ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 MONITE SEPITEMA 18

THE APPLE GOD’S EYE

KO E PELE TU‘U KANO‘IMATA

PSALM 17:8-9

KEEP ME AS THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE; HIDE ME IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS, FROM THE WICKED WHO DO ME VIOLENCE, MY DEADLY ENEMIES WHO SURROUND ME.

SAAME 17:8-9

8 Ke ke tauhi au ‘o hangē ha tama‘imata, Fufū au ‘i he malu ‘o ho kapakau na. 9 Koe‘uhi ko e kau kovi ‘oku laiki au, ‘A hoku ngaahi fili fīta‘a ‘oku ‘ākolo‘i au.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

‘Oku ‘i ai e lea ‘a e kau papalangi, "You are the apple of my eye" - ko hoto ‘ofa’anga pe ko ‘ete fo’i pele. ‘Oku ‘ikai ke kainga eni ia mo e ‘uhinga faka-Hepeluu, pea ‘oku tonu leva ‘a e liliu ‘a Molitoni. Ko e ‘isoni ‘o e mataa, ko e tama’imata, ‘ikai ko e ‘apele.  ‘Oku tui ‘a e ni’ihi, ko e ‘isoni, ko e “ki’i tangata” (leka) - “isi” - hangee ha ki’i tangata pukupuku ‘o e mataa. Kekehe, ko ‘ete kole ki he ‘Otua, ke ne “le’ohi (tauhi) kita hangee ha tama’imataa”, ko e tautapa, ke matu’aki le’ohi kita ‘e he ‘Otuaa,  mei he “ngaahi fili fīta‘a” mo kovi. Hangee pe ko ‘etau pale’i hotau mataa na’a lavea, ‘oku tau kole ki he ‘Otua, ke ne malu’i kitautolu, ke hangee ko ha’ane tokanga’i hono tama’imata ‘o ‘o’onaa, tapu mo Ia.

Ko e ‘ai kakano ‘a e ‘Alo ‘o e ‘Otua, ko e tali lotu ia ‘a e Tamai ki he’etau kolee. ‘Oku ne hoko ko hotau tatau pea tau hoko ‘o kau kiate Ia: hui - kakano - tama’imata. ‘Ia Kalaisi, ko e mata kitautolu ‘o e ‘Otua. 

“ Tauhi ‘eku ngaahi fekau, pea te ke mo‘ui; ‘Io, tauhi ‘eku lao ‘o hangē ko ho tama‘imata (Palovepi 7:2).

[ENGLISH]

"You are the apple of my eye" has that Valentine's Day feel, a romantic sentiment one whispers to a lover on a twilight walk in the park. That might work on Hallmark cards, but not in the Hebrew Bible. In fact, this is an odd case where the English metaphor is not reflected in the Hebrew. The ishon of the eye is simply the pupil, not an apple.  Some think ishon means "little man," a diminutive form of ish ("man")-thus "the little man (in the eye)." In any case, to ask God, "Keep [or guard] me as the pupil of your eye" is to ask for his intimate, ongoing protection from "the wicked" and "the deadly enemies." Just as we shield our eyes from being harmed, so we ask the Lord to shield us, to treat us as if we are as near and dear to him as his very pupils.

The embodiment of God's Son is the Father's answer to our prayer. He becomes one of us and we become part of him: bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, pupil of his pupil. In Jesus, we are in the very eye of God.

Lord Jesus, grant us your Spirit, to keep your teachings as the apple of our eye (Prov. 7:2).