ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 THE HEBREW FABIO

KO E TAMA TALAVOU MO’ONI

2 SAMUEL 14:25-26

NOW IN ALL ISRAEL THERE WAS NO ONE SO MUCH TO BE PRAISED FOR HIS HANDSOME APPEARANCE AS ABSALOM. FROM THE SOLE OF HIS FOOT TO THE CROWN OF HIS HEAD THERE WAS NO BLEMISH IN HIM. AND WHEN HE CUT THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD (FOR AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR HE USED TO CUT IT; WHEN IT WAS HEAVY ON HIM. HE CUT IT), HE WEIGHED THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD.

TWO HUNDRED SHEKELS BY THE KING'S WEIGHT.

2 SAMIUELA 14:25-26

25 Pea na‘e ‘ikai ha tangata ‘i ‘Isileli kātoa ‘e tatau mo ‘Apisalome ‘i hono fu‘u apai he‘ene matamatalelei: mei hono ‘aofiva‘e ‘o a‘u ki hono tumu‘aki na‘e ‘ikai hano ‘ila. 26 Pea ‘i he kosi hono lau, (pea ko e faka‘osi ta‘u kotoa pē na‘a ne kosi ai: na‘e mamafa fau, ko ia na‘a ne kosi ai) na‘a ne fua tautau hono lou‘ulu, tā ko e sikeli ‘e uangeau ‘i he me‘a fua ‘a e tu‘i.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

Ko e faka-Hepelu ‘o e lou’ulu ko e seala. Pea ko ‘Apisalome na’e makehe atu ‘a e loloa hono lou’ulu mo ‘ene tokanga ki hono tauhi, ‘o a’u pe ki he’ene fua ‘a e mamafa hono lou’ulu. Ko e tangata na’e tokanga ki hono fotunga. Mahalo te tau pehee, ko e ofi taha eni ki he kau motolo ‘o hono kuonga. Na’e ‘ofeina ‘e Tevita hono foha ko eni, ka ko hono mala na’e toka tala. Na’e fakatokanga ki ai ‘a Netane, he’ene pehee ‘e hanga ‘e “Sihova…’o fakatupu ha mala kiate koe mei ho fale ‘o‘ou…" (2 Sam. 12:11). Pea ‘i he kakato ‘a e fai angahala ‘a e tangata seala ‘iloa ko eni, na’e tautau ia mei hono lou’ulu, “‘i he lalo fihifihi‘i ‘oke lahi, ‘i he vaha‘a ‘o langi mo māmani” (2 Samiuela 18:9).

Na’e ‘i ai ha tokotaha na’e lelei ange ‘ene ngaue’aki hono lou’ulu - ko ha fefine angahala na’e fakatomatala mo anga fakatokilalo. Na’e ha’u kia Sisu “...‘o tangi; pea ‘i he viku leva hono va‘e ‘i he lo‘imata na‘a ne hanga ‘o holoholo ‘aki hono lou‘ulu" (Luke 7:38). ‘I he hako ko eni ‘o Tevita, na’a ne ma’u ha meesi, ‘i he’ene tautau ‘i he vaha’a ‘o langi mo mamani, pea foaki kiate ia - mo kitautolu foki - ‘a e mo’ui ta’engata. 

"‘E Sihova, ke ke tu‘u hake; Tokoni mai, hoku ‘Otua ē! (Saame 3:7).

Hair is se'ar. Long-haired Absalom seems ridiculously vain (who weighs their hair?). He was a man who loved the mirror. A regular Hebrew Fabio. David loved this son, but he was also David's nightmare come true. Nathan had forewarned him that God would "raise up evil against you out of your own house" (2 Sam. 12:11). By the time this man of celebrated se’ar was through with his evil, he was suspended, most likely, from the hair on his head "under the thick branches of a great oak" (18:9).

A much better use of hair was made by a humble, repentant woman who "wet [Jesus'] feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head" (Luke 7:38). In this Son of David, she found a man of mercy who, suspended between heaven and earth, gave to her-and all of us-life everlasting.

"Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God!" (Ps. 3:7).