ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TU‘APULELULU SEPITEMA 21

WHY HAVE YOU EXILED ME?

Ko e Hā Kuo Ke Li‘aki Ai Au?

PSALM 22:1

MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? WHY ARE YOU SO FAR FROM SAVING ME, FROM THE WORDS OF MY GROANING?

SAAME 22:1

‘E HOKU ‘Otua, ‘e hoku ‘Otua, ko e hā kuo ke li‘aki ai au? ‘O fakamama‘o mei hoku tokoni; mei he le‘o ‘o ‘eku kavekalanga atu?

[LILIU FAKA-TONGA]

‘Oku tengihia ‘e he Misaia ‘a ‘ene motu mei he ‘Otua ‘i he funga kolosi. ‘Oku tu’o tolu ‘a ‘ene launga, ‘oku “mama’o” ‘a e ‘Otua (v. 1), "mama’o mediate au" (v. 11), “‘oua te ke mama‘o” (v. 19). Na’e ‘asave [li’aki] ia ‘e he ‘Otua; ko ha veape ‘oku tuhu ki he “li’aki” pe “fakahee’i”. ‘Ia Teutalonome, ‘oku fakatokanga ai ‘a e ‘Otua, ka ‘asave au ‘e hoku kakai, te u ‘asave ‘e au kinautolu (31:16-17). Ko e veape tatau ‘oku ngaue’aki ‘i he Saame 22:1 mo Teutalonome 28:20, ‘i he pehee ‘e he ‘Otua, te ne tuku mai ha ngaahi mala ki ‘Isileli. “ko e ō ia ‘o e kovi ho‘o fai‘anga ‘i ho‘o ‘asavetani [li‘aki] au”. ‘Oku lea ‘a e ‘Otua ‘ia Selemaia, “Kuo u ‘asave [li‘aki] hoku fale, kuo u tukuange hoku tofi‘a” pea ‘e fakahee’i kinautolu ki Papilone (12:7). ‘I hono kalusefai, kuo toe fakahoko ‘e Sisu, ‘i hono sino, ‘a e me’a na’e hoko ki ‘Isileli. Hangee pe ko honau fakahee’i ki Papilone, ko e kolosi, ko hono fakahee’i ia ‘o Sisu ‘i he pule’anga Loma. 

Na’e fakahee’i Ia, kae lava hotau toe fakafoki ki he Tamai ‘i he toetu’u. Ko hono olaa ‘oku ne kapui ‘a mamani kotoa, “‘E manatu mo tafoki ki he ‘Eiki ‘a e ngaahi ngata‘anga ‘o māmani: Pea ‘e hū ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e ‘Afiona ‘a e matakali fuli pē ‘o e tukui pule‘anga." (Saame 22:27). Ko hono kalusefai fakahee’i mo ‘ene toetu’u fakafoki, kuo fakahoko ai ‘a e fakafo’ou ki he mamani katoa. Koe’uhi ko e lotu ‘a Sisu, “Ko e ha kuo ke li’aki ai au?”, ‘oku tau pau’ia, ‘oku ongo na ‘e he ‘Otua ‘etau lotu.

"‘Oua te ke li‘aki au, ‘e Sihova: ‘Oua te ke hiki ‘o mama‘o meiate au, ‘e hoku ‘Otua" (Ps. 38:21).

[ENGLISH]

The Messiah laments his separation from God atop the cross. Three times, he complains that God is "so far" (v. 1), "far from me" (v. 11), and "far off (v. 19). God has azav ("forsaken") him, a verb freighted with exile connotations. In Deuteronomy, God threatened that if his people azav him, he will azav them (31:16-17). The same verbal form used in Psalm 22:1 is used in Deuteronomy 28:20 when God says he will send curses (including exile) on Israel because "you have forsaken me [azavtani]." The Lord says through Jeremiah that he has "azav his house" and will send the people into exile in Babylon (12:7). In his crucifixion, Jesus is recapitulating-doing over again in himself - what Israel did. Just as they had the Babylonian exile, the cross is his Roman exile. 

He undergoes this exile to bring us home to the Father in his resurrection. The effect is cosmic, for "all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD" (Ps. 22:27). His crucifixion exile and resurrection return will mean Easter for the world. Because Jesus prayed, "Do not forsake me," we know that God will hear us when we pray:

"Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me!" (Ps. 38:21).