ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monite ‘Okatopa 4, 2021 

because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel

koe‘uhiā na‘a ne topuva‘e taha mo Sihova ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli

Siosiua 14 (Joshua 14)

(v. 13-15) Pea fai ‘e Siosiua hono tāpuaki‘i, ‘o ne vahe ‘a Hepeloni kia Kēlepi ko e foha ‘o Sīfune moono tofi‘a. (‘A ē ā na‘e tō ai ‘a Hepeloni kia Kēlepi ko e foha ‘o Sīfune, ko e ha‘a Kēnasi, ko hono tofi‘a ‘o a‘u ki he ‘aho ni; koe‘uhiā na‘a ne topuva‘e taha mo Sihova ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, Ka ko e hingoa mu‘a ‘o Hepeloni ko e Kiliati-A‘apa (ko e kolo ‘o ‘Ā‘apa; ko e tangata lahi ia ‘i he kau ‘Ānaki). Pea na‘e mālōlō ‘a e fonua mei he tau.

(v. 13-15)  Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )

            7.        GOD IS INDEPENDENT

                         Ko e ‘OTUA´ ‘oku TAU‘ATAINA

                         Tokāteline

                        Ko e Moʻui Falala ‘a Kalaisi

Ko e ‘Alo ‘o e ‘Otua´, ‘i hono natula ‘Otua´, ‘oku ne maʻu ‘a e moʻui ‘iate Ia pe. Ko e Tamai´, ‘Alo´, mo e Laumalie Maʻoniʻoni´, ‘oku nau moʻui ‘iate kinautolu pe; ‘oku nau maʻu, ‘inasi tatau, ‘i he uho tatau pe taha. ‘Io, ko e ‘Otua pe ‘e taha ‘i he pesona ‘e toko tolu.

‘Oku tau maʻu ‘a e langilangi ‘o e koosipeli´, ‘o ‘ikai pe ‘i heʻene fakahā mai ‘a e Tamai´ kiate kitautolu´ mo ‘ene taumuʻa ki he faʻahinga ‘o e tangata´, ka ‘i he fakavaivaiʻi ‘e he ‘Alo´, ‘a hono tuʻunga ‘Otua´ ‘o ne hoko ko e sevāniti (Filipai 2:5-11). ‘I heʻene hoko ko e sevāniti´, naʻe fakafalala kakato ‘a e ‘Alo´ ki he Tamai´ ki heʻene moʻui fakalaumālie, “He hangē ā ‘oku mo‘ui ‘a e Tamai ‘iate ia pē; pehē foki ‘a ‘ene tuku ki he ‘Alo´ ke mo‘ui ‘iate ia pē” (Sione 5:26). ‘Oku toe fakalika mai ‘e he veesi ko eni´ ‘a e tuʻunga fakatupu taʻengata´, ‘a ē ne fakahoko ‘e he Tamai´, ‘a ‘ene foaki ‘a e moʻui ki he ‘Alo´ talu mei tuai. Ka ‘oku taau ke tau mahinoʻi ‘a e moʻoni ‘o Sione 5:26, ‘oku taafataha ki he foaki moʻui ‘a e Tamai´ ki he ‘Otua-mo-tangata´, ‘a Sisu Kalaisi.

Naʻe toe pehē foki ‘e Sisu, “Hangē ā ne fekau au ‘e he Tamai ‘oku mo‘ui, mo ‘eku mo‘ui ‘a‘aku koe‘uhi ko e Tamai: pehē, ko ia ‘oku ne keina au, ‘e mo‘ui foki ‘a e toko taha ko ia koe‘uhi ko au” (Sione 6:57). ‘Oku fakatafe mai ‘e he Tamai´ ‘a e moʻui´, ‘o ‘ikai ‘omi fakahangatonu kiate kitautolu, ka ‘i he ‘Alo´, “ko e Mo‘ui‘anga” (Ngaue 3:15). ‘I he toko taha ko ia´ ko e mo‘ui; pea ko e mo‘ui ko ia´ ‘a e maama ‘a e tangata (Sione 1:4).

                        Christ’s Dependence

The Son of God, according to his divine nature, possesses divine life in himself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all self-existent; they all share in the same undivided essence. Thus, there is one God in three persons.

We find the glory of the gospel not only in Christ's revelation of the Father and his purposes but also in the Son freely and willingly giving up his rights as God in order to become a servant (Phil. 2:5-11). As a servant, the Son became totally dependent on the Father for his spiritual life: "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself" (John 5:26). This verse may reflect something also about his eter-

nal generation whereby the Father eternally and ineffably communicates life to the Son. But John 5:26 should also, perhaps even exclusively, be taken as a statement of how the Father gives life to the God-man, Jesus Christ.

Elsewhere, Christ says, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me" (John 6:57). The Father communicates spiritual life not directly to us but through his Son, the "Author of life" (Acts 3:15). In Christ is life, and his life is the light of men (John 1:4).