ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Absolution: God's Wheelhouse

FAKAMOLEMOLE: KO E TAVI IA ‘O E ‘OTUA

1 KINGS 8:30

"LISTEN TO THE PLEA OF YOUR SERVANT AND OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL, WHEN THEY PRAY TOWARD THIS PLACE. AND LISTEN IN HEAVEN YOUR DWELLING PLACE, AND WHEN YOU HEAR, FORGIVE."

1 TU‘I 8:30

‘Io, ke ke tali ‘a e hū ‘a ho‘o tamaio‘eiki mo ho kakai ‘Isileli, ‘a ia te nau fai ki he potu ni: ‘io, ke fanongo mai ‘a e ‘Afiona mei he potu ‘oku ke ‘afio ai ko langi na, pea ‘i ho‘o fanongo, pea ke fakamolemole.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

‘I he lea faka-Hepeluu, ‘oku ‘i ai e ngaahi lea ngaue (veape) ‘oku ‘a e ‘Otuaa tokotaha pe hono fakahokoo. Ko ongo fo’i lea ko e palala (ke ngaohi/fakatupu) mo e sailaka (fakamolemole), ko e ngaue pe ia ‘oku fai ‘e he ‘Otua. ‘I he lea faka-papalangi, ‘e pehee ‘e ha taha, “Na’a ne ngaohi ha me’a ko e ‘aati.” Ka ‘i he tu’u faka-Hepeluu, ‘oku ‘ikai fai ha lea pehee ia. Ko e palala ‘o ha me’a, ko e ngaue pe ia ‘a e ‘Otua. Hange pe ko e sailaka, ko e me’a pe ia ‘a Langi. ‘Oku toutou ‘asi ‘a e sailakaa ‘i he tohi Levitikoo, ko hono fakamatala’i ‘a e fakamolemole ‘oku fou mai ‘i he ngaahi feilaulau.  ‘I he’ene lotu ‘i he temipale, ‘oku tu’o nima ‘a e kole ‘a Solomone ha sailaka mei he ‘Otua (1 Tu’i 8:30, 34, 36, 39, 50). ‘I he kovinanite fo’ou, ‘Oku palomesi mai ‘a e ‘Otua ‘ia Selemaia, te ne sailaka (fakamolemole) ‘etau ngaahi angahala (Selemaia 31:34). Ko e fo’i ngaue fakatupu (palala) kotoa pe ko e ngaue ‘a e ‘Otua mafimafi, ‘oku pehee pe mo e ngaue fakatupu fo’ou kotoa ‘o e fakamolemole (sailaka) ko e ngaue pe ia ‘a e ‘Otua mohu meesi. 

‘I he taimi na’e fakamolemole’i ai ‘e Sisu ‘a e tangata mamatea, na’e tukuaki’i ‘e he kau sikalaipe ia ‘oku lea fie-’Otua, he ‘enau pehee, “Ko hai ha taha ‘oku mafai ke fakamolemole angahala, ka ko e Toko Taha pē, ko e ‘Otua?” (Ma’ake 2:7). Na’e faka-konga pe ‘enau ma’u ki he lea fie-’Otua ‘a Sisu, ka na’e tonu ‘a e fehu’i. Ko e ‘Otua tokotaha pe ‘oku lava ke sailakaa. Pea ko e ‘Otua tokotaha pe na’a ne fai ‘a e fakamolemole, he ko Sisu “ ‘a hoku ‘Eiki mo hoku ‘Otua” (Sione 20:28). Ko e fanongo ‘e ha taha ki he lea, “Kuo u fakamolemole’i koe” mei he fofonga tonu ‘o e ‘Otuaa pe ko ‘ene kau fakafofonga, ko ongona ‘a e lea mai ‘a e fofonga ‘o loto hevani.

"Koe‘uhi ko ho huafa, ‘Eiki – Pe‘i fakamolemole ‘a ‘eku kovi, he ko e me‘a lahi. (Saame 25:11).

God alone is the doer of a few Hebrew verbs, most notably bara ("create") and salach ("forgive"). In English, I can say, "She created a work of art," but not in Hebrew. To bara is God's exclusive wheelhouse. Likewise, to salach is the exclusive prerogative of heaven. Salach is repeatedly used in Leviticus for divine forgiveness through sacrifice. In his temple prayer, five times Solomon asks God to salach (1 Kings 8:30, 34, 36, 39, 50). In the new covenant, God promises through Jeremiah that he will "forgive [salach]

their iniquity" (31:34). Just as every act of creating (bara) is an act of our powerful God, so every re-creative act of forgiving (salach) is an act of our merciful God.

When Jesus absolved the paralytic, the scribes accused him of blasphemy, asking, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark 2:7). They were half right and half wrong-wrong about the blasphemy but right about the question. God alone can salach. And God alone did the forgiving, for Jesus is "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28). To hear "I forgive you," from God himself or through his spokesperson, is always to hear the lips of heaven speak.

"For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great" (Ps. 25:11).