“Salvation Hem Bilong Jehovah”
TAEM olketa nation kasem trabol and problem kamap midolwan long olketa kantri, pipol expectim gavman bilong olketa for provaedem sef living. Long taem olsem, olketa gavman mekem samfala program for kasem saport bilong pipol. Taem olketa program hia strongim feeling wea pipol garem for lovem kantri, then namba bilong olketa ceremony wea mekhae long kantri kamap moa big and feeling bilong pipol kamap moa strong.
Taem wanfala bigfala emergency kamap, feeling for lovem kantri mekem pipol feel olsem olketa garem wan mind and planti taem datwan muvim olketa for waka tugeta for lukaftarem olketa need bilong community. Bat, wanfala article long The New York Times Magazine, talem hao, “hem isi for disfala feeling for lovem kantri for change. Taem pipol no hol bak for showimaot disfala feeling, samfala barava nogud samting savve kamap from datwan.” Normal wei bilong pipol for showimaot love for kantri savve change and kamap samting wea spoelem olketa raet and freedom saed long religion for samfala citizen bilong datfala kantri. Olketa tru Christian savve kasem hevi for mekem olketa no followim samting wea olketa bilivim. Wanem nao olketa duim taem world raonem olketa kamap olsem? Wanem nao olketa Bible principle wea helpem olketa for garem fasin for luksavve and for go ahed faithful long God?
“Iu Mas No Baodaon Long Olketa”
Samfala taem, wei for salutim flag bilong kantri hem kamap wei wea staka showimaot feeling for lovem datfala kantri. Bat planti taem olketa flag garem piksa bilong samting long skae, olsem olketa star, and olketa samting long earth. God talemaot tingting bilong hem abaotem wei for baodaon long samting olsem taem hem komandim pipol bilong hem: “Iu mas no wakem for iuseleva wanfala image bilong eni samting long skae antap or long earth andanit or long wata andanit long earth. Iu mas no baodaon long olketa or servem olketa, bikos mi Jehovah, God bilong iu, mi nomoa God wea mas kasem worship.”—Exodus 20:4, 5.
Waswe, wei for salutim or nildaon front long flag bilong wanfala Gavman hem brekem datfala komand for givim worship long Jehovah God nomoa? Hem tru, taem olketa Israelite bifor hipap long wilderness olketa garem “olketa saen” for showim olketa tribe wea for hipap. (Numbers 2:1, 2) McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia hem sei olsem abaotem olketa Hebrew word for olketa saen hia: “Olketa word hia no givim idea hao disfala ‘saen’ hem wanfala flag.” And tu, olketa saen bilong Israel olketa no tingim olketa olsem holy samting, and no eni ceremony join witim wei wea olketa iusim. Hem saen nomoa for showim pipol wea for hipap.
Olketa cherub long tabernacle and long temple bilong Solomon, piksarem olketa cherub long heven. (Exodus 25:18; 26:1, 31, 33; 1 Kings 6:23, 28, 29; Hebrews 9:23, 24) Hem klia hao olketa cherub hia no samting for pipol worshipim from klosap evriwan long olketa pipol no lukim olketa, and nomata olketa really angel, olketa no samting for pipol worshipim.—Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10; 22:8, 9.
Tingim tu datfala copper snek wea profet Moses wakem taem olketa Israelite stap long wilderness. Datfala snek hem piksarem samting and hem garem mining saed long profesi tu. (Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14, 15) Hem no samting wea olketa iusim for worship. Bat, planti handred year bihaen taem bilong Moses, olketa Israelite go rong and start for worshipim datfala image, and bonem incense front long hem tu. So king bilong Judea, King Hezekiah, hem pisisim datwan evribit.—2 Kings 18:1-4.
Waswe, olketa flag bilong olketa nation, olketa saen nomoa wea pipol iusim for gudfala samting? Olketa stand for wanem? Man for raet, J. Paul Williams, hem sei: “Main saen for piksarem faith long kantri and main wei for worshipim kantri hem nao flag.” The Encyclopedia Americana hem sei: “Flag, olsem cross, hem holy.” Flag hem stand for Gavman. Dastawe, for baodaon or salutim hem, hem olsem wanfala ceremony bilong religion wea honorim Gavman. Datwan no followim wanem Bible talem abaotem wei for worshipim olketa idol and taem man duim datwan hem olsem hem sei salvation hem kam from Gavman.
Bible talem stret: “Salvation hem bilong Jehovah.” (Psalm 3:8) Salvation hem no kam from eni organization bilong olketa man or saen bilong olketa. Aposol Paul kaonselem olketa Christian: “Olketa wea mi lovem, ranawe from wei for worshipim idol.” (1 Corinthians 10:14) Olketa first Christian no join insaed eni wei for worshipim Gavman. Insaed datfala buk Those About to Die, Daniel P. Mannix hem sei: “Olketa Christian nating willing for . . . givim sakrifaes long spirit bilong emperor [bilong Rome]—wea klosap semsem distaem witim wei for no willing for salutim flag.” Hem tru tu witim olketa tru Christian distaem. For worshipim Jehovah nomoa, olketa no salutim flag bilong eni nation. Long wei olsem, olketa putim God firstaem, and long semtaem respectim olketa gavman and olketa bigman bilong olketa. Tru nao, olketa luksavve long responsibility bilong olketa for stap anda long “olketa hae paoa” bilong olketa gavman. (Romans 13:1-7) Bat, wanem nao tingting bilong Bible abaotem wei for singim olketa song wea talemaot love for kantri, olsem national anthem?
Wanem Nao National Anthem?
The Encyclopedia Americana hem sei: “National anthem talemaot feeling for lovem kantri and planti taem tu askem direction and protection bilong God for olketa pipol or olketa ruler.” Wanfala national anthem hem olsem wanfala hymn or wanfala prea for datfala nation. Hem planti taem ask for datfala nation kasem gudfala living and for stap for longfala taem. Waswe, fitim olketa tru Christian for join insaed kaen singsing wea olsem prea?
Profet Jeremiah hem stap midolwan long pipol wea sei olketa servem God. Bat, Jehovah komandim hem: “No prea for saed bilong olketa pipol hia, and no singaot for askem eni samting or prea for saed bilong olketa and no begim mi, from mi bae no lisin long iu.” (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11) Why nao Jeremiah kasem komand olsem? Bikos living bilong olketa hem fulap witim wei for steal, killim dae man, adultery, tok laea, and wei for worshipim olketa idol.—Jeremiah 7:9.
Jesus Christ givim example for iumi taem hem sei: “Mi askem samting no for world, bat for olketa wea iu givim long mi.” (John 17:9) Bible hem sei “full world hem stap long paoa bilong wicked wan” and “hem redy for finis.” (1 John 2:17; 5:19) So, hao nao olketa Christian fit for prea witim gudfala conscience for disfala world for stap gud and stap for longfala taem?
Hem tru, no evri national anthem askem samting from God. Encyclopædia Britannica hem sei: “Toktok bilong olketa national anthem savve difren. Samfala garem prea for ruler, samfala storyim olketa important war . . . or toktok wea talemaot love for kantri.” Bat, waswe, olketa wea want for mekem God hapi savve hapi long olketa war or wei for changem gavman bilong eni nation? Isaiah hem sei olsem abaotem olketa tru worshiper: “Olketa mas hammerim sword bilong olketa for kamap hou and spia bilong olketa for kamap naef for katem tree.” (Isaiah 2:4) “Nomata iumi olketa man,” aposol Paul hem raet, “iumi no faetem war followim wei bilong olketa man. Olketa samting bilong iumi for faet olketa no bilong man.”—2 Corinthians 10:3, 4.
Planti taem olketa national anthem talemaot feeling for praod long kantri or wei wea pipol feel olsem olketa winim nara nation. Diskaen tingting no kam from Bible. Long tok bilong hem long Areopagus, aposol Paul hem sei: “[Jehovah God] mekem evri nation bilong man from wanfala man, for stap long full earth.” (Acts 17:26) Peter hem sei: “God hem no saed witim eniwan, bat long evri nation man wea fraet long hem and duim raeteous fasin nao hem acceptim.”—Acts 10:34, 35.
From wei wea olketa minim Bible, planti pipol disaed for no join insaed wei for salutim flag or singim olketa song wea apim kantri. Bat wanem nao olketa duim taem olketa feisim samting olsem?
Showimaot Respect Bat No Join Insaed
For mekem pipol wea stap anda long rul bilong hem garem wan mind, King Nebuchadnezzar bilong Babylon bifor mekem wanfala maeti gold image long level ples bilong Dura. Then hem arrangem wanfala spesol ceremony for diswan and invaetem olketa satrap, prefect, governor, man for givim kaonsel, and samfala bigman moa. Taem olketa herem saond bilong music, evriwan wea hipap mas baodaon and worshipim datfala image. Midolwan long olketa hem thrifala young Hebrew man—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Hao nao olketa showimaot olketa no join insaed disfala ceremony bilong religion? Taem datfala music hem start and olketa wea hipap baodaon long datfala image, thrifala Hebrew hia go ahed for standap nomoa.—Daniel 3:1-12.
Distaem, pipol salutim olketa flag witim arm aot stret or witim hand long forhed or long heart. Samfala taem, olketa maet duim long narafala wei. Long samfala kantri, olketa skul pikinini mas nildaon and kissim flag. Taem olketa tru Christian standap kwaet taem nara pipol salutim flag, olketa showimaot respect bat no join insaed.
Waswe sapos olketa duim wanfala flag ceremony long wei wea olketa wea tekpart standap nomoa? Olsem example, tingim sapos skul chusim wanfala student for stand for full skul and hem salutim flag aotsaed long wanfala flag post taem olketa nara student mas standap kwaet insaed classrum. Wei for standap nomoa hem showimaot olketa agree witim wei wea student aotsaed hem stand for olketa taem hem salutim flag. For standap hem minim man hem join insaed long datfala ceremony. Sapos olsem, olketa wea laek for showimaot respect bat no join insaed bae go ahed for sidaon. Waswe sapos class hem standap finis taem ceremony hem start? Long taem olsem, sapos iumi go ahed for standap hem no minim iumi join insaed.
Tingim sapos samwan askem man no for salutim flag bat holem nomoa, maet insaed wanfala march or classrum or nara ples, taem olketa narawan salutim. Man wea duim olsem hem no ‘ranawe from wei for worshipim idol,’ olsem Bible komandim, bat hem barava insaed datfala ceremony. Hem olsem tu sapos hem march for kantri. Olketa tru Christian no join insaed march bikos wei for duim olsem showimaot man hem saportim samting wea olketa honorim long datfala march.
Taem olketa pleim national anthem, planti taem only samting wea man need for duim for showimaot hem agree witim datfala song hem for standap. Long taem olsem, olketa Christian go ahed for sidaon. Bat, sapos olketa standap finis taem national anthem hem start, olketa no need for sidaon. Hem no olsem olketa chus for standap for datfala anthem. Long narasaed, sapos olketa expectim wanfala grup for standap and sing, wei wea man just standap for showimaot respect bat no singsing, hem no minim hem agree witim datfala song.
“Keepim Gudfala Conscience”
Bihaen man for raetem psalm storyim hao olketa idol wea man wakem for worshipim hem iusles, hem sei: “Olketa wea wakem samting olsem bae kamap olsem olketa, evriwan wea trust long olketa.” (Psalm 115:4-8) So, hem klia hao olketa wea worshipim Jehovah bae no acceptim eni waka for wakem eni samting wea pipol worshipim, insaed diswan hem olketa flag bilong olketa nation. (1 John 5:21) Samfala nara samting maet kamap long wakples wea minim olketa Christian mas showimaot witim respect hao olketa worshipim Jehovah nomoa and no flag or samting datwan hem piksarem.
Olsem example, wanfala boss maet askem wanfala wakman for apim or daonem flag aotsaed wanfala building. Sapos hem bae duim or nomoa bae depend long hao nao hem ting long wanem nao insaed long datwan. Sapos wei for apim or daonem datfala flag hem part long wanfala spesol ceremony, and pipol standap and lukluk or salutim flag, then man wea duim olsem hem share insaed datfala ceremony.
Long narasaed, sapos no eni ceremony join witim wei for apim or daonem flag, then maet hem olsem waka nomoa for redyim datfala building for pipol iusim, olsem wei for openem and lokim olketa door, and openem and satem window. Long taem olsem, flag hem saen bilong Gavman nomoa, and man seleva mas disaed followim conscience wea Bible trainim sapos hem willing for apim or daonem olsem part long waka bilong hem. (Galatians 6:5) Conscience bilong wanfala man maet muvim hem for askem boss sapos nara wakman savve apim and daonem flag. Nara Christian maet feel olsem conscience bilong hem letem hem for lukaftarem flag taem datwan no join witim eni ceremony. Nomata wanem nao olketa disaedem, olketa tru worshiper mas “keepim gudfala conscience” front long God.—1 Peter 3:16.
Bible no tambuim wei for go insaed or waka insaed olketa pablik building, olsem olketa gavman office, and olketa skul, wea olketa putim flag bilong kantri. Piksa bilong flag maet stap tu long postage stamp, namba pleit bilong trak, or nara samting wea gavman wakem. Wei for iusim kaen samting olsem no minim man hem insaed wei for worshipim samting. Important samting hia hem no wei wea flag hem stap long there, bat wanem nao iumi duim long hem.
Planti taem pipol putim flag long olketa window, door, car, desk, or nara samting. Pipol peim tu kaleko wea garem piksa bilong flag long hem. Long samfala kantri, law tambuim wei for werem kaleko olsem. Nomata sapos law no stopem, sapos man werem kaen kaleko olsem, diswan showimaot wanem abaotem tingting bilong hem abaotem world? Jesus Christ sei olsem abaotem olketa follower bilong hem: “Olketa no part bilong world, olsem mi tu no part bilong world.” (John 17:16) Iumi mas tingim tu hao samting olsem savve affectim olketa brata and sista. Waswe, datwan savve spoelem conscience bilong samfala? Maet diswan mekem samfala wikdaon long faith? Paul kaonselem olketa Christian: “Mek sure long olketa samting wea moa important, for mekem iufala savve stap stret and no mekem nara pipol stambol.”—Philippians 1:10.
“Kaen Long Evriwan”
Taem world hem gogo for worse long disfala “nogud taem,” luk olsem feeling wea pipol garem for lovem kantri bae kamap moa strong. (2 Timothy 3:1) Olketa wea lovem God mas no forgetim hao salvation hem bilong Jehovah nomoa. Hem nomoa fit for kasem worship bilong iumi. Taem pipol askem olketa aposol bilong Jesus for duim samting wea no fitim will bilong Jehovah, olketa sei: “Mifala mas obeyim God olsem ruler and no olketa man.”—Acts 5:29.
Aposol Paul hem raet: “Wanfala slave bilong Lord hem no need for faet, bat hem mas kaen long evriwan.” (2 Timothy 2:24) So, olketa Christian trae for keepim peace, showimaot respect, and kaen taem olketa mekem disison followim conscience bilong olketa wea Bible trainim saed long wei for salutim flag and singim national anthem.
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Strong bat showimaot respect, thrifala Hebrew disaed for mekem God hapi
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Wanem nao wanfala Christian shud duim taem ceremony for mekhae long kantri hem go ahed?