ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Do Not Touch

‘OKU TAPU KE KE ALA KI AI

2 SAMUEL 6:6-7

AND WHEN THEY CAME TO THE THRESHING FLOOR OF NACON, UZZAH PUT OUT HIS HAND TO THE ARK OF GOD AND TOOK HOLD OF IT, FOR THE OXEN STUMBLED. AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS KINDLED AGAINST UZZAH, AND GOD STRUCK HIM DOWN THERE BECAUSE OF HIS ERROR, AND HE DIED THERE BESIDE THE ARK OF GOD.

2 SAMIUELA 6:6-7

6 Pea ‘i he‘enau a‘u ki he haha‘anga ‘o Nākoni, na‘e ala ‘e ‘Usa ki he ‘A‘ake ‘o ‘Elohimi, ‘o ne puke ki ai; he na‘e humu ‘a e ongo pulu. 7 Pea tupu ai ‘a e houhau ‘o Sihova kia ‘Usa; pea na‘e taa‘i ia ‘e ‘Elohimi ‘i he potu ko ia, koe‘uhi ko ‘ene fai vale; pea na‘a ne pekia ai pē, ofi ki he ‘A‘ake ‘o ‘Elohimi.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

Ko hono ‘ai hoto hingoa ‘i ha feitu’u ke hoko ko ha fakamanatu, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha me’a lelei ma’u pe ia. Vakai kia ‘Usa. Na’e hoko ‘ene mate fakafokifaa ke ui ai pe ‘a e feitu’u ko ia, ko Felesi-‘usa (ko Pā-kia-‘Usa). Na’e ‘ikai ko ha tokotaha Livai ia. Na’e ‘ikai totonu ke kau ia ‘i hono fakaha’ele ‘o e puha fuakava pea na’e totonu ke hiki ‘aki ‘a e ‘akau fata ‘o ‘ikai fakaheka ‘i ha saliote. Ka ko e maumau lao ‘a ‘Usa na’e fakatu’utamaki, ko ‘ene ‘aakasi ("ala" pe "puke ki ai") ‘a e taloni ‘o e ‘Otua. Na’e tonu pe mo ‘uhinga lelei ‘a e me’a na’a ne fai, ka ‘oku ‘ikai tonu ma’u pe ‘a e ‘uhinga fakaetangata mo e finangalo ‘o e ‘Otua. "‘Oku ai ha hala ‘oku hā matamata totonu ki he tangata: Ka ‘oku tū‘ulu atu ki he ngaahi hala ‘oku fakatau ki he mate” (Palovepi 14:12). Na’e ‘aakasi (ala) ‘a ‘Usa ki he lotolotonga ‘o e potu toputapuu. 

‘I he taimi na’e hoko ‘o tangata ai ‘a e ‘Alo ‘o e ‘Otua, na’e mafuli ‘a e ‘univeesi. Ko ‘Usa, na’e mate ia he’ene ala ki he ‘a’ake ‘o e kovinanite, ka ko e kakai na’a nau ala kia Kalaisi, na’a nau mo’ui. Ko e ‘a’ake Misaiaa Ia “kuo mau mamata ki ai ‘aki homau mata, ko e ngaahi me‘a na‘a mau siofia, pea fā ki ai ‘e homau nima” (1 Sione 1:1). Ko Sisu ‘a e lotolotonga (uho) ‘o e potu toputapu, pea ‘oku ne ui mai ke tau ‘aakasi (ala-kakapa) ange kiate Ia.

Na‘a mo ia ka ‘e taki au ‘e ho nima, Pea ko ho to‘omata‘u te ne puke kita (Saame 139:10).

A non-Levite, Uzzah should not have been transporting the ark to begin with, and it should have been carried with poles, not in a cart. But Uzzah's fatal offense was to achaz ("seize" or "take hold of") God's throne. His intentions were good, but human intentions do not always equate with divine will. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death" (Prov. 14:12). Uzzah achaz the untouchable epicenter of holiness.

When God's Son became human, a seismic shift occurred. Whereas Uzzah died when he touched the ark, when people touched Christ, they were healed. He is the messianic ark that "we looked upon and have touched with our hands" (1 John 1:1). Jesus, the epicenter of holiness, beckons us to reach out and achaz him.

To you, O Lord, we reach out hands of faith, even as your hand upholds us

(Ps. 139:10).