ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TOKONAKI SEPITEMA 2

The Accuser

Ko e Talatalaaki

1 CHRONICLES 21:1

THEN SATAN STOOD AGAINST ISRAEL AND INCITED DAVID TO NUMBER ISRAEL.

1 KALONIKALI 21:1

BEA na’e tu’u hake ‘a Setani ke fakakovi‘i ‘a Isileli, bea na’a ne fakaloto‘i ‘a Tevita ke ne lau hono toko lahi ‘o ‘Isileli.

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

‘I he Fuakava Fo’ou, ko Setane ‘a e fili taupotu taha ‘o Kalaisi mo hono kakai. Ka ‘i he Fuakava Motu’a, ko e fo’i lea setane na’e lahi hono ngaahi ‘uhinga. Na’e ‘i ai hono ‘uhinga lelei: ‘i he taimi na’e ta’ofi ai ‘e he ‘angelo ‘a e hala ‘o Pelame, na’a ne “tu‘u ‘i he hala mōno fili” [setane] (Nomipa 22:22). Na’e ‘i ai mo e ‘uhinga fakafepaki: na’e launga ‘a e fa’u Saamee, fekau’aki mo e fa’ahinga “na‘a nau fai hoku talatalaaki” [setane] (Saame 38:20). Ko ‘ete setane’i  ha me’a (veape) pe ko ‘ete hoko ko ha setane (nauna) ‘oku ‘uhinga ko ‘ete hoko ko ha “fili” pe “talatalaaki”. ‘Oku tau fa’a pehee, ko me’a na’a ne “fakafili’i” ‘a me’a, na’e ‘ikai te tau pehee, ko e “filii” ia. Ko ia ai, na’e fa’a pehee ‘e he kau ‘Isileli, ko me’aa ko e “setane”, ka na’e ‘ikai te nau pehee ko Setane mo’oni ‘a e tokotaha ko ia.  ‘I he taimi tatau, na’e ‘i ai pe ‘a e fakataataa pau ‘a e lave ‘a e Fuakava Motu’a kia Setane, ko e hingoa ia ‘o e fili mo e talatalaaki, hange ko e lesoni ‘o e ‘aho ni, ‘i he’ene “fakaloto’i ‘a Tevita” pe ko ‘ene fakamamahi’i ‘a Siope.

Na’e vakai ‘a Sisu kia Setane, "Ne u toutou sio ki he tō ‘a Sētane mei he langi, ‘o hangē ha ‘uhila" (Luke 10:18). "Pea na‘e kapusi ‘a e Talākoni lahi, ‘a ia ko e Ngata ‘o ono ‘aho, ‘a e to ko taha ‘oku ui ko e Tēvolo mo Sētane, ‘a e to ko taha ‘oku ne kākaa‘i ‘a māmani kātoa: na‘e lī ia ki māmani" (Fakaha 12:9). "He kuo kapusi ‘a e tukuaki ‘o hotau kāinga,

‘A ia ‘oku ne tukuaki‘i kinautolu ‘i he ‘ao ‘o hotau ‘Otua, ‘i he ‘aho mo e pō.” (v. 10). “Ka na‘a nau ikuna ia Ko e me‘a ‘i he ta‘ata‘a ‘o e Lami” (v. 11). ‘Ia Kalaisi, ‘oku ‘ikai kei lava ‘e Setane, ke ne setane’i kitautolu. .

Fakafeta’i kiate koe, Lami ‘a e ‘Otua, ko ho ta’ata’aa kuo ne tapuni ‘a e ngutu ‘o e talatalaaki ‘o ta’engata. 

[ENGLISH]

In the NT, Satan is the name for the archenemy of Christ and his people. But in the OT, the Hebrew word satan is more fluid. It can be positive: when God's angel blocked Balaam's way, he acted "as his adversary [satan]" (Num. 22:22). It can also be negative: the psalmist complains of those who "accuse [satan]" him (Ps. 38:20). To satan (as a verb) or to be a satan (as a noun) thus means "to be an enemy" or "accuser." Just as we might say someone "bedeviled him," but not mean that person was the devil, so Israelites could say someone was a satan, without meaning Satan himself. There are a few OT examples, however, when Satan is a proper name of the enemy, the accuser, such as when he "incited David" or afflicted Job (cf. Zech. 3:1-2).

Jesus saw Satan "fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18). The "great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the earth" (Rev. 12:9). "The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God" (v. 10). He was overcome "by the blood of the Lamb" (v. 11). In Christ, the Satan can no longer satan us.

All praise be to you, O Lamb of God, whose blood has silenced forever the Accuser.