ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tokonaki Sune 10, 2023

Reading Aloud

LAU LE‘OLAHI ‘A E TOHI 

JOSHUA 8:34-35

LAW, THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE, ACCORDING TO AFTERWARD [JOSHUA] READ ALL THE WORDS OF THE WAS NOT A WORD OF ALL THAT MOSES COMMANDED ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW. THERE THAT JOSHUA DID NOT READ BEFORE ALL THE ASSEMBLY OF ISRAEL, AND THE WOMEN, AND THE LITTLE ONES, AND THE SOJOURNERS WHO LIVED AMONG THEM.

SIOSIUA 8:34-35

34 Pea hili ‘a e fai pehē, na‘a ne lau ‘a e ngaahi lea kotoa ‘o e lao, ‘a e tāpuaki mo e fakamala‘ia, ‘o hangē ko ia kotoa na‘e tu‘u ‘i he tohi lao. 35 Na‘e ‘ikai ha momo‘i lea ‘i he me‘a kotoa na‘e tu‘utu‘uni ‘e Mōsese ‘a ia na‘e ‘ikai ke ‘a‘au ‘e Siosiua ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e fakataha kotoa ‘o ‘Isileli, mo honau kau fefine, mo honau tamaiki, pea mo e muli na‘e felemofafo ‘iate kinautolu.

(LILIU FAKA-TONGA)

Ko e lautohi fakalongolongo, ko e me’a fo’ou ia he na’e ‘ikai pehee ‘a ono’aho ia. Ko e lau ‘o ha tohi, na’e lau le’olahi (ke ongo). Ko e “lau pe ko e fakaongo ‘o ha lea mei ha takaingatohi”, ko e ‘uhinga ia ‘o e veape,  qara (kala). Ko e nauna, miqra  (mikala), ‘e ala ‘ai ia ki he “lau mei he Folofola” (Nehemaia 8:8).  ‘I he taimi na’e “ ‘a’au” (lau) ai ‘e Siosiua ‘a e Takainga Tohi faka-Siu “‘i he ‘ao ‘o e fakataha kotoa ‘o ‘Isileli”, na’a ne kamata ha tukufakaholo ‘oku kei tauhi mai ‘o a’u ki he ‘aho ni ‘i he ngaahi siasi. ‘Oku lilingi ‘a e Folofola ‘a e ‘Otua ki he ki he telinga ‘o e tangata, fefine mo e fanau. 

‘I he sinakoke ‘i Nasaleti, na’e ‘oange kia Sisu ‘a e takaingatohi meia ‘Aisea.  Pea hange ko ia na’e fai ‘e Siosiua, na’e “‘a’au” ‘e Sisu ‘a e Folofola ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e kakai. Ko e kehekehe pe, he na’e ‘ikai te ne pehee, “Ko e Folofola eni ‘a e ‘Otua,” ka na’a ne fakahoko mai, “Ko e ‘aho ni kuo fakamo‘oni ‘a e potu folofola ni ‘i ho‘omou fanongo” (Luke 4:21).  ‘Io, na’e toe pe ke ne pehee mai, “Ko AU ‘a e folofola ‘a e ‘Otua. Ko IA na’e tu’u ‘i he ha’oha’onga ‘o e kakai ‘o e lau ‘a e Folofola, ko e Tokotaha ia ‘oku ‘a’ana ‘a e Tohi pea ko e Kaveingaia ‘o e Takainga Tohi. 

“Faka‘ā mu‘a hoku mata, Ka u sio me‘a fakaofo ‘i ho‘o lao na” (Saame 119:18).

Until modern times, reading silently, even when alone, was virtually unheard of. To read was to read aloud. To "read or recite aloud from a scroll or document" is one of many meanings of the verb qara. The noun form, miqra, could designate "the reading" from Scripture (Neh. 8:8). When Joshua publicly and orally read from the Torah to "all the assembly of Israel," he established a tradition that continues to this day in church. Men, women, and children have the Word of God poured into their ears.

In a synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Like Joshua before him, Jesus read before the people. Only when he was finished, he didn't say, "This is the word of the Lord." He said, in essence, "I am the word of the Lord," for he told the worshipers, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21). He who stood before them, reading Scriptures, was Scripture's author and goal.

Open our eyes, O Lord, that we may behold wondrous things out of your Word (Ps. 119:18).