ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 FALAITE SEPITEMA 12, 2025

DEVOTED TO GOD'S WILL

MATEAKI KI HE FINANGALO ‘O E ‘OTUA

ESTHER 4:15-16

"Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 'Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."

‘ESETA 4:15-16

15 Pea fekau ‘e ‘Ēseta ke nau foki kia Motekiai mo e lea ko eni, ‘Alu, fakataha ‘a e kau Siu kotoa ‘oku toe ‘i Sūsani; 16 pea mou ‘aukai ma‘aku, pea ‘oua te mou kai pe inu ‘o ‘aho tolu, po‘uli mo ‘aho: ko au foki mo ‘eku kau fefine te mau ‘aukai pehē; pea te u toki ‘alu ai ki he tu‘i, neongo ‘oku fehālaaki mo e lao: pea kapau te u mate ai, pea u mate.

‘Oku tau toki tau’ataina ke tau mo’ui mo’oni, ‘i he taimi ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau manavahe ai ki he mate.

‘I he a’u mai ‘a e talanoa ‘o ‘Eseta ki he konga ko eni ‘o e tohi, na’e kei fepopoaki’aki pe ‘a Motekiai mo ‘Eseta ka na’e te’eki ai ke fai ha me’a. Ka ko eni, kuo pau’ia ‘a ‘Eseta ‘i he me’a te ne fai. ‘Oku ‘ikai kei nofo pe ke fakaongo, ka kuo ne fakapapau’i hono loto ke ne fai ha ngaue. ‘E ‘alu leva ‘o fakatau folofola ki he tu’i fekau’aki mo hono kakai.

Neongo ‘e ‘alu tokotaha pe ki he tu’i, ka ko e feinga ko eni, na’e ‘ikai ko ha feinga pe ‘a ha  tokotaha. ‘E ‘aukai hono kakai ma’a na; te nau tu’u fakataha ‘i he kaveinga ko eni. Ko e ‘aukai ko eni, na’e ‘ikai ko ha fakamamahi pe, ka ko e fakahaa’i ‘a ‘enau fiema’u mo’oni ‘a e tokoni ‘a e ‘Otua. Na’e mahino kia ‘Eseta na’e pau ke ne fai ha me’a, ka na’e ‘ikai te ne loto ke ‘alu ta’emaau pe fai noa ki he tu’i, ‘aki pe hono tu’unga hoihoifua pe ko hono mahu’inga kiate ia.  Na’e loto ke ‘alu ki he tu’i ‘o fou ‘i he ivi mo e mafai pe ‘o e ‘Otua pea mo hono finangalo. 

Ko e tukupa ‘a ‘Eseta ki he finangalo ‘o e ‘Otua na’e fakae’a ia ‘i he’ene pehee: “kapau te u mate ai, pea u mate.” Na’e pau hono loto ke ‘alu ki he tu’i, neongo na’e tapu ke hu ta’e fakaafe’i pea ‘e iku mole ai ‘ene mo’ui (‘Eseta 4:10-11). Neongo na’e fakatu’utamaki ‘a e laka ‘a ‘Eseta, ka na’a ne mahino’i ‘a e hilio ‘a e fekau ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i ha toe me’a. 

Ko e lau fakapotopoto ‘a e tangataa, ke tokanga ka malu’i ‘ene mo’ui - ke nofo pe ‘o tali ke toki fekau mai ‘a e tu’i, pea toki ‘alu. Ka ko e fakapotopoto fakaetangata mo e tui falalaa ‘oku ‘ikai ke na fa’a fetaulaki. ‘Oku talamai ‘e he lau fakapoto ‘a e tangata, ko e tu’unga fakaloloma taha ‘i he mo’ui ko e mate, kae talamai ‘e he tui falalaa ia, ko e matee ko e ma’u pea ‘oku lelei hake ia, he ko e hiki ia kia Kalaisi (Filipai 1:21, 23).

Na’e lotolahi pe ‘a ‘Eseta ke mate kehe pe ke ne fakahoko ‘a e ngaue na’e fiema’u ke ne fai. Na’a ne pehee ‘oku lelei ange ke mole ‘ene mo’ui ‘i he talangofua ‘i ha’ane mo’ui kae nofo talangata’a. Ka toki a’u ‘etau mo’ui fakalaumalie ki he tu’unga te tau lava ai ‘o pehee, “kapau te u mate ai, pea u mate,” ko ‘etau toki mo’ui mo’oni ia ma’ae ‘Otua. Ko e pole ‘oku lahi, ka ko e palee ‘oku ta’e fakangatangata ‘a ‘ene lahi ange. Kole ki he ‘Otua ‘i he ‘aho ni ke fakatonutonu ange ho loto ke ke lea fakataha mo e fa’u Saame, Today, ask God to orient your heart so that you can declare with the psalmist, "He ko ha fo‘i ‘aho ‘i ho loto‘ā ‘oku lelei hake, ‘I ha afe‘i ‘aho ‘i ha potu ange. Te u fili mu‘a ke u le‘o matapā ‘i he fale ‘o hoku ‘Otua, ‘I ha‘aku nofo ‘i he ngaahi tēniti ‘o e angahala”  (Saame 84:10). Kapau ko e tu’unga eni ‘oku ke a’u ki ai, te ke toki ‘ilo’i, ko e loto to’a m oe talangofua ‘oku faingofua ange ia mo fakatupu fiefia. 

Bible Through The Year: Judges 13-15; John 5:1-24

Lau ‘a e Tohitapu ‘i he ta’u ‘e taha: Fakamaau 13-15; Sione 5:1-24

Only once we are unafraid to die are we free to live.

Up until this point in the book of Esther, Mordecai has been sending the instructions and Esther has mainly been responding. But now Esther decides what she must do. She moves from being passive to being active and she does so with absolute, resolute commitment. She will go and speak to the king on behalf of her people.

Though she would approach him alone, the queen's endeavor was not going to be a solo effort. Her Jewish community would fast with her on her behalf; they were in this together. The fast was one not of mourning but of declaring their desperate need for God's intervention. Esther recognized that she had to do something, but she didn't want to go to the king haphazardly, hoping to stumble into his presence based on her looks or what she had meant to him. She wanted to go to the king only on the strength of who God is and what He wanted.

Esther's devotion to God's will was evident, and striking: "If I perish, I perish." She was committed to go to the king even though it was against the law and might well result in her death (Esther 4:10-11). While risk was involved, she understood that the demand of God supersedes all other considerations. She knew she must do all she could to act for the good of God's people and so she was willing to put her life at risk. 

Common sense would have told Esther to play it safe - to keep quiet and hope that perhaps the king would invite her into his presence. But common sense and believing faith are not always in accord with one another. After all, common sense would argue that the worst thing that can possibly happen to our life is for us to lose it, while believing faith views death as "gain" and "far better," for it is a departure to be with Christ (Philippians 1:21, 23).

Esther was willing to die to do what was needed. She had decided that it was better to perish obediently than to live disobediently. Only when we get to the point in our own spiritual journeys where we can sincerely say, "If I die, I die," can we go on living for God. The risk may be great, but the reward is infinitely greater. Today, ask God to orient your heart so that you can declare with the psalmist, "A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Psalm 84:10). If that is your perspective, you will find courage and obedience come far more easily, and joyfully.