Faith and Fasin for Fraet Long God Hem Mekem Man No Fraet
“Iu mas no fraet, and mas strong . . . God bilong iu Jehovah hem stap witim iu.”—JOSHUA 1:9.
1, 2. (a) Long tingting bilong man wea no trust long Jehovah, waswe, olketa Israelite savve winim olketa Canaanite? (b) Wanem promis nao Jehovah talem long Joshua?
LONG year 1473 B.C.E., nation bilong Israel redi for go insaed long Promis Land. Moses hem storyim moa olketa hardfala samting wea olketa bae feisim, taem hem sei: “Distaem iufala redi for katkros long Jordan River and go for aotem olketa nation wea moa big and moa strong winim iufala, olketa bigfala taon wea garem haefala wall, pipol wea strong fogud, olketa son bilong Anakim, wea iufala tu herem pipol sei olsem abaotem olketa, ‘No eniwan savve winim olketa son bilong Anak!’ ” (Deuteronomy 9:1, 2) Tru nao, pipol evriwea savve long story abaotem olketa mamaeti man hia for faet! Nara samting tu, samfala Canaanite garem olketa strongfala army and olketa horse and chariot wea naef kamaot from wheel bilong olketa.—Judges 4:13.
2 Bat olketa Israelite wanfala nation wea slave nomoa bifor, and stap insaed wilderness for 40 year finis. Long tingting bilong man wea no trust long Jehovah, luk olsem olketa no garem chance for win nao. Nomata olsem, Moses garem faith; hem savve “lukim” wei wea Jehovah leadim olketa. (Hebrews 11:27) Moses hem sei olsem long olketa: “God bilong iufala Jehovah hem gogo firstaem long iufala. . . . Hem bae distroem olketa, and iufala bae lukim hem winim olketa front long iufala.” (Deuteronomy 9:3; Psalm 33:16, 17) Bihaen Moses hem dae, Jehovah promisim Joshua moa hao Hem bae sapotim hem taem hem sei: “Iu and olketa pipol hia mas standap, akrosim disfala Jordan, and go insaed long datfala land wea mi givim long olketa son bilong Israel. Long full laef bilong iu, no eniwan bae win againstim iu. Long sem wei wea mi stap witim Moses bae mi stap witim iu.”—Joshua 1:2, 5.
3. Wanem nao helpem Joshua for garem faith and no fraet?
3 Sapos Joshua laekem Jehovah for helpem and leadim hem, hem mas readim and tingting raonem Law bilong God and followim datwan. Jehovah hem sei: “Diswan savve mekem iu for win and iu bae duim samting long wisefala wei. Waswe, mi no komandim iu finis? Iu mas no fraet, and mas strong. No seke or fraet tumas, from God bilong iu Jehovah hem stap witim iu nomata wanem ples iu go long hem.” (Joshua 1:8, 9) From Joshua lisin long God, hem no fraet, hem strong, and hem win long wanem hem duim. Nomata olsem, plande wea klosap sem age olsem hem no lisin, and from diswan, olketa no win long wanem olketa duim and olketa dae long wilderness.
Olketa wea No Garem Faith Olketa Fraet
4, 5. (a) Long wanem wei nao tingting bilong tenfala spae hem difren from tingting bilong Joshua and Caleb? (b) Hao nao Jehovah feel taem olketa pipol no showimaot faith?
4 Foti year bifor, taem olketa Israelite klosap kasem Canaan, Moses sendem 12-fala man for spae long datfala land. Tenfala long olketa fraet fogud. Taem olketa kam bak, olketa sei olsem: “Evri man mifala lukim long datfala ples barava big fogud. And mifala lukim olketa Nephilim long there, olketa son bilong Anak, wea kam from laen bilong olketa Nephilim; wea taem mifala markem mifala seleva witim olketa, mifala olsem olketa grashopa nomoa.” Waswe, ‘evri man’ long there nao barava big fogud? Nomoa. Waswe, olketa Anakim kam from laen bilong olketa Nephilim wea laef bifor Flood hem kam? Nomoa tu! Tenfala spae hia talem olketa laea story olsem for mekem pipol fraet. From diswan, gogo olketa pipol laek for go bak long Egypt tu, ples wea olketa stap olsem slave bifor!—Numbers 13:31–14:4.
5 Bat Joshua and Caleb laekem tumas for go insaed long datfala Promis Land. Tufala sei olsem: ‘Olketa Canaanite olsem kaikai for iumi. No eni samting stap for protectim olketa, and Jehovah hem stap witim iumi. No fraet long olketa.’ (Numbers 14:9) Waswe, Joshua and Caleb hope krangge nomoa? Barava nomoa nao! Tufala and evri narafala Israelite lukim taem Jehovah iusim Tenfala Trabol for mek shame long strongfala nation bilong Egypt and olketa god bilong olketa. Then olketa lukim taem Jehovah hem draonem Pharaoh and army bilong hem long Red Sea. (Psalm 136:15) Tru tumas, barava no eni reason stap for tenfala spae and olketa nara pipol wea agree witim olketa for fraet. Jehovah talemaot sorre feeling bilong hem from olketa garem kaen tingting olsem, hem sei: “Hao long nao olketa bae no garem faith long mi nomata olketa lukim evri saen wea mi duim?”—Numbers 14:11.
6. Hao nao fasin for no fraet hem join witim faith, and hao nao diswan showaot long taem bilong iumi?
6 Datfala toktok bilong Jehovah hem showimaot wanem nao really kosim datfala problem. Wei wea pipol hia fraet showimaot olketa no garem faith. Tru nao, faith and fasin for no fraet barava join tugeta, dastawe aposol John raet abaotem spiritual faet wea Christian kongregeson feisim and sei: “Samting wea mekem iumi winim world nao hem faith bilong iumi.” (1 John 5:4) From olketa garem faith olsem Joshua and Caleb, winim six million Witness bilong Jehovah, olketa wea young and olo, strong and wik, olketa preachim gud nius abaotem Kingdom evriwea long world. No eni enemy hem win for stopem disfala maeti army wea nating fraet.—Romans 8:31.
No “Tan Go Bak”
7. Wanem nao hem minim for “tan go bak”?
7 Olketa servant bilong Jehovah distaem no fraet for preach abaotem gud nius bikos olketa garem sem tingting olsem aposol Paul wea sei: “Iumi no kaen man wea fraet nao mekem iumi tan go bak and finis evribit, bat iumi kaen man wea garem faith wea mekem soul gohed for laef.” (Hebrews 10:39) Taem Paul hem story abaotem wei for “tan go bak,” hem no minim for fraet for lelebet taem nomoa, bikos samfala taem staka faithful servant bilong God olketa fraet tu. (1 Samuel 21:12; 1 Kings 19:1-4) Bat olsem wanfala Bible dictionary hem talem, diswan hem minim for “muv bak, for lusim” or for “slak long hao iumi followim truth.” Hem talem tu hao maet disfala toktok “tan go bak” kam from wanfala example abaotem “wei for daonem sail bilong wanfala ship wea hem olsem wei for katdaon or gogo slow” saed long wei for servem God. Bat, olketa wea garem strongfala faith nating ting for “gogo slow” taem olketa kasem hard samting olsem persecution, sik, or eni nara hard taem. Olketa gohed strong for servem Jehovah and olketa savve hem barava lovem olketa, and tu, hem savve wanem olketa no fit for duim. (Psalm 55:22; 103:14) Waswe, iu garem faith olsem tu?
8, 9. (a) Hao nao Jehovah strongim faith bilong olketa firstfala Christian? (b) Wanem nao iumi savve duim for mekem iumi garem strongfala faith?
8 Wantaem olketa aposol feel olsem olketa short long faith, so olketa sei olsem long Jesus: “Givim mifala moa faith.” (Luke 17:5) Jehovah givim disfala samting wea olketa askem, especially long Pentecost 33 C.E., taem olketa disaepol kasem holy spirit and olketa minim gud go moa Word and plan bilong God. (John 14:26; Acts 2:1-4) From faith bilong olketa kamap moa strong, olketa disaepol startim wanfala preaching waka wea go kasem “evriwea anda long heven,” nomata pipol againstim olketa.—Colossians 1:23; Acts 1:8; 28:22.
9 For mekem iumi savve garem strongfala faith and gohed strong long ministry iumi tu mas studyim Bible, ting raonem samting iumi studyim, and prea for holy spirit. Iumi mas strongim truth bilong God insaed mind and heart bilong iumi, olsem Joshua, Caleb, and olketa firstfala Christian olketa duim. Diswan bae mekem iumi garem kaen faith wea mekem iumi no fraet, wea datwan nao bae mekem iumi savve gohed strong and win long spiritual faet bilong iumi.—Romans 10:17.
Faith—Hem No Wei for Just Biliv Nomoa
10. Wanem nao hem minim for garem trufala faith?
10 Olsem olketa faithful man bifor showimaot, for garem faith wea mekem man no fraet and no givap hem no minim for just biliv long God nomoa, bat man mas duim samfala samting moa tu. (James 2:19) Iumi mas savve gud long Jehovah and barava trustim hem. (Psalm 78:5-8; Proverbs 3:5, 6) Iumi mas barava bilivim hao wei for followim olketa law and principle bilong God hem best samting for duim. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) And tu, iumi trustim evribit wei wea Jehovah bae duim evri samting wea hem promisim, and hem kamap ‘man wea givim reward long olketa wea barava lukaotem hem.’—Hebrews 11:1, 6; Isaiah 55:11.
11. Wanem nao olketa blessing wea Joshua and Caleb kasem from tufala garem faith and fasin for no fraet?
11 Kaen faith olsem hem no stap semsem nomoa. Faith hia kamap moa strong taem iumi followim truth insaed laef bilong iumi, and “teistim” olketa gudfala samting wea kamaot from datwan, “lukim” hao Jehovah ansarem olketa prea bilong iumi, and long olketa narafala wei, luksavve hao Jehovah leadim iumi. (Psalm 34:8; 1 John 5:14, 15) Iumi savve sure faith bilong Joshua and Caleb kamap moa strong taem tufala kasem olketa gudfala samting wea kamaot from gudfala fasin bilong God. (Joshua 23:14) Tingim olketa point hia: Tufala no dae insaed wilderness olsem God hem talem. (Numbers 14:27-30; 32:11, 12) Tufala insaed olketa faet wea gohed for sixfala year for tekova long Canaan. And tu, tufala laef longtaem, tufala healthy, and kasem pis land bilong tufala seleva. Tru nao, Jehovah givim bigfala reward long olketa wea faithful and wea servem hem witim fasin for no fraet!—Joshua 14:6, 9-14; 19:49, 50; 24:29.
12. Hao nao Jehovah mekem toktok bilong hem “barava hae”?
12 Loving-kaeness wea Jehovah showimaot long Joshua and Caleb mekem iumi tingim disfala toktok bilong man wea raetem psalm: “Iu mekem toktok bilong iu barava hae winim nem bilong iu.” (Psalm 138:2) Taem Jehovah iusim nem bilong hem for mekem no eniwan daotem hao hem bae fulfillim wanfala promis, wei wea datfala promis fulfill hem kamap hae, wea minim datfala promis bae fulfill long wei wea barava winim nao hao pipol tingse hem bae fulfill. (Ephesians 3:20) Tru nao, Jehovah evritaem duim samting wea hem sei hem bae duim for olketa wea “barava hapi” long hem.—Psalm 37:3, 4.
Wanfala Man wea “God Barava Hapi Long Hem”
13, 14. Why nao Enoch needim faith and fasin for no fraet?
13 Iumi savve lanem staka samting abaotem faith and fasin for no fraet from example bilong wanfala faithful Witness bifor—Enoch. Nomata bifor Enoch hem start for talemaot profesi, maet hem savve faith bilong hem and fasin for no fraet bae kasem test. Hao nao olsem? Bikos Jehovah talem finis long Eden hao fasin for enemy bae kamap midolwan olketa wea worshipim God and olketa wea saedem Satan. (Genesis 3:15) Enoch savve tu hao disfala fasin for heit hem kamap long taem wea olketa man just start, taem Cain killim dae brata bilong hem Abel. Tru nao, dadi bilong olketa, Adam, hem laef for klosap 310 year bihaen Enoch hem born.—Genesis 5:3-18.
14 Nomata olsem, Enoch hem no fraet for “wakabaot witim trufala God” and hem tok againstim “olketa barava nogud toktok” wea pipol talem againstim Jehovah. (Genesis 5:22; Jude 14, 15) From Enoch no fraet for sapotim tru worship, diswan mekem hem garem staka enemy, and samting wea kamaot from diswan nao, laef bilong hem stap long danger. Bat Jehovah no letem olketa enemy killim dae disfala profet bilong hem. Bihaen Jehovah talem Enoch hem “barava hapi long hem,” Hem “tekem” hem from laef go long dae, wea maet datwan minim God endim laef bilong Enoch taem hem gohed for lukluk long wanfala vision.—Hebrews 11:5, 13; Genesis 5:24.
15. Enoch hem showimaot wanem gudfala example for olketa servant bilong Jehovah distaem?
15 Bihaen Paul story abaotem wei wea God tekem Enoch from laef go long dae, hem talem moa wei wea faith hem important tumas taem hem sei: “Sapos man no garem faith hem hard nao for mekem [God] hapi.” (Hebrews 11:6) Tru nao, faith wea Enoch garem mekem hem fit for wakabaot witim Jehovah and talemaot judgment bilong Hem long pipol wea no followim God. Enoch showimaot nambawan example for iumi long diswan. Iumi garem semkaen waka for duim insaed world wea againstim tru worship and wea fulap witim enikaen nogud samting.—Psalm 92:7; Matthew 24:14; Revelation 12:17.
Wei for Fraet Long God Mekem Man No Fraet
16, 17. Hu nao Obadiah, and wanem nao hem feisim?
16 Narafala fasin wea savve mekem man for no fraet tu hem wei for fraet long God. Tingim nambawan example bilong wanfala man wea fraet long God and wea hem stap long taem bilong profet Elijah and King Ahab, wea rulim kingdom bilong Israel long north. Taem Ahab hem rul, pipol long datfala kingdom long north worshipim Baal long bigfala wei winim eni narataem bifor. Tru nao, 450 profet bilong Baal and 400 profet wea worshipim idol, olketa “kaikai long tebol bilong Jezebel,” waef bilong Ahab.—1 Kings 16:30-33; 18:19.
17 Jezebel, wea hem raf enemy bilong Jehovah, trae for finisim tru worship from datfala ples. Hem killim dae samfala profet bilong Jehovah and trae for killim dae Elijah tu, bat God talem hem for ranawe go long narasaed bilong Jordan. (1 Kings 17:1-3; 18:13) Tingim hao hem barava hard tumas for sapotim tru worship long kingdom bilong north long datfala taem! Bat tingim tu hao hem bae moa hard sapos iu waka insaed long haos bilong king! Bat hem nao samting wea Obadiaha feisim, wea hem wanfala servant bilong Ahab wea fraet long God.—1 Kings 18:3.
18. Wanem nao mekem wei wea Obadiah worshipim Jehovah hem barava spesol?
18 Iumi sure Obadiah hem barava careful saed long wei wea hem worshipim Jehovah. Nomata olsem, hem no brekem faith bilong hem. First Kings 18:3 hem sei: “Obadiah hem man wea barava fraet long Jehovah.” Tru nao, wei for fraet long God wea Obadiah garem hem barava spesol! From hem garem disfala fasin hem barava nating fraet, and diswan hem showaot stretawe bihaen Jezebel killim dae olketa profet bilong Jehovah.
19. Wanem nao Obadiah duim wea showimaot hem garem fasin for no fraet?
19 Bible hem sei: “Taem Jezebel hem killim dae olketa profet bilong Jehovah, Obadiah tekem wan handred profet and haedem fifti long wanfala cave and nara fifti long nara cave, and hem givim olketa bred and wata.” (1 Kings 18:4) Tingim hao hem barava danger samting for haedem and feedim wan handred man. Obadiah mas careful nogud Ahab and Jezebel witim 850 false profet wea kam evritaem long haos bilong king bae faendemaot samting wea hem duim. And tu, staka narawan wea worshipim idol bae laekem tumas for mekius long eni chance for reportim Obadiah, mekem olketa savve iusim datwan for mekem king and queen hapi long olketa. Nomata diswan hem barava danger samting for duim, Obadiah no fraet for provaedem samting wea olketa profet bilong Jehovah needim. Tru nao, fasin for fraet long God savve barava mekem man garem fasin for no fraet!
20. Hao nao wei wea Obadiah fraet long God helpem hem, and hao nao example bilong hem helpem iu?
20 From Obadiah showimaot hem garem fasin for fraet long God, Jehovah protectim hem from olketa enemy bilong hem. Proverbs 29:25 hem sei: “Wei for fraet long man hem wanfala trap, bat man wea trustim Jehovah bae kasem protection.” Obadiah hem wanfala man olsem iumi, and hem fraet nogud olketa faendemaot samting wea hem duim and killim hem dae. Sapos iumi Obadiah, bae iumi fraet tu. (1 Kings 18:7-9, 12) Nomata olsem, wei wea hem fraet long God mekem hem fit for winim datfala wei for fraet long man. Obadiah hem nambawan example for iumi evriwan, especially olketa wea worshipim Jehovah nomata maet diswan mekem olketa lusim freedom bilong olketa, or putim laef bilong olketa long danger. (Matthew 24:9) Tru nao, iumi evriwan mas trae hard for servem Jehovah witim bigfala respect and wei for fraet long hem.—Hebrews 12:28.
21. Wanem nao bae iumi storyim long next article?
21 Hem no faith and fasin for fraet long God nomoa wea savve helpem man for garem fasin for no fraet, bat love tu savve barava helpem man for garem disfala fasin. Paul hem raet olsem: “God no givim iumi spirit bilong fraet, bat bilong paoa and love and gudfala tingting.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Long nextfala article, bae iumi lukim hao love savve helpem iumi for servem Jehovah witim fasin for no fraet long olketa last day distaem wea hard tumas.—2 Timothy 3:1.
[Olketa footnote]
a Diswan hem no profet Obadiah.
Waswe, Iu Savve Ansa?
• Wanem nao helpem Joshua and Caleb for no fraet?
• Wanem nao hem minim for garem trufala faith?
• Why nao Enoch hem no fraet for talemaot judgment message bilong God?
• Hao nao fasin for fraet long God helpem man for no fraet?
[Piksa long page 19]
Jehovah talem disfala komand long Joshua: “Iu mas no fraet and mas strong”
[Piksa long page 20]
Obadiah lukaftarem and protectim olketa profet bilong God
[Piksa long page 21]
Enoch no fraet for talemaot toktok bilong God