ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Sapate ‘Okatopa 22, 2023

This Is the All of Humanity

Ko e ngata‘anga ‘eni ‘o e me‘a KOTOA

ECCLESIASTES 12:13-14

THE END OF THE MATTER; ALL HAS BEEN HEARD. FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. FOR GOD WILL BRING EVERY DEED INTO JUDGMENT, WITH EVERY SECRET THING, WHETHER GOOD OR EVIL.

KOHELETI 12:13-14

13 Ko e ngata‘anga ‘eni ‘o e me‘a: kuo ‘a‘au hono kotoa. Ke ke ‘apasia kia ‘Elohimi, ‘o tauhi ‘ene ngaahi fekau; he ko e kotoa ‘o e tangata ia. 14 He ‘e ‘omi ‘e ‘Elohimi ‘a e ngāue kotoa ki he fakamaau, kae‘uma‘ā ‘a e me‘a kotoa ‘oku fufū, pe ‘oku lelei ia, pe kovi.

Ecclesiastes starts off with "vanity of vanities" but closes the book-more positively-with "the whole duty of man." The little word kol is translated as "whole." It means "all, everything, totality." The great Shema tells us to love the Lord with "kol your heart and with kol your soul and with kol your might" (Deut. 6:5). That last word, "might," might better be rendered "veryness." The totality of who we are. So too in Ecclesiastes, to "fear God and keep his commandments," in other words, to love him, is "the whole duty

of man." Or, more literally, "the all of humanity." Our all, our everything, our very-ness as humans is to fear and love God, to guard (shamar) his commandments, for he "will bring every deed into judgment."

"All the commandments of God are kept, when what is not kept is forgiven" (Augustine). This is the way of God, who is kol of love. Love is his everythingness, his essence. If the all of humanity is to love him, the all of God is to love us, forgive us, and make us right in Christ.

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps. 8:9).