Faithful Nomata Hem Lukim Olketa Samting wea No Stret

ELIJAH kasem Israel bihaen hem wakabaot for staka week. Firstaem, hem lusim Maunt Horeb and hem wakabaot go long north. Taem hem kasem hom bilong hem, hem wakabaot followim Jordan Valley and lukim ples hia luk difren nao. Hem no rain for longfala taem bat hem start for rain and evri samting start for gud bak. Distaem olketa farmer savve wakem moa garden bilong olketa. Masbi Elijah hapi tumas taem hem lukim evri samting start for grow, bat samting wea hem tingim tumas nao hem olketa pipol. Olketa no fren gud witim Jehovah, bat olketa gohed yet for worshipim Baal. Elijah mas waka hard for helpem olketa for worshipim Jehovah moa.a

Klosap long taon wea nem bilong hem Abel-meholah, Elijah lukim pipol waka long wanfala farm. Hem lukim tu 24-fala buluka laen ap. Twelvfala man nao kontrolem olketa and each man hem bihaenem tufala buluka for houm graon. Man long end bilong laen wea Elijah kam for lukim hem Elisha, and Jehovah chusim hem for changem Elijah. Masbi Elijah laekem tumas for meetim Elisha bikos wantaem hem feel olsem hemseleva nomoa gohed for faithful long God.—1 Kings 18:22; 19:14-19.

Waswe, Elijah tu-ting long wei for givim waka bilong hem long narawan, sharem olketa privilege bilong hem, or no laekem narawan for changem hem? Iumi no savve, bat maet hem garem kaen tingting olsem bikos “hem man wea olsem iumi nomoa.” (James 5:17) Nomata olsem, Bible sei: “Elijah go long [Elisha] and putim kaleko bilong profet long hem.” (1 Kings 19:19) Luk olsem olketa wakem datfala kaleko from skin bilong sheepsheep or goat. Taem Elijah putim datfala kaleko long shoulder bilong Elisha datwan showimaot Jehovah chusim hem for waka for hem. Elijah hem willing for duim wanem Jehovah talem, wea hem nao for markem Elisha for changem hem. Elijah trustim God and obeyim hem.

Elisha laekem tumas for helpem Elijah. Elisha no stretawe kamap profet bat for samting olsem sixfala year, hem hambol for waka witim Elijah. Gogo pipol savve long Elisha olsem “man wea pourim wata for Elijah wasim hand bilong hem.” (2 Kings 3:11) Masbi Elijah hapi tumas for garem gudfala wakaman! Luk olsem tufala barava fren gud tugeta. Wei wea tufala encouragem each other mas helpem tufala for gohed faithful nomata tufala lukim staka samting wea no stret hem happen. Wanfala samting nao, King Ahab hem duim olketa barava nogud samting.

Waswe, enitaem samting wea no stret hem kasem iu? Long disfala nogud world, staka long iumi kasem kaen samting olsem. Wei for fren witim pipol wea lovem God savve helpem iumi for no givap. Example bilong Elijah savve helpem iumi tu taem iumi deal witim samting wea no stret.

“GETAP, GO MEETIM AHAB”

Elijah and Elisha waka hard for helpem pipol for fren bak moa witim God. Luk olsem tufala nao main wan for trainim olketa nara profet and maet tufala teachim olketa, olsem long wanfala skul. Bat gogo Elijah kasem niu assignment from Jehovah. Hem sei: “Getap, go meetim Ahab, datfala king bilong Israel.” (1 Kings 21:18) Why nao Jehovah laekem Elijah for go lukim Ahab?

Datfala king hem apostate, and hem wanfala nogud king winim olketa nara king long Israel. Hem maritim Jezebel, wea datwan mekem hem witim staka nara Israelite for worshipim Baal. (1 Kings 16:31-33) Taem pipol worshipim Baal olketa duim sex, durong witim olketa jury woman, and sakrifaesim olketa pikinini. Nara samting tu, Jehovah talem Ahab for killim dae Ben-hadad wea hem nogud king bilong Syria bat Ahab no duim datwan. Luk olsem Ahab no duim datwan bikos hem mekem deal for kasem staka selen from King Ben-hadad. (1 Kings, chapter 20) Nomata Ahab and Jezebel greedy, raf, and laekem tumas for garem staka samting, tufala duim olketa nogud samting wea winim datwan.

Ahab hem garem bigfala haos long Samaria, bat hem garem tu nara haos long Jezreel wea hem samting olsem 37 kilometer nomoa from Samaria. Wanfala pis land wea garem grape planteison hem stap klosap long haos bilong hem long Jezreel. Ahab kavetem datfala land, bat hem bilong wanfala man wea nem bilong hem Naboth. Ahab kolem kam Naboth and askem hem sapos hem savve peim datfala land or exchangem datwan witim nara samting. Bat Naboth sei: “Hard for mi no obeyim Jehovah and givim iu samting wea mi kasem from olketa grani bilong mi.” (1 Kings 21:3) Waswe, Naboth bighed and no warim samting wea king bae duim long hem? Maet samfala ting olsem, bat hem no tru. Samting wea mekem hem no laek salem datfala land nao hem bikos hem obeyim Law bilong Jehovah wea no letem olketa Israelite for salem land wea hem bilong famili bilong olketa. (Leviticus 25:23-28) Long tingting bilong Naboth, hem bae no stret for brekem Law bilong God. Hem man wea no fraet and garem strongfala faith nomata hem savve Ahab savve killim hem dae.

Ahab nating warim nomoa Law bilong Jehovah. Hem go bak long haos, and hem “sorre long hemseleva” bikos hem no kasem samting wea hem laekem. Bible sei: “Hem leidaon long bed, tanem feis bilong hem difren, and hem les for kaikai.” (1 Kings 21:4) Taem Jezebel lukim hasband bilong hem act olsem pikinini wea kros, hem kwiktaem mekem plan for hasband bilong hem mas kasem samting wea hem laekem. Datfala plan bilong Jezebel spoelem wanfala famili wea raeteous.

Taem iumi read abaotem plan bilong Queen Jezebel, iumi hard for bilivim hem savve duim samting olsem. Hem savve Law bilong God sei sapos wanfala man duim samting wea no stret, tufala man nao mas lukim datfala samting wea happen for pruvim hem tru. (Deuteronomy 19:15) So hem raetem olketa leta long nem bilong Ahab go long olketa bigman long Jezreel. Hem laekem olketa for faendem tufala man for laea for sei Naboth tok againstim King and God, wea panis bilong man wea duim datwan hem mas dae. Datfala plan happen nao olsem hao hem laekem. Tufala “nogud man” laea for sei Naboth tok againstim King and God, and olketa sutim Naboth long ston gogo hem dae. Olketa no killim dae Naboth nomoa, bat olketa killim dae tu olketa son bilong hem!b (1 Kings 21:5-14; Leviticus 24:16; 2 Kings 9:26) Hem olsem Ahab letem Jezebel for kamap hed long famili and duim samting wea hemseleva laekem, and from diswan pipol wea no duim eni rong samting olketa dae.

Masbi Elijah feel nogud taem Jehovah talem hem olketa samting wea king and queen duim. Man savve barava feel nogud taem hem lukim nogud pipol spoelem gudfala pipol. (Psalm 73:3-5, 12, 13) Distaem iumi lukim staka samting wea no stret hem happen and samfala taem olketa bigman wea sei olketa wakaman bilong God nao duim olketa samting hia. Nomata olsem, disfala story savve comfortim iumi. Bible sei no eni samting hem haed from Jehovah. Hem lukim evri samting. (Hebrew 4:13) Sapos olsem, wanem nao hem duim taem hem lukim olketa nogud samting?

“ENEMY BILONG MI, IU FAENDEM MI NAO!”

Jehovah talem Elijah for go long Ahab and hem sei long Elijah: “Distaem hem long grape planteison bilong Naboth.” (1 Kings 21:18) Jezebel talem Ahab hem ownim nao datfala grape planteison, and stretawe Ahab getap and go for lukluk long planteison hia. Hem no tingim Jehovah lukim evri samting wea happen. Masbi hem luk hapi tumas taem hem lukluk raon and tingim olketa samting wea hem bae duim long datfala planteison. Bat seknomoa Ahab lukim Elijah kam and hem kros fogud. Hem barava tok strong long Elijah and sei: “Enemy bilong mi, iu faendem mi nao!”​—1 Kings 21:20.

Toktok bilong Ahab hem showimaot krangge wei bilong hem. First samting wea showimaot hem krangge, hem taem hem sei long Elijah “iu faendem mi nao.” Datwan showimaot hem forgetim Jehovah. Jehovah no lukim hem datfala taem nomoa bat hem savve finis wanem hem duim. Hem luksavve Ahab min for duim olketa nogud samting and Ahab hapi nomata hem kasem datfala land bikos long nogud samting wea Jezebel duim. God lukim Ahab laekem tumas olketa samting wea datwan mekem hem no showimaot mercy, no duim samting wea stret, and no kaen long narawan. Mek-tu samting, taem Ahab sei long Elijah, “enemy bilong mi!” hem showimaot hem heitim man wea fren witim Jehovah God. Hem no laekem datfala man for helpem hem for no duim olketa nogud samting wea datwan bae lead go long dae bilong hem.

Iumi savve lanem olketa important samting from datfala krangge wei bilong Ahab. Iumi mas no forgetim Jehovah God lukim evri samting wea happen. Dadi bilong iumi lukim taem iumi go difren and hem laek for lukim iumi changem wei bilong iumi. Staka taem God iusim pipol wea fren witim hem, olsem Elijah, for talem toktok bilong hem for helpem iumi. Hem bae no stret for iumi ting long olketa fren bilong God olsem olketa enemy bilong iumi!—Psalm 141:5.

Tingim taem Elijah sei long Ahab: “Ia, mi faendem iu nao.” Taem hem tok olsem hem minim hem savve Ahab hem man wea steal, killim man dae, and bighed againstim Jehovah God. Elijah hem no fraet for tok stret long datfala nogud man! Hem gohed for talem Ahab wanem God bae duim long hem. Jehovah luksavve samting wea Ahab and famili bilong hem duim mekem olketa Israelite for duim samting wea no stret. So Elijah talem Ahab God bae finisim full famili bilong hem. Jezebel tu kasem panis for samting wea hem duim wea no stret.​—1 Kings 21:20-26.

Staka pipol tingse man wea duim nogud samting bae no kasem panis for datwan bat Elijah luksavve diswan hem no tru. Disfala story hem helpem iumi for luksavve Jehovah lukim evri samting wea happen and hem bae stretem nogud samting wea happen long taem wea hem markem. Long Bible, God promisim klosap nao hem bae finisim evri nogud samting for olowe! (Psalm 37:10, 11) Maet iu laek for savve: ‘Waswe, God panisim pipol nomoa, or hem savve showimaot mercy tu?’

“WASWE, IU LUKIM AHAB DUIM SAMTING WEA SHOWIMAOT HEM SORRE?”

Maet Elijah sapraes long samting wea Ahab duim taem hem talem Ahab wanem God bae duim long hem. Bible sei: “Taem Ahab herem datwan hem brekem kaleko bilong hem, then hem werem kaleko wea showimaot hem sorre. Hem no kaikai and hem gohed for werem datfala kaleko and hem wakabaot olsem hem no hapi long samting wea hem duim.” (1 Kings 21:27) Waswe, datwan showimaot Ahab hem repent?

Iumi luksavve Ahab sorre long samting wea hem duim, wea maet no isi for man wea praod olsem hem. Bat waswe, hem barava repent? Tingim Manasseh, wanfala king wea duim nogud samting winim Ahab. Taem Jehovah panisim Manasseh, hem showimaot hem sorre and askem Jehovah for helpem hem. Bat hem duim nara samting tu. Hem distroem evri idol and hem worshipim Jehovah moa, and hem talem pipol bilong hem for duim datwan tu. Datwan showimaot hem changem wei bilong hem. (2 Chronicles 33:1-17) Waswe, Ahab duim olsem tu? Nomoa nao.

Waswe, Jehovah luksavve Ahab hem sorre? Jehovah sei long Elijah: “Waswe, iu lukim Ahab duim samting wea showimaot hem sorre long samting wea hem duim againstim mi? From hem sorre long samting wea hem duim, bae mi no finisim famili bilong hem long taem wea hem laef. Bae mi duim datwan long taem bilong olketa pikinini bilong hem.” (1 Kings 21:29) Waswe, datwan showimaot Jehovah forgivim Ahab? Nomoa, Jehovah forgivim nomoa man wea barava repent. (Ezekiel 33:14-16) Bat from Ahab hem sorre, Jehovah showimaot mercy wea fitim datwan. Jehovah hem promisim Ahab bae hem no lukim taem wea olketa killim dae full famili bilong hem.

Nomata olsem, God finisim Ahab and full famili bilong hem olsem hem talem. Jehovah askem olketa angel bilong hem for storyim tingting bilong olketa abaotem best wei for trikim Ahab for joinim army wea hem bae dae long wanfala faet. No longtaem bihaen datwan, samting wea Jehovah talem abaotem Ahab hem happen. Taem hem go faet witim army bilong hem, samwan sutim hem witim arrow. From hem garekil hem lusim staka blood gogo hem dae insaed long chariot bilong hem. Bible hem sei tu, taem olketa wasim chariot bilong king, samfala dog lickim blood bilong hem. Disfala toktok bilong Jehovah wea Elijah talem abaotem Ahab hem kamap tru long datfala taem: “Long sem ples wea olketa dog lickim blood bilong Naboth, olketa dog bae lickim tu blood bilong iu.”​—1 Kings 21:19; 22:19-22, 34-38.

Taem Ahab hem dae datwan helpem Elijah, Elisha, and olketa nara Israelite wea faithful long God, for luksavve Jehovah no forgetim wei wea Naboth garem faith and no fraet. Elijah hem stap anda long datfala nogud king for staka year, bat taem God finisim Ahab, Elijah barava luksavve long diswan: Maet God no panisim pipol wea duim nogud samting stretawe bat gogo bae hem duim datwan, and tu, hem showimaot mercy sapos hem fitim. (Numbers 14:18) Waswe, iu laek for lukim taem wea God bae stretem olketa samting wea kasem iumi? Bae hem gud for followim faith bilong Elijah. Nomata Elijah and fren bilong hem Elisha lukim staka samting wea no stret, tufala gohed for talemaot olketa message bilong God!