ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Pulelulu Sune 14, 2023

בכה Terrain of Tears

TOAFA ‘O E TANGI

JUDGES 2:4-5

AS SOON AS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SPOKE THESE WORDS TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, THE PEOPLE LIFTED UP THEIR VOICES AND WEPT. AND THEY CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE BOCHIM. AND THEY SACRIFICED THERE TO THE LORD.

FAKAMAAU 2:4-5

4 Pea ‘i he lea pehē ‘a e ‘Āngelo ‘a Sihova ki he fakataha ‘o ha‘a ‘Isileli, na‘e ‘ai ‘e he kakai ha‘anau fu‘u fākafoa. 5 Ko ia na‘e fakahingoa ai ‘a e potu ko ia ko Pōkimi (ko e Kau Tangi) pea na‘a nau fai feilaulau ai kia Sihova.

(LILIU FAKA-TONGA)

‘Oku ‘i ai e ngaahi huhu’a pe vai ‘i he sino ‘o e tangataa ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau fa’a lau ki ai he ‘oku fakamatatu’a, ka ‘oku ‘ikai ke pehee ‘a e lo’imataa. ‘Oku tau holoholo’i mo tau ‘uma ki ai ke fakafiemalie hotau ‘ofa’anga. ‘Oku fakaake ‘e he lo’imata ‘a e manava’ofa - he ‘oku uhu pea fakapuna hake ‘i he loto mafana mo e ongo’i mo’oni. ‘I he taimi na’e lea ai ‘a e ‘angelo ke fakahoko ha fekau kakaha ki ha’a ‘Isileli, na’e hiki honau le’o ‘o bakah “fu’u fākafoa.” Ko e potu ko eni ‘o e bakah na’e fakahingoa ko Pōkimi (ko e Kau Tangi). Pea na’e langa ‘a e fatu ‘o e ‘Otua, “‘i he‘enau to‘e koe‘uhi ko e kakai na‘e fakamo‘ulaloa mo laiki kinautolu” (Fakamaau 2:18), ‘Io, na’a ne ‘ai honau lo‘imata ki he’ene hina fai manava’ofa (Saame 56:8).

‘Oku kikite’i ‘e ‘Aisea ‘a e katoanga ‘o e toetu’u, ‘a ee “Te ne folofua ‘a mate ‘o ta‘engata” (‘Aisea 25:7) ‘io, ko e “kātoanga uaine kuo fisi, ‘ani me‘a lolo kuo lolo‘i ‘aki ‘a e ngako ‘o e hui, ‘ani uaine kuo fisi” pea “te ne holoholo ‘a e lo‘imata mei he mata fua pē” (‘Aisea 25:8). ‘Oku fakamo’oni mai mo Sione ki he palomesi ko eni fekau’aki mo e me’a ‘e fai ‘e Kalaisi, he “ te ne holoholo ‘a e lo‘imata kotoa pē mei honau mata; Pea ‘e ‘ikai toe ai ha mate, Pea ‘e ‘ikai toe ai ha mamahi, pe ha tangi, pe ha ongosia; Kuo mole ‘a e ngaahi me‘a mu‘a” (Fakaha 21:4). 

‘E Sisu, ke ‘a’au ‘a e fakafeta’i mo e fakahikihiki, "He kuo ke hamusi hoku laumālie mei he mate, ‘O ‘oua ‘e tetē he lo‘imata hoku mata, pe humu hoku va‘e” (Saame 116:8).

We may be grossed out by most bodily fluids, but tears have the opposite effect. We wipe or even kiss them away from the faces of our loved ones. Tears elicit  Compassion-and often sympathetic tears of our own. When the divine messenger delivered a chilling rebuke to Israel for their disobedience, they "lifted up their voices and bakah [wept]." This place of bakah was thus named Bochim ("Weeping"). The Lord, "moved to pity by their groaning" (Judg. 2:18), no doubt put these tears in his bottle of mercy (Ps. 56:8).

Isaiah foretells the resurrection banquet at which the Lord not only will "swallow up  death forever" and serve to us the richest of foods and wines, but "will wipe away tears from all faces" (25:8). John reaffirms this promise when he says that Christ "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4). There will be no terrain of tears in the new creation.

All praise to you, Lord Jesus, for "you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling" (Ps. 116:8).