ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monite ‘Aokosi 2, 2021

‘e fuesia ‘e ho loto

shall be on your heart

Teutalōnome 6 (Deuteronomy 6)

(v. 4-6) Fanongo mai, ‘a ‘Isileli, Ko Sihova ko hotau ‘Otua ko e taha‘i  Sihova ia:  pea te ke ‘ofa ki he ‘Eiki ko ho ‘Otua ‘aki ‘a e kotoa ‘o ho loto, mo e kotoa ‘o ho laumālie, mo e kotoa ‘o ho ivi. Pea ko e ngaahi fo‘i folofola ko eni ‘oku ou kouna atu he ‘aho ni ‘e fuesia ‘e ho loto:

(v. 4-6) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

 GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )

6.        GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE

               Ko e ‘OTUA´ ‘oku TA‘ELILIU

Ko kinautolu ‘e ‘auha, Kae tu‘u ai pē ‘a e ‘Afiona:

‘Io, te nau faka‘au kotoa ke motu‘a hangē ko e kofu;

Pea te ke fetongi ia hangē ha pulupulu: ‘Io, ‘e fetongi pē kinautolu.

Ka ka pehepehē ai pē ‘a e ‘Afiona, Pea ko ho ngaahi ta‘u ‘e ‘ikai ngata.

Ko e fānau ‘a ho‘o kau tamaio‘eiki ‘e tolonga, Pea ko honau hako ‘e ma‘u ‘enau fe‘ao mo e ‘Afiona.

Saame 102:26-28

They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

but you are the same, and your years have no end.

The children of your servants shall dwell secure;

their offspring shall be established before you.

Psalm 102:26-28

            Tokāteline

‘I he‘etau ako ki he ngaahi ‘ulungaanga ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘oku tau fakatokanga‘i ‘a e fakamatala‘i (huluhulu) pe ‘e he ‘ulungaanga ko ēe´ ‘a e ‘ulungaanga ko ēe´. Sipinga; Ko e tu‘unga lau‘itaniti ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘oku ne fakamaama mai ‘etau mahinoʻi ‘a e natula taʻeliliu ‘o e ‘Otua´.  Naʻe pehē ‘e Heamani Pavinaki; “ ko e liliu´, ko e fakakaukau muli ia ki he ‘Otua´. ‘Iate Ia, ‘oku ‘ikai ha liliu ia ‘i he lau taimi´, he ‘oku lau ‘itaniti Ia; pe ‘i he lau feituʻu´, he ‘oku ne ‘i he potu kotoa pe; pe ‘i he lave ki hono uho´, he ‘oku haohao ‘a ‘Ene ‘afio´.”

‘Oku lahi ‘a e lave ‘a e Folofola´ ki he natula taʻeliliu ‘o e ‘Otua´: “He ko Sihova au, ‘oku ‘ikai te u liliu” (Malakai 3:6) vakai kia ‘Aisea 14:27; 41:4. Ko e konga lahi ‘o e ngaahi potu tohi ko eni´, ‘oku nau fakamatala ki he tuʻunga taʻeliliu faka-‘ēfika ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘a ē ‘oku fakamatala ai ki he kovinanite faitotonu ‘a e ‘Otua´ ki heʻene ngaahi palomesi´. Ko e tuʻunga taʻeliliu ko eni´, ‘oku fekauʻaki pe ia mo e tuʻunga taʻeliliu ‘a hono natula´ pe ko hono uhoʻi ‘Otua´. Kapau naʻe lava ‘a e ‘Otua´ ke liliu´, ‘e ‘ikai te tau pauʻia ‘i heʻene ngaahi palomesi´. Ko ia ai, ko e tuʻunga taʻeliliu ‘a hono nagtula´, ko e makatuʻunga ia ‘o e taʻeliliu ‘a ‘Ene ngaahi palomesi maʻa kitautolu ‘ia Kalaisi.

“…‘Oku ‘ikai ‘i He‘ene ‘Afio´ ha feto‘oaki, pe ko ha nenefu tupu ‘i ha‘ane liliu” (Semisi 1:17). Koeʻuhi´, ko e tuʻunga laulōtaha ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘oku pau ai ke taʻeliliu ‘a hono tuʻunga lau‘itaniti. Ko e tuʻunga lau’itaniti´, ‘oku fakamatala ki ha tuʻunga moʻui, pea ko e tuʻunga taʻeliliu´, ko e tuʻunga moʻui ia ko ia´. Ko e tuʻunga ‘Imiutipili ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘oku ‘ikai ‘uhinga pe ia ki heʻene taʻeliliu´, ka ki he moʻoni ‘oku ‘ikai malava Ia ke liliu (Saame 102:26). ‘Oku hanga ‘e he tuʻunga ‘Imiutipili ‘o e ‘Otua´ ‘o ‘omi ha fiemalie mo e pauʻia ki he loto ‘o e kalisitiane´. ‘I he taimi ‘oku fakamatala ai ‘a e kau teolosia´ ‘oku ‘imiutipule ‘a e ‘Otua´, ‘oku nau tataki kitautolu ki he taʻeliliu ‘a e lelei, ‘ofa, maʻoniʻoni, mafai, mo e poto ‘o e ‘Otua´. Pehe´ ni, ‘oku tau fiemaʻu ha ‘Otua ‘oku toe liliu ‘a ‘ene maʻoniʻoni´? Pe ko ha ‘Otua ‘oku toe liliu ‘a hono ivi? Ko ha fuʻufuʻunga tāpuaki ‘a ‘etau pauʻia ‘i he tuʻunga ‘Imiutipili ‘o e ‘Otua.

            Doctrine

As we explore each of the attributes of God, we quickly realize that one attribute necessarily explains another. For example, God's eternality has obvious implications for how we understand his immutability or unchangeable nature. Herman Bavinck helpfully overlaps these two perfections (along with others): “Every change is foreign to God. In him there is no change in time, for he is eternal; nor in location, for he is omnipresent; nor in essence, for he is pure being."

The Scriptures frequently refer to God's unchangeable nature:

“For I the LORD do not change” (Mal 3:6; Isa 14:27; 41:4). Many of these passages refer to his ethical immutability, which denotes his covenant faithfulness to his promises. Such moral unchangeability arises out of God's ontological immutability, which refers to the fact that he can never change in his being or essence. If God could change, we could never be certain of his promises. Hence, his ontological immutability provides the foundation for his unchangeable promises toward us in Christ.

God is what he always was and will be (James 1:17). Because of his simplicity, his eternality demands his immutability. Eternity speaks about the duration of a state, whereas immutability is the state itself. Immutability in God means not only that he does not change but also that he cannot change (Ps. 102:26). God's immutability provides his people with a great deal of comfort and stability. So, for example, when theologians have historically argued that God is immutable, they have called attention to his unchangeable goodness, love, holiness, power, and wisdom. Do we want a God whose love may change? Do we want a God whose holiness can change? Do we want a God whose power may change? What a blessing to affirm God's immutability.