ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 From Shrine to Toilet

Mei he Temipale ki he Fale Vao

2 KINGS 10:27

THEY DEMOLISHED THE PILLAR OF BAAL. AND DEMOLISHED THE HOUSE OF BAAL. AND MADE IT A LATRINE TO THIS DAY.

2 TU’I 10:27

Pea nau holoki ‘a e pou ‘a Peali, pea nau holoki hono fale, ‘o nau tuku ia ke fale fakafiemālie‘anga, pea talu ai pē.

Bea naa nau maumau‘i hifo ae fakatātā o Beali, mo nau maumau‘i hifo ae fale o Beali, mo gaohi ia koe fale vao o a‘u ki he aho ni (Uesi)

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

‘I he 2016, na’e ma’u ‘e ha kau ‘akeolosi ha temipale lotu Peali ‘i he kolo ‘i Tela Lakisi. ‘I loto ai, na’e ‘i ai ha ‘olita, ngaahi maama, mo e ngaahi pesoni. Na’e ‘ikai ko ha me’a makehe eni ia, ko e lahi ‘a e lotu tamapua ‘a e kakai ‘i ono’aho. Ka ko ha me’a ‘e taha na’a ma’u ai na’e ‘ave lahia ai ‘a e keli ko eni: ko ha toilet (hufanga he fakatapu). ‘Oku ‘i ai ‘a e tui, ko e fai eni ‘e he kau ‘Isileli lotu ‘Otua mo’ui, ko e tumutumu eni ‘o e fakakovi’i ‘o ha lotu.  Ko e me’a eni na’e fai ‘e Sehuu mo ‘ene kau tangataa ki he temipale ‘o Peali: na’a nau haveki pea nagohi ko e fale vao. 

Ko hono liliu ‘o ha fale lotu tamapua kuo fakatapui ki ha fale fakafiemalie’anga, ‘oku hohoa malie pe ia mo e lau ‘a e Tohitapu ki he ngaahi ‘otua loi. Ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi lea ‘oku kananga ‘aki ‘e ‘Isikeli ko e kilulimi, ko e “me’a kovi” (‘Isikeli 4:12). ‘Oku ‘ikai toe fakapulipuli’i ‘a hono fakae’a mai ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a ‘ene fofonga mai ki he ngaahi ‘otua loi. Ko honau tuhaa pe ko e sepitiki, ‘ikai ko ha falelotu. Ke tau hanga hake hotau loto ki he ‘Otua mo’oni pe tahaa, na’a ne fakatupu kitautolu, ‘ofa’i kitautolu, pea ne foaki mai ‘a hono kotoaa ma’a kitautolu ‘ia Sisu Kalaisi. Ko Ia tokotaha pe ‘oku taau ke ‘atu ki ai ‘etau lotu mo e hu.

"Taau pē Koe, ‘a e ‘Afiona ko homau ‘Otua, Ke lau ki ai ‘a e kolōlia, mo e faka‘apa‘apa, mo e mafai: He ko koe ia na‘a ke ngaohi ‘a e me‘a kotoa pē, Pea na‘a nau ‘i ai, pea na‘e ngaohi kinautolu, Koe‘uhi pē ko ho finangalo ia." (Rev. 4:11).

In 2016, archaeologists unearthed a shrine, probably to Baal, at Tel Lachish. Inside the room a (damaged) four-horned altar, lamps, and bowls. In itself, this was hardly newsworthy, given the prevalence of illicit worship sites in ancient Israel. But it was another item in the shrine that made international headlines: a toilet. It seems that, at some point, faithful Yahweh-worshipping Israelites decided to give this idolatrous room the ultimate desecration. Jehu and his men did the exact same thing to another temple

of Baal: they demolished it and made it a machara'ah ("latrine").

Transforming a pagan place of consecration into an everyday place of defecation is consistent with the Bible's view of false gods. Indeed, one of Ezekiel's favorite slang words for idols is gillulim, which likely means "things of dung" (e.g., 6:4-5). In no uncertain terms, God lets us know what he thinks of false gods. They are worthy of sewers, not sanctuaries. Instead, let us lift up our hearts to the one true God, who has made us, loved us, and given all of himself to us in Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy of our worship.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created" (Rev. 4:11).