נחם Divine Regret
NA‘E FAKATOMALA ‘A E ‘OTUA HE ‘ENE FOKOTU‘U ‘A SAULA
1 SAMUEL 15:10-11
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO SAMUEL: "I REGRET THAT I HAVE MADE SAUL KING, FOR HE HAS TURNED BACK FROM FOLLOWING ME AND HAS NOT PERFORMED MY COMMANDMENTS." AND SAMUEL WAS ANGRY, AND HE CRIED TO THE LORD ALL NIGHT.
1 SAMIUELA 15:10-11
10 Pea hoko mai ‘a e folofola ‘a e ‘Eiki kia Sāmiuela, ‘o pehē, 11 ‘Oku ou fakatomala ‘i he‘eku fokotu‘u ‘a Saula ke tu‘i: he kuo ne tuku ‘ene muimui kiate au, pea kuo ‘ikai te ne fakaai ‘eku ngaahi lea. Pea na‘e ‘ita ‘a Sāmiuela; pea ne tangi kia Sihova ‘i he pō ko ia ‘o ‘aho.
The form of the verb nacham used here usually comes into English as one of three "re-" words: repent, regret, or relent (also as "change one's mind"). Sometimes, when God nacham, it's good news, such as when he "nacham of the disaster" he would bring on Nineveh (Jon. 3:10) or Israel (Exod. 32:14). Other times, however, it's dark and depressing news, such as when he "regretted that he had made man on the earth" (Gen. 6:6) or that he "made Saul king." Divine regret is not over "making a bad decision," but it's like the nacham that parents feel when their children go astray and wreck their lives. It is a form of love - grieved, pained love - that regrets that the beloved
has spurned the heart of the lover.
There is one action the Lord will surely never regret: loving us. Indeed, "the LORD has sworn and will not change his mind [nacham]" that he has made his Son our high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4). In love, in mercy, in compassion, our priestly Messiah intercedes for us.
O merciful Lord, relent from punishing us as we deserve and uphold us by your grace.
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