ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite Sune 7, 2021

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )

5.        GOD IS ETERNAL

               KO E ‘OTUA´ ‘OKU LAUʻITANITI

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28)

‘Ikai kuo ke ‘ilo? kehe, ‘ikai kuo ke fanongo? Ko e ‘Otua ta‘engata ‘a Sihova, ‘a e Fakatupu ‘o e ngaahi ngata‘anga ‘o māmani; ‘oku ‘ikai ke vaivai ia, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ke ongosia, ‘oku ta‘emahakulea ‘ene fakakaukau.

(‘Aisea 40:28)

            Doctrine

God is the everlasting God. Or to put it another way, God is eternal: “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27). But as soon as we make this statement, we run into a serious problem. We simply cannot conceive of or express God's eternity because we are beings who have not always existed but were created by a God who has always been and will always be. Our minds are puzzled by such a concept: “Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number

of his years is unsearchable” (Job 36:26). In the words of Stephen Charnock, "If man compares himself with other creatures, he may be too sensible of his greatness; but if he compares himself with God, he cannot but be sensible of his baseness."

What do we mean when we say that God is eternal? First, his eternality is unlike the eternal state experienced by humans or angels, all of whom were created in time. Time has a beginning with succession of moments, but God has no beginning, succession of moments, or ending (Gen. 1:1; Job 36:26; Ps. 90:2). God's eternality speaks of his timeless and unchangeable (yet not static) nature. As theologians of the past have argued, the statement "Time began with the creature” rings truer than “The creature began with time”.

            Tokāteline

Ko e ‘Otua´, ko e ‘Otua ta‘engata ia. Pe ko hono toe fakalea ‘e tahaa´, ‘oku lau ‘itāniti ‘a e ‘Otua: “Ko e ʻOtua taʻengata ko ho hūfanga, pea ʻoku ʻi lalo ʻiate koe ʻa e nima tolonga taʻengata” (Teut 33:27 Uesi). Ka ‘i he taimi ‘oku tau fai ai ‘a e lea ko eni, ‘oku tau fehangahangai mo ha palopalema lahi. ‘Oku ta’emalava ke tau fakakaukauʻi pe fakamatala’i ‘a e tu’unga ta’engata ‘o e ‘Otua, koe’uhi ko e fa’ahinga kitautolu na’e ‘ikai ke tau ‘i ai mei he kamata’anga, ka na’e fakatupu ‘e ha ‘Otua na’e ‘i ai talu mei tuai pe te ne ‘i ai ma’u ai pe. ‘Oku matu’aki fakatupu fifili ia ki hotau ‘atamai: “Vakai, ko ‘Ela ‘oku hopo hake, ‘oku ‘ikai te tau ma‘ilo ia: Ko e lau ‘o hono ngaahi ta‘u ko e me‘a ta‘emahakulea” (Siope 36:26). Ko e lau eni ‘a Sitīveni Saianoke (Stephen Charnock) “Ka fakatatau ‘e he fa’ahinga ‘o e tangata´ ia ki ha toe me’a mo’ui na’e fakatupu, te ne ongo’i ‘oku makehe ia mo lelei; ka ‘o kapau te ne fakahoa ia ki he ‘Otua, te ne toki ‘ilo ‘a hono tu’unga ko e efu mo e fulikivanu.”

Ko e ha ‘etau ‘uhinga ki he’etau pehē ‘oku ta’engata ‘a e ‘Otua? ‘Uluaki, ko e tu’unga lau’itaniti ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘oku makehe ia mei he tu’unga ‘o e tangata´ pea mo e kau ‘angelo, he na’e fakatupu kotoa kinautolu ‘i taimi. Ko e taimi´, ‘oku ‘i ai hono kamata’anga mo hono hokohoko, ka ‘oku ‘ikai ha kamata’anga ia ‘o e ‘Otua, pe hokohoko pe ngata’anga (Sen 1:1; Siope 36:26; Saame 90:2). Ko e tu’unga lau’itaniti ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘oku sio ia ki he’ene ‘i tu’a taimi mo hono natula ta’eliliu. Ko e kau Teolosia ‘o ono’aho´, na’a nau pehe, ‘oku tonu ange ‘a e taku, “Na’e toki kamata ‘a taimi ‘i hono fakatupu ‘o e me’a mo’ui” - ‘i he pehē, “Na’e kamata ‘a e me’a mo’ui´ ‘i taimi.”

My son, keep my words

TAMA, tauhi ‘eku ngaahi lea 

Palovepi 8-9 (Proverbs 8-9)

 (8:11-12) He ‘oku lelei hake ‘a e poto ‘i he makakula koloa; Pea neongo pe ko e hā ho manako ‘e ‘ikai ala fakatatau ki ai. Ko au Poto ‘oku ou fale ‘aki ‘a e fakapotopoto,

(8:11-12) for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.

 

* G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible*

The section containing the instructions of wisdom ends with two discourses, the first of which is the great call of wisdom. This takes up and deals more minutely with the call in the earlier part of the book. It opens with an announcement that wisdom is making its appeal everywhere amid the busy activities of life. Then follows her call.

This is, first, an appeal to men to attend (verses Pro 8:4-11 ). This they should do because wisdom speaks excellent things, and speaks in righteousness. Moreover, the words of wisdom are plain and more valuable than all riches.