ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Falaite Sune 16, 2023

Forget You!

FAKANGALO‘I KOE (SITU‘A MEI HE ‘OTUA)

JUDGES 3:7

AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD. THEY FORGOT THE LORD THEIR GOD AND SERVED THE BAALS AND THE ASHEROTH.

FAKAMAAU 3:7

Pea na‘e fai ‘e ha‘a ‘Isileli ‘a e me‘a na‘e tau kovi ki he finangalo ‘o Sihova, he na‘a nau fakangalongalo‘i ‘a e ‘Eiki ko honau ‘Otua, pea nau tauhi ‘a e ngaahi Peali mo e ngaahi ‘Āsela.

(LILIU FAKA-TONGA)

‘Oku ‘oku ‘ikai ke tatau ‘a e loto ngalongalo kotoa pe. Fakataataa, kapau ‘e talamai ‘e hoto hoaa ke kumi mai ha me’a mei falekoloa he tuku ‘a e ngauee pea ngalo, ko e ngalo ia ‘e taha. Pea kapau ‘e hoko ai ha felauaki pea to atu ha’a te lea ‘ita (ko e lea ‘a e kau papalangi, ‘e lava pe ke liliu; “kuo u fakangalo’i ‘e au koe”) pea ‘oku kehe leva ia. Ko e ngalo ‘uluaki ko e fehalaaki, ka ko e ngalo hono ua ko e feta’aki. ‘I he lea Hepeluu, ko e shakach (sakai - fakangalo’i) ‘oku lahi ange ‘ene to ki he ‘uhinga hono ua.  ‘I he taimi na’e fe’auaki fakalaumalie ai ‘a e kakai ‘a e ‘Otua mo e ngaahi ‘otua Kenani, na’e ‘ikai ke holoa atu pe ‘a e ‘Otua mei he fakakaukau ‘a e kakai. Ka na’a nau angatu’u mo fakafepaki malohi ki he ‘Otua mo e lotu kiate Ia. Ko e shakach, (sakai) ‘i he mahino ko eni na’e ‘ikai ko ha ngalo mei he ‘atamai, ka ko e situ’a ‘a hoto lotoo. ‘Oku tatau pe mo ha’a te lea tuki ki he ‘Otua, ke “fakangalo‘i Ia!”

Na’e lau ‘e Paula ‘a e ngaahi me’a na’a ne mateaki’i mo polepole ai ‘i he kuohili, ko e “kinoha’a” ‘i hono fakatatau ki he fakakoloa ‘o Kalaisi (Filipai 3:8). ‘I he ngaahi veesi ‘oku hoko mai ai, ‘oku ne talamai, “... ko e me‘a pē taha ‘oku ou fai; ‘oku ou fakangalongalo‘i ‘a e ngaahi me‘a kuo tuku ki mui, ka u kakapa atu ki he ngaahi me‘a mei mu‘a” - ‘a ia ko e “ui mei ‘olunga na‘e fai ‘e he ‘Otua ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū” (Filipai 3:13-14). ‘I he founga faka-Hepeluu, ‘oku pehee ‘e Paula ki hono kuohili, “KUO FAKANGALO’I KOE”! Mahalo ko e ofi taha ‘i he faka-Tonga, ko e pehee - “Kuo ta ‘osi he ‘aho ni”, pe ko e “Ta motu mo au he ‘aho ni.” Ko hono lotto - ‘o tatau pe mo kitaua - ke ‘ilo’i ‘a Kalaisi mo ivi ‘o ‘ene toetu’u (Filipai 3:10). Ko e TUI, ko hono Fakangalo’i/si’aki (shakach) ‘a e me’a kotoa pe ‘oku ne ta’ofi kitautolu mei he mo’ui fonu ‘o e fakamo’ui ‘oku ma’u ‘i he Misaia, ‘a e Tokotaha ‘oku ne MANATUA kitautolu ‘i he’ene meesi.

“‘Eiki, tu‘u hake; ‘e ‘Otua, ofa ho nima: ‘Oua na‘a ngalo ‘a e ngaohikovia!" 

(Saame 10:12).

Not all forgetting is the same. For example, if I forget to pick up my wife's dry cleaning, that's one thing. But if later, while fighting about this, I yell, "Forget you!" that's vastly different. The former is a foible, the latter an affront. In Hebrew, to shakach ("forget") often belongs to the second category. When God's people spiritually prostituted themselves to Canaanite deities, their Lord didn't simply fade from their memories. They actively rejected him and spurned his exclusive worship. To shakach, in this sense, is not a slip of the mind but an adulteration of the heart. It's saying, "Forget you!" to God.

Paul considered his former religious achievements as "rubbish" (Greek: skubala [slang for "excrement"]) compared to gaining Christ (Phil. 3:8). A few verses later, he says, "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead"-namely, to "the upward call of God in Christ" (3:13-14). In Hebrew fashion, Paul is saying, "Forget you!" to his past. He desires-as do we-to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (3:10). Faith is to shakach all that would keep us from life and salvation in the Messiah, who remembers us in his mercy.

"Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted" (Ps. 10:12).