ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Falaite Ma’asi 17, 2023

The King's Personal  Property  סגלה 

Ko e Koloa ‘a e Tu‘i

EXODUS 19:5

"NOW THEREFORE, IF YOU WILL INDEED OBEY MY VOICE AND KEEP MY COVENANT, YOU SHALL BE MY TREASURED POSSESSION AMONG ALL PEOPLES, FOR ALL THE EARTH IS MINE."

‘EKISOTO 19:5

Pea ko eni, kapau te mou mātu‘aki tokanga ki hoku le‘o, mo tauhi ‘eku fuakava, te mou toki hoko ko ‘eku koloa kānokato ‘i he kakai kotoa: he ‘oku ‘o‘oku ‘a māmani kātoa:

When Solomon referred to his vast treasures of silver and gold, he said it was his s'gullah (Eccles. 2:8). David likewise called the precious metals he had contributed for the temple's construction his s'gullah (1 Chron. 29:3). S'gullah, like its parallels in other ancient languages, means personal property. This is what Israel was to God: his "s'guliah among all peoples," his "treasured possession" or personal property. "Out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth," God chose them for his s'gullah (Deut. 7:6; 14:2). When the Lord opened his treasure chest, he was looking at the face of Israel.

Jesus Christ "gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14). In God's Messiah, we are the Israel of God, "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). When Christ opens his treasure chest, he's looking at the face of his bride, the church.

As your treasured people, O Lord, show us your mercy and keep us ever zealous to do good works for our neighbors.