‘Chusim Laef Mekem Iufala Gohed for Laef’
“Mi putim laef and dae front long iufala, olketa blessing and panis; and iufala mas chusim laef mekem iufala and olketa pikinini bilong iufala savve gohed for laef.”—DEUTERONOMY 30:19.
1, 2. Long olketa wanem wei nao God wakem man long image bilong hem?
“IUMI wakem man long image bilong iumi, mekem olketa savve olsem iumi.” Datfala toktok wea God talem hem stap insaed firstfala chapter bilong Bible. Dastawe, long Genesis 1:26, 27 hem sei: “God hem wakem man long image bilong hemseleva, long image bilong hem, God wakem man.” So, firstfala man and woman difren from evri nara samting long earth. Man hem olsem Creator bilong hem, long wei for showimaot olketa fasin bilong God olsem love, justice, wisdom, paoa, and wei for ting raonem samting. Hem garem conscience wea savve helpem hem for disaedem olketa samting wea bae mekem hem kasem gud samting, and wea bae mekem Dadi bilong hem long heven hapi. (Romans 2:15) Diswan minim Adam hem free for chus. Taem Jehovah lukim wei wea hem wakem Adam, disfala son bilong hem long earth, hem sei olsem: “Hem barava gud tumas!”—Genesis 1:31; Psalm 95:6.
2 God wakem iumi tu long image bilong hem, from iumi olketa pikinini bilong Adam. Bat waswe, iumi really savve chusim samting wea iumi duim? Nomata Jehovah fit for savve long samting wea bae happen, hem no disaedem firstaem wanem iumi wanwan bae duim and samting wea bae kamaot from datwan. No enitaem hem disaedem firstaem samting wea bae happen long olketa pikinini bilong hem long earth. For helpem iumi minim why hem barava important for iumi chusim samting wea stret, bae iumi lanem wanfala samting from nation bilong Israel.—Romans 15:4.
Olketa Israelite Free for Chus
3. Wanem nao firstfala komand bilong Ten Komandment, and waswe, olketa Israelite wea faithful chus for obeyim diswan?
3 Jehovah sei olsem long olketa Israelite: “Mi nao God bilong iufala, Jehovah, wea tekem iufala kamaot from land bilong Egypt, from haos bilong olketa slave.” (Deuteronomy 5:6) Long 1513 B.C.E., God iusim wanfala mirakol for sevem nation bilong Israel from wei for slave long Egypt, dastawe olketa no garem eni reason for daotem toktok wea Jehovah talem. Long firstfala komand bilong Ten Komandment, Jehovah iusim Moses for talem diswan: “Iufala mas no worshipim eni nara god for againstim mi.” (Exodus 20:1, 3) Long datfala taem, nation bilong Israel chus for obeyim datfala komand. Olketa willing for worshipim Jehovah nomoa.—Exodus 20:5; Numbers 25:11.
4. (a) Wanem samting nao Moses sei olketa Israelite mas chus for duim? (b) Wanem samting nao iumi mas chusim distaem?
4 Samting olsem 40 year bihaen, Moses tok strong long narafala genereson bilong olketa Israelite abaotem samting wea olketa mas chus for duim. Hem sei olsem: “Mi putim heven and earth olsem witness front long iufala tuday, and mi putim laef and dae front long iufala, olketa blessing and panis; and iufala mas chusim laef mekem iufala and olketa pikinini bilong iufala savve gohed for laef.” (Deuteronomy 30:19) Distaem tu iumi savve chus. Tru nao, iumi savve chus for servem Jehovah long faithful wei and garem hope for laef olowe, or iumi savve chus for disobey long hem and kasem nogud samting wea kamaot from datwan. Tingim tufala example bilong pipol wea chusim difren samting.
5, 6. Wanem nao Joshua chus for duim, and wanem nao kamaot from datwan?
5 Long 1473 B.C.E., Joshua leadim olketa Israelite go insaed long Promis Land. Bifor Joshua dae, hem talem disfala strongfala toktok long datfala full nation: “Sapos hem nogud samting long iufala for servem Jehovah, chusim tuday hu nao bae iufala servem, bae iufala servem olketa god wea olketa laen dadi bilong iufala wea stap narasaed long River olketa servem, or olketa god bilong olketa Amorite wea iufala stap long land bilong olketa.” Then hem sei olsem abaotem famili bilong hem: “Mi and famili bilong mi, mifala bae servem Jehovah.”—Joshua 24:15.
6 Bifor diswan, Jehovah encouragem Joshua for strong and no fraet, and givim instruction long hem for no lusim wei for obeyim Law bilong Hem. Hem talem sapos Joshua readim smol datfala buk bilong Law day and naet, bae hem win. (Joshua 1:7, 8) Joshua chus for followim datwan wea mekem hem win and kasem olketa blessing. Hem sei olsem: “Evri gudfala promis wea Jehovah talem long haos bilong Israel hem nating fail; evriwan kamap tru.”—Joshua 21:45.
7. Long taem bilong Isaiah, wanem nao samfala Israelite chus for duim, and wanem nao kamaot from datwan?
7 Markem diswan witim samting wea happen long Israel samting olsem 700 year bihaen. Long datfala taem, staka Israelite followim olketa heathen kastom. Olsem example, long last day bilong year, olketa pipol savve hipap for wanfala feast wea plande difren kaen naesfala kaikai and swit wine stap. Diswan hem no hapitaem for famili nomoa. Hem wanfala ceremony bilong religion wea mekhae long tufala heathen god. Profet Isaiah hem raetem tingting bilong God abaotem disfala fasin for no faithful taem hem sei: “Iufala nao olketa wea lusim Jehovah, wea forgetim holy maunten bilong mi, wea redyim tebol for god bilong Gud Luck and wea fulimap wine wea olketa mixim for god bilong Future.” Olketa bilivim hao wei for kasem gudfala harvest hem no depend long blessing from Jehovah, bat hem depend long wei wea olketa mekem “god bilong Gud Luck” and “god bilong Future” hapi. For tok stret, disfala bighed samting wea olketa chus for duim hem showimaot klia nogud samting wea bae kasem olketa. Jehovah talemaot olsem: “Mi bae iusim sword for killim iufala dae, and iufala evriwan bae dae, bikos mi singaot, bat iufala no ansa; mi tok, bat iufala no lisin; and iufala gohed for duim nogud samting, and iufala chus for duim samting wea mi no hapi long hem.” (Isaiah 65:11, 12) Wei wea olketa chusim samting wea no stret hem mekem God distroem olketa, and olketa god bilong Future and Gud Luck no garem eni paoa for helpem olketa.
Chusim Stret Samting
8. Olsem Deuteronomy 30:20 hem talem, wanem nao man mas duim for chusim stret samting?
8 Taem Moses encouragem olketa Israelite for chusim laef, hem talemaot thrifala samting wea olketa shud duim. Hem sei: “Lovem God bilong iufala Jehovah, lisin long voice bilong hem and barava followim hem.” (Deuteronomy 30:20) Distaem bae iumi story raonem thrifala samting hia for mekem iumi chusim samting wea stret.
9. Hao nao iumi savve showimaot iumi lovem Jehovah?
9 Lovem God bilong iumi Jehovah: Iumi chus for servem Jehovah bikos iumi lovem hem. From iumi obeyim olketa warning example long taem bilong Israel, iumi againstim olketa temptation for duim dirty fasin. And tu, iumi stap klia long living wea savve mekem iumi foldaon long trap bilong world for lovem tumas material samting. (1 Corinthians 10:11; 1 Timothy 6:6-10) Iumi barava followim Jehovah and obeyim olketa law bilong hem. (Joshua 23:8; Psalm 119:5, 8) Bifor olketa Israelite go insaed long Promis Land, Moses encouragem olketa olsem: “Mi teachim iufala olketa law and judicial disison, long sem wei wea God bilong mi Jehovah komandim mi, for iufala mas duim olsem long land wea iufala bae go stap insaed. And iufala mas obeyim and followim olketa, from diswan showimaot iufala wise and garem fasin for luksavve front long olketa pipol wea herem olketa law hia.” (Deuteronomy 4:5, 6) Distaem nao hem taem for showimaot iumi lovem Jehovah long wei for putim will bilong hem olsem first samting long laef bilong iumi. Sapos iumi chus for duim datwan, bae iumi kasem blessing.—Matthew 6:33.
10-12. Wanem nao iumi lanem taem iumi ting raonem olketa samting wea happen long taem bilong Noah?
10 Lisin long voice bilong God: Noah hem “wanfala man wea preach abaotem raeteous fasin.” (2 Peter 2:5) Klosap evriwan wea stap bifor long taem bilong Flood olketa busy tumas and “nating lisin” long olketa warning wea Noah talemaot. Wanem nao kasem olketa? “Flood hem kam and swipim olketa go.” Jesus talemaot warning hao “long taem wea Son bilong man stap moa,” wea hem nao taem bilong iumi, sem samting tu bae happen. Samting wea happen long taem bilong Noah hem kliafala warning for pipol distaem wea chus for no lisin long message bilong God.—Matthew 24:39.
11 Pipol wea tok spoelem olketa warning bilong God wea olketa servant bilong hem distaem talemaot shud luksavve samting wea bae happen sapos olketa fail for obeyim olketa warning hia. Aposol Peter hem sei olsem abaotem pipol wea duim datwan: “Olketa no willing for luksavve long disfala tru samting: Long bifor, toktok bilong God hem mekem heven kamap and earth for kamaot from wata mekem earth stap midolwan long wata; and hem iusim olketa samting hia for finisim world long datfala taem, taem flood kavarem earth. Bat thru long datfala sem toktok, heven and earth wea stap distaem redi for finis long fire and weitim day bilong judgment and taem wea olketa man wea no followim God bae finis.”—2 Peter 3:3-7.
12 Markem samting wea pipol hia chusim witim wanem Noah and famili bilong hem chusim. “Thru long faith, Noah, bihaen God warnim hem abaotem olketa samting wea hem no lukim yet, hem showimaot wei for fraet long God and wakem wanfala ark.” Wei wea hem obeyim datfala warning hem sevem famili bilong hem. (Hebrews 11:7) Iumi mas willing for lisin long message bilong God and then obeyim.—James 1:19, 22-25.
13, 14. (a) Why nao hem important tumas for ‘barava followim Jehovah’? (b) Wanem nao iumi mas duim for letem Jehovah, “Man wea wakem iumi,” for changem iumi?
13 Barava followim Jehovah: For ‘chusim laef mekem iumi gohed for laef,’ iumi mas lovem Jehovah and lisin long hem, and tu, iumi mas ‘barava followim Jehovah.’ Diswan minim for no givap for duim will bilong hem. Jesus sei: “Iufala bae sevem soul bilong iufala sapos iufala gohed strong and no givap.” (Luke 21:19) Tru nao, samting wea iumi chusim saed long diswan hem showimaot wanem nao stap insaed heart bilong iumi. Proverbs 28:14 hem sei: “Man wea evritaem fraet long God bae hapi, bat man wea bighed bae kasem trabol.” Pharaoh long Egypt bifor nao garem diskaen nogud tingting. Taem each wan long Tenfala Trabol kasem Egypt, Pharaoh no fraet long God bat kamap bighed. Jehovah no forcem Pharaoh for disobey bat hem letem datfala praod ruler for chus. Nomata wanem, will bilong Jehovah hem fulfill, olsem aposol Paul talem abaotem wei wea Jehovah ting long Pharaoh: “Mi letem iu gohed for laef mekem mi showim iu paoa bilong mi, and mekem pipol evriwea long earth savve long nem bilong mi.”—Romans 9:17.
14 Staka handred year bihaen God sevem Israel from rul bilong Pharaoh, profet Isaiah hem sei olsem: “Iu Jehovah, iu nao Dadi bilong mifala. Mifala nao clay, and iu nao Man for wakem clay pot; and iu nao wakem mifala evriwan.” (Isaiah 64:8) Taem iumi studyim Bible and followim, iumi letem Jehovah for changem iumi and iumi isisi start for garem datfala niu fasin. Iumi kamap hambol and willing for change, wea mekem hem moa isi for iumi barava followim Jehovah long loyal wei bikos iumi laekem tumas for mekem hem hapi.—Ephesians 4:23, 24; Colossians 3:8-10.
“Iufala Mas Talem Evri Samting Hia”
15. Wanem responsibility wea garem tufala part nao Moses talem long olketa Israelite long Deuteronomy 4:9?
15 Moses hem sei olsem long nation bilong Israel wea redi for go insaed long Promis Land: “Iufala mas lukaftarem gud soul bilong iufala, mekem iufala no forgetim olketa samting wea iufala lukim and heart bilong iufala no forgetim olketa samting hia long full laef bilong iufala; and iufala mas talem evri samting hia long olketa son and long olketa granson bilong iufala.” (Deuteronomy 4:9) For Jehovah blessim olketa and for olketa gohed gud long land wea olketa redi for go insaed, pipol hia mas duim wanfala responsibility wea garem tufala part for God bilong olketa, Jehovah. Olketa mas no forgetim olketa nambawan samting wea olketa lukim wea Jehovah duim for olketa, and olketa mas teachim evri samting hia long olketa genereson long future. From iumi pipol bilong God, iumi mas duim sem samting distaem sapos iumi laek for ‘chusim laef mekem iumi gohed for laef.’ Wanem nao iumi lukim finis wea Jehovah duim for iumi?
16, 17. (a) Olketa missionary wea kasem training long Gilead duim wanem samting saed long waka for preach abaotem Kingdom? (b) Wanem nao samfala example bilong olketa wea gohed strong?
16 Iumi hapi tumas for lukim wei wea Jehovah blessim waka wea iumi duim for preach and mekem pipol kamap disaepol. Start kam long taem wea Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead hem start long 1943, olketa missionary duim bigfala waka for mekem pipol kamap disaepol long staka kantri. Kam kasem distaem, olketa wea attendim datfala skul taem hem first start, gohed strong long waka for preach abaotem Kingdom, nomata olketa olo and no strong saed long body. Wanfala gud example hem Mary Olson, wea attendim Gilead long 1944. Hem duim missionary waka long Uruguay firstaem, then long Colombia, and distaem long Puerto Rico. Nomata Sista Olson no strong long body distaem from hem olo, hem gohed strong long preaching waka. Hem markem taem evri week for go witim olketa pablisa long field ministry and iusim savve wea hem garem saed long Spanish languis.
17 Nancy Porter wea distaem hem wanfala widow woman, hem attendim Gilead Skul long 1947, and hem still serve long Bahamas. Hem tu wanfala missionary wea busy for duim preaching waka. Sista Porter hem sei olsem insaed laef story bilong hem: “For teachim olketa nara pipol truth bilong Bible hem wanfala spesol samting wea mekem mi hapi. Hem helpem mi for garem wanfala spiritual schedule wea mekem laef bilong mi organize and stedy.”a Taem Sista Porter and olketa narafala faithful servant ting bak long laef bilong olketa, olketa no forgetim samting wea Jehovah duim. Waswe long iumi? Waswe, iumi tinghae long wei wea Jehovah blessim Kingdom waka long area bilong iumi?—Psalm 68:11.
18. Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from wei for readim laef story bilong olketa missionary?
18 Iumi tinghae tumas long waka wea olketa servant bilong Jehovah hia duim for plande year finis, and waka wea olketa gohed for duim distaem. Wei for readim laef story bilong olketa hem encouragem iumi bikos taem iumi lukim wanem Jehovah duim for olketa faithful wan olsem, datwan strongim iumi for gohed servem Jehovah. Waswe, iu evritaem readim olketa nambawan story hia wea stap insaed long Wastaoa and ting raonem olketa?
19. Hao nao Christian parents savve iusim gud olketa laef story wea stap insaed long Wastaoa?
19 Moses remindim olketa Israelite for no forgetim evri samting wea Jehovah duim finis for olketa, and tu, for heart bilong olketa no forgetim olketa samting hia long full laef bilong olketa. Hem talem nara samting moa wea olketa shud duim: “Iufala mas talem evri samting hia long olketa son and long olketa granson bilong iufala.” (Deuteronomy 4:9) Olketa laef story savve barava muvim man. Olketa young wan wea growap needim olketa gudfala example for followim. Olketa singol sista savve lanem samting from example bilong olketa olo sista wea laef story bilong olketa stap insaed long Wastaoa. Wei for preach long pipol wea iusim difren languis long territory bilong olketa seleva, hem givim olketa brata and sista moa chance for busy for preach abaotem gud nius. Olketa Christian dadi and mami, hem gud tumas for iusim olketa experience bilong olketa faithful missionary wea go long Gilead and olketa narawan for encouragem olketa pikinini bilong iufala for chus for duim full-taem service!
20. Wanem nao iumi mas duim for “chusim laef”?
20 So, hao nao each wan long iumi savve “chusim laef”? Iumi savve duim olsem long wei for iusim datfala nambawan present—hem nao for free for chus—for showim long Jehovah iumi lovem hem, and for gohed duim best bilong iumi long service bilong hem taem iumi still garem chance. Olsem Moses hem talem, Jehovah nao hem “givim laef long iufala and mekem iufala stap longtaem.”—Deuteronomy 30:19, 20.
[Footnotes]
a Lukim laef story, “Hapi and Thankiu Nomata Bigfala Sorre,” wea stap insaed Wastaoa bilong June 1, 2001, page 23-7.
Waswe, Iu Remember?
• Wanem nao iu lanem from olketa example bilong pipol wea chusim difren samting?
• Wanem nao olketa samting wea iumi mas duim mekem iumi “chusim laef”?
• Wanem responsibility wea garem tufala part nao iumi shud duim?
[Piksa long page 26]
“Mi putim laef and dae front long iufala”
[Piksa long page 29]
Wei for lisin long God hem sevem Noah and famili bilong hem
[Piksa long page 30]
Mary Olson
[Piksa long page 30]
Nancy Porter