ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 SAPATE SEPITEMA 3

DIVINE LOVE

KO E ‘OFA FAKA-’OTUA

2 CHRONICLES 9:8

[THE QUEEN OF SHEBA SAID TO SOLOMON], "BLESSED BE THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO HAS DELIGHTED IN YOU AND SET YOU ON HIS THRONE AS KING FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD! BECAUSE YOUR GOD LOVED ISRAEL AND WOULD ESTABLISH THEM FOREVER, HE HAS MADE YOU KING OVER THEM, THAT YOU

MAY EXECUTE JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS."

2 KALONIKALI 9:8

Mālō mo Sihova ko ho ‘Otua, ‘a ia na‘a ne mamana kiate koe, ‘o ne tuku koe ki hono taloni ke tu‘i ma‘a Sihova ko ho ‘Otua: ko e me‘a ‘i he ‘ofa ‘a ho ‘Otua ki ‘Isileli, ko ‘ene fie fokotu‘u ma‘u ‘o ta‘engata, ko ia na‘a ne tuku ai koe ke tu‘i kiate kinautolu, ke feia ‘a e fakamaau mo e fakatonutonu me‘a.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

Ko e ongo taki faka-pule’anga Senitaile ‘e toko ua na’a na faka’apa’apa’i ‘a Solomone, pea na’a na pehee, na’e ‘ahave (‘ofa‘i) ‘e Sihova ‘a ‘Isileli. Na’e faitohi ‘a Hulame ‘o Taia kia Solomone, "Tā ‘oku ‘ahave ‘a Sihova ki hono kakai, ‘a ē ā kuo ne tuku ai koe ke tu‘i kiate kinautolu" (2 Kalonikali 2:11). Pea mo e Kuini ‘o Sipaa, na’a ne me’a, "ko e me‘a ‘i he ‘ahave ‘a ho ‘Otua ki ‘Isileli, ko ‘ene fie fokotu‘u ma‘u ‘o ta‘engata, ko ia na‘a ne tuku ai koe ke tu‘i kiate kinautolu" (2 Kalonikali 9:8). Ko e ‘ofa‘i (‘ahave) mo e ‘ofaa ‘iate ia pe (‘ahavahe) ‘oku na fakamatala’i ‘a e tukupaa mo e mateaki’i ‘e ha kakai ‘a lelei ‘a e kakai kehe (Senesi 22:2), ‘a e mamahi’i ‘e he ‘Otuaa ‘a hono kakai (Teutalonome 7:8), pea mo e tukupaa ‘a e kakai ‘a e ‘Otua ki he ‘Otua (6:5). Ko e ‘Otuaa, ko ‘ene ‘ofaa, ‘oku ne fakahaa’i ‘i he’ene ngaahi ngaue: fou ‘i he fakamo’ui, huhu’i, malu’i, pea mo ‘ene hoko ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Isileli. Ko e Peteliaki ko  ‘Epalahame, na’e ‘iloa ko e “takanga” (kaungame’a) ‘o e ‘Otua pe ko e “Ofa’anga” (‘Aisea 41:8; 2 Kalonikali 20:7).

Ko Sione 3:16, ‘e lelei ange kapau ‘e liliu mei he Kalisi ke pehe ni: “He na’e pehe ni ‘a e ‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otuaa ki mamani.” ‘Oku ma’u ‘e he fakalea ko eni ‘a e ‘uhinga totonu ‘o e Hepeluu: ‘Oku fakasino ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a ‘ene ‘ofaa, ‘o fou ‘i he fo’i ngaue ‘o ‘ene foaki mai kiate kitautolu ‘a hono ‘Aloo.

‘Ofa’anga ‘o e fa’ahinga ‘o e tangata, mohu meesi mo e ‘Otua langilangi’ia, ‘afio mai kiate kimautolu ‘aki ho mafu fonu ‘alo’ofaa.  

[ENGLISH]

Two Gentile rulers who admired Solomon confessed that the Lord ahav ("loved") Israel. King Hiram of Tyre wrote to Solomon, "Because the LORD ahav his people, he has made you king over them" (2 Chron. 2:11). And the Queen of Sheba said, "Because your God ahav Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them" (9:8). To love (ahav) and love itself (ahavah) describe the faithful commitment people have for others (Gen. 22:2), God has for his people (Deut. 7:8), and people have for God (6:5). For God, to love is to act: to save, redeem, protect, and be Israel's God. The patriarch Abraham, in particular, is called God's "friend," or, more literally, "beloved one" (Isa. 41:8; 2 Chron. 20:7).

Rather than "For God so loved the world " the Greek in John 3:16 might be better translated as "For God loved the world in this way." That captures the Hebrew essence of love: God embodies his love in this way, by the very act of giving his Son for us.

O Lover of humanity, gracious and magnanimous Lord, look on us with a heart of mercy.