“Pipol wea God Bilong Olketa Hem Jehovah”

1. Wanem nao tingting bilong samfala abaotem hu nao God hem acceptim?

STAKA pipol distaem sei olketa main religion long world nating helpem olketa man. Samfala pipol sei God no hapi long olketa religion hia bikos olketa no teachim tru samting abaotem God, and olketa duim nogud samting tu. Nomata olsem, samfala pipol tingse God acceptim gud pipol nomata wanem religion nao olketa insaed. Waswe, datwan hem tru? Or waswe, God laekem olketa wea worshipim hem for go aot from olketa false religion? For ansarem olketa kwestin hia bae iumi storyim wanem Bible talem abaotem pipol long bifor wea worshipim Jehovah.

AGREEMENT WEA GOD MEKEM WITIM PIPOL BILONG HEM

2. Hu nao kamap spesol pipol bilong Jehovah, and wanem nao mekem olketa difren from nara pipol? (Lukim piksa long start bilong study.)

² Samting olsem 4,000 year go finis, God chusim wanfala sekson long earth for kamap pipol bilong hem. Abraham, wea Bible sei hem “dadi bilong evriwan wea garem faith,” hem garem staka wakaman. (Rome 4:11; Gen. 14:14) Pipol long Canaan respectim hem and ting long hem olsem wanfala “chief.” (Gen. 21:22; 23:6, footnote) Jehovah mekem wanfala agreement witim Abraham and olketa wea kam from laen bilong hem. (Gen. 17:1, 2, 19) God sei long Abraham: “Mi mekem disfala agreement witim iu, wea iu and olketa wea kam from laen bilong iu mas followim: Evri man wea born long laen bilong iu mas circumcise.” Hem sei tu: “Diswan hem wanfala saen for showimaot mi mekem disfala agreement witim iu.” (Gen. 17:10, 11) So Abraham and evri man long famili bilong hem, olketa circumcise. (Gen. 17:24-27) Wei for circumcise showimaot olketa wea kam from laen bilong Abraham olketa spesol pipol bilong Jehovah.

3. Hao nao gogo olketa pikinini wea born long laen bilong Abraham kamap staka?

³ Granson bilong Abraham, Jacob, wea nara nem bilong hem Israel, hem garem 12-fala son. (Gen. 35:10, 22b-26) Gogo, 12-fala tribe bilong Israel kamaot from olketa son hia. (Acts 7:8) Joseph, wanfala son bilong Jacob, go long Egypt and kasem bigfala paoa from Pharaoh. Taem bigfala hangre kamap, Joseph garem waka for givimaot kaikai long full kantri. Bikos long bigfala hangre hia, Jacob and famili bilong hem go long Egypt. (Gen. 41:39-41; 42:6) Gogo, olketa wea born long laen bilong Jacob kamap staka.—Gen. 48:4; readim Acts 7:17.

JEHOVAH SEVEM PIPOL BILONG HEM

4. Long firstaem, hao nao olketa long Egypt ting long olketa Israelite?

⁴ Olketa wea born long laen bilong Jacob stap long Goshen, long Egypt, for winim 200 year. (Gen. 45:9, 10) Olketa Israelite stap long Egypt bikos Pharaoh nao invaetem olketa from hem savve long Joseph and respectim hem. (Gen. 47:1-6) For samting olsem 100 year olketa Israelite stap gud witim pipol long Egypt. Olketa stap long olketa smol taon and lukaftarem olketa animal. Nomata pipol long Egypt les long pipol wea lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep, olketa mas obeyim Pharaoh and letem olketa Israelite for stap long ples bilong olketa.—Gen. 46:31-34.

5, 6. (a) Hao nao laef bilong olketa Israelite long Egypt hem change? (b) Wanem nao happen long Moses taem hem baby, and wanem nao Jehovah duim for sevem olketa Israelite?

⁵ Bat bihaen datwan, laef bilong olketa Israelite long Egypt hem change. Olketa bilong Egypt mekem olketa Israelite kamap slave bilong olketa. Bible sei: “Gogo, wanfala niu king hem rul long Egypt, wea hem no savve long Joseph. Hem sei long pipol bilong hem: ‘Pipol bilong Israel staka tumas and strong winim iumi.’” So olketa bilong Egypt forcem olketa Israelite for waka hard olsem olketa slave for wakem olketa brik, lukaftarem olketa planteison, and for duim olketa narafala waka. Olketa barava raf long olketa Israelite.—Ex. 1:8, 9, 13, 14.

⁶ Disfala niu king hem givim tu wanfala komand for killim dae evri baby boy bilong olketa Israelite taem olketa born. (Ex. 1:15, 16) Long datfala taem, Jochebed, wanfala Israelite woman, hem bornem wanfala baby boy wea hem kolem Moses. Taem Moses hem thri month, Jochebed haedem hem long olketa longfala grass wea grow saed long Nile River. No longtaem bihaen datwan, gele bilong Pharaoh hem faendem Moses and adoptim hem. Hem letem Jochebed for lukaftarem Moses taem hem growap. Taem Moses big, hem worshipim Jehovah. (Ex. 2:1-10; Heb. 11:23-25) From Jehovah lukim pipol bilong hem safa, hem markem Moses for leadim olketa go aot from Egypt. (Ex. 2:24, 25; 3:9, 10) Hem nao wanem Jehovah duim for sevem olketa Israelite.—Ex. 15:13; readim Deuteronomy 15:15.

PIPOL BILONG GOD KAMAP WANFALA NATION

7, 8. Wanem nao Jehovah duim for pipol bilong hem kamap wanfala holy nation?

⁷ Long datfala taem, nomata olketa Israelite no kamap wanfala nation yet wea garem olketa law and olketa priest, Jehovah chusim olketa for kamap pipol bilong hem. Dastawe Jehovah talem Moses and Aaron for sei olsem long Pharaoh: “Diswan nao toktok bilong Jehovah, wea hem God bilong Israel: ‘Letem pipol bilong mi go aot from disfala kantri and go long wilderness, mekem olketa savve celebratem wanfala festival for mekhae long mi.’”—Ex. 5:1.

⁸ Bat Pharaoh no laek letem olketa Israelite for go long wilderness. So for mekem olketa Israelite kamap free, Jehovah mekem tenfala trabol kamap long Egypt, and bihaen datwan hem killim dae Pharaoh and army bilong hem long Red Sea. (Ex. 15:1-4) Samting olsem thrifala month bihaen, taem olketa Israelite hipap long Maunt Sinai, Jehovah mekem wanfala agreement witim olketa. Hem sei: “Sapos iufala obeyim evri samting wea mi talem and keepim agreement wea mi mekem witim iufala, iufala nomoa bae kamap spesol pipol bilong mi.” Olketa Israelite bae kamap “wanfala holy nation.”—Ex. 19:5, 6.

9, 10. (a) Long wanem wei nao Law hem mekem olketa Israelite difren from olketa nara pipol, olsem Deuteronomy 4:5-8 hem talem? (b) Wanem nao olketa Israelite mas duim mekem olketa kamap “holy pipol bilong God”?

⁹ For staka handred year, olketa wea worshipim Jehovah followim arrangement wea olketa hed long famili nao lead long worship. Olketa hia nao disaedem important samting, duim waka for judge, and duim waka olsem priest. Diswan nao arrangement wea olketa Israelite followim taem olketa stap long Egypt bifor olketa kamap slave. (Gen. 8:20; 18:19; Job 1:4, 5) Bat bihaen Jehovah mekem olketa kamap free from Egypt, hem givim olketa law for olketa followim, wea datwan mekem olketa Israelite difren from evri nara nation. (Readim Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Ps. 147:19, 20) Long Law bilong Moses, God markem wanfala sekson bilong olketa Israelite for kamap olketa priest for datfala nation. And tu, datfala Law sei “olketa man wea mature,” wea pipol respectim bikos olketa garem savve and wisdom, olketa nao garem waka for judgem pipol. (Deut. 25:7, 8) Law bilong Moses garem olketa instruction wea olketa Israelite mas followim saed long worship, and long samting wea olketa duim evriday.

¹⁰ Taem olketa Israelite redi for go insaed long Promis Land, Jehovah talem moa olketa law bilong hem long olketa. Moses sei olsem long olketa: “Tuday Jehovah hem herem iufala talemaot iufala bae obeyim evri samting wea hem talem long iufala for duim, and iufala bae kamap spesol pipol bilong hem, olsem hem promisim finis long iufala. Taem iufala showimaot iufala holy pipol bilong God bilong iufala Jehovah, hem bae mekem iufala hae winim evri nara nation, and hem bae mekem iufala kasem praise, bigfala nem, and glory.”—Deut. 26:18, 19.

PIPOL WEA NO ISRAELITE SAVVE KAM WORSHIPIM GOD TU

11-13. (a) Hu nao samfala wea kam for worshipim God witim pipol bilong hem? (b) Sapos pipol wea no Israelite laek for worshipim Jehovah, wanem nao olketa mas duim?

¹¹ Nomata olketa Israelite nao nation bilong Jehovah long earth, hem letem olketa wea no Israelite tu for stap witim pipol bilong hem. Olsem example, Bible sei taem olketa Israelite lusim Egypt, staka from Egypt and olketa narawan wea no Israelite go witim olketa. (Ex. 12:38; footnote) Maet samfala long olketa hia olketa wakaman bilong Pharaoh wea obeyim warning wea Moses talemaot taem mek-seven trabol kasem olketa bilong Egypt.—Ex. 9:20.

¹² Taem olketa Israelite redi for akrosim Jordan River for tekovarem Canaan, Moses sei olketa mas lovem olketa man from difren ples wea stap witim olketa. (Deut. 10:17-19) God talem pipol bilong hem sapos man wea no Israelite hem willing for obeyim olketa main law, olsem olketa Ten Komandment, man hia savve stap witim olketa. (Lev. 24:22) Samfala hia wea no Israelite disaed for worshipim Jehovah tu. Olsem example, Ruth wea hem woman from Moab, hem disaed for worshipim Jehovah. Hem sei olsem long Naomi wea hem wanfala Israelite: “Pipol bilong iu bae pipol bilong mi, and God bilong iu bae God bilong mi.” (Ruth 1:16) Sapos eni man wea no Israelite hem disaed for worshipim Jehovah, hem mas circumcise. (Ex. 12:48, 49) Jehovah hem hapi for olketa join witim pipol bilong hem.—Num. 15:14, 15.

¹³ Wanfala prea wea Solomon talem tu hem showimaot Jehovah acceptim olketa wea no Israelite wea disaed for worshipim hem. Taem olketa dedicatem temple, Solomon prea olsem: “Sapos olketa wea no Israelite herem story abaotem nambawan nem bilong iu, and wei wea iu iusim bigfala paoa bilong iu for duim olketa nambawan samting, and sapos olketa kam from farawe ples and feisim disfala haos and prea long iu, plis iu lisin kam from ples wea iu stap long heven and duim evri samting wea olketa askem long iu. Diswan hem for pipol evriwea long earth bae savve long nem bilong iu and fraet long iu, olsem pipol bilong iu Israel, and for olketa savve nem bilong iu hem stap long disfala haos wea mi wakem.” (2 Chron. 6:32, 33) Long taem bilong Jesus tu olketa wea no Israelite wea laek for worshipim Jehovah savve duim datwan sapos olketa kam and worshipim God witim pipol bilong hem.—John 12:20; Acts 8:27.

NATION WEA WITNESS ABAOTEM JEHOVAH

14-16. (a) Wanem nao nation bilong Israel mas talemaot abaotem Jehovah? (b) Wanem nao Jehovah expectim pipol bilong hem distaem for duim?

¹⁴ Olketa Israelite worshipim God bilong olketa, Jehovah, bat olketa nara pipol worshipim olketa god bilong olketa seleva. So important kwestin wea kamap nao hem olsem: Hu nao trufala God? Long taem bilong Isaiah, wei wea Jehovah ansarem datfala kwestin hem olsem samting wea happen long wanfala kot case. Jehovah sei sapos olketa god bilong olketa nation nao trufala God, olketa shud tekem kam olketa witness for pruvim datwan. Jehovah sei: “Talem olketa [god hia] for tekem kam olketa witness bilong olketa for pruvim samting wea olketa talem hem tru, or talem olketa witness hia for lisin and sei, ‘Diswan nao hem tru samting!’”—Isa. 43:9.

¹⁵ Olketa god bilong olketa nara nation olketa idol nomoa wea no savve story or no savve wakabaot tu. So hard for olketa duim eni samting for pruvim olketa nao trufala god! (Isa. 46:5-7) Bat Jehovah sei olsem long olketa Israelite: “Iufala nao olketa witness bilong mi. Mi nao chusim iufala for kamap wakaman bilong mi, mekem iufala savve gud long mi and garem faith long mi and savve mi nao God. No eni nara God stap firstaem long mi and no eni nara God moa kamap bihaen long mi. Mi nao Jehovah, and no eniwan moa savve sevem iufala. . . . So iufala nao olketa witness bilong mi, and mi nao God.”—Isa. 43:10-12.

¹⁶ Pipol bilong Jehovah olketa olsem witness long wanfala kot case, and olketa mas talemaot Jehovah nomoa hem trufala God. Hem sei olketa hia “pipol wea mi chusim for talemaot olketa samting wea mi duim mekem mi kasem praise.” (Isa. 43:21) Olketa nao pipol wea garem nem bilong Jehovah. From Jehovah mekem olketa Israelite kamap free from Egypt, hem expectim olketa for obeyim hem and for showimaot long nara pipol olketa nao sapotim rul bilong hem. Jehovah expectim pipol bilong hem distaem for duim sem samting tu. Profet Micah storyim tingting wea pipol bilong God shud garem taem hem sei: “Evri nara pipol bae obeyim god bilong olketa, bat iumi bae obeyim God bilong iumi Jehovah for olowe.”—Mic. 4:5.

WANFALA NATION WEA BIGHED

17. Why nao Jehovah sei olketa Israelite olsem wanfala grape tree wea iusles?

¹⁷ Sorre samting nao, olketa Israelite no faithful long Jehovah. Olketa start for followim wei bilong olketa nara nation for worshipim olketa god wea olketa wakem from tree and from ston, and olketa mekem olketa altar for duim false worship. Samting olsem 2,800 year go finis, profet Hosea sei Israel hem olsem wanfala grape tree wea no garem gudfala frut. Hem sei tu olketa Israelite olketa pipol for laea and God bae judgem olketa from datwan. (Hos. 10:1, 2) Samting olsem 150 year bihaen datwan, Jeremiah tu sei olketa Israelite wea bighed olketa olsem wanfala grape tree. Hem sei long firstaem olketa olsem naesfala grape tree bat gogo olketa change and kamap iusles nao. Jehovah iusim Jeremiah for sei: “Wea nao olketa god bilong iufala wea iufala wakem? Talem olketa for duim samting for sevem iufala taem iufala kasem trabol.” Then hem sei tu: “Pipol bilong mi forgetim mi nao.”—Jer. 2:21, 28, 32.

18, 19. (a) Wanem nao Jehovah talem wea showimaot hem bae garem wanfala niu nation long earth? (b) Wanem nao bae iumi storyim long nextfala study?

¹⁸ From olketa Israelite no faithful long Jehovah olketa olsem wanfala grape tree wea no garem gudfala frut. Olketa no gohed for witness abaotem Jehovah bat olketa worshipim olketa idol. Dastawe Jesus sei olsem long olketa bigman bilong olketa Jew: “God bae tekem Kingdom bilong hem from iufala and bae givim long pipol wea duim olketa samting wea hem laekem.” (Matt. 21:43) Jesus sei God bae givim Kingdom long olketa wea insaed long datfala “niu agreement” wea Jeremiah story abaotem. Olketa hia bae kamap wanfala niu nation, wea hem nao spiritual Israel. Jehovah sei olsem abaotem olketa: “Mi bae kamap God bilong olketa, and olketa bae kamap pipol bilong mi.”—Jer. 31:31-33.

¹⁹ Bihaen olketa Israelite no faithful, Jehovah chusim spiritual Israel for kamap pipol bilong hem long first century. Bat hu nao pipol bilong God distaem? Hao nao eniwan wea laek for worshipim God bae luksavve long olketa? Bae iumi storyim diswan long nextfala study.