ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Sapate Ma’asi 28, 2021

 a God merciful and gracious

‘Otua, ‘Alo‘ofa mo Anga lelei

‘Ekisoto 34 (Exodus 34)

 (v. 6-7) 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

 (v. 6-7) 6 ‘Io, na‘e hā‘ele ange ‘a e ‘Eiki ‘i hono ‘ao, ‘o ne folofola, Ko Sihova, ‘a Sihova ‘Otua, ‘Alo‘ofa mo Anga lelei, Tuai ki he Houhau, pea Fonu ‘i he Kelesi mo e Mo‘oni; 7 ‘oku ta‘ofi meesi ma‘a e ngaahi toko afe, ‘oku ne fakamolemole ‘a e kovi mo e talangata‘a mo e angahala, ka ‘e ‘ikai ‘aupito te ne faka‘atā ‘a e halaia; ‘oku ne ‘eke ‘a e kovi ‘a e mātu‘a ki he fānau, mo e makapuna, ‘o a‘u ki he tolu mo e faa‘i to‘utangata.

Veesi Lauloto: Saame 86:15

Ka ko koe, ‘Ātonai, ko e ‘Otua ‘alo‘ofa mo angalelei,

Tuai ki he houhau, pea fonu ‘i he kelesi mo e mo‘oni. 

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

*Commentary:  The ESV Study Bible*

34:6-7 The Lord's proclamation of his name and the declaration of his character becomes a central confessional passage for the OT (e.g., see Neh. 9:17, 31; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; Jonah 4:2; Joel 2:13). This confession describes the Lord's gracious character in preserving Israel as a whole for the sake of God's overall purpose and in sparing those individuals who look to him in true faith (e.g., see note on Ps. 32:1-5). Moses will argue these very words back to the Lord when he intercedes for the people after their rebellion following the spies' report on Canaan (see Num. 14:18-19). The description emphasizes the merciful and gracious character of the Lord (see Ex. 33:19), whose steadfast love and forgiveness extends to thousands (probably of generations, cf. Deut. 7:9; and note on Ex. 20:5-6) in contrast to the few generations upon whom he visits iniquity. Moses will appeal to Israel's need for the Lord's gracious and merciful presence that he might forgive them and take them as his inheritance (34:9)

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

Ko hono talaki ‘e Sihova ‘a hono huafa mo ne fakahaa’i ‘a hono ‘ulungaanga´, ‘oku hoko ia ko e makatu’unga ‘o e fakamo’oni ‘i he ngaahi kupu’i tohi ‘i he Fuakava Motu’a (Nehemaia 9:17, 31; Saame 86:15; 103:8; Siona 4:2; Sioeli 2:13).  Ko e fakamo’oni ko ‘eni´, ‘oku ne fakamatala’i ‘a e ‘ulungaanga faimeesi ‘o e ‘Otua ‘i he’ene fakatolonga ‘a e kakai ‘Isileli koe’uhi pe ko e taumu’a ‘a e ‘Otua ke ne fakahaofi ha ni’ihi ‘oku nau hanga ange kiate Ia ‘i he tui falala mo’oni (Saame 32:1-5).  ‘E toe fakamanatu ‘e Mosese ‘a e ngaahi kupu’i lea ko ‘eni ki he ‘Otua ko ‘ene taukapo’i ‘a e kakai ‘Isileli ‘i he’enau angatu’u kiate ia ‘i he foki mai ‘a e kau asiasi mei Kenani (Nomipa 14:18-19).  ‘Oku fakamamafa’i ‘e he fakamatala ko ‘eni ‘a e faimeesi mo e anga’ofa ‘i he ‘ulungaanga ‘o e ‘Otua (‘Ekisoto 33:19), ko ‘ene kelesi mo ‘ene mo’oni ‘oku ta’ofi meesi ma’a e ngaahi tokoafe  ( lauito’utangata, Teutalonome 7:9) ‘o makehe mei he ngaahi to’utangata ‘oku ne ‘ahia ke tautea’i.  ‘E taukave’i ‘e Mosese ‘a e fiema’u ‘e ‘Isileli ‘a e ‘alo’ofa mo e meesi ‘a e ‘Otua ke lotolotoi ‘iate kinautolu kae lava ke fakamolemole’i kinautolu pea ke ne ma’u ko hono tofi’a (34:9).