ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 SAPATE NOVEMA 12, 2023

Temple or Cave of Thugs?

Ko e Temipale pe ko e ‘Ana ‘o e kau Faikovi?

JEREMIAH 7:9-11

"WILL YOU STEAL, MURDER, COMMIT ADULTERY, SWEAR FALSELY, MAKE OFFERINGS TO BAAL, AND GO AFTER OTHER GODS THAT YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN, AND THEN COME AND STAND BEFORE ME IN THIS HOUSE, WHICH IS CALLED BY MY NAME, AND SAY, 'WE ARE DELIVERED!' ONLY TO GO ON DOING ALL THESE ABOMINATIONS? HAS THIS HOUSE, WHICH IS CALLED BY MY NAME,

BECOME A DEN OF ROBBERS IN YOUR EYES?"

SELEMAIA 7:9-11

9 He ‘oku pehē ha me‘a? ke kaiha‘a, ke fai ha fakapō, pea ke tono ‘unoho, pea ke fuakava ki ha loi, pea ke tutu ‘inisēnisi kia Peali, pea ke muimui ki he ngaahi ‘otua kehe, ha ni‘ihi na‘e ‘ikai te mou ‘ilo ki ai, 10 pea ke toki hū mai, ‘o tu‘u ‘i hoku ‘ao ‘i he fale ko eni, ‘a ia ‘oku ui‘aki hoku hingoa, pea mou toki pehē, Kuo tau mo‘ui; koe‘uhiā ke fai atu ‘a e ngaahi fu‘u fakalielia ko ē? 11 Tā ‘apē ko e fale ni, ‘a ia ‘oku ui‘aki hoku hingoa, kuo hoko ‘i ho‘omou vakai ko e ‘ana ‘o e kau fakapō? Tala atu, ko au eni kuo u sio ki ai–ko Sihova ia mei he Ta‘ehāmai.

Need a place to hole up after God has scorched your city? A place to bury your dead? Hide from the enemy? A m'arah ("cave") served all these needs in Israel. In Jeremiah's day, however, unrepentant sinners transformed God's temple into a m'arah - a cave of thugs or den of robbers. They were trying to mug God and snatch forgiveness by claiming, "We are delivered!" even as their hands were streaked with the blood of the innocent. But God would not be mocked. Soon thereafter, their temple-cave became their temple-tomb as it lay in rubble beneath Babylon's feet.

Jesus quoted Jeremiah when he drove out those who were buying and selling in the temple, overturning their tables (Matt. 21:13). This was a prophetic sign: the temple itself would soon by overturned by the Romans. And the only temple needed would be the one who is Jesus, hanging between two thieves, delivering us all from sin, and vacating his own m'arah on Easter.

Glory to you, Jesus Christ, our temple, our holiness, our salvation.