ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite 8 Ma’asi 2021

The Lord will fight for you

Ko Sihova te ne tau ma‘amoutolu 

'Ekisoto 14 (Exodus 14)

(v.13-14) 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

(v. 13-14) Pea na‘e lea ‘a Mōsese ki he kakai, ‘Oua ‘e manavahē; mou tu‘u pē ‘o mamata ki he fakamo‘ui ‘a Sihova, ‘a ia te ne fai ma‘amoutolu he ‘aho ni: he ko e kau ‘Isipite kuo mou sio ki ai he ‘aho ni ‘e ‘ikai te mou toe mamata ki ai ‘o ta‘engata. Ko Sihova te ne tau ma‘amoutolu, ka ko kimoutolu te mou tu‘u noa pē.

*Commentary:  The Reformation Study Bible*

Fear not. At the crucial point of Israel's deliverance they must see that their salvation is entirely God's work. His signs and wonders in Egypt, His leading Israel to this hopeless impasse, pinned between Pharaoh's chariots and the sea-all prepare for the climactic display of His saving power.

The LORD will fight. This phrase indicates the origin of the theme of the Lord as "divine Warrior," celebrated in ch.15. War in the ancient world was viewed as a sacred undertaking in which the honor of the deity was at stake. In Israel, God was the "God of the armies of Israel" (1 Sam. 17:45), but also the Lord of Hosts" (i.e., the Lord of the armies of heaven, the architect of Israel's victories and the inflicter of Israel's defeats). The theology of Holy War, which arose as a result, finds expression throughout both the OT and NT.

*Commentary:  Tohitapu Ako ‘a e Fakalelei Lotu´*

‘Oua ‘e manavahe.  ‘I he konga mahu’inga ‘o hono fakahaofi ‘o ‘Isileli´, na’e pau ke nau fakatokanga’i ko honau fakamo’ui (fakahaofi) ko e ngaue ‘ata’ata pe ‘a e ‘Otua.  Ko  e ngaahi mana mo e faka’ilonga na’e fai ‘i ‘Isipite, mo hono tataki kinautolu ki he potu fakaloloma ko ‘eni´, fihia mei tahi mo ‘uta (tau saliote ‘a Felo), ko e teuteu ki he fakahāhā ‘o e mafai fakatalutalu ‘o e ‘Otua.

Ko Sihova te ne tau ma’a moutolu.  Ko e kupu’i lea ‘eni ‘oku ne fakahā mai ‘a e tupu’anga ‘o e hingoa ‘oku ‘ai ki he ‘Otua´, ‘o taku ko “pate’i tau”, ‘oku hā ‘i he vahe 15.  ‘I ono’aho ko e tau´, na’e lau ia ko ha me’a toputapu he na’e faka’ali’ali ai ‘a e langilangi ‘o e ngaahi ‘otua ‘oku fakafofonga’i ‘e kinautolu ‘oku nau fai tau.  ‘I ‘Isileli, ko e ‘Otua´, “ko e ‘Otua ‘o e ngaahi matatau ‘o ‘Isileli” ( 1 Samiuela 17:45), pea ko e “‘Eiki ‘o e ngaahi hoositē” ( ‘Otua ‘o e ngaahi matatau ‘o Langi, ko e kapiteni ‘o e ikuna ‘o ‘Isileli pea mo e faisauni ‘o ‘Isileli).  Ko e teolosia ‘o e Tau Toputapu, ‘oku ma’u ia mei he ngaahi fakamatala kehekehe ‘i he Fuakava Motu’a mo e Fuakava Fo’ou.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        GOD IS SPIRIT

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:24

            Doctrine

We speak of God in a twofold sense: essentially and personally. By referring to God essentially, we call attention to his divine essence (i.e., substance). By speaking of him personally, we refer to the triunity of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is spirit in terms of his essence; God is triune in terms of his personhood.

What is God? In his conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4, Christ informs her, "God is spirit." In other words, God is not corporeal or in possession of a body or material nature. He is, as the hymn goes,

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

When speaking of God essentially, we can understand him in two different ways: (1) by way of affirmation (e.g., "God is good," or "God is spirit"), or (2) by way of negation (e.g., “God has no body," or "God cannot lie"). In the first instance, we ascribe to him whatever is excellent and reveals his glory. In the second instance, we separate or distinguish him from whatever is imperfect. Due to our human limitations, many theologians have suggested that the best way to describe God is by negation.

Readers will quickly notice, however, that the chapter titles in this book describe God by way of affirmation. Yet while each chapter ascribes to God whatever is excellent, each one also describes God by way of negation. That is, we want to separate from God whatever is imperfect. Thus, to speak of God as spirit affirms what he is and what he is not. For example, because he is spirit, we can affirm his infinity and independence, which by way of negation describes him as a being who is illimitable (i.e., without limit/end) and immutable (i.e., not capable of change). In terms of affirmation, we may say that God is omnipotent (i.e., all-powerful) or omniscient (i.e., all-knowing).

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, KO E . . )

3        KO E ‘OTUA´, KO E LAUMALIE

Ko e ‘Otua´ ko e laumālie: pea ko kinautolu ‘e hū kiate ia, kuo pau ke nau fai ‘i laumālie pea fai ‘i mo‘oni ‘enau hū. (Sione 4:24)

            Tokāteline

‘Oku tau fakamatala’i ‘a e ‘Otua´ ‘i ha founga ‘e ua: ‘esenisi mo e pesinolo (taautaha). ‘I he tu’unga ‘esenisi ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘oku tau hulu’i ‘a hono uho faka-’Otua. ‘I hono tu’unga pesinolo, ‘oku tau ‘uhinga ki he tu’unga lōtolu ‘o e ‘Otua, ko e Tamai, ‘Alo, mo e Laumalie Ma’oni’oni. Ko e ‘Otua´, ko e laumalie ‘i hono ‘esenisi´; Ko e ‘Otua´, ko e toko tolu ‘i hono tu’unga faka-pēsona´.

Ko e ha ‘a e ‘Otua? ‘I he fepotalanoa’aki ‘a Sisu mo e fefine Samelia´ ‘i he vahe 4 ‘o e tohi Sione, na’e talaange ‘e Kalaisi kiate ia, “Ko e ‘Otua´ ko e laumalie.” ‘I hono toe fakalea ‘e taha, ‘oku ‘ikai ha sino pe natula fakamatelie ‘o e ‘Otua. ‘Oku ne hangē ko e fakalea ‘a e himi,

Ko ta’efa’a’auha, ta’ehamai, ko e ‘Otua poto pe taha

‘I he maama taukakapa, puli mei he mata ‘o e tangata

Mohu Tapuhā, taupotu ‘i he kololia, ko Talumeimu’a ia

‘Alamaite, ikuna kafakafa, ho huafa lahi te mau fakahikihiki.

‘I he’etau fakamatala’i ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i hono ‘esenisi´, ‘oku malava ke tau mahino’i ia ‘i ha founga kehekehe ‘e ua: 1) ‘i he founga fakamo’oni / faka-’io (‘Oku lelei ‘a e ‘Otua; Ko e ‘Otua ko e laumalie) pe 2) ‘i he founga faka-’ikai (‘Oku ‘ikai ha sino ‘o e ‘Otua; ‘Oku ‘ikai malava ‘a e ‘Otua ke loi). ‘I he founga ‘uluaki, ‘oku tau hilifaki kiate ia ‘a e me’a kotoa ‘oku lelei tahaa mo e me’a ‘oku ne fakae’a ‘a hono langilangi. ‘I he founga hono ua, ‘oku tau vahe’i meiate ia pe fakafaikehekehe’i ia mei he me’a kotoa pe ‘oku ‘ikai haohaoa. Pea koe’uhi ko e tu’unga fakangatangata ‘o e tangata´, ‘oku pehee ‘e he tokolahi ‘o e kau taukei he teolosia, ko e founga lelei taha ki hono fakamatala’i ‘o e ‘Otua, ko e founga faka-’ikai (negation).

‘I he tohi ko eni (‘a e ako ‘oku tau fai), ko e ngaahi ‘ulu’i tohi ‘oku nau fakamatala’i ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i he founga fakamo’oni (faka-’io). Pea neongo ko e ngaahi vahe ‘o e tohi ‘oku nau fakamatala’i atu ai ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i he hono ngaahi tu’unga langilangi, ka ‘oku toe fakahaa’i pe ‘i he tu’unga ko iaa, ‘a e ngaahi fakamatala faka-’ikai kau ki he ‘Otua. ‘A ia, ‘oku tau feinga ke fakatalatala mei he ‘Otua ‘a e me’a kotoa pe ‘oku ‘ikai haohaoa. Ko ia ai, ‘i he’etau pehee, ko e ‘Otua ko e laumalie, ‘oku ne fakamo’oni’i loua ‘a e tu’unga ‘oku ma’u ‘e he ‘Otua mo e tu’unga ‘oku ‘ikai. Fakatātā, koe’uhi ko IAA´ ko e laumalie, ‘oku tau fakamo’oni’i hono tu’unga ta’engata mo tau’ataina; ‘a ia ‘i he tu’unga faka-’ikaii, ‘oku tau pehee ko e tokotaha ia ‘oku ‘ikai hano ngata’anga / ‘ikai fakangatangata pea ‘ikai ke liliu. ‘I he tu’unga fakamo’oni (faka-’io), ‘oku tau pehee, ko e ‘Otua´ ‘oku ‘ominipoteni (ma’u ‘a e mafai kotoa pe) pe ko e ‘Otua´ ‘oku ‘ominiseni (ma’u ‘a e poto mo e ‘ilo kotoa).