ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

God the Housebuilder 

KO E ‘OTUA ‘OKU NE LANGA ‘A E FALE

2 SAMUEL 7:11-13

LORD WILL MAKE YOU A HOUSE. WHEN YOUR DAYS "MOREOVER, THE LORD DECLARES TO YOU THAT THE ARE FULFILLED AND YOU LIE DOWN WITH YOUR

FATHERS, I WILL RAISE UP YOUR OFFSPRING AFTER YOU, WHO SHALL COME FROM YOUR BODY, AND I WILL ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM. HE SHALL BUILD

A HOUSE FOR MY NAME, AND I WILL ESTABLISH THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM FOREVER."

2 SAMIUELA 7:11-13

11 pea mei he taimi na‘a ku tu‘utu‘uni ai ha kau fakamaau ki hoku kakai ‘Isileli, pea te u fakanonga koe mei ho ngaahi fili fua pē. Pea ‘oku fakahā atu foki ‘e he ‘Eiki te ne fakaai ho fale. 12 Ka kakato ho ngaahi ‘aho, pea ke toka mo ho‘o ngaahi kui, pea te u fokotu‘u ke hoko mo koe ‘a ho hako, ‘a ia ‘e ‘alu atu mei he manava, pea te u fakapapau hono pule‘anga. 13 Ko ia ia te ne langa ha fale ‘i hoku hingoa, pea te u fakapapau ‘a e taloni ‘o hono pule‘anga ‘o ta‘engata.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

Ko 2 Samiuela 7 ko e potutohi ‘oku tu’u mo’unga, he ‘oku hoko ko e fanaafotu ‘i he ngaahi fakamatala ‘a e ngaue ‘a e ‘Otua. Mei he tumutumu, ‘oku lava ke tau vakai foli ki he ta’u ‘e tahaafe ‘i he kaha’uu. Na’e fie langa ‘e Tevita ha temipale ma’ae ‘Otua, ke fetongi ‘a e teniti ‘aki ha fale sita (v. 2). Ka na’e ‘i ai ‘a e palani ‘a e ‘Otua na’e toe lelei ange. Na’e taumu’a ‘a Tevita ke ne langa ha “peieti” (fale fakamatelie) ma’a e ‘Otua, ka na’e taumu’a ‘a e ‘Otua ia ke ne fokotu’u ha “peieti” (fale ko hono hako) ma’a Tevita. ‘E nofo taloni ‘a e ngaahi foha (hako) ‘o Tevita. Ka na’e toe mahulu hake ai ‘a e palani ‘a e ‘Otua: ‘e fokotu’u ‘e Sihova ‘a e taloni ma’ae taha ‘o e hako ‘o Tevita pea ‘e tu’uloa hono taloni ‘o ta’engata.  

Ko e ‘amanaki loloa ki he Hako ‘o Tevita, ‘a e Misaia, ‘oku tafe ia hangee ha kalava koula meia 2 Samiuela 7 ki he ngaahi peesi kamata ‘o e Faa’i Koosipeli. ‘Oku tau fe’iloaki ai mo Mele mo Siosefa, “mei he Hako (Fale) ‘o Tevita” (Luke 1:27). Pea ‘oku tau fanongo ai ki he hiva ‘a Sakalaia ki he ‘Otua, he kuo “ne fokotu‘u he hako ‘o Tēvita, ko ‘ene tamaio‘eiki, Ha nifo mo‘otau fakahaofi " (Luke 1:69). ‘Io, kuo fakakakato ‘a e ngaahi Palomesi!

"Pea ‘e fakamālō‘ia ‘e he langi ho‘o fakaofo, ‘Eiki: ‘E fakamālō‘ia foki ‘e he fakataha ‘a e fa‘ahinga tapu ho‘o fai mo‘oni." (Ps. 89:5).

Second Samuel 7 is a mountaintop text, towering high over the Bible's narrative terrain. From its peak, our eyes can scan a thousand-year distance. David wants to be God's housebuilder, to replace his tent with a cedar structure (v. 2). But God has a much better idea. Rather than David building a bayit ("physical house") for him, he will build a bayit ("lineage house") for David. David's sons shall sit on his throne. But God has even more planned: the Lord will establish the throne of one offspring of the bayit of David forever. 

This hopeful expectation of the Son of David, the Messiah, runs like a vein of gold from 2 Samuel 7 to the opening pages of the Gospels. There we meet Mary and Joseph, "of the house of David" (Luke 1:27). And there we hear old Zechariah sing that God "has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David" (1:69). Promise fulfilled!

"Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the

assembly of the holy ones!" (Ps. 89:5).