I roto i te Pukapuka o Kenehi, te taio nei tatou i te parau tǎpǔ a te Atua ia Aberahama. Ua fafau te Atua ia Aberahama e e fanau oia i te hoê tamaiti, ko wai hei uri mona. The seed of Abraham would be as the numbers of the stars. However God’s promise to Abraham did not come to pass immediately, but Abraham had to wait for many years before God’s promise came to pass. God’s Word is full of promises, but sometimes it may take a while before the promises of God will come to pass. But what do you do in the meantime, while you are waiting for God’s promise?
God’s promise to Abraham
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, e kii ana, Kaua e wehi, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Nana, to me thou hast given no seed: a, na, one born in my house is mine heir. Na, nana, ka puta mai te kupu a Ihowa ki a ia, e kii ana, E kore e mahue iho ou taonga mo tena; engari ka mahue iho mo tetahi e puta mai i roto i ou whekau. kawea ana e ia ki waho, ka mea, Titiro atu inaianei ki te rangi, korerotia nga whetu, ki te taea e koe te tatau: ka mea atu ki a ia, Ka pera ano ou uri. A i whakapono ia ki te Ariki; a ka whakairia e ia ki a ia hei tika (Genesis 15:1-6).
I roto i te Genese pene 12 a 13, te taio nei tatou i te parau tǎpǔ a te Atua ia Aberahama. I te pene 15, Ua haere faahou mai te Atua ia Aberahama ra e ua faahaamana‘o ia Aberahama i ta ’na parau fafau.
I to Aberahama fariiraa i te parau fafau a te Atua no nia i te hoê taata ai‘a, I kite a Aperahama i tetahi raruraru iti i roto i te taiao, ā-ara, e kore ia e whai tamaiti. Ko te tikanga, I mohio te Atua ki tenei, engari i oati te Atua ki a Aperahama, kia homai e ia he tama mana ake. E riro teie tamaiti a Aberahama ei fatu ai‘a no ’na.
Ua faaite te Atua ia Aberahama i te mau fetia e ua fafau te Atua ia Aberahama, kia rite te maha o ona uri ki te maha o nga whetu. I whakapono a Aperahama ki nga kupu a te Atua, no te mea i whakapono a Aperahama ki te Atua, Ka whakairia e te Atua ki a ia hei tika.
Te awhina i te Atua
I to Aberahama faaiteraa i ta ’na vahine o Sara i te parau tǎpǔ a te Atua, I mohio a Sarah kaore e taea e ia te whanau tamariki. No reira, Ua faaoti Sarah e tauturu rii i te Atua, na roto i te pûpûraa i ta ’na tavini vahine Aiphiti o Hagara na Aberahama, kia whanau ai te tama a Aperahama. Ua faaroo Aberahama ia Sara e ua hapû o Hagara.
Engari ehara tenei i te mahi na te Atua, he mahi na te tangata. Ko te hua ko te wa i hapu ai a Hakara, i whakahawea ia ki a Hara. Na ka haere a Hara ki a Aperahama, ka korero ki a ia i tenei mea.
Na ka mea a Aperahama ki a Hara, kei roto a Hakara i ona ringa, a ka taea e ia te mahi ki a ia, whatever pleased her. Then Sarah dealt hardly with Hagar and Hagar fled into the wilderness.
I te koraha, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and instructed her to return to Sarah and submit herself to her. He promised Hagar, that her seed would be multiplied exceedingly and that her son would be named Ishmael.
Hagar returned and bore Abraham a son; Ishmael. Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.
The covenant between the Lord and Abraham
Thirteen years later, when Abraham was 99 tau, the Lord appeared to Abraham and made a covenant with him. God gave him a new name ‘Abraham’, instead of Abram, because God would make Abraham a father of many nations. As a sign of this covenant, Abraham and every man child had to be circumcised.
God gave Saraï also a new name; Sarah, because He would bless her and make her a mother of nations. He promised, that Sarah would bear Abraham a son.
Sarah was 90 years old and Abraham was almost 100 tau, so Abraham started laughing and wanted to help God by suggesting, that Ishmael would be the son of the covenant, but God didn’t need the help of Abraham.
God already had a plan. His plan was known, even before the creation of the earth. God wasn’t joking, nor did He make a mistake by promising Abraham a son. He not only promised Abraham a son, but He also gave Abraham his name: I a Ihaka.
The son of the promise and His covenant would be with Isaac and not with Ishmael. But God promised Abraham, that He would bless Ishmael as well.
I muri i tētahi wā, the Lord appeared to Abraham again en promised Him, kia kotahi tau ka hoki mai ai, a ka whanau he tama ma Hara. I whakarongo a Sarah ki nga korero ka timata te kata i roto ia ia ano. I rongo te Atua ki a Hara e kata ana, a ka mohio kei te ruarua a Hara i tana kupu. Na reira ka mea te Atua, “He pakeke rawa ranei tetahi mea ki a Ihowa?”
Kahore he mea pakeke rawa ki a Ihowa
Engari kahore he mea e pakeke rawa ki a Ihowa! Heoi ka pā mai, he tau i muri mai, Ka whanau he tama a Sara; I a Ihaka. I te wa i whanau ai a Ihaka, Abraham was 100 tau.
Ka mau 25 tau, i mua i te tutukitanga o te kupu whakaari a te Atua. Ua pii te Atua ia Aberahama, i a ia 75 ona tau, a hoatu ana ki a ia te kupu whakaari mo ona uri. I muri i tera, he maha nga wa i puta mai ai te Ariki ki a Aperahama. I nga wa katoa ka whakamahara te Atua ki a Aperahama mo tana kupu whakaari. Ua riro râ te taata paari Aberahama, ko te uaua rawa atu ki te whakapono ki te Atua mo te kupu whakaari. Ua tamata atoa Sara i te tauturu i te Atua, heoi kihai i matea e te Atua tetahi awhina.
I tenei wa, Ua vai taiva ore o Aberahama ia Iehova. Kaore ia i amuamu me te amuamu. Ua faaroo Aberahama i te Fatu e ua haapa‘o i Ta’na mau faaueraa a ka noho pono ki te Atua.
Eaha te tupu ahiri e aita Sara i haafifi i te opuaraa a te Atua. He aha te ahuatanga o te Middle East?
Te tatari mo te kupu whakaari a te Atua me te kore e pokanoa
He mea nui kia tatari mo te kupu whakaari a te Atua. Whakapono ki te Atua me tana Kupu, kia manawanui, kaua e pokanoa. Kaua e awhina i te Atua, kaua rawa he iti. No te mea ka taea e te iti te pahua nui. Peneia‘e ua farii outou i te hoê fafauraa no ô mai i te Fatu ra, engari kaore koe e kite i tetahi mea e tupu ana. Mena ko koe tenei tangata, katahi ka ako mai i tenei korero ka ako ki te manawanui me te tatari.
He aha taau mahi i tenei wa, while you are waiting for God’s promise? Kia hanga ake koutou i runga i to koutou whakapono tapu rawa, a mahia nga mea i whakahaua e Ihowa ki a koe kia mahia. Kia mau ki tana Kupu, inoi me te kotahitanga ki a ia.
Kia mau ki te Ariki me te tu tonu i runga i te kupu whakaari a te Atua. Kaua e ruarua engari kia pono.
Ko te mea nui kia kaua e pokanoa, kaua hoki e ngana ki te awhina i te Atua, no te mea ka taea e tenei te whakahoki mai ki a koe.
I te wa i homai ai e te Atua he kupu whakaari ki ahau, i etahi marama i muri mai ka puta tetahi mea, ka kite ahau i te timatanga o te kupu whakaari ka pahemo. I tino hikaka ahau! Nga mea whakamiharo i tupu!
“Ka taea e koe te tatari?”
Na ka ui mai te Ariki ki ahau mehemea ka taea e au te tatari. I whakahoki ahau ma te ngakau katoa, Ae. Engari kaore au i mohio, pehea te roa o taku tatari. I muri i enei kupu, kahore he mea i tupu mo 3 tau a ahakoa i oati ahau ki te Ariki ka taea e ahau te tatari, Ua haamata vau i te haapeapea rii. Ua hinaaro vau ia tupu te parau fafau a te Atua.
I taku korero i tenei korero ki tetahi tangata whakapono, i tohutohu mai te tangata ki ahau kia mahi. I whakarongo ahau ki nga tohutohu a tenei tangata me te mahi i ta te tangata i ki mai ai. I muri tonu i taku mahi, he aha ta te tangata i tohutohu mai kia mahia e au, I tino whakamataku ahau. I mohio ahau kaore i te tika, ka pakaru nga mea katoa.
I pokanoa ahau ki te mahere a te Atua, ehara i te mea whakaaro nui te mahi. Engari i te tatari mo te kupu whakaari a te Atua me te tatari ki te Ariki me te manawanui, ko taku i oati ai ki te Atua, Naku i kawe nga take ki oku ringa ake, ko te tumanako ka taea e au te whakatutuki. Me noho tonu ahau i runga i te kupu whakaari a te Atua me te inoi i tenei wa me te whakapono ki tana Kupu. I tino pouri ahau! Tae noa ki tenei ra, Kei te tatari tonu ahau. Kaore au i te mohio kia pehea te roa, engari e mohio ana ahau ki tetahi mea inaianei: He wa taku. Katoa e hiahia ana ahau, he mea kotahi noa: E hiahia ana ahau Ko tana hiahia kia mahia i roto i toku ora.
Ko nga mea e kore e taea e te tangata ka taea e te Atua
Ko te nui o te Atua e kitea ana i roto i nga mea, te ahua nei e kore e taea e te tangata. Ko te whakapono ko te whakapono ki te Atua me te tumanako ki nga mea e kore e taea. Ka rite ki a Aperahama raua ko Hara, ko wai, i te kanohi o te tangata, he koroheke rawa mo te hapu me te whanau tamariki, engari i runga i te kaha me te nui o te Atua nga mea katoa i mahia.
No reira kia whakapono ki a ia me te arotahi ki a ia me te tatari… ahakoa he roa te waa. Kaua e mahi i tetahi mea poauau, Engari tatari. Kia mau ki te kupu whakaari a te Atua, noho pono ki a ia, me te whakapono ano ka mahia e ia!
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
