Lukaotem Jehovah Bifor Day Bilong Kros Bilong Hem
“Lukaotem Jehovah . . . Lukaotem raeteous fasin, lukaotem kwaet fasin. Maet iufala savve haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah.”—ZEPHANIAH 2:3.
1. Wanem nao spiritual living bilong Judah taem Zephaniah startim waka bilong hem olsem profet?
ZEPHANIAH startim waka bilong hem olsem profet long wanfala barava important taem long history bilong Judah. Spiritual living bilong datfala nation hem barava nogud. Olketa pipol luk go long olketa heathen priest and pipol for studyim star for gaedem olketa, and no putim trust long Jehovah. Baal worship, witim olketa ceremony wea apim sex, hem big tumas long datfala ples. Olketa leader—olketa prince, bigman, and judge—putim bigfala hevi long pipol wea olketa shud protectim. (Zephaniah 1:9; 3:3) Dastawe Jehovah disaed for ‘putim aot hand bilong hem’ againstim Judah for distroem!—Zephaniah 1:4.
2. Wanem hope nao stap for olketa faithful servant bilong God long Judah?
2 Nomata living hem nogud tumas olsem, lelebet hope hem stap. Josiah, son bilong Amon nao hem start for rul. Nomata hem smol boy nomoa, Josiah garem trufala love for Jehovah. Sapos niu king hia mekem klin worship kamap moa long Judah, datwan bae barava encouragem smol sekson wea faithful for servem tru God! Diswan maet muvim samfala moa for joinim olketa and tu for stap sef long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah.
Samting Man Mas Duim for Stap Laef
3, 4. Wanem nao thrifala samting man mas duim for stap laef long “day bilong kros bilong Jehovah”?
3 Waswe, samfala man wanwan bae really sev long datfala day bilong kros bilong Jehovah? Yes, sapos olketa duim thrifala samting wea stap long Zephaniah 2:2, 3. Taem iumi readim olketa verse hia, letem iumi barava tingim olketa samting wea man mas duim. Zephaniah hem raet olsem: “Bifor law hem mekem eni samting kamap, bifor day hem finis olsem rabis bilong wheat, bifor bigfala kros bilong Jehovah hem kam againstim iufala pipol, bifor day bilong kros bilong Jehovah hem kam againstim iufala, lukaotem Jehovah, iufala evriwan wea garem kwaet fasin long earth, wea duim olketa law bilong Hem. Lukaotem raeteous fasin, lukaotem kwaet fasin. Maet iufala savve haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah.”
4 So, for stap laef, man mas (1) lukaotem Jehovah, (2) lukaotem raeteous fasin, and (3) lukaotem kwaet fasin. Olketa samting hia mekem iumi interest distaem. Why nao olsem? Bikos olsem Judah and Jerusalem feisim day bilong judgment long mek-seven century B.C.E., olketa nation bilong Christendom—tru nao, evri wicked pipol—gogo for feisim Jehovah God long datfala “bigfala trabol” wea bae kam. (Matthew 24:21) Eniwan wea laek for haed long datfala taem mas barava duim samting distaem. Hao? Long wei for lukaotem Jehovah, lukaotem raeteous fasin, and lukaotem kwaet fasin bifor hem tu leit!
5. Wanem nao insaed long wei for “lukaotem Jehovah” distaem?
5 Maet iu sei: ‘Mi wanfala servant bilong God wea dedicate and baptaes, wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Waswe, mi no duim finis olketa samting hia?’ Well, moa samting hem insaed diswan winim wei for dedicatem iumiseleva long Jehovah nomoa. Israel hem wanfala nation wea dedicate, bat long taem bilong Zephaniah, pipol bilong Judah no garem living wea fitim datfala dedication. From diswan, Jehovah lusim datfala nation. For “lukaotem Jehovah” distaem, hem minim for mekem grow and keepim klos wei for fren witim hem and kaban witim organization bilong hem long earth. Hem minim for kasem tingting bilong God long samting and for tingim olketa feeling bilong hem. Iumi lukaotem Jehovah taem iumi studyim gud Word bilong hem, ting raonem, and followim kaonsel bilong hem long laef. And tu taem iumi lukaotem gaedens from Jehovah long prea and followim lead bilong holy spirit bilong hem, wei wea iumi fren witim hem kamap moa deep and diswan muvim iumi for servem hem ‘witim full heart, soul, and strong bilong iumi.’—Deuteronomy 6:5; Galatians 5:22-25; Philippians 4:6, 7; Revelation 4:11.
6. Hao nao iumi “lukaotem raeteous fasin,” and why nao iumi savve duim diswan nomata insaed disfala world?
6 Mek-tu samting wea Zephaniah 2:3 sei man mas duim hem for “lukaotem raeteous fasin.” Planti long iumi duim olketa important change long living bilong iumi mekem iumi kamap fit for baptaes, bat, iumi mas go ahed for keepim olketa raeteous mark bilong God long full laef bilong iumi. Samfala, wea start gud long diswan, bihaen letem disfala world for mekem olketa kamap dirty. Hem no isi evritaem for lukaotem raeteous fasin, bikos pipol raonem iumi ting long dirty fasin, laea, and wei for raverave olsem samting nating nomoa. Nomata olsem, strongfala feeling for want for mekem Jehovah hapi savve winim eni feeling for laekem world for appruvim iumi. Judah lusim wei wea God hapi long hem bikos hem followim olketa nation wea stap klosap wea no followim God. Winim wei for followim world, letem iumi “followim wei bilong God,” evritaem mekem grow “niufala fasin wea God wakem fitim will bilong Hem long trufala raeteous fasin and loyal fasin.”—Ephesians 4:24; 5:1.
7. Hao nao iumi “lukaotem kwaet fasin”?
7 Mek-thri point wea stap long Zephaniah 2:3 hem sapos iumi laek for haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah, iumi mas “lukaotem kwaet fasin.” Evriday iumi meetim olketa man, woman, and young pipol wea nating garem kwaet fasin. Long olketa, wei for garem kwaet fasin hem olsem wanfala wik point. Olketa ting long wei for stap anda long samwan olsem bigfala wik point. Olketa askem tumas samting, selfish, and followim tingting bilong seleva, and ting samting olketa “fit for kasem” or laekem olketa mas garem nomata wanem. Hem sorre samting sapos iumi start for garem kaen tingting olsem! Distaem nao hem taem for “lukaotem kwaet fasin.” Hao? Long wei for stap anda long God, hambol for acceptim discipline and followim will bilong hem.
Why “Maet” Savve Haed?
8. Wanem nao datfala word “maet” long Zephaniah 2:3 hem showimaot?
8 Lukim hao Zephaniah 2:3 sei: “Maet iufala savve haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah.” Why nao Zephaniah iusim datfala word “maet” taem hem storyim olketa “wea garem kwaet fasin long earth”? Olketa hia wea garem kwaet fasin duim gud samting finis, bat datwan no minim olketa barava sure long olketa seleva. Olketa no kasem end long laef bilong olketa long faithful wei yet. Gogo samfala maet foldaon long sin. Datwan fitim iumi tu. Jesus hem sei: “Man wea go ahed strong kasem end nao bae sev.” (Matthew 24:13) Yes, salvation long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah hem depend long wei wea iumi go ahed for duim stret samting. Waswe, iu disaed strong for duim datwan?
9. Wanem stretfala samting nao young King Josiah hem duim?
9 Luk olsem toktok bilong Zephaniah hem muvim King Josiah for “lukaotem Jehovah.” Scripture sei: “Long mek-eit year long rul bilong hem, taem [Josiah] wanfala boy yet [samting olsem 16 year], hem start for lukaotem God bilong David, laen dadi bilong hem.” (2 Chronicles 34:3) Josiah go ahed tu for “lukaotem raeteous fasin,” from iumi readim: “Long mek-twelv year [taem Josiah hem samting olsem 20 year] hem start for aotem from Judah and Jerusalem olketa hae ples and holy post and olketa image and idol. And tu, olketa pullim daon front long hem olketa altar bilong Baal.” (2 Chronicles 34:3, 4) Josiah “lukaotem kwaet fasin” tu, taem long hambol wei hem duim samting for mekem Jehovah hapi and aotem from datfala land wei for worshipim idol and olketa nara samting bilong giaman religion. Olketa narawan wea garem kwaet fasin mas hapi tumas long olketa samting hia!
10. Wanem nao happen long Judah long 607 B.C.E., bat hu nao sev?
10 Planti Jew tan bak long Jehovah long taem wea Josiah hem rul. Bat, bihaen datfala king hem dae, planti go bak long olketa wei bilong bifor—wei wea God barava no acceptim. Olsem Jehovah talem finis, olketa bilong Babylon winim Judah and distroem kapitol taon bilong hem, Jerusalem, long 607 B.C.E. Nomata olsem, hope stap yet. Profet Jeremiah, man bilong Ethiopia, Ebed-melech, olketa man and woman long haos bilong Jonadab, and olketa narawan wea faithful long God, olketa haed long datfala day bilong kros bilong Jehovah.—Jeremiah 35:18, 19; 39:11, 12, 15-18.
Olketa Enemy Bilong God —No Forgetim Diswan!
11. Why nao hem wanfala challenge for stap faithful long God distaem, bat wanem nao hem gud for olketa enemy bilong pipol bilong Jehovah for tingim?
11 Taem iumi weitim day bilong kros bilong Jehovah wea bae kasem disfala wicked system, iumi “kasem difren kaen test.” (James 1:2) Long samfala kantri wea sei olketa garem freedom for worship, olketa bigman bilong religion iusim paoa wea olketa garem ovarem gavman for mekem strong persecution long pipol bilong God. Olketa nogud man tok laea againstim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, for sei olketa wanfala “danger cult.” God hem savve long wanem olketa duim—and olketa bae no missim panis. Hem gud for olketa enemy bilong hem for tingim wanem nao happen long samfala enemy bilong pipol bilong hem bifor olsem olketa Philistine. Profesi sei olsem: “For saed bilong Gaza, hem bae kamap wanfala taon wea evriwan lusim; and Ashkelon bae kamap emti ples. And Ashdod, long midol day olketa bae raosem hem; and Ekron, bae olketa aotem hem evribit.” Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron olketa bigfala taon bilong Philistia bae distroe evribit.—Zephaniah 2:4-7.
12. Wanem nao happen long Philistia, Moab, and Ammon?
12 Datfala profesi go ahed olsem: “Mi herem finis wei wea Moab tok againstim iu and olketa nogud toktok bilong olketa son bilong Ammon, wea olketa tokspoelem pipol bilong mi and go ahed for enikaen tumas againstim territory bilong olketa.” (Zephaniah 2:8) Hem tru, Egypt and Ethiopia safa taem olketa bilong Babylon attakim olketa. Bat wanem nao judgment bilong God againstim Moab and Ammon, olketa nation wea kam from laen bilong Lot, nephew bilong Abraham? Jehovah talem disfala profesi: “Moab seleva bae kamap olsem Sodom, and olketa son bilong Ammon olsem Gomorrah.” No olsem laen mami bilong olketa—tufala dota bilong Lot, wea stap laef taem Sodom and Gomorrah finis evribit—Moab and Ammon bae no missim olketa strong judgment bilong God. (Zephaniah 2:9-12; Genesis 19:16, 23-26, 36-38) Wea nao nation bilong Philistia distaem and olketa taon bilong hem? And waswe long Moab and Ammon wea praod bifor? Nomata iu lukaotem olketa, bae iu no faendem olketa.
13. Wanem nao olketa wea studyim old samting faendem long Nineveh?
13 Long taem bilong Zephaniah, Rul Bilong Assyria garem bigfala paoa. Taem hem story abaotem wanfala part long haos bilong king wea hem digim long kapitol bilong Assyria, Nineveh, man for studyim old samting, Austen Layard raet olsem: “Olketa ceiling . . . olketa divaedem long smol square, wea olketa paintim witim flaoa, or piksa bilong olketa animal. Samfala garem ivory, evri smol square garem olketa stael samting long end bilong hem. Olketa beam, and tu wall long olketa rum, maet olketa kavarem witim gold and silver; and olketa iusim evri spesol timba, wea wanfala nao hem cedar, wea luk naes tumas.” Nomata olsem, profesi bilong Zephaniah sei Assyria bae distroe and kapitol taon bilong hem Nineveh, bae kamap “wanfala emti ples.”—Zephaniah 2:13.
14. Hao nao profesi bilong Zephaniah hem fulfill long Nineveh?
14 Only 15 year bihaen Zephaniah talem profesi hia, maeti Nineveh hem distroe, and haos bilong king kamap olsem hip ston nomoa. Tru nao, datfala praod taon hem foldaon kasem dust. Profesi storyim wei wea hem finis evribit: “Pelican and porcupine bae sleep midol long olketa post [wea foldaon] bilong hem. Wanfala voice bae go ahed for singsing long window. Wei for distroe bae stap long door.” (Zephaniah 2:14, 15) Olketa porcupine and pelican nomoa bae stap insaed olketa stael building bilong Nineveh. Nomoa eni noise bilong bisnis, singaot bilong olketa soldia, and prea singsing bilong olketa priest. Long olketa street wea bifor hem busy, only voice wea man savve herem from wanfala window nao hem sorre singsing bilong wanfala bird or noise bilong wind. Letem evri enemy bilong God finis long sem wei tu!
15. Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from samting wea happen long Philistia, Moab, Ammon, and Assyria?
15 Wanem nao iumi lanem from samting wea happen long Philistia, Moab, Ammon, and Assyria? Diswan: Olsem olketa servant bilong Jehovah, iumi no need for fraet long olketa enemy bilong iumi. God hem lukim samting wea sekson wea againstim pipol bilong hem olketa duim. Jehovah tek akson againstim olketa enemy bilong hem bifor, and olketa judgment bilong hem bae kasem full earth distaem. Bat, samfala bae sev—‘wanfala big crowd from evri nation.’ (Revelation 7:9) Iu savve stap midolwan long olketa—bat only sapos iu go ahed for lukaotem Jehovah, lukaotem raeteous fasin, and lukaotem kwaet fasin.
Trabol for Olketa wea Bighed for Duim Rong!
16. Wanem nao profesi bilong Zephaniah talem abaotem olketa prince and bigman bilong religion long Judah, and why nao toktok hia fitim Christendom?
16 Profesi bilong Zephaniah tan go moa long Judah and Jerusalem. Zephaniah 3:1, 2 hem sei: “Trabol long hem wea bighed and mekem hemseleva dirty, datfala nogud taon! Hem no lisin long wanfala voice; hem no acceptim discipline. Hem no trustim Jehovah. Hem no kam klosap long God bilong hem.” Sorre tumas from pipol no lisin long olketa warning bilong Jehovah and samting wea hem duim for disciplinem olketa! Barava nogud tumas nao hem raf fasin bilong olketa prince, bigman, and judge. Zephaniah tok strong againstim wei wea olketa bigman bilong religion no feel shame, taem hem sei: “Olketa profet bilong hem garem praod fasin, olketa man for giaman. Olketa priest bilong hem spoelem samting wea holy; olketa duim raf samting long law.” (Zephaniah 3:3, 4) Olketa toktok hia barava fitim fasin bilong olketa profet and priest bilong Christendom distaem! From praod fasin, olketa aotem nem bilong God from olketa Bible transleison and teachim olketa teaching wea givim laea idea abaotem Datwan wea olketa sei olketa worshipim.
17. Nomata pipol lisin or nomoa, why nao iumi go ahed talemaot gud nius?
17 Jehovah hem showimaot kaenfala fasin for warnim pipol bilong hem abaotem akson wea hem redy for duim. Hem sendem olketa servant bilong hem olketa profet—Zephaniah and Jeremiah, witim samfala moa—for encouragem olketa pipol for repent. Yes, “Jehovah . . . hem no duim eni samting wea no raeteous. Evri morning hem go ahed for givim judicial disison bilong hem. Long daylaet diswan no short.” Wanem nao kamaot from diswan? Zephaniah hem sei: “Bat man wea no raeteous hem nating garem eni shame.” (Zephaniah 3:5) Semkaen warning hem go aot distaem. Sapos iu wanfala pablisa bilong gud nius, iu nao share long disfala warning waka. Go ahed for talemaot datfala gud nius and no slak daon! Nomata pipol lisin or nomoa, ministry bilong iu win long eye bilong God sapos iu go ahed faithful for duim; iu no need for feel shame taem iu duim waka bilong God witim strong.
18. Hao nao Zephaniah 3:6 bae fulfill?
18 Judgment bilong God hem no just for finisim Christendom nomoa. Jehovah mekem judgment bilong hem for kasem evri nation: “Mi finisim olketa nation; olketa taoa long wall bilong olketa mi finisim. Mi distroem olketa street bilong olketa, mekem no eniwan wakabaot thru. Olketa taon bilong olketa stap emti.” (Zephaniah 3:6) Iumi barava fit for trustim olketa toktok hia from Jehovah talem olsem samting wea happen finis. Wea nao olketa taon bilong Philistia, Moab, and Ammon? And waswe long Nineveh, kapitol bilong Assyria? Wei wea olketa finis mas olsem wanfala warning example for olketa nation distaem. God hem no man for eniwan mekfani long hem.
Go Ahed for Lukaotem Jehovah
19. Wanem kwestin wea mekem man tingting nao iumi savve askem?
19 Long taem bilong Zephaniah, kros bilong God hem kasem olketa wicked wan wea “evri samting wea olketa duim hem nogud.” (Zephaniah 3:7) Sem samting bae happen long taem bilong iumi. Waswe, iu lukim pruv hao day bilong kros bilong Jehovah hem klosap? Waswe, iu go ahed for “lukaotem Jehovah” long wei for readim Word bilong hem evritaem—evriday? Waswe, iu “lukaotem raeteous fasin” taem iu garem living wea klin saed long fasin wea fitim olketa mark bilong God? Waswe, iu “lukaotem kwaet fasin” long wei for garem tingting wea hambol, stap anda long God and olketa arrangement bilong hem for salvation?
20. Wanem nao olketa kwestin wea iumi bae lukluk long hem insaed last part bilong disfala profesi bilong Zephaniah?
20 Sapos iumi faithful for go ahed lukaotem Jehovah, raeteous fasin, and kwaet fasin, iumi savve enjoyim olketa rich blessing distaem—yes, nomata insaed olketa “last day” distaem wea faith bilong iumi kasem test. (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Proverbs 10:22) Bat hem gud for ask olsem, ‘Wanem nao olketa wei wea olketa servant bilong Jehovah distaem kasem blessing, and wanem future blessing nao profesi bilong Zephaniah putim front long olketa wea bae haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah wea kam klosap tumas?’
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Hao nao pipol savve “lukaotem Jehovah”?
• Wanem nao insaed long wei for “lukaotem raeteous fasin”?
• Hao nao iumi savve “lukaotem kwaet fasin”?
• Why nao iumi shud go ahed for lukaotem Jehovah, raeteous fasin, and kwaet fasin?
[Piksa long page 18]
Waswe, iu lukaotem Jehovah thru long Bible study and strongfala prea?
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Bikos olketa go ahed for lukaotem Jehovah, wanfala big crowd bae winim day bilong kros bilong hem