ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu Me 4, 2023 

A Royal and   Priestly uniform  ציצת

KO E TEUNGA FAKA-TU‘I MO FAKA-TAULA‘EIKI

NUMBERS 15:37-39

THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, "SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND TELL THEM TO MAKE TASSELS ON THE CORNERS OF THEIR GARMENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS, AND TO PUT A CORD OF BLUE ON THE TASSEL OF EACH CORNER. AND IT SHALL BE A TASSEL FOR YOU TO LOOK AT AND REMEMBER ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD, TO DO THEM. NOT TO FOLLOW AFTER YOUR OWN HEART AND YOUR OWN EYES, WHICH YOU ARE INCLINED TO WHORE AFTER."

NOMIPA 15:37-39

37 Pea folofola ‘a e ‘Eiki kia Mōsese, ‘o pehē, 38 Lea ki ha‘a ‘Isileli, ‘o tala kiate kinautolu ke nau ngaohi pao ‘i honau kapa‘i kofu, ‘e kinautolu mo honau ngaahi to‘utangata ‘amui, pea ke nau ai ki he pao ‘o e kapa takitaha ha loufau lanu langi. 39 Pea ‘e tu‘u ia ma‘amou kaho, ke mou sio ki ai mo manatu ki he ngaahi tu‘utu‘uni kehekehe ‘a e ‘Eiki, ‘o fai ki ai, ‘o ‘oua te mou feafeafe‘aki he muimui ki he loto ‘omoutolu, mo homou mata, ‘a ia ‘oku mou fa‘a muimui tango ki ai: 

Just as couples wear wedding rings as a sort of miniature uniform to mark us as one bound to another, so tzitzit ("tassels") were the uniform of Israel. "To look at" the tzitzit, which hung like tassels from their cloaks, was "to remember all the commandments of the LORD," their divine Husband. Most significantly, a cord of blue was on the tzitzit, the same color as on the ephod of the high priest (Exod. 28:6) and inner veil of the tabernacle (26:31). This color meant every Israelite wore "royal blue" as part of "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exod. 19:6). The tzitzit foreshadowed the work of the Messiah, who has "made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father" (Rev. 1:6). 

Our royal and holy vestment is Jesus himself, for we, his church, are "clothed with righteousness" (Ps. 132:9) and "with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).

Strip off our filthy garments, O Lord, and vest us with your righteous mercy.