ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu Sune 1, 2023

תקוה A Cord of Hope

KO E AFO ‘O E ‘AMANAKI

JOSHUA 2:18

[THE SPIES SAID TO RAHAB], "BEHOLD, WHEN WE COME INTO THE LAND, YOU SHALL TIE THIS SCARLET CORD IN THE WINDOW THROUGH WHICH YOU LET US DOWN, AND YOU SHALL GATHER INTO YOUR HOUSE YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, YOUR BROTHERS, AND ALL YOUR FATHER'S HOUSEHOLD."

SIOSIUA 2:18

Ko eni, ka mau ka omi ki he fonua ni, ko e maea filo kulokula ni te ke fakama‘u ‘i he kātupa, ‘a ia na‘a ke tuku hifo ai kimaua: pea te ke fakataha kiate koe ki fale ‘a ho‘o tamai mo ho‘o fa‘ē, mo ho ngaahi tuonga‘ane, mo e fale kotoa ‘o ho‘o tamai.

(Liliu Faka-Tonga)

Ko e Houmakalafi ko e ngaahi fo‘i lea ‘oku sipela tatau kae ‘uhinga kehekehe; hange ko e “fasi” ‘i he lea faka-Tonga (fasi ‘o ha fo‘i hiva pe ko e fasi ‘o e hui). Ko e fo‘i lea Hepelu, ko e tiquah ko e houmakalafi ia, ‘oku ‘uhinga ko e “afo” pe ko e “amanaki”.  ‘I he Fuakava Motu‘a, ko e ‘asi ‘a e fo‘i lea ko eni, ‘oku ‘uhinga ma‘u pe ia, ko e “amanaki,” tukukehe ‘a e talanoa ‘o Lehapi, ‘a ia ‘oku ‘uhinga ia ko e afo kulokula ko e faka ‘ilonga ‘o e aleapau mo e ongo asiasi, ‘e malu‘i ia ‘i Selikoo. ‘Oku hangee ‘oku ‘omi ‘e Siosiua 2:18 ha faka‘ilonga fekau’aki mo e afo ko eni, ko ha fuka ‘o e malu’i kia Lehapi. ‘Io, ko e fakataipe ‘o e teuaki hono fakahaofi pea mo hono famili. Ko e tautau ‘e Lehapi ‘a e “afo” mei hono katupa, na‘e pehee pe ‘ene tautau ‘ene “amanaki” ‘i he ‘Otua mo‘ui mo mo‘oni ‘o ha’a ‘Isileli. 

Ko e fefine Senitaile fe‘auaki ko eni, ‘oku lau ‘e he Tohi Hepeluu ko e fefine tui (Hep 11:31), na‘e ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i hono ohi ki he famili ‘o e ‘Otua, ka na ‘e fou mai ‘a e Misaia ‘i hono hakoo (Mat 1:5). Ko ‘ene ‘AMANAKI - ‘a ‘ene ‘amanaki ki he Kovinanite ‘a e ‘Otua - mo ‘Ene MEESI, mo ‘Ene MISAIA - ‘oku ne kapui ‘a e Folofola, hangee tofu pe ko e tautau ‘a e AFO KULOKULA. 

Pea ko koe, ‘Ātonai Sihova, ‘oku tu‘u ai ‘eku ‘amanaki: Ko hoku falala‘anga talu ‘eku kei si‘i (Saame 71:5). 

Homographs are words with the same spellings but different meanings, like "bat" (baseball equipment or animal) or "bass" (deep voice or fish). The word tiquah is a Hebrew homograph, meaning "cord" or "hope." In fact, everywhere in the OT, tiquah refers to "hope" except in the case of Rahab, where it refers to the scarlet cord that was the agreed-upon sign between her and the spies she protected in Jericho. Joshua 2:18 is strongly hinting that this cord, which is a flag of security for Rahab, is also symbolic of the hope she has in coming redemption, when she and her family will be spared. She who hung a tiquah (cord) in her window also hung her tiquah (hope) on the one true God of Israel.

This Gentile prostitute, a woman of faith (Heb. 11:31), not only was adopted into God's family but also formed part of the family tree of the Messiah (Matt. 1:5). Her hope - hope in the Lord of the covenant, his mercy, and his Messiah - runs likes a scarlet cord through the entire Scriptures.

"For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth" (Ps. 71:5).