Garem Semkaen Faith Olsem Abraham!

“Olketa wea followim faith olketa nao son bilong Abraham.”—GALATIANS 3:7.

1. Hao nao Abram deal witim wanfala niu test wea kamap long Canaan?

ABRAM lusim rich living long Ur taem hem obeyim komand bilong Jehovah. Olketa hard samting wea hem kasem insaed olketa year bihaen hem smol nomoa long test bilong faith wea hem feisim long Egypt. Bible hem sei: “Wanfala big hangre kamap long datfala land.” Hem bae isi tumas for Abram feel kros from samting wea kasem hem! Hem no feel olsem bat hem duim samting for provaed for famili bilong hem. “Abram go daon long Egypt for stap long there olsem wanfala stranger, bikos datfala hangre hem big tumas long datfala land.” Pipol long Egypt bae lukim bigfala famili bilong Abram. Waswe, Jehovah bae fulfillim olketa promis bilong hem and protectim Abram from eni trabol?—Genesis 12:10; Exodus 16:2, 3.

2, 3. (a) Why nao Abram haedem wei wea Sarai waef bilong hem? (b) Taem datfala samting hem happen, hao nao Abram deal witim waef bilong hem?

² Iumi readim long Genesis 12:11-13: “Taem hem klosap go insaed long Egypt, then hem sei long waef bilong hem Sarai: ‘Plis herem! Mi savve iu wanfala woman wea luk naes tumas. So bae olketa bilong Egypt lukim iu and sei, “Diswan nao waef bilong hem.” And bae olketa killim mi dae stret, bat iu nao bae olketa keepim laef. Plis sei iu sista bilong mi, mekem evri samting go ahed gud for mi from saed bilong iu, and soul bilong mi bae laef bikos long iu.’” Nomata Sarai hem winim 65 year, hem still luk naes tumas. Datwan mekem laef bilong Abram stap long danger.a (Genesis 12:4, 5; 17:17) Moa important, samting wea join witim purpose bilong Jehovah stap long danger, bikos hem sei thru long seed bilong Abram nao evri nation bilong earth bae blessim olketa seleva. (Genesis 12:2, 3, 7) Bikos Abram no garem pikinini, hem barava important for hem stap laef.

³ Abram story long waef bilong hem abaotem wanfala plan wea tufala agree firstaem long hem, hem nao for Sarai sei hem sista bilong hem. Lukim hao nomata hem nao garem paoa olsem hed bilong famili, hem no mekius long position bilong hem, bat hem askem Sarai for waka tugeta and saportim hem. (Genesis 12:11-13; 20:13) Abram showimaot gudfala example for olketa hasband kamap olsem loving hed, and Sarai, wea showimaot hem stap anda, hem example for olketa waef distaem.—Ephesians 5:23-28; Colossians 4:6.

4. Wanem nao olketa faithful servant bilong God distaem mas duim taem laef bilong brata bilong olketa stap long danger?

⁴ Sarai fit for sei hem sista bilong Abram bikos hem really haf sista bilong hem. (Genesis 20:12) And tu, Abram no need for givim eni information long pipol wea no fit for herem. (Matthew 7:6) Olketa faithful servant bilong God long distaem followim Bible komand for honest. (Hebrews 13:18) Example, olketa bae nating laea sapos olketa talemaot promis insaed long wanfala kot case. Bat, taem physical and spiritual laef bilong brata bilong olketa stap long danger, olsem long taem bilong persecution or war insaed kantri, olketa followim kaonsel bilong Jesus for “careful olsem snek bat no garem blame olsem kurukuru.”—Matthew 10:16; lukim Wastaoa, November 1, 1996, page 18, paragraf 19.

5. Why nao Sarai hem willing for obeyim samting wea Abram askem?

⁵ Wanem nao Sarai duim taem Abram askem hem datwan? Aposol Peter story abaotem olketa woman olsem Sarai olsem woman “wea hope long God.” Dastawe Sarai minim olketa spiritual samting wea insaed long diswan. For join witim datwan, hem lovem and respectim hasband bilong hem. So, Sarai chus for ‘stap anda long hasband bilong hem’ and haedem wei wea hem marit. (1 Peter 3:5) Tru, wei for duim olsem mekem hem stap long danger. “Taem Abram go insaed long Egypt, olketa bilong Egypt lukim hao datfala woman luk naes tumas. And olketa prince bilong Pharaoh lukim hem tu and start for praisem hem long Pharaoh, gogo olketa tekem woman hia go long haos bilong Pharaoh.”—Genesis 12:14, 15.

Jehovah Sevem Olketa

6, 7. Wanem barava hard samting nao Abram and Sarai kasem, and hao nao Jehovah sevem Sarai?

⁶ Diswan mas mekem Abram and Sarai wari tumas! Hem luk olsem olketa bae spoelem Sarai. And tu, Pharaoh, from hem no savve Sarai hem marit woman, hem givim staka present long Abram, gogo “hem garem olketa sheep and buluka and olketa donkey and olketa man servant and olketa girl servant and olketa mere donkey and olketa camel.”b (Genesis 12:16) Abram barava no laekem olketa present hia! Nomata luk olsem evri samting hem barava nogud, Jehovah no lusim Abram.

⁷ “Then Jehovah tasim Pharaoh and famili bilong hem witim bigfala trabol bikos long Sarai, waef bilong Abram.” (Genesis 12:17) Long wei wea iumi no savve Pharaoh faendemaot reason for “bigfala trabol” hia. Stretawe hem duim samting: “From datwan Pharaoh kolem Abram and sei: ‘Wanem nao iu duim long mi? Why nao iu no talem mi hem waef bilong iu? Why nao iu sei, “Hem sista bilong mi,” dastawe mi klosap tekem hem olsem waef bilong mi? So waef bilong iu long hia. Tekem hem and go!’ And Pharaoh givim komand long olketa man for saed bilong hem, and olketa leadim go aot hem and waef bilong hem and evri samting wea hem garem.”—Genesis 12:18-20; Psalms 105:14, 15.

8. Wanem kaen protection nao Jehovah promisim for olketa Christian distaem?

⁸ Distaem, Jehovah no promis for protectim iumi from dae, raf fasin, hangre, or natural disaster. Iumi kasem promis hao Jehovah bae evritaem protectim iumi from olketa samting wea savve mekem spiritual saed bilong iumi stap long danger. (Psalm 91:1-4) Main wei wea hem duim olsem nao taem hem givim iumi warning long barava taem thru long Word bilong hem and “faithful and wise slave.” (Matthew 24:45) Waswe long danger for dae from persecution? Nomata samfala wanwan maet dae, God bae nating letem wei for pipol bilong hem olsem wanfala sekson for finis. (Psalm 116:15) And sapos samfala faithful wan dae, iumi savve sure olketa bae resurrect.—John 5:28, 29.

Mekem Sakrifaes for Keepim Peace

9. Wanem nao showaot Abram hem muv from ples tu ples long Canaan?

⁹ Taem hangre long Canaan hem finis, “Abram go aot from Egypt, hem and waef bilong hem and evri samting wea hem garem, and Lot witim hem, go long Negeb [area wea drae tumas long south bilong olketa maunten long Judah]. And Abram garem staka animal and silver and gold.” (Genesis 13:1, 2) So pipol long there bae ting long hem olsem man wea garem paoa and bignem, wanfala maeti chief. (Genesis 23:6) Abram no ting for stap long there and join insaed long politik bilong Canaan. Bat, “hem go from ples tu ples go aot from Negeb and go long Bethel, long ples wea tent bilong hem stap firstaem midolwan long Bethel and Ai.” Olsem hem duim evritaem, Abram putim worship bilong Jehovah firstaem long eni ples wea hem go.—Genesis 13:3, 4.

10. Wanem nao problem wea kamap midolwan olketa wea lukaftarem olketa animal bilong Abram and Lot, and why nao hem important for stretem diswan kwiktaem?

¹⁰ “And Lot, wea gogo witim Abram, hem ownim tu olketa sheep and buluka and tent. So land hem no big fitim olketa for stap tugeta evriwan, bikos kago bilong olketa kamap staka and no fit for evriwan stap tugeta. And wanfala raoa kamap midolwan olketa wea lukaftarem olketa animal bilong Abram and olketa wea lukaftarem olketa animal bilong Lot, and long datfala taem olketa Canaanite and Perizzite stap long datfala land.” (Genesis 13:5-7) Datfala land no garem inaf wata and grass for fitim olketa animal bilong Abram and Lot. Dastawe kros and nogud feeling kamap midolwan olketa wea lukaftarem olketa animal hia. Kaen wei for argue olsem hem no mas gud midolwan olketa wea worshipim tru God. Sapos datwan go ahed, maet big raoa kamap. So hao nao Abram bae deal witim disfala samting? Hem adoptim Lot bihaen dadi bilong Lot hem dae, maet bringim hem ap olsem pikinini bilong hemseleva. From hem nao moa olo, waswe, fitim Abram nao for tekem best samting?

11, 12. Wanem kaenfala samting nao Abram duim long Lot, and why nao Lot no chus long wisefala wei?

¹¹ Bat “Abram talem Lot: ‘Plis, no letem eni raoa go ahed midolwan long iumi tufala and midolwan long olketa wakman bilong iumi tufala, bikos iumi brata. Waswe, full land no stap for iu chusim? Plis, separate from mi. Sapos iu go long left saed, then mi bae go long raet saed; bat sapos iu go long raet saed, then mi bae go long left saed.’” Klosap long Bethel wanfala ples stap wea olketa kolem “wanfala best ples for luk ovarem land bilong Palestine.” Maet from there nao “Lot luk go ap and lukim full Distrik bilong Jordan, hao evriwea garem staka wata bifor Jehovah finisim Sodom and Gomorrah, olsem garden bilong Jehovah, olsem land bilong Egypt go kasem Zoar.”—Genesis 13:8-10.

¹² Nomata Bible storyim Lot olsem hem “raeteous,” for samfala reason hem no letem Abram for chus firstaem, or askem tingting bilong hem. (2 Peter 2:7) “Then Lot chusim for hemseleva full Distrik bilong Jordan, and Lot muvim camp bilong hem go long east. So tufala separate from each other. Abram stap long land bilong Canaan, bat Lot stap midolwan olketa taon bilong datfala Distrik. Gogo hem apim tent klosap long Sodom.” (Genesis 13:11, 12) Sodom hem richfala ples and garem planti gudfala samting long material wei. (Ezekiel 16:49, 50) Samting wea Lot chusim maet luk olsem hem wise long material wei, bat long spiritual saed hem no wise. Why nao olsem? Bikos “olketa man bilong Sodom nogud tumas and barava sin againstim Jehovah,” hem nao samting wea Genesis 13:13 hem talem. Gogo disison bilong Lot for muv long there hem kosim bigfala sorre for famili bilong hem.

13. Hao nao example bilong Abram helpem olketa Christian wea maet insaed raoa saed long selen?

¹³ Abram showimaot faith long promis bilong Jehovah hao seed bilong hem bae ownim datfala full land; hem no argue for wanfala smol pis bilong datfala land. Hem kaen tumas for followim principle wea stap long 1 Corinthians 10:24: “Letem man go ahed for lukaotem, no gudfala samting for hemseleva, bat for narafala man.” Hem gud for olketa wea garem raoa saed long selen witim narafala brata for tingim diswan. Winim wei for followim kaonsel long Matthew 18:15-17, samfala tekem brata bilong olketa long kot. (1 Corinthians 6:1, 7) Example bilong Abram showimaot hao hem moabeta for lus saed long selen winim wei for mekem nem bilong Jehovah kasem shame or spoelem peace bilong Christian kongregeson.—James 3:18.

14. Long wanem wei nao Abram kasem blessing for kaenfala fasin bilong hem?

¹⁴ Abram kasem reward for kaenfala fasin bilong hem. God sei: “Mi bae mekem seed bilong iu kamap olsem dust bilong earth, mekem sapos wanfala man savve kaontem dust bilong earth, then bae olketa savve kaontem seed bilong iu.” Diswan hem barava encouragem Abram wea no garem eni pikinini! Then, God givim disfala komand: “Getap, go wakabaot long land followim long bilong hem and followim waed bilong hem, bikos mi bae givim long iu.” (Genesis 13:16, 17) Abram no free for stap long ples bilong isi living insaed wanfala taon. Hem mas stap separate from olketa bilong Canaan. Olketa Christian distaem tu mas stap separate from world. Olketa no ting olketa moabeta winim nara pipol, bat olketa no kaban long klos wei witim eniwan wea maet switim olketa for duim fasin wea no fitim Bible.—1 Peter 4:3, 4.

15. (a) Wei wea Abram travel maet mekem hem tingim wanem? (b) Wanem example nao Abram showimaot for olketa Christian famili distaem?

¹⁵ Long taem bilong Bible, bifor wanfala man kasem land, hem garem raet for lukluk long datwan firstaem. Wei wea hem travel long datfala ples maet mekem Abram tingim hao wanday land hia bae bilong olketa pikinini bilong hem. Abram obey taem hem “go ahed for stap insaed olketa tent. Bihaen hem kam and stap midolwan olketa big tree bilong Mamre, wea stap long Hebron; and long there hem buildim wanfala altar long Jehovah.” (Genesis 13:18) Long hia Abram showimaot moa hao hem ting long worship olsem first samting. Waswe, famili study, famili prea, and wei for attendim olketa meeting olsem first samting long famili bilong iu?

Enemy Hem Attak

16. (a) Why nao firstfala toktok bilong Genesis 14:1 point go long nogud samting? (b) Wanem nao reason why fofala king bilong east olketa attak?

¹⁶ “And long taem bilong Amraphel king bilong Shinar, Arioch king bilong Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king bilong Elam,c and Tidal king bilong Goiim, olketa hia mekem war kamap.” (Genesis 14:1, 2) Long firstfala Hebrew languis, disfala toktok (“And long taem bilong . . . ”) hem toktok wea point go long nogud samting, wea minim “wanfala taem bilong test wea finis witim blessing.” (Genesis 14:1, 2, footnote) Test hia start taem fofala king hia bilong east and army bilong olketa attakim Canaan. Wanem nao goal bilong olketa? For finisim bighed wei bilong faevfala taon olsem Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela. Olketa winim faevfala taon hia and “march go olsem sekson wea join tugeta go long Lowfala Ples bilong Siddim, hem nao, Salt Sea.” Lot and famili bilong hem stap klosap.—Genesis 14:3-7.

17. Why nao wei wea olketa tekem Lot olsem prisoner hem wanfala test bilong faith for Abram?

¹⁷ Olketa king bilong Canaan strong for againstim sekson hia wea attakim olketa, bat olketa barava lus. “Then olketa hia wea win tekem evri kago bilong Sodom and Gomorrah and evri kaikai bilong olketa and go. Olketa tekem tu Lot son bilong brata bilong Abram and olketa kago bilong hem and go. Long datfala taem hem stap long Sodom.” No longtaem bihaen, disfala nogud nius kasem Abram: “Bihaen datwan wanfala man wea ranawe kam and talem Abram datfala Hebrew. Long datfala taem hem stap midolwan olketa bigfala tree bilong Mamre datfala Amorite, brata bilong Eshcol and brata bilong Aner, and olketa wea saed witim Abram. So Abram herem hao olketa tekem brata bilong hem olsem prisoner.” (Genesis 14:8-14) Datwan hem bigfala test bilong faith! Waswe, bae Abram mekem grow nogud feeling for son bilong brata bilong hem bikos hem tekem best part bilong datfala land? Mas tingim tu hao sekson wea attak hia kam from homland bilong hem, Shinar. For faet witim olketa bae distroem eni chance for go bak long hom. And tu, wanem nao Abram savve duim againstim army wea full sekson bilong Canaan no savve winim?

18, 19. (a) Hao nao Abram fit for sevem Lot? (b) Hu nao kasem praise for disfala wei for win?

¹⁸ Abram putim moa full trust long Jehovah. “Then hem hipimap tugeta olketa man bilong hem wea kasem training, thri handred and eitin slave wea born insaed famili bilong hem, and aftarem sekson hia go kasem Dan. And long naet hem divaedem army bilong hem, hem and olketa slave bilong hem, againstim olketa, so hem winim olketa and ronem olketa go kasem Hobah, wea long north saed bilong Damascus. And hem tekem bak evri kago, and tu hem tekem bak brata bilong hem Lot and kago bilong hem and tu olketa woman and pipol.” (Genesis 14:14-16) Long wei wea showimaot strongfala faith long Jehovah, Abram leadim smol army for win, taem hem sevem Lot and famili bilong hem. Then Abram meetim Melchizedek, datfala king-priest bilong Salem. “Melchizedek king bilong Salem tekem kam bred and wine, and hem nao priest bilong Most Hae God. Then hem blessim hem and sei: ‘Blessing stap long Abram bilong Most Hae God, Man wea Wakem heven and earth; and blessim Most Hae God, wea givim olketa enemy bilong iu long hand bilong iu!’ Then Abram givim hem mek-ten part bilong evri samting.”—Genesis 14:18-20.

¹⁹ Tru nao, Jehovah nao hem win. Bikos long faith bilong hem, Jehovah sevem Abram moa. Pipol bilong God distaem no insaed long really faet, bat olketa feisim planti test and challenge. Nextfala article bilong iumi bae showimaot hao example bilong Abram savve helpem iumi for win taem iumi deal witim olketa.

[Olketa Footnote]

Waswe, Iu Lukim?

• Hao nao bigfala hangre long Canaan kamap olsem wanfala test for faith bilong Abram?

• Hao nao Abram and Sarai showimaot gudfala example for olketa hasband and waef distaem?

• Wanem nao olketa leson wea iumi savve lanem from wei wea Abram deal witim raoa wea kamap midolwan olketa servant bilong hem and bilong Lot?

[Piksa long page 22]

Abram no forcem wei for hem mas kasem samting bat tingim gud samting bilong Lot firstaem long hemseleva

[Piksa long page 24]

Abram showaot hem depend long Jehovah taem hem sevem Lot