ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 MONITE SEPITEMA 4

Ezra: Student and Teacher of Torah

‘Esela: Ko e Ako mo e Faiako ‘o e Lao ‘a Mosese

EZRA 7:6, 10

EZRA WENT UP FROM BABYLONIA. HE WAS A SCRIBE SKILLED IN THE LAW OF MOSES THAT THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, HAD GIVEN. EZRA HAD SET HIS HEART TO STUDY THE LAW OF THE LORD, AND TO DO IT AND TO TEACH HIS STATUTES AND RULES IN ISRAEL.

‘ESELA 7:6, 10

6 ko e ‘Ēsela ko ia na‘a ne ‘alu hake mei Pāpilone; pea ko e sikalaipe poto ia ‘i he Lao ‘a Mōsese, ‘a e lao na‘e ‘omi ‘e Sihova ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli: pea ko e me‘a ‘i he kau mo ia ‘a Sihova ko hono ‘Otua, ko ia na‘e ‘ange ki ai ‘e he tu‘i ‘a e me‘a kotoa na‘a ne kole ki ai. 10 He kuo tuku ‘e ‘Ēsela ‘a hono loto ke feinga‘i ‘a e lao ‘a Sihova, pea ke fai ki ai, pea ke ako ki ‘Isileli hono tu‘utu‘uni mo e konisitūtone.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

‘I he taimi na’e foki ai ‘a e kakai ‘Isileli mei Papilone, na’a nau fehangahangai mo ha ngaahi fakafe’atungia lahi. Na’e malohi ‘a e ‘oho ‘a e fili pea to lalo ‘a e mo’ui fakalotu ‘a e kakai. Na’e mali muli ‘a e tokolahi ‘o e kau takii. Na’e fokotu’u leva ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a ‘Esela ke ne hoko ko ha Mosese fo’ou ke ne tatali ‘a e kakai. Ko e ha ‘ene founga? Na’a ne tuku ‘a hono loto ke talaso ‘a e lao ‘a Sihova”. Ko e veape talaso, ‘oku ‘uhinga, “ke tauhi”, “fakatotolo”, “fekumi” - pea ko e ‘uhinga ia ‘oku liliu ai ‘i he ngaahi paaki ‘e ni’ihi, ko e “ako.” Hange ko e lau ‘a e Fa’u Saame, “‘Oku mā‘olunga ‘a e ngaahi ngāue ‘a e ‘Eiki, Pea talaso [hakule] ‘e kinautolu ‘oku manako ki ai” (Saame 111:2). Na’e mahino’i ‘e ‘Esela, ko e “ngaahi ngaue ‘a Sihova”, ‘a ee ‘oku hiki ‘i he Tohi Tao, ko e maama ia ki hono hala ‘o ‘Isilelei mo e tuhulu ki he’enau, ke fakafoki kinautolu ki he ‘Otua (Saame 119:105).

Na’e pehee ‘e Sisu, "‘Oku mou hakule ‘a e Tohitapu; koe‘uhi ‘oku mou mahalo ‘oku tu‘u ai ho‘omou ma‘u ‘a e mo‘ui ta‘engata: pea ko ia ia ‘oku fakamo‘oni kiate au” (Sione 5:39). Ko e fekumi faka-Tohitapu kotoa pe, kuopau ke foki mo fakataumu’a kotoa kia Kalaisi. Ko e taimi ‘oku tau talaso ai ‘a e Folofola, ‘oku tau fekumi kiate Ia ‘oku ne falute ‘a e ngaahi palomesi mo e ‘IO ‘a e ‘Otua (2 Kolinito 1:20).

‘Eiki Sisu, "Oku ‘a‘au au, ke ke fakamo‘ui au: he kuo u kumi ki ho‘o gaahi akonaki" (Ps. 119:94).

[ENGLISH]

When Israelites returned from exile in Babylon, they faced debilitating obstacles. Enemies were waxing and morale waning. Many of their leaders had married unbelievers. God raised up Ezra as a sort of neo-Moses to lead his wayward people. But how? He "set his heart to darash" the Torah of Yahweh. The verb darash means to care for, investigate, search out-thus the translation "study." As the psalmist says, "Great are the works of the LORD, darash ['studied'] by all who delight in them" (111:2). Ezra knew the "works of the LORD," inscribed in the Torah, would be a lamp to Israel's feet and a light to their path to guide them back to God (Ps. 119:105).

Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me" (John 5:39). All biblical searching, in one way or another, is about Christ. When we darash the Scriptures, we are seeking him in whom all God's promises are Yes (2 Cor. 1:20).

Lord Jesus, "I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts" (Ps. 119:94).