ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu Sune 15, 2023

שפטים Warrior Judges

FAKAMAAU KO E KAU TO‘A

JUDGES 2:16-17

THEN THE LORD RAISED UP JUDGES, WHO SAVED THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF THOSE WHO PLUNDERED THEM. YET THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO THEIR JUDGES, FOR THEY WHORED AFTER OTHER GODS AND BOWED DOWN TO THEM. THEY SOON TURNED ASIDE FROM THE WAY IN WHICH THEIR FATHERS HAD WALKED, WHO HAD OBEYED THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD, AND THEY DID NOT DO SO.

FAKAMAAU 2:16-17

16 Pea na‘e toki fokotu‘u ‘e Sihova ha kau fakamaau, ‘a ia na‘a nau taukapo‘i kinautolu mei he nima ‘o e kakai na‘e vete kinautolu. 17 Ka na‘e ‘ikai foki te nau tokanga ki honau kau fakamaau, ka na‘a nau tango ki he ngaahi ‘otua kehe, ‘o punou ki ai: na‘e vave ‘enau afe mei he hala na‘e fou ai ‘enau ngaahi kui, ‘enau tokanga ki he ngaahi tu‘utu‘uni ‘a Sihova; na‘e ‘ikai fai pehē ‘e kinautolu.

(LILIU FAKA-TONGA)

‘Oku lahi ‘a e feto’oaki mo hono ta’emahino’i ‘a e Tohi Fakamaau, koe’uhi ko hono ui ko e kau Fakamaau. Kapau na’e ui ko e “Kau Fakahaofi” na’e mei mahino ange. ‘Oku ui ko e kau shoferim ("kau fakamaau"), kae fakamatala’i ‘enau ngaue ‘o pehee, na’a nau “fakahaofi kinautolu mei he nima ‘o honau ngaahi fili” (Fakamaau 2:16-18). Ko honau ui, na’e ‘ikai ko e fakamaau fakalao, ka ko e  yasha ("fakahaofi") ‘a e kakai ‘a e ‘Otua. Ko honau teungaa ko e me’atau mo e heletaa, na’e ‘ikai ko e kofu totolofa ‘o e fakamaau lao. Pea ko honau falehopoo ko e mala’etau. Na’e lahi ‘enau ngaahi ngaue mo e to’onga na’e fakaloloma mo kovi fau - ‘io, na’a nau fai ‘a e me’a na’e hoa pe mo honau loto mo ‘enau sio - ka na’e kei fie me’angaue’aki pe ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e ngaahi ipu maumau ko eni ma’a hono Pule’anga. ‘Oku faka’ilonga’i ‘e he Tohi Hepelu ‘enau tui (Hep 11:32-34).  

Ko e kau “fakahaofi” (fakamo’ui) ko eni, ko ha ngaahi ‘ata ta’e-fakalanu pe ka na’e toki hoko mai ‘a Sisu ‘o fakafonu ‘aki ha ngaahi lanu ‘oku kakato mo haohaoa. ‘Io, na’e ‘ikai ko ha toe shofetim pe, ka ko e Fakamaau mafimafi pea mo Fakamo’ui ‘oku ne huhu’i ‘a e fa’ahinga ‘o e tangata; ‘oku ne hamusi ‘a e mafai ‘o pule ki heli ‘a ia na’a ne fakaehaua kitautolu. Pea ko e malolo ‘oku tau ma’u ‘ia Kalaisi ‘e ‘ikai toe ‘osi.

“Fakamo‘ui ho kakai, pea tāpuaki‘i ho tofi‘a: ‘Io, fafanga kinautolu, ‘o fua ke ta‘engata" (Saame 28:9).

We would have been spared some muddied thinking about the book of Judges if it had been titled "Saviors" instead. When the author calls them shoferim ("judges"), he describes their vocation this way: they "saved [Israel] out of the hand of those who plundered them" (2:16-18). Their calling was not judicial; they were to yasha ("save") God's people. They wore swords, not black robes. And their "courtroom" was the battlefield. Almost all of them did some dastardly deeds-they too often did what was right in their own eyes-but God still used these broken vessels for his kingdom's work. Indeed, Hebrews remembers them for their faith (11:32-34).

Each "savior" served as a black-and-white sketch that Jesus filled in with full, holy, and rich color. Not just another one of the shofetim, this almighty Judge and Savior redeemed humanity by overthrowing the overlord of hell who had plundered us of life itself. And the rest that Christ bestows on us  will never end. 

"Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever" (Ps. 28:9).