. 

 Ko ha taha’i ouau fakangalongata’a eni.  Ke pehe ‘e ha popula, “’oku ou mahino’i pe kuo fakakakato ‘a hoku fatongia ki he’eku ‘eiki´, pea kuo u ngaue’i ‘a hoku mo’ua ‘o ‘osi.  Kā ‘oku ou ‘ofa au ki hoku ‘eiki pea ‘oku hounga kiate au ‘a e ngaahi me’a kuo u ma’u meiate ia pea ‘oku ou loto ke u fakamo’ua’i ‘eku mo’ui kiate ia, ‘o ‘ikai ko e fakapu’ia pe ko ha’aku mo’ua, pe ko ha’aku mā, pe ko ha’aku fo’i, ka koe’uhi pe ko ‘eku ‘ofa ‘iate ia.

 ‘Ia Saame 40:6 ‘oku hā ai ‘a e ouau ‘i he vā ‘o e Tamai mo e ‘Alo, ‘i he pehē ‘e he fa’u Saame ko ‘ene kikite ki he Misaia: “ko e tamate manu mo e me’a’ofa , ‘oku ‘ikai te ke manakoa; kuo ke foa telinga mo’oku”.  Ko Sisu ‘a e sevaniti haohaoa ki he Tamai (Filipai 2:7).

 GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

 3        GOD IS SPIRIT

            Doctrine

            Seeing God in Christ

Third, we "see God" in terms of his revelation, whereby he speaks to his creatures about who he is and what he does. As we read in Job, Then Job answered the LORD and said:

"I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.'

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6)

It is not just that Job now "understands” God better from the teachings in chapters 38-41 but that Job "sees” God because the Lord has directly confronted him in the thunderstorm (Job 38:1). We can thus speak of seeing God as a holy confrontation, whereby he takes the initiative to reveal himself to us, very often in the thunderstorms (or trials) of life.

When we have glorified bodies, we shall see God in the sense that we will possess a far greater understanding of his being than we are capable of here on earth in these jars of clay. Our happiness in this life and the one to come arises chiefly out of knowing God and all that that means for us as his children. Knowledge of the triune God, communicated to us through his Spirit-illumined Word, gives us a joy unspeakable.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        GOD IS SPIRIT

            Tokāteline

            Mamata ki he ‘Otua´ ‘ia Kalaisi

Tolu, ‘oku tau “mamata ki he ‘Otua” ‘o fou ‘i he’ene me’a fakaha, ‘a ee ‘oku ne lea mai ai ki he’ene me’a fakatupu fekau’aki mo hono finangalo mo ‘ene ngaue. Hange ko ia ‘oku tau lau ‘ia Siope,

PEA tali ‘e Siope ki he ‘Eiki, ‘o pehē,

‘Oku ou ‘ilo ‘oku ke mafai ‘a e me‘a kotoa pē,

Pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha‘o fakakaukau ‘e ala ta‘ofia.

Na‘a ke me‘a mai koā,

“Ko hai ia ‘oku faka‘uhinga kehe tu‘utu‘uni ko ‘ene masiva ‘ilo?”

Ko au ia, ‘eku ‘a‘au ‘a e ngaahi me‘a na‘e ‘ikai te u a‘usia,

‘A e ngaahi me‘a fakaofo fau, ‘o ‘ikai te u tāea.

Me‘a mai ka u tali ho‘o folofola na‘e pehē,

“Te u fehu‘i atu ka ke tali mai.”

Ne u fanongo kiate koe ‘aki ‘a e fanongo ‘a e telinga;

Ka ko eni kuo māta‘i koe ‘e hoku mata;

Ko ia ai, ‘oku ou fakalili‘a kiate au,

‘O u fakatomala‘i he funga efu mo e efuefu.

Na’e ‘ikai ke toki “mahino’i” lelei ange ‘e Siope ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i he’ene a’u mai ki he vahe ko eni, ‘o makehe ange mei he vahe 38-41, ka na’e “mamata” ‘a Siope ki he ‘Otua ‘i he’ene fehangahangai mo ia mei he loto taufa (Siop 38:1). Ko ia ai, ‘e lava pe ke tau pehee, ko e mamata ki he ‘Otua, ko ha fehangahangai toputapu, ‘a e ‘oku fai pe ia ‘e he ‘Otua, ‘i he’ene mu’omu’a mai ke ne fakahaa’i Ia kiate kitautolu, ‘o vaka mai ‘i he ngaahi taufa (‘ahi’ahi mo e faingata’a) ‘o e mo’ui.

‘I he taimi te tau toki ma’u ai hotau sino langilangi’ia, te tau toki mamata ki he ‘Otua, ‘o fakatatau ki he tu’unga te tau ‘i ia, he ‘e lelei ange mo lahi ange ‘etau mahino Iaa mei hotau tu’unga hina kelekele fakamamani ‘oku tau lolotonga ‘i ai. Ko ‘etau fiefia ‘i he mo’ui ko eni mo e mo’ui ‘i he kaha’u, ‘oku fakatupu hake ia ‘i he’etau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua mo ngaahi tapuaki ‘o ‘etau hoko ko ‘ene fanau. Ko e ‘ilo fungani ki he Tolu-taha’i-’Otua, ‘i hono fakahoko mai kiate kitautolu ‘i he’ene Folofola kuo fakamaama ‘e hono Laumalie, ‘oku tau ma’u ai ha fiefia ‘ikai malea’aki (1 Pita 1:8).