ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tusite Sanuali 17, 2023 

Riding Angels כרוב

Ka‘ate ‘Angelo ‘oku puna

GENESIS 3:24

AT THE EAST OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN [GOD] PLACED THE CHERUBIM AND A FLAMING SWORD THAT TURNED EVERY WAY TO GUARD THE WAY TO THE TREE OF LIFE.

SENESI 3:24

‘Io, ne kapusi ‘a e tangata; pea ne fakanofo ‘i hahake ‘i he ngouetapu ‘i ‘Īteni, ‘a e Selupimi, mo ha heletā ulo na‘e tavilovilo, mo le‘ohi ‘a e hala ki he ‘Akau ‘o e Mo‘ui.

Angels are dangerous. There is nothing cute or sweet or precious about them. When they show up, people cower in fear-and rightly so. Cherub (singular) or cherubim (plural) is k'ruv and k'ruvim in Hebrew. (The im in Hebrew is a plural ending, like our English s.)

These k'ruvim are warriors, unsheathed swords of fire in their hands, to ensure Adam and Eve don't tiptoe back into the garden. Later, two golden k'ruvim will stretch out their wings atop the ark of the covenant, acting as God's throne (Exod. 25:18-20). Sometimes these angels are pictured with multiple wings and four faces, bearing an ambulatory throne (Ezek. 1, 10). In one unforgettable image, God "rode upon a cherub and flew" (Ps. 18:10).

K'ruvim are soldiers in the unseen army that infiltrates our world. They are a kind of spiritual Special Forces that defend us from diabolical angels that went to the dark side eons ago. But now, rather than guarding us from the tree of life, they provide a military escort for us as we march to the tree of the cross and receive from Christ the fruit of life.

Heavenly Father, let your holy angel be with us, that the evil foe may have no power over us (Luther).