Tokonaki Ma’asi 4, 2023
Mr. Big House
TANGATA ‘O FALE LAHI
EXODUS 5:1-2
AFTERWARD MOSES AND AARON WENT AND SAID TO PHARAOH, "THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, 'LET MY PEOPLE GO, THAT THEY MAY HOLD A FEAST TO ME IN THE WILDERNESS."" BUT PHARAOH SAID, "WHO IS THE LORD, THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE AND LET ISRAEL GO? I DO NOT KNOW THE LORD, AND MOREOVER, I WILL NOT LET ISRAEL GO."
‘EKISOTO 5:1-2
1 PEA hili ia na‘e ‘alu atu ‘a Mōsese mo ‘Ēlone, ‘o na fakahā kia Felo, ‘o pehē, Ko e folofola eni ‘a Sihova ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli, Tukuange hoku kakai ke fai ha kātoanga kiate au ‘i he Toafa. 2 Pea tali ‘a Felo, Ko hai ‘a Sihova ke u tokanga ai ki he‘ene lea, ‘o tuku atu ‘a ‘Isileli? ‘Oku ‘ikai te u ‘ilo ‘a Sihova, pea ‘e ‘ikai foki te u tuku atu ‘a ‘Isileli.
The word Par'oh ("Pharaoh") is an Egyptian loanword. It meant "great house." Just as we sometimes equate the White House with the president, so Egyptians used Great House to designate their leader. But he was more than just a leader. In Egyptian theology, Par'oh was the incarnation of a god. Thus when Pharaoh scoffs at God and acts like a first-rate, uppity deity, he's thrown down the gauntlet: this will be a theomachy, a God-fight. The Lord of Israel will execute judgment "on all the gods of Egypt" (12:12), including Mr. Big House.
The wars God fought for Israel were against both their human enemies and their false deities. The Lord was stomping out idolatry, unveiling its vanity, and showing Israel and all nations that he alone is God of heaven and earth. On Easter, that revelation was trumpeted to all creation: this resurrected man, God and King, has "disarmed the rulers and authorities" (Col. 2:15) and made his enemies a stool for his feet (Ps. 110:1).
Heavenly Father, in your
resurrected Son, deliver us from every evil of body and soul.
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