ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite Sune 21, 2021

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )

5.        GOD IS ETERNAL

               KO E ‘OTUA´ ‘OKU LAUʻITANITI

            Doctrine… (cont.)

To illustrate the idea of the eternal present, think of watching a baseball game. We watch a live game in a succession of moments. We do not infallibly know each detail of the game before it happens. We wait for the game to unfold before our eyes. In other words, the ninth inning comes after the first eight innings. But God does not watch baseball games the way we do. God sees every event in the game at once. He sees the ninth inning at the same time as he sees the first inning. Yet God does not conflate the ninth inning with the first inning. Now extrapolate that to world history: God can infallibly predict future events because he sees the future as well as he sees the past. He has declared the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-11).

Anselm beautifully captures all these ideas in the following:

Through your eternity you were, you are, and you will be. And since being past is different from being future, and being present is different from being past and from being future, how does your eternity exist always as a whole? Does none of your eternity pass by so that it no longer is, and is none of it going to become what, so to speak, it not yet is? Then, in no case were you yesterday or will you be tomorrow; instead, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, you are. Or better, you simply are-existing beyond all time. You do not exist yesterday or today or tomorrow; for yesterday, today, and tomorrow are nothing other than temporal distinctions. Now, although without you nothing can exist, you are not in space or time but all things are in you. For you are not contained by anything but rather you contain all things."

Because we are temporal creatures, grasping eternity lies beyond us. But we can reflect on God's eternality and can marvel at the language we are privileged to use in describing our eternal God.

            Tokāteline…(hoko atu)

Ko e fakatātā eni ‘o e ‘itaniti lolotonga; vakai ange ki he sipoti peisipolo. ‘Oku tau mamata ‘i he va’inga´ ‘i ha ngaahi momeniti ‘oku fakahokohoko. ‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau ‘ilo ‘a e ngaahi me’a ‘e hoko kimu’a ‘i he taimi ‘e toki hoko ai. ‘Oku tau tatali ke toki hoko pea tau toki mamata ki ai. ‘I hono fakalea ‘e taha´, ‘oku toki hoko ‘a e takai hono 9 (liu faka’osi) ‘i he ‘osi ‘a e takai ‘e 8 kimu’a. Ka ‘oku ‘ikai ke pehe´ ni ‘a e mamata peisipolo ia ‘a e ‘Otua. ‘Oku mamata ‘a e ‘Otua ki he mingimingi’i me’a kotoa ‘o e keimi ‘i he taimi pe ‘e taha. ‘Oku mamata fakataha pe ‘a e ‘Otua ki he takai hono 9 ‘o tatau pe mo e takai ‘uluaki. Ka ‘oku ‘ikai te ne feto’oaki ‘a e takai hono 9 mo e takai ‘uluaki. Sai, tau hiki ‘a e fakatātā ko eni ki he hisitolia ‘o mamani. ‘Oku haohaoa ‘Ene kikite’i ‘a e ngaahi me’a ‘o e kaha’u he ‘oku ne ‘afio’i tatau pe ‘a e kaha’u mo e kuohili. He kuo ne tala mei he kamata’anga ‘a e me’a ‘e hoko ‘amui (‘Aisea 46:9-11).

‘Oku fakamatala’i lelei ‘aupito ‘e ‘Anisema ‘a e ngaahi fakakaukau ko eni:

‘I ho tu’unga lau’itaniti, na’a ke ‘i ai, pea ‘oku ke ‘i ai, pea te ke ‘i ai. Pea koe’uhi, ‘oku kehe pe ‘a ho’o ‘i he kuohili mei ho’o ‘i he kaha’u, pea mo ho’o ‘i he lolotonga ni mo ho’o ‘i he kuohili mo e kaha’u, pea ‘oku anga fē fē ‘a e kakato ho tu’unga lau’itaniti? Me’a ni, ‘oku ‘ikai lava ke fakaholo mai ‘a ho tu’unga ‘itaniti ‘i he kuohili ke mole atu, pe ke toki a’usia ‘i he kaha’u? Pea ‘i he‘ene pehee, na’e ‘ikai ‘aupito pe ke ke ‘i he kuohili pe te ke toki hoko mai ‘i he kaha’u - ka, ko ‘ane afi, ‘aho ni mo e kaha’u ‘oku ke ‘i ai. Pe, ‘e toe lelei ange ‘etau pehee, ko Koe, ‘oku mo’ui ‘i tu’a taimi. ‘Oku ‘ikai te ke mo’ui ‘i he kuohili, lolotonga ni pe kaha’u. He ko ‘aneafi, ‘aho ni, mo e kaha’u, ko e ngaahi faikehekehe fakamamani pe ia. Pea neongo ‘oku ‘ikai mo’ui ha me’a ta’e te ke kau ai, ‘oku ‘ikai te ke ‘i heni mo taimi, ka ‘oku ‘iate koe ‘a e me’a kotoa. He ‘oku ‘ikai fakangatangata koe ‘e ha me’a, ka ‘oku ke falute ‘a e me’a kotoa.

Koe’uhi ko e me’a mo’ui pe kitautolu ‘i taimi, ko ‘etau feinga ke mahino’i ‘a e ngaahi me’a ‘o ‘itaniti, ‘oku ope atu ia ‘i hotau mafai. Ka ‘oku malava ke tau sio loto pe ki he tu’unga lau’itaniti ‘o e ‘Otua pea ke tau ofoofo ‘i he lea ‘oku tau ngaue’aki ke fakamatala’i ‘a hotau ‘Otua lau’itaniti.

the “nevertheless” of unbelief

“ko hono me‘a´ pe” ‘o e ta‘etui

Nomipa 13 (Numbers 13)

 

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

Here we have another story of failure. It is closely associated with the movement of the people toward the promised land. The hour had come in which they should go forward. In this account in Numbers it is stated sending the spies was in obedience to the divine command. However, a comparison of this with the reference to the matter in the first chapter of Deuteronomy will show that the command followed the people's determination to do this very thing. This was in itself an act of suspicion and of practical unbelief. However, as they had decided, so they were commanded to do.

After forty days the men returned. Here perhaps we have the first occasion in history of two reports resulting from one commission, a majority report, and a minority report. Here, as has so often been the case, it was the minority report, rather than the majority report, that was right.

All were agreed on the desirability of the land on which they had looked. The emphasis of the majority, however, is gathered from the word, "Howbeit" They had seen the excellencies of the country, but they had seen the difficulties and beyond these they had seen nothing. The minority had seen, fist Jehovah, and then the excellencies, and finally the difficulties. The essential difference is the vision of God. In the one case it was lacking and men were shut out from of the desirable by the foes of whom they were afraid. In the other it was present and obstacles were accounted as nothing.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Numbers 13*

 (Num 13:27-29) The report of the land.

27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

Pea nau ‘a‘au kiate ia ‘o pehē, Na‘a mau a‘u ki he fonua na‘a ke fekau kimautolu ki ai, pea tā ‘oku mahutafea ‘i he hu‘akau mo e honi; pea ko hono fua ē. 28 Ko hono me‘a pē ‘oku mālohi ‘a e kakai ‘oku nofo‘i ‘a e fonua, pea ‘oku ‘aa‘i ‘a e ngaahi kolo ‘o fu‘u lalahi: kae‘uma‘ā foki na‘a mau mamata ki he hako ‘o ‘Ānaki. 29‘Oku nofo ‘a ‘Amaleki ki he fonua ko Tonga: pea ko e Heti mo e Siepusi mo e ‘Āmoli ‘oku nofo ‘i he fonua mo‘unga: pea ‘oku nofo ‘a e Kēnani ki tahi, pea mo e tafa‘aki ‘o Soatani.

Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."

We went to the land where you sent us: They seemed to sense they were more on a mission from Israel than on a mission from God; we might already sense the report will be given according to a human perspective, not according to God's perspective.

It truly flows with milk and honey - what God had promised about the land was indeed true.

Nevertheless: "nevertheless" means "despite all of that." At that moment, Moses, and every man of faith in Israel should have cried out and said, "Nevertheless nothing! How can one say, 'We went to the land, found it good, and God's promise true,' and then say, 'Despite all this …'?"

i. Despite God's faithful promise, the people who dwell in the land are strong.

ii. Despite God's faithful promise, the cities are fortified and very large.

iii. Despite God's faithful promise, we saw the descendants of Anak [a tribe of large men] there.

iv. Despite God's faithful promise, the Amalekites dwell … the Amorites dwell … the Canaanites dwell - all the land is taken up, there are no vacancies!

Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there: It is hard to imagine a report more unbelieving and unfaithful to God than this; a report that recognizes the faithfulness of God's promise, the truth of His word, and yet says, "Despite all that …"

What ever the exact nature of God's testing in the minds and hearts of the twelve spies during the forty days in Canaan, it is clear that they have, as a whole, failed the test!