ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Israelite Navy

Ko e Tau Tahi ‘a ‘Isileli

1 KINGS 9:26-27

KING SOLOMON BUILT A FLEET OF SHIPS AT EZION-GEBER, WHICH IS NEAR ELOTH ON THE SHORE OF THE RED SEA, IN THE LAND OF EDOM. AND HIRAM SENT WITH THE FLEET HIS SERVANTS, SEAMEN WHO WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE SEA, TOGETHER WITH THE SERVANTS OF SOLOMON.

1 TU‘I 9:26-27

26 Pea na‘e fa‘u ‘e Kingi Solomone ha folau ‘i ‘Esioni-kepa, ‘a ia ‘oku ofi ki ‘Eliati, ‘i he matātahi Kulokula, ‘i he fonua ko ‘Ītomi. 27 Pea tuku mai ‘e Hailame ‘ene kau tamaio‘eiki ke ‘alu ‘i he folau, ko e kau toutai na‘e poto ‘i tahi, ke ō mo e kau tamaio‘eiki ‘a Solomone.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

Na’e ‘ikai tatau ‘a e kakai ‘Isileli mo e ngaahi pule’anga kehe ‘o ono’aho, hange ko e kau Finisia, he na’e ‘ikai ko ha kau tau tahi kinautolu. Na’a nau fili pe ‘a e tela fima (kelekele matu’u). Ko e tui ‘a e kakai ‘Isileli, pea ha pe ia ‘i he’enau ngaahi ta’angaa, ko e tahii ko e fakataipe ‘o kovi, moveuveu mo e mate. Ka ‘i he taimi ‘o e pule faka-tu’i ‘a Solomone, na’e ha fakataimi ai ‘a e ‘oniaa (vaka tahi). ‘I he taimi na’e hoa ai ‘a Siona mei he fofonga ‘o e ‘Otua, na’a e heka ki ha ‘oniaa ‘i Siopa, ko ha vaka folau na’e kauvaka ai ‘a e kau Senitaile (Siona 1:3). Na’e palofisai ‘a ‘Aisea, ko e ‘oniote (ngaahi vaka tahi) mei Tasisi te nau tanaki ‘a e kau fakahe ‘o ‘Isileli (‘Asiea 60:9). Meimei ko e ngaahi lave kotoa pe ki ha vaka tahi ‘i he Fuakava Motu’a, na’e fekau’aki mo e kau Senitaile. 

‘Oku malie ‘aupito ‘a e taimi na’e fili ai ‘e Sisu ‘a ‘ene fuofua kau akoo ke nau hoko ko e kau “toutai tangata,” na’a ne ui kinautolu ‘i “Kaleli ‘o Senitaile” (Matiu 4:15-19). Na’e fakahoko ‘i ha vaka tahi, ‘a hono fakae’ee’a ‘e he Misaiaa ‘a hono mafai ki he “matangi mo e tahi” (Matiu 8:26). ‘I he Tahi Senitaile ko eni, na’e fekau’i ai ‘e Sisu ‘a ‘ene kau akoo, ke nau “ō, ‘o ngaohi ‘a e ngaahi kakai kotoa pē ko ‘eku kau ako (Matiu 28:19).’Io, na’e laku e kupenga ‘o e Kosipeli ke fusi mau ha kau tui ki he vaka tahi ‘o e siasi.

Ke ho mai ho Laumalie, ‘e ‘Otua, ke matangi lelei ‘a e vaka fangota ‘o e siasi. 

Unlike many ancient peoples, such as the Phoenicians, the Israelites were not mariners. They preferred terra firma (dry land). In the Israelite imagination, voiced in her poetry, the sea is emblematic of restless evil, chaos, and death. The one major exception is during Solomon's cosmopolitan reign, when the oniyyah ("ship") made a brief appearance. When Jonah fled from the face of God, he boarded an oniyyah in Joppa, sailed by Gentiles (1:3). Isaiah prophesied that the oniyyot ("ships") of Tarshish would repatriate the exiled children of Israel (60:9). Almost every OT reference to ships and sailing entails Gentiles in some way.

How fitting, therefore, that when Jesus called his first Jewish disciples to be "fishers of men," he did so in "Galilee of the Gentiles," where they were casting their nets into the sea (Matt. 4:15-19). On a ship, the Messiah demonstrated his power over "the wind and the sea" (8:26). Into the vast Gentile sea, Jesus sent his followers "to make disciples of all nations" (28:19), casting the net of the Gospel to pull believers into the ship of the church.

May the breath of your Spirit, O Lord, fill the sails of your fishing church.