Rooftop Ogling
Mamata mei he 'Olunga mei he Funga fale
2 SAMUEL 11:2
IT HAPPENED, LATE ONE AFTERNOON, WHEN DAVID AROSE FROM HIS COUCH AND WAS WALKING ON THE ROOF OF THE KING'S HOUSE, THAT HE SAW FROM THE ROOF A WOMAN BATHING; AND THE WOMAN WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL.
2 SAMUEL 11:2
Bea na’e hoko ‘o behe ‘i he efiafi ‘e taha, na’e tu’u hake ‘a Tevita mei hono mohega, bea na’a ne ‘eve’eva ki ‘oluga ‘i he tu’a fale ‘o e tu‘i: bea na’a ne mamata mei he tu’a fale ki he fefine na’e fai ‘ene kaukau; bea na’e hoihoifua ‘aubito ‘a e fefine ke jio ki ai
(paaki ‘a Uesi)
[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]
Ko e kaki (‘ato) ‘o e ngaahi fale ‘o ‘Isileli na’e lafalafa pea na’e fe’unga ki he tuku’anga me’aa (Siosiua 2:6), mohe (1 Sam. 9:25), pea ‘i he talanoa ko eni kia Tevita, ‘oku lava ai ‘a e ‘eve’evaa pea mo e mamata kakai. ‘Oku tu’utu’uni ‘e he Lao ‘a Mosese, “...ke ngaohi ha ‘ā ki ho tu‘a fale, ke ‘oua na‘a ke fakapiki ha toto ki ho fale ‘i he tō ha tangata mei ai (Teutalonome 22:8). Ka na’e kei to pe ‘a Tevita ia; he na’e tu’ulu ki he afi ‘o e holi ‘a hono mata mo e kakano, mei he kaki ‘o hono fale.. ‘Oku lea kakaha ‘a Sefanaia ki he fa’ahinga “ ‘oku lotu ki he hōsitē ‘o langi ‘i he ngaahi tu‘a fale” (Safanaia 1:5), ka ko Tevita ia na’e punou ia ‘i hono fungafale ki he hōsitē ‘o mamani : mafia, holi, mo e pule. Ko ‘ene tengihia ‘a Saula mo Sonatane, “‘Oi, he tō ‘a e fa‘ahinga kaukaua”,(2 Samiuela 1:27) na’e hangee pe ha’a ne talateu ki he’ene teu pa’ulu!
‘I he taimi na’e hae ai ‘e he ngaahi kaungame’a ‘o e tangata mamatea ‘a e ‘ato ‘o e fale, ko e lea na’e to mei he fofonga ‘o Sisuu ko e “Tangata, kuo fakamolemole ho‘o ngaahi angahala” (Luke 5:20). Mei he kaki (tu’a fale - ‘ato ‘o e fale) ki he fakamolemole - ‘io, na’e toki a’u ki ai foki mo Tevita: “Pea pehē ‘e Tēvita kia Nētane, Kuo u hia kia Sihova. Pea fakatau folofola ‘a Nētane kia Tēvita, Ko e ‘Eiki foki kuo ne ‘ave ho‘o hia” (2 Sam. 12:13). Na’a mo Tevita - mo kitautolu foki - ‘oku ‘ikai ha taha ‘e mahulu hake ‘ene angahala ‘i he mafai ta’efakangatangata ‘o e kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua ke ne fakamolemole’i ‘a ia ‘oku fakatomala mo’oni.
KE KE meesi kiate au, ‘e ‘Otua, He ko ho tau ‘a e manava‘ofa. Ke ke tāmate‘i ‘eku ngaahi angahala - Ke hoa mo e lahi ‘o ho‘o ‘alo‘ofa. (Ps. 51:1).
Since the gag ("roof") of an Israelite home was flat, it was well suited for storage (Josh. 2:6), sleeping (1 Sam. 9:25), or-in David's case - strolling and ogling. Mosaic law required homes to have a parapet (small wall) on the edge of their roofs, lest someone fall off (Deut. 22:8). But David fell anyway; he plunged headlong into the bonfires of lust while still atop his gag. Zephaniah rebuked "those who bow down on the roofs to the host of heaven" (1:5), but David bowed down on his roof to the host of earth: power, passion, and control. His lament over Saul and Jonathan, "How the mighty have fallen!" (2 Sam. 1:27), became eerily autobiographical.
When the friends of a paralytic tore apart a roof to lower him down in front of Jesus, the first words from our Lord were "Your sins are forgiven you" (Luke 5:20). From a roof down to an absolution - so it was eventually with David: "The LORD also has put away your sin" (2 Sam. 12:13). Not David, not us - no one can out sin the limitless grace of God.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions" (Ps. 51:1).
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