Monite ‘Epeleli 5, 2021
In all your ways acknowledge him
Ke ke fakaongo kiate ia ‘i ho hala kotoa
pē
Palovepi 3 (Proverbs 3)
(v. 5-6) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your
heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge
him, and he will make straight your paths.
(v. 5-6) 5 Falala ki he ‘Eiki ‘aki ‘a e
kotoa ‘o ho loto, ‘O ‘oua ‘e faaki ki ho poto ‘o‘ou: 6 Ke ke fakaongo kiate ia
‘i ho hala kotoa pē,
Pea ‘e fakatonutonu ‘e ia ho ngaahi
‘alunga.
*Commentary: The Reformatio Study Bible*
3:5 Trust in the LORD. Rely entirely upon the Lord's Word and
promises as revealed through the sage (2:6; 16:20).
lean ... understanding. The text warns against relying
exclusively on one's own understanding, but does not prohibit using it.
3:6 acknowledge him. The practical expression of the mind that submits to
God and knows Him.
he will make straight your paths. The straight path is the path of the
righteous (2.20) that leads to life (12:28) and is to be contrasted with the
crooked path (2:15) that leads to death (2:19).
GOD IS . . . (KO
E ‘OTUA, ‘OKU . . )
4 GOD IS INFINITE
Can
you find out the deep things of God?
Can
you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is
higher than heaven-what can you do?
Deeper
than Sheol-what can you know?
Its
measure is longer than the earth
and
broader than the sea. (Job 11:7-9)
Doctrine
The infinity of God is sort of like a
“meta-attribute," such as simplicity, in the sense that it qualifies all
the other attributes. Infinity means that there is no limit to God's
perfections. Stephen Charnock helps us as we think about this concept:
Whatever God is, he is infinitely so.... Conceive of
him as excellent, without any imperfection; a Spirit without parts; great without
quantity; perfect without quality, everywhere without place; powerful without
members; understanding without ignorance; wise without reasoning; light without
darkness; infinitely more excelling the beauty of all creatures. ... And when
you have risen to the highest, conceive him yet infinitely above all you can
conceive of spirit, and acknowledge the infirmity of
your own minds. And whatsoever conception comes into your minds, say, "This
is not God; God is more than this."
In the seventh century, Maximus the
Confessor said, "Whoever has seen
God and has understood what he saw, has seen nothing."
Indeed, we cannot grasp the Infinite One.
Many theologians, such
as John Flavel, have spoken of infinity in
relation to three related
but different aspects:
1. Respecting the perfection of his essence,
"his wisdom,
power, and holiness, exceed all measures
and limits."
2. Respecting time and place (i.e.,
eternity and omnipres-
ence), “no time can measure him."
3. Respecting his incomprehensibility,
finite creatures can-
not comprehend the infinite God.
4 Ko e ‘Otua´ ‘oku ‘Inifenaite (ta’efakangatangata)
Te ke mahakulea ‘a e uho ‘o ‘Elohā?
‘Io,
‘e a‘u ho‘o hakule ki he takele ‘o Sātai?
‘Oku
hangē ko e ngaahi tumutumu ‘o langi, ko e hā te ke fai?
‘Oku
taumama‘o hifo ‘i Hētesi, ko e hā te ke ‘ilo?
Ko
hono fua ‘oku lōloa ange ‘i māmani, Pea laulahi ange ‘i he ‘ōseni (Siope
11:7-9)
Tokateline
Ko e tu’unga ‘Inifenaite ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘oku
hange ia ha “ ‘ulungaanga-pule,” ‘o tatau mo hono tu’unga LAULOTAHA
(simplicity) he ‘oku ne faka’ilonga’i ‘a e ngaahi ‘ulungaanga kehe. Ko e
‘Inifenaite, ‘oku ‘uhinga, ‘oku ‘ikai ke fakangatangata ‘a e tu’unga haohaoa ‘o
e ‘Otua. ‘Oku tokoni ‘a e fakamatala ‘a e tangata teolosia ko Sitīveni Sianoke
ki he fakakaukau ko eni:
Ko e ha pe ‘e tau lau fekau’aki mo e ‘Otua, ‘oku ne
taumama’o atu ai... faka‘uta mo fakakaukau ki hono tu’unga fungani hake, ‘o
‘ikai hano mele; ko e laumalie pea ‘ikai hano kongokonga; lahi fau pea
ta’emalau; haohao, ‘ikai lava hako sivi; ‘i he potu kotoa pe, kae ‘ikai hano
feitu’u; mafimafi kae ‘ikai hano fe’unga; a’usia mo a’ua’u, ‘ikai ha tonounou;
poto ‘o ‘ikai ha fifili; maama ta’e ‘i ai ha po’uli; ope atu hono fungani
masani ‘i he kotoa ‘o e me’a fakatupu...pea ka ke hake ki he tumutumu, fao ho’o
fakakaukau ke ope atu ‘i he tu’unga ma’olunga taha ‘o ha laumalie, pea ke vete
‘a e pokosi’i ho ‘atamai. Pea ko e ha pe me’a ‘e aata atu ki ho’o fakakaukau,
pea ke pehe leva, “ ‘Oku ‘ikai pe ko e ‘Otua eni; ‘oku mahulu hake ‘a e ‘Otua ia
‘i heni.”
‘I he senituli hono fitu, na’e pehee ai ‘e
Makisimusa ko e Kofesoa (monike, tangata teolosia), “Ka ‘i ai ha taha kuo ne mamata ki he ‘Otua pea ne mahino’i ‘a e me’a
na’a ne mātāa´, ta na’e ‘ikai te ne mamata ‘e ia ki ha me’a.” ‘Io, ‘e ‘ikai
‘aupito te tau lava ke ma’ukupusi ‘a e ‘Otua-’ikai-hano-ngata’anga. Na’e
tokolahi ‘a e kau tangata teolosia, hange ko e Sione Falavelo, na’a nau
fakamatala’i ‘a e tu’unga ‘inifenaite ‘o e ‘Otua ‘i ha tu’unga tatau ‘e tolu ka
‘i ha tapa kehekehe:
1) Fekau’aki mo e haohaoa ‘o hono natula,
“‘a ‘ene poto, mafai, ma’oni’oni, ope atu ‘i he mafai ke fua mo e
fakangatangata kotoa pe.”
2) Fekau’aki
mo e taimi
mo e feitu’u (lau’itaniti - ‘i he potu kotoa pe), “ ‘oku ‘ikai ha taimi
te ne lava ke fua ia.”
3) Fekau’aki mo hono tu’unga kilukilua, ‘oku
‘ikai malava ‘e he me’a fakatupu ‘oku fakangatangata ke nau mahino’i ‘a e ‘Otua
ta’e-’i ai-hano-ngata’anga.
