ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Golden Hemorrhoids

Ko e ‘Ulufī Koula

1 SAMUEL 5:6-7

THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS HEAVY AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF ASHDOD, AND HE TERRIFIED AND AFFLICTED THEM WITH TUMORS, BOTH ASHDOD AND ITS TERRITORY. AND WHEN THE MEN OF ASHDOD SAW HOW THINGS WERE, THEY SAID, "THE ARK OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL MUST NOT REMAIN WITH US, FOR HIS HAND IS HARD AGAINST US AND AGAINST DAGON OUR GOD."

1 SAMIUELA 5:6-7

6 Pea na‘e mamafa ‘a e tā ‘a Sihova ki he kau ‘Asitoti, ‘o ne maumau‘i kinautolu, ‘o ne taa‘i kinautolu ‘aki ‘a e ‘ulufī, ‘a ‘Asitoti mo hono feitu‘u. 7 Pea ‘i he vakai ‘a e tangata ‘Asitoti ki hono anga ko ia, pea nau pehē, ‘E ‘ikai nofo mo kitautolu ‘a e ‘a‘ake ‘o e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli; he ‘oku fakamamahi ‘ene tā kiate kitautolu, pea kia Tākoni ko hotau ‘Otua.

Little did the Philistines realize that, in capturing the ark, they had grabbed the tiger by the tail. Thinking to exhibit the ark as a trophy of war, they paraded it into the temple of their god, Dagon. On successive nights, how. ever, their idol fell flat on his face before the ark, then later was found decapitated and his hands chopped off. Then a plague of mice ravaged the land. And by far the worst, individuals began to be afflicted with 'ofel ("tumors" or, more likely, "hemorrhoids"). The ark had become a literal pain in the Philistine posterior! Finally, to end the epidemic, they shipped the ark back to Israel, along with five images of golden hemorrhoids and golden mice as a guilt offering (6:4).

What the enemy thought would be a trophy of war ended up defeating them. So it was too when death confiscated the life of Jesus. Death ended up dying. The supposed messianic trophy of war signaled the defeat of all our foes.

Blessed are you, Lord Jesus, for you have trampled down death by death.