God Mekem Iufala Holy
“God . . . mekem iufala klin and mekem iufala holy.”—1 COR. 6:11.
1. Wanem nao Nehemiah lukim taem hem go bak long Jerusalem? (Lukim piksa long start bilong study.)
PIPOL long Jerusalem barava seke. Why nao olsem? Wanfala man wea againstim Jehovah hem stap long wanfala rum long temple. Olketa Levite stop nao for duim waka bilong olketa. Olketa man wea shud lead long worship duim bisnis long taem bilong Sabbath. Staka Israelite maritim olketa woman wea no Jew. Diswan nao samfala nogud samting wea Nehemiah lukim taem hem go bak long Jerusalem.—Neh. 13:6.
2. Wanem nao mekem Israel kamap wanfala holy nation?
2 Samting olsem wan thousand year bifor datwan, olketa Israelite willing for obeyim Jehovah. Olketa sei: “Mifala willing for duim evri samting wea Jehovah talem.” (Ex. 24:3) God chusim olketa for kamap pipol bilong hem and hem laekem olketa for holy and no olsem pipol long olketa nara kantri. Datwan hem nambawan privilege! Foti year bihaen, Moses talem olketa moa: “Iufala olketa holy pipol bilong God bilong iufala, Jehovah. Jehovah nao chusim iufala for kamap pipol bilong hem. Long evri pipol long earth iufala nao hem chusim for kamap spesol pipol bilong hem.”—Deut. 7:6.
3. Taem Nehemiah go bak long Jerusalem, wanem nao happen long tru worship?
3 Bat gogo nation bilong Israel no duim wanem olketa promis for duim. Nomata samfala Israelite gohed faithful, staka narawan laekem nomoa for pipol tingse olketa holy, bat olketa no willing for obeyim Jehovah. Taem Nehemiah go bak long Jerusalem hem samting olsem wan handred year bihaen samfala Jew go for buildim moa datfala taon, mekem olketa savve worshipim Jehovah moa. Long datfala taem Nehemiah lukim nation bilong Israel no gohed strong for worshipim Jehovah.
4. Wanem nao savve helpem iumi for gohed holy mekem Jehovah gohed hapi long iumi?
4 Olsem olketa Israelite, Jehovah ting long pipol bilong hem distaem olsem olketa holy. Olketa anointed Christian and olketa wea bilong datfala “big crowd” olketa holy and worshipim Jehovah nomoa. (Rev. 7:9, 14, 15; 1 Cor. 6:11) Olketa Israelite spoelem wei wea olketa fren witim Jehovah bikos olketa no gohed for holy. Iumi no laekem sem samting for happen long iumi. Wanem nao savve helpem iumi for gohed holy mekem Jehovah gohed hapi long iumi? Nehemiah chapter 13 mekhae long fofala samting wea savve helpem iumi. Olketa nao: (1) No associate witim pipol wea wei bilong olketa hem nogud. (2) Sapotim olketa theocratic arrangement. (3) Olketa spiritual samting mas first samting long laef bilong iumi. (4) Showimaot iumi olketa tru Christian. Long disfala study bae iumi storyim fofala samting hia.
NO ASSOCIATE WITIM PIPOL WEA WEI BILONG OLKETA HEM NOGUD
5, 6. Hu nao Eliashib and Tobiah, and maet why nao Eliashib hem letem Tobiah stap insaed wanfala rum long temple?
5 Readim Nehemiah 13:4-9. Staka pipol distaem garem nogud wei, so hem no isi for iumi gohed for holy. Bible story abaotem Hae Priest Eliashib and wanfala man wea nem bilong hem Tobiah. Tobiah hem wanfala Ammonite wea luk olsem hem waka for king bilong Persia. Tobiah and olketa fren bilong hem trae for stopem Nehemiah for no buildim bak wall bilong Jerusalem. (Neh. 2:10) Law sei hem tambu for olketa Ammonite go insaed long area bilong temple. (Deut. 23:3) So why nao hae priest letem man olsem Tobiah for stap insaed wanfala rum long temple?
6 Tingim thrifala reason: First wan, Tobiah hem fren bilong Eliashib. Mek-tu, Tobiah and son bilong hem Jehohanan maritim olketa Jew woman, and staka Jew tinghae long Tobiah. (Neh. 6:17-19) Mek-thri, Tobiah hem fren gud witim Sanballat, wea hem bigman bilong Samaria, and famili member bilong Hae Priest Eliashib. Gele bilong Sanballat maritim wanfala granson bilong Eliashib. (Neh. 13:28) From Hae Priest Eliashib ting long Tobiah olsem famili fren maet datwan nao mekem hem for letem disfala man wea no worshipim Jehovah and wea againstim pipol bilong hem for stap long temple. Bat Nehemiah showimaot hem faithful long Jehovah taem hem torowem olketa furniture bilong Tobiah aotsaed long temple.
7. Wanem nao iumi and olketa elder tu mas duim mekem Jehovah gohed ting long iumi olsem iumi holy?
7 From iumi pipol wea dedicate long Jehovah, wei for faithful long Jehovah nao mas main important samting. Nomata olsem, samfala taem maet iumi no laek followim olketa Bible principle bikos iumi laek for mekem famili bilong iumi hapi. Bat sapos iumi no followim olketa Bible principle, Jehovah bae no gohed ting long iumi olsem iumi holy. Olketa elder long kongregeson followim tingting bilong Jehovah, no tingting or feeling bilong olketa seleva taem olketa mekem eni disison. (1 Tim. 5:21) Olketa elder stap klia long eni samting wea bae spoelem wei wea olketa fren witim God.—1 Tim. 2:8.
8. Olketa wea worshipim Jehovah mas no forgetim wanem samting?
8 Iumi mas no forgetim diswan: “Sapos man hem fren witim pipol wea wei bilong olketa hem nogud, olketa bae spoelem gudfala wei bilong hem.” (1 Cor. 15:33) Maet samfala famili member wea iumi associate witim savve spoelem gudfala wei bilong iumi. Long firstaem Eliashib hem showimaot gudfala example long wei for sapotim Nehemiah long waka for buildim bak wall bilong Jerusalem. (Neh. 3:1) Bat gogo, wei wea hem associate witim Tobiah and olketa narawan mekem Eliashib for duim olketa samting wea mekem Jehovah no ting long hem olsem hem holy. Iumi shud associate witim pipol wea encouragem iumi for duim olketa gudfala samting olsem for readim Bible, attendim olketa kongregeson meeting, and duim preaching waka. Iumi lovem and tinghae long olketa famili member wea encouragem iumi for duim stret samting.
SAPOTIM OLKETA THEOCRATIC ARRANGEMENT
9. Why nao olketa arrangement long temple no gohed gud, and wanem nao Nehemiah duim for stretem diswan?
9 Readim Nehemiah 13:10-13. Olketa Levite no duim waka bilong olketa long temple. Why nao olsem? Pipol no givim inaf contribution for temple, so olketa Levite mas go waka long garden bilong olketa seleva for provaed for famili bilong olketa. Olketa wea lead no kolektem contribution from pipol, or olketa kolektem bat olketa no givim go long temple, wea datwan nao waka bilong olketa. (Neh. 12:44) Nehemiah mekem arrangement for kolektem olketa contribution, and hem markem samfala man wea hem trustim for givim olketa contribution hia long olketa Levite.
10, 11. Wanem nao iumi savve duim for sapotim waka bilong Jehovah?
10 Wanem nao iumi lanem from disfala story? Iumi tu garem privilege for givim olketa contribution for sapotim waka bilong Jehovah. (Prov. 3:9) Taem iumi duim olsem, iumi givim bak long Jehovah olketa samting wea iumi kasem from hem. (1 Chron. 29:14-16) Maet iumi tingse from iumi no garem staka samting for givim, wanem iumi givim hem no mekhae long Jehovah nomoa. Bat sapos iumi willing for give, Jehovah hapi for acceptim wanem iumi givim.—2 Cor. 8:12.
11 For staka year, wanfala famili wea garem eitfala pikinini invaetem wanfala olo hasband and waef wea spesol pioneer for kaikai witim olketa wantaem evri week. Datfala mami sei from hem mas kuki for tenfala pipol hem no hard for kuki for nara tufala moa. Maet diswan luk olsem smol samting nomoa, bat tufala pioneer hia barava tinghae long datwan! Tufala helpem tu datfala famili long wei for storyim olketa gudfala experience and encouragem olketa pikinini for gohed gud long spiritual wei. Gogo evri pikinini hia duim full-taem service.
12. Olketa elder and ministerial servant shud showimaot gudfala example long wanem samting?
12 Iumi lanem tu from story abaotem Nehemiah hao olketa elder and ministerial servant shud showimaot gudfala example for sapotim olketa theocratic arrangement. Diswan hem helpem olketa narawan long kongregeson. Aposol Paul showimaot gudfala example for olketa long kongregeson. Paul sapotim tru worship and storyim samfala gud idea wea savve helpem olketa Christian for givim contribution.—1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 9:5-7.
OLKETA SPIRITUAL SAMTING MAS FIRST SAMTING LONG LAEF
13. Wanem nao samfala Israelite duim long Sabbath?
13 Readim Nehemiah 13:15-21. Sapos iumi spendem tumas taem for tingting abaotem and aftarem olketa material samting, gogo datwan savve spoelem wei wea iumi fren witim Jehovah. Long Exodus 31:13, Jehovah sei wei for keepim Sabbath bae helpem olketa Israelite for no forgetim wei wea God hem mekem olketa holy. Long Sabbath, olketa Israelite mas duim famili worship, prea, and ting raonem Law bilong God. Bat samfala Israelite long taem bilong Nehemiah iusim Sabbath for duim bisnis, olsem olketa duim long evri nara day bilong week. So Nehemiah raosem olketa bisnisman wea kam from olketa nara ples for go aot from Jerusalem and hem satem olketa gate bifor Sabbath hem start.
14, 15. (a) Wanem nao savve happen sapos iumi iusim staka taem bilong iumi for aftarem selen? (b) Hao nao iumi savve showimaot iumi rest long day bilong God for rest?
14 Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from diswan? Iumi shud keakea for no iusim staka taem bilong iumi for aftarem selen. Sapos iumi no careful, maet wei for aftarem olketa material samting hem kamap moa important winim olketa spiritual samting, especially sapos iumi enjoyim waka bilong iumi for selen. No forgetim warning bilong Jesus abaotem wei for waka for tufala boss. (Readim Matthew 6:24.) Nehemiah fit for iusim taem bilong hem for kasem staka selen, and for duim bisnis witim olketa bisnisman bilong Tyre or olketa narawan. Bat wanem nao hem duim? (Neh. 5:14-18) Hem waka hard for helpem olketa brata bilong hem and for duim samting wea mekhae long nem bilong Jehovah. Distaem tu, olketa elder and ministerial servant waka hard for helpem olketa long kongregeson. Olketa brata and sista tinghae long wanem olketa duim. Diswan mekem pipol bilong God showimaot love, garem peace, and stap gud tugeta.—Ezek. 34:25, 28.
15 Olketa Christian distaem no keepim Sabbath evri week. Nomata olsem, Paul sei: “Wanfala day for rest hem stap for pipol bilong God wea hem olsem wanfala Sabbath. Olsem God hem rest from waka bilong hem, man wea rest long day bilong God for rest hem rest tu from waka bilong hem.” (Heb. 4:9, 10) Iumi olketa Christian savve rest long day bilong God for rest long wei for obeyim hem. Waswe, wei for duim famili worship, attendim olketa meeting, and duim preaching waka hem first samting long laef bilong iu and famili bilong iu? Maet boss bilong iumi or pipol wea iumi waka witim tingse olketa samting hia no important. So maet iumi mas strong and talem klia long olketa hao waka bilong Jehovah hem main important samting long iumi. Nehemiah duim semkaen samting taem hem raosem olketa bilong Tyre and satem olketa gate long Jerusalem. Datwan showimaot waka bilong Jehovah hem first samting long laef bilong Nehemiah. From God mekem iumi kamap holy, iumi wanwan shud tingim disfala kwestin: ‘Waswe, mi showimaot waka bilong Jehovah hem first samting long laef bilong mi?’—Matt. 6:33.
SHOWIMAOT IU TRU CHRISTIAN
16. Wanem nao mekem olketa Israelite start for no olsem holy pipol bilong God?
16 Readim Nehemiah 13:23-27. Long taem bilong Nehemiah, olketa Israelite man maritim olketa woman wea no Jew. Long firstaem wea Nehemiah visitim Jerusalem, olketa man wea lead raetem wanfala agreement for sei olketa Israelite man bae no maritim olketa woman wea no Jew. (Neh. 9:38; 10:30) Bat taem Nehemiah go bak long Jerusalem, hem lukim olketa Israelite man maritim olketa woman wea no Jew and olketa start for no olsem holy pipol bilong God. Olketa pikinini wea born long olketa woman hia no savve readim or story long Hebrew languis. Taem olketa pikinini hia big, waswe, bae olketa ting long olketa seleva olsem olketa Israelite? Or waswe, bae olketa ting olketa bilong Asdod, Ammon, or Moab? From olketa pikinini hia no savve long Hebrew languis, bae hem hard for olketa minim Law bilong God. Bae hem no isi for olketa savve long Jehovah mekem olketa savve chus for worshipim hem and no worshipim olketa laea god bilong mami bilong olketa. Nehemiah hem kwiktaem duim samting for stretem disfala problem.—Neh. 13:28.
17. Hao nao dadi and mami savve helpem pikinini for fren gud witim Jehovah?
17 Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from diswan? Iumi need for helpem olketa pikinini bilong iumi for ting long olketa seleva olsem wanfala Christian. Hem gud for dadi and mami tingim olketa kwestin hia: ‘Waswe, pikinini bilong mi savve story gud long datfala “languis wea klin,” wea hem nao olketa tru samting long Bible? (Zeph. 3:9) Waswe, story bilong pikinini bilong mi showimaot hem minim Bible and tinghae long olketa spiritual samting? Or, waswe, wei bilong hem olsem wei bilong pipol long world?’ No feel nogud sapos pikinini bilong iu fail long diswan samfala taem. Hem savve tek taem for wanfala man lanem niu languis, especially sapos staka nara samting pullim tingting bilong hem. Olketa pikinini bilong iu kasem bigfala hevi wea savve pullim tingting bilong olketa for no obeyim God. So iu mas patient and iusim gud taem bilong Famili Worship and olketa narataem tu for helpem pikinini bilong iu for fren gud witim Jehovah. (Deut. 6:6-9) Helpem pikinini for luksavve long gud samting wea hem savve kasem sapos hem no olsem pipol long world. (John 17:15-17) Traem best bilong iu for kasem heart bilong hem.
18. Why nao dadi and mami best wan for helpem pikinini disaed for dedicate long Jehovah?
18 Evri pikinini mas disaed seleva sapos hem bae worshipim Jehovah or nomoa. Nomata olsem, dadi and mami savve duim staka samting for helpem hem. Iu mas showimaot gudfala example, talem klia long pikinini wanem hem stret and no stret, and story witim hem abaotem samting wea savve kamaot from wanem hem disaedem. Dadi and mami, pikinini bilong iu needim help bilong iu for kamap tru Christian. Iu nao best wan for helpem hem for gohed gud long spiritual wei mekem hem savve disaed for dedicate long Jehovah. Iumi evriwan need for showimaot iumi tru Christian, wea minim iumi followim olketa standard bilong God and kamap man wea God hapi long hem.—Rev. 3:4, 5; 16:15.
JEHOVAH NO FORGETIM “GUDFALA SAMTING” IUMI DUIM
19, 20. Wanem nao iumi mas duim mekem Jehovah no forgetim olketa “gudfala samting” wea iumi duim?
19 Profet Malachi sei Jehovah no forgetim olketa wea fraet long Hem and olketa wea tingim nem bilong Hem, and Hem raetem nem bilong olketa insaed “wanfala buk . . . for rememberim olketa.” (Mal. 3:16, 17) God bae nating forgetim olketa wea fraet long hem and showimaot olketa lovem nem bilong hem.—Heb. 6:10.
20 Nehemiah prea olsem: “God bilong mi, no forgetim olketa gudfala samting wea mi duim.” (Neh. 13:31) Hem laekem Jehovah for no forgetim waka wea hem duim. God bae rememberim iumi tu sapos iumi no associate witim pipol wea wei bilong olketa hem nogud, sapotim olketa theocratic arrangement, spiritual samting hem first samting long laef bilong iumi, and iumi showimaot iumi olketa tru Christian. Iumi mas ‘gohed for lukluk gud long iumiseleva for savve sapos iumi followim yet olketa tru teaching.’ (2 Cor. 13:5) Sapos iumi gohed showimaot iumi holy pipol bilong Jehovah, bae hem no forgetim olketa “gudfala samting” wea iumi duim.