ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Dancing before the Ark

Me‘e ‘i he ‘Ao ‘o Sihova

 

2 SAMUEL 6:12-15

SO DAVID WENT AND BROUGHT UP THE ARK OF GOD FROM THE HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM TO THE CITY OF DAVID WITH REJOICING. AND WHEN THOSE WHO BORE THE ARK OF THE LORD HAD GONE SIX STEPS, HE SACRIFICED AN OX AND A FATTENED ANIMAL. AND DAVID DANCED BEFORE THE LORD WITH ALL HIS MIGHT. AND DAVID WAS WEARING A LINEN EPHOD. SO DAVID AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL BROUGHT UP THE ARK OF THE LORD WITH SHOUTING AND WITH THE SOUND OF THE HORN.

 

2 SAMIUELA 6:12-15

12 Pea na‘e fakahā kia Kingi Tēvita, tokua kuo tāpuaki‘i ‘e he ‘Eiki ‘a e fale ‘o ‘Ōpeti-‘ītomi mo ‘ene me‘a kotoa, koe‘uhi ko e ‘A‘ake ‘o ‘Elohimi. Pea ‘alu ‘a Tēvita, ‘o fakahā‘ele ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o ‘Elohimi mei he fale ‘o ‘Ōpeti-‘ītomi ki Kolo-‘o-Tēvita mo e fakafiefia. 13 Pea ‘i he ‘iloange kuo lava ha laka ‘e ono, ‘a kinautolu na‘e kauala ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova, na‘a ne feilaulau ‘aki ha pulu mo ha kafi tali ‘eiki. 14 Pea tūkuingata ‘e Tēvita ‘ene me‘e ‘i he ‘ao ‘o Sihova; pea kuo ne ‘ai ha ‘ēfoti tupenu. 15 Pea ‘ohake ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova ‘e Tēvita mo e fale ‘o ‘Isileli kātoa mo e mavava mo e ifi talupite.

 

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

 

Ko e fuofua taimi na’e feinga ai ‘a e Tevita ke fakafoki ‘a e ‘A’ake ki Selusalema na’e hoko ha houhau mo e mate. Ko e feinga hono ua, na’e pavake ha hiva mo ha me’e. Na’e feia ‘a e feilaulau. “...Ko ‘Isileli kātoa na‘a nau fakahā‘ele ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o e Kovinānite ‘o Sihova mo e mavava, mo e ifi koaneti mo talupite, pea ai mo e ngaahi simipale ‘oku ongo atu fakataha mo e helefilo mo e ha‘ape ( 1 Kalonikali 15:28). Na’a nau kai katoanga pea na’e kalala (me’e) ‘a Tevita ‘i he ‘Ao ‘o Sihova.  Ko e veape ‘o e fo’i lea kalala, ‘oku ha pe ia ‘i he Tohitapu ‘i hono fakamatala’i ‘o e fo’i ‘iveni ko eni, ‘oku to’o mei he fo’i lea ‘oku ‘uhinga ki he “takatakai”, ‘a ia ko hono fakamatala’i ‘o ha me’a ‘oku vilo takai, ‘o hange ko e me’a ‘oku holo ‘i he me’e.  Ko e me’e na’e fai ‘e Tevita na’e ta’emata’ofi ‘a ‘ene fiefia, he na’e hoko pe ‘a hono ongo nima mo hono ongo va’ee ko e fakafeta’i mo e ‘emeni.

 

‘Oku ‘i ai ‘a e taimi ‘oku ake loto ‘etau fiefia ki ha tu’unga ‘oku ta’emahakulea. ‘Oku tau pasipasi. ‘Oku tau kata. ‘Oku tau hiki hake hotau ‘ulu. ‘Oku tau hiki hotau nima. "‘OKU lahi ‘a Sihova, pea ke lahi hono fakamālō‘ia, ‘I he kolo ‘o hotau ‘Otua, ‘i hono mo‘unga tāpuhā (Saame 48:1).

 

"1 HALELUIA! . . . Fai hono fakamālō 'aki 'a e nafa fangongo mo e haka . . . 'Ilonga ha me'a 'oku mānava, ke ne fai 'a e fakamālō 'o IAA ((Saame 150:1, 4, 6).

 

David's first attempt to transfer the ark to Jerusalem exploded in anger and death, but his second attempt sparked music and dancing. Sacrifice abounded. Trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres painted the air with song (1 Chron. 15:28). All the people feasted afterward. And David karar ("danced") with exuberance before the LORD. The verb karar, which occurs only in the Bible's descriptions of this particular event, is derived from the word for "round," thus probably meaning to spin around or whirl about in dance. David's happiness before God was so irrepressible that his legs became Alleluias and his arms Amens.

 

Sometimes our joy before God swells to such heights that language will not suffice. We clap. We laugh. We lift high our heads. We raise our arms. "Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised!" (Ps. 48:1).

 

"Praise the LORD ... Praise him with tambourine and dance.. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!" (Ps. 150:1, 4, 6).