Ko Pēteli—Ko ha Kolo ʻo e Lelei mo e Kovi

NAʻE hoko ʻo ʻiloa ʻa e ngaahi kolo ʻe niʻihi​—pe ongoongo-kovi​—ʻi he ngaahi meʻa naʻe fai ʻi loto ʻiate kinautolú. Kae kehe, ʻoku ngali kehe ʻa Pētelí koeʻuhi he naʻe hoko ia ʻo ʻiloa ʻi he lelei mo e kovi. Naʻe fakahingoa ʻe he pēteliake ko Sēkopé ʻa e koló ko Pēteli, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻuhingá ko e “Fale ʻo e ʻOtua.” Ka ʻi he taʻu ʻe taha afe ki mui aí, naʻe ui ai ʻe he palōfita ko Hōseá ʻa e koló ko e “Fale ʻo e Mamahí.” Naʻe anga-fēfē ʻa e liliu ʻa e koló ni mei he leleí ki he koví? Pea ko e hā ʻoku lava ke tau ako mei hono hisitōliá?

Ko e fekauʻaki ʻa Pēteli mo e kakai ʻa e ʻOtuá naʻe kamata ia ʻi he 1943 K.M. ʻi he taimi naʻe kei moʻui ai ʻa ʻĒpalahamé. ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe ʻiloa ai ʻa e koló ko Lusa, ko hono muʻaki hingoa faka-Kēnaní ia. Naʻe tuʻu ia ʻi he fonua moʻunga, kilomita nai ʻe 17 ki he tokelau ʻo Selusalemá. Sioloto atu kia ʻĒpalahame mo hono ʻilamutu ko Loté ʻokú na sio hifo ki he ngaahi tokalelei maʻuiʻui ʻo e talalo ʻo e Teleʻa Sioataní mei ha tuʻuʻanga lelei ʻi ʻolunga ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga takatakai ʻi Pētelí. ʻI he fakapotopoto, naʻe fakamahino ai ʻe ʻĒpalahame kia Lote ʻa e faingataʻa ʻa hono vahe ʻa e ngaahi feituʻu kaikaiʻanga ki heʻena fuʻu fanga monumanú: “ʻA, ʻoua naʻa ta kē kitaua, pe ko ʻeta kau tauhimanu; he ʻoku ta kainga. ʻIkai ko ena ʻa e fonua kotoa ke ke faʻiteliha ki ai? Ta mavae muʻa mo au: kapau te ke fakatoʻohema koe, pea u toʻomataʻu au; pea kapau te ke fakatoʻomataʻu, pea te u fakatoʻohema.”​—Senesi 13:​3-​11.

Naʻe ʻikai ke taukaveʻi ʻe ʻĒpalahame ia ʻa ʻene totonu ke ʻuluaki filí. Ka, naʻá ne fakaʻatā ki he tangata siʻi angé ke ne fili ʻa e konga lelei angé. ʻE lava ke tau faʻifaʻitaki ki he fakakaukau lelei ʻa ʻĒpalahamé. ʻE lava ke tau fakaleleiʻi ʻa e ngaahi tuʻunga ʻoku faʻa fai ai ʻa e fakafekikí ʻaki ha tomuʻa lea mokomoko mo anga-taʻesiokita.​—Loma 12:18.

ʻI ha ngaahi taʻu ki mui ai ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻapitanga ai ʻa e mokopuna ʻo ʻĒpalahame ko Sēkopé ʻi Lusá, naʻe ʻi ai ʻene misi ngali kehe. Naʻá ne sio “ta ko ha tuʻunga kuo tuʻu ʻi he kelekele, ʻo tau hake hono ʻulu ki he langi; pea ko e kau angelo ʻena ʻa e ʻOtua ʻoku ʻalu hake mo ʻalu hifo ʻi ai. Pea ta ko Sihova ʻoku tuʻu mei ʻolunga.” (Senesi 28:​11-​19; fakafehoanaki mo Sione 1:​51.) Naʻe ʻi ai ha ʻuhinga mahuʻinga ʻo e misí. Ko e kau ʻāngelo naʻe sio ki ai ʻa Sēkopé te nau tauhi kiate ia ʻi hono fakahoko ʻa e talaʻofa naʻe fai ʻe he ʻOtuá kiate ia ʻo fekauʻaki mo hono hakó. Ko e tuʻunga māʻolunga ʻo Sihova ʻi ʻolunga ʻi he tuʻungá naʻe hā ai te ne tataki ʻa e kau ʻāngeló ʻi he ngāué ni.

Ko e fakapapauʻi ko eni ʻo e poupou fakaʻotuá naʻá ne ueʻi loloto ʻa Sēkope. ʻI heʻene ʻā hake mei heʻene mohé, naʻá ne ui ʻa e feituʻú ko Pēteli, ko hono ʻuhingá ko e “Fale ʻo e ʻOtua,” peá ne tukupā ai kia Sihova: “ʻIlonga ha meʻa te ke ʻomi kiate au te u matuʻaki ʻatu hono vahe hongofulu kiate koe.”a (Senesi 28:​20-22) ʻI hono ʻiloʻi ko e meʻa kotoa pē naʻá ne maʻú naʻe haʻu mei he ʻOtuá, naʻá ne holi ke fakafoki ha konga lahi ko e fakaʻilonga ʻo ʻene houngaʻiá.

ʻOku toe maʻu foki ʻe he kau Kalisitiane he ʻaho ní ʻa e kau ʻāngelo ʻoku nau tauhi kiate kinautolu. (Sāme 91:11; Hepelu 1:​14) Ko kinautolu foki ʻe lava ke nau fakahaaʻi ʻenau houngaʻia ki honau ngaahi tāpuakí kotoa ʻaki ʻenau hoko ʻo “tubulekina . . . i he gaahi fakafetai lahi ki he Otua.”​—2 Kolinito 9:​11, 12, PM.

ʻI he faai mai ʻa e taimí, naʻe hoko ʻa e hako ʻo Sēkopé ko ha puleʻanga. Naʻe ikunaʻi ʻe honau taki ko Siosiuá ʻa e tuʻi pangani ʻo Pētelí ofi ki he kamata ko ia ʻa hono ikunaʻi ʻo Kēnaní. (Siosiua 12:16) Lolotonga ʻa e taimi ʻo e kau Fakamāú, naʻe nofo ʻa e palōfita fefine ko Tēpolá ofi ki Pēteli ʻo ne fakamatalaʻi ai ʻa e folofola ʻa Sihová ki he kakaí. Naʻe ʻaʻahi maʻu pē foki ʻa Sāmiuela ki Pēteli ʻi heʻene fakamāuʻi ko ia ʻa e puleʻanga ʻo ʻIsilelí.​—Fakamaau 4:​4, 5; 1 Samiuela 7:​15, 16.

Hoko ʻa Pēteli ko ha Senitā ʻo e Tafoki mei he Moʻoní

Ka naʻe tuku ʻa e fekauʻaki ʻa Pēteli mo e lotu maʻá hili hono vahevahe ʻa e Puleʻangá ʻi he 997 K.M. Naʻe fokotuʻu ʻe Tuʻi Selopoame ʻa Pēteli ko ha senitā ia ʻo e lotu ki he pulú, ʻa ia naʻe lau ko e pulú naʻá ne fakafofongaʻi ʻa Sihova. (1 Tuʻi 12:​25-29) Ko e ʻuhinga ia, naʻe lave ai ʻa Hōsea ki ai ʻi he taimi naʻá ne kikite ai fekauʻaki mo hono fakaʻauha ʻo Pētelí, ko “Peteaveni,” ʻa ia ʻoku ʻuhingá ko e “Fale ʻo e Mamahí.”​—Hosea 10:​5, 8.

Neongo ne hoko ʻa Pēteli ko ha senitā ʻo e mamahi fakalaumālie, ko e ngaahi meʻa naʻe hoko ʻo felāveʻi mo iá naʻe hokohoko atu ʻene tokonaki mai ʻa e ngaahi lēsoni mahuʻinga. (Loma 15:4) Ko e lēsoni ai ʻe taha ʻoku fekauʻaki ia mo ha palōfita naʻe ʻikai hā hono hingoá naʻe fekauʻi mei Siuta ki Pēteli ke ne tomuʻa tala ʻa e fakaʻauha ʻo hono ngaahi ʻōlitá mo hono kau taulaʻeikí. Naʻe toe tala foki ʻe Sihova kiate ia ke foki ki Siuta​—ʻa ia ʻoku laui kilomita siʻi pē ki he tongá​—ʻo ʻoua naʻa kai pe inu. Naʻe tala loto-toʻa ʻe he palōfita ko ení ha kikite ʻi he ʻao ʻo Selopoamé, ʻa e tuʻi ʻIsilelí, ʻo ui hifo ʻa e kovi ki he ʻōlita ʻo Pētelí. Kae hili iá naʻá ne talangataʻa ki he ʻOtuá ʻi heʻene kai ʻi he fale ʻo ha palōfita motuʻa ʻi Pēteli. Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá? Naʻe taukaveʻi loi ʻe he palōfita motuʻá naʻe fekauʻi ia ʻe ha ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova ke ne fai ha fakaafe ʻāunofo ki ha kaungā palōfita. Ko e talangataʻa ʻa e palōfita mei Siutá naʻe iku ia ki heʻene mate mutukia.​—1 Tuʻi 13:​1-​25.

Kapau ʻoku fokotuʻu mai ʻe ha kaungātui ke tau fai ha meʻa ʻoku hā ngali fehuʻia, ʻoku totonu ke fēfē ʻa e anga ʻo ʻetau talí? Manatuʻi naʻa mo e faleʻi fai ʻuhinga-leleí ʻe lava ke fakatupu maumau kapau ʻoku hala ia. (Fakafehoanaki mo Mātiu 16:​21-​23.) ʻI he kumi ki he tataki meia Sihová fakafou ʻi he lotu mo e ako ʻo ʻene Folofolá, te tau kalofi ai ʻa e fehālaaki fakamamahi ʻa e palōfita naʻe ʻikai hā hono hingoá.​—Palovepi 19:21; 1 Sione 4:1.

ʻI he taʻu nai ʻe 150 ki mui ai, naʻe toe fai ʻe he palōfita ko ʻĒmosí ha fononga ki he tokelaú ke kikite fakafepaki ki Pēteli. Naʻe talatalaakiʻi mālohi ai ʻe ʻĒmosi ʻene kau fanongo fakafilí, ʻo kau ai ʻa e taulaʻeiki ko ʻAmasaiá, ʻa ia naʻá ne tala ʻi he anga-hiki kia ʻĒmosi ke ‘feimo hola ki he fonua ʻo Siutá.’ Ka naʻe tala taʻemanavahē ʻe ʻĒmosi kia ʻAmasaia ʻa e ngaahi mala ʻe hoko hifo ki he fale tonu ʻo e palōfitá. (Emosi 5:​4-6; 7:​10-​17) Ko ʻene faʻifaʻitakiʻangá ʻoku fakamanatu mai ai kiate kitautolu ʻe lava ke fakalototoʻaʻi ʻe Sihova ʻene kau faifekau anga-fakatōkilaló.​—1 Kolinito 1:​26, 27.

Naʻe faai mai pē ʻo hanga ʻe Tuʻi Siosaia anga-tonu ʻo Siutá ʻo holoki ‘ʻa e ʻolita foki naʻe ʻi Petelí, pea naʻa ne tutu foki ʻa e ʻesí, ʻo ne tutu ʻa e Aselá.’ (2 Tuʻi 23:​15, 16) ʻE lava ke faʻifaʻitaki ʻa e kau mātuʻa ʻi he ʻaho ní ki heʻene faʻifaʻitakiʻanga leleí ʻaki ʻa e fai kotoa ke aʻu ʻa e ngaahi fakahinohino ʻa e ʻOtuá pea ʻi he takimuʻa ʻi hono tauhi ke maʻa ʻa e fakatahaʻangá.

Ko e ngaahi meʻa ko eni naʻe hoko ʻi he hisitōlia ʻo Pētelí ʻokú ne fakatātaaʻi mahino ʻa e ngaahi ikuʻanga ki he māʻoniʻoní mo e fulikivanú, ki he talangofua mo e talangataʻa kia Sihová. ʻI he ngaahi taʻu ki muʻa aí, naʻe tuku atu ʻe Mōsese ʻa e fili ko ení ki he ʻao ʻo e puleʻanga ʻo ʻIsilelí: “Vakai kuo u tuku ʻi ho ʻao he ʻaho ni ʻa e moʻui mo e lelei, pea mo e mate mo e kovi.” (Teutalonome 30:​15, 16) Ko e fakalaulauloto ki he hisitōlia ʻo Pētelí te ne fakalototoʻaʻi kitautolu ke tau fakakau kitautolu ki he “Fale ʻo e ʻOtua,” ko ha feituʻu ia ʻo e lotu moʻoní, kae ʻikai ko e “Fale ʻo e Mamahí.”

[Fakamatala ʻi lalo]

[Fakatātā ʻi he peesi 23]

Ko e toetoenga ʻi he feituʻu ʻo Pētelí, ʻa ia naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻe Selopoame ha senitā ʻo e lotu ki he pulú