Followim Faith Bilong Olketa

Elijah Sapotim Tru Worship

ELIJAH hem luk kam daon long olketa pipol taem olketa isisi klae go ap long Maunt Carmel. Nomata hem just gogo for daylaet, hem barava lukim klia hao olketa pipol hia barava poor tumas. Drae season wea gohed for thri and haf year hem barava spoelem olketa.

Olketa wea wakabaot tu hem 450 profet bilong Baal wea praod tumas and barava heitim Elijah, profet bilong Jehovah. Nomata Queen Jezebel killim dae finis plande servant bilong Jehovah, Elijah gohed yet for barava againstim wei for worshipim Baal. Bat waswe, bae hem gohed olsem for olowe? Maet olketa priest hia tingse wanfala man seleva hard for feisim olketa evriwan. (1 Kings 18:​3, 19, 20) King Ahab hem kam tu, and hem raed kam long chariot bilong hem. Hem barava les long Elijah.

Long datfala day Elijah nomoa hem sapotim tru worship. Bat klosap nao hem bae lukim olketa nambawan samting happen. Elijah hem lukim evri samting hem redi nao for wanfala big test wea nating happen bifor, taem gud samting bae feisim nogud samting. Elijah hem start for feel hao taem hem just daylaet? Hem start for fraet nao from hem “man wea garem feeling olsem iumi.” (James 5:​17) Elijah barava tingse hem nomoa servant bilong God wea stap bikos olketa pipol hia no garem faith, king bilong olketa hem apostate, and olketa priest tu killim dae plande pipol finis.​—1 Kings 18:22.

Bat why nao Israel kasem disfala big trabol? And wanem nao iu savve lanem from disfala story? Bible encouragem iumi for lukluk gud long story bilong olketa faithful servant bilong God and “followim faith bilong olketa.” (Hebrews 13:7) Distaem bae iumi storyim example bilong Elijah.

Wanfala Problem wea Gohed Longtaem Hem Klosap Finis

For klosap full laef bilong Elijah, hem lukim staka pipol long hom bilong hem no worshipim Jehovah nao. For staka year olketa Israelite barava stragol for chus sapos olketa laek worshipim trufala God, Jehovah, or olketa false god bilong olketa nara nation wea stap klosap long olketa. Long taem bilong Elijah, datfala problem kamap nogud tumas.

King Ahab hem maritim Jezebel wea hem dota bilong king bilong Sidon. Jezebel barava laek for aotem worship bilong Jehovah evribit from Israel mekem evriwan long there worshipim Baal. Kwiktaem nomoa Ahab duim samting wea disfala woman hem laekem. Ahab wakem wanfala temple and altar for worshipim Baal and hem nao leadim pipol for worshipim disfala false god. Hem barava mekem Jehovah feel nogud tumas.​—1 Kings 16:30-​33.a

Why nao wei for worshipim Baal hem barava nogud samting? Hem bikos datwan hem switim olketa Israelite for no followim tru God. And tu, hem wanfala nogud religion wea mekem pipol duim samting wea barava no klin and raf. Hem garem olketa jury man and woman long temple, olketa barava nogud party wea pipol duim dirty fasin, and tu, pipol long datfala religion killim dae olketa pikinini olsem sakrifaes. Dastawe Jehovah talem Elijah for go long Ahab for talem hem hao wanfala drae season bae stap go kasem taem wea profet bilong God sei for hem finis. (1 Kings 17:1) Bihaen samfala year go pas, Elijah go lukim Ahab moa and talem hem for tekem pipol bilong hem witim olketa profet wea worshipim Baal for hipap long Maunt Carmel.

Bat wanem nao iumi savve lanem from disfala problem? Maet samfala sei datfala story abaotem wei for worshipim Baal hem no fitim distaem from no eni temple and altar hem stap for man worshipim Baal. Bat nomata disfala story hem happen long bifor kam, iumi savve lanem samfala samting from story hia. (Romans 15:4) Disfala word “Baal” hem minim “man wea ownim samting” and “masta.” Jehovah talem pipol bilong hem for chusim hu nao olketa laekem for kamap “baal” bilong olketa, wea minim hasband wea ownim olketa. (Isaiah 54:5) Long distaem, iumi lukim hao pipol no worshipim Olmaeti God bat olketa worshipim olketa narafala masta. Tru tumas, sapos pipol no laek for worshipim Jehovah bat olketa laek iusim laef bilong olketa for aftarem selen, bigfala waka, hapitaem, dirty fasin, or for worshipim olketa nara god, olketa chusim masta bilong olketa nao. (Matthew 6:​24; Romans 6:​16) Dastawe iumi fit for sei olketa samting wea pipol duim bifor taem olketa worshipim Baal, hem samting wea pipol duim distaem tu. Samting wea happen long taem bilong Elijah for showimaot sapos Jehovah hem tru God or nomoa savve helpem iumi for chusim gud hu nao bae iumi worshipim.

Long Wanem Wei Nao Olketa “Followim Tufala Difren Tingting”?

Antap long Maunt Carmel wea wind hem blow naes, man savve lukim land bilong Israel, start long valley bilong Kishon go daon kasem Great Sea (Mediterranean Sea) wea klosap, go kasem olketa maunten long Lebanon wea stap long barava north saed.b Bat taem hem daylaet, man savve lukim hao ples hia luk nogud tumas. Disfala land wea Jehovah givim firstaem long olketa pikinini bilong Abraham hem barava gud tumas, bat distaem land hia nogud nao. Sun hem barava mekem land hia drae narawe and olketa pipol bilong God seleva tu spoelem! Taem olketa pipol hia hipap tugeta antap long Maunt Carmel, Elijah askem olketa: “Hao long nao bae iufala followim tufala difren tingting? Sapos Jehovah nao hem tru God, iufala go followim hem; bat sapos Baal nao hem tru wan, iufala go followim hem.”​—1 Kings 18:21.

Taem Elijah talem disfala toktok “followim tufala difren tingting,” wanem nao hem minim? Olketa pipol hia no luksavve olketa mas chusim wanfala saed nomoa, for worshipim Jehovah or for worshipim Baal. Olketa tingse hem olraet nomoa for worshipim tufala evriwan, olsem for duim olketa rabis samting for mekem Baal hapi and long semtaem askem Jehovah God for helpem olketa. Maet olketa tingse Baal bae blessim olketa garden and animal bilong olketa, and long semtaem “Jehovah wea komanda bilong olketa army” bae protectim olketa taem olketa faetem nara pipol. (1 Samuel 17:45) Olketa forgetim nao wanfala important samting wea staka pipol distaem tu no luksavve long hem​—Jehovah no laekem man for worshipim hem witim narafala god long semtaem. Hem laekem man for worshipim hemseleva nomoa, and hem fit for kasem diswan. Hem barava no acceptim and hem heitim tu eniwan wea sei olketa worshipim hem and narafala god tu long semtaem!​—Exodus 20:5.

So olketa Israelite hia olsem man wea trae wakabaot followim tufala road long semtaem. Long sem wei tu, plande pipol distaem duim semkaen rong samting. Olketa letem olketa narafala “baal” kam insaed living bilong olketa, gogo olketa no worshipim God nao! Datfala klia toktok wea Elijah talem for olketa no followim tufala difren tingting savve helpem iumi for lukluk gud long hu nao iumi worshipim and olketa samting wea important long laef bilong iumi.

Test for Pruvim Hu Nao Trufala God

Elijah askem olketa for duim wanfala isi samting for pruvim hu nao tru God. Olketa priest bilong Baal mas wakem wanfala altar and putim wanfala sakrifaes antap long hem. Then olketa mas prea long god bilong olketa and askem hem for laetem fire. Elijah tu bae duim sem samting. Hem sei olsem: “Trufala God wea ansa kam and laetem fire nao hem trufala God.” Elijah savve finis hu nao trufala God. Faith bilong Elijah hem barava strong tumas dastawe hem letem olketa profet bilong Baal prea firstaem long god bilong olketa. Hem letem olketa enemy hia for duim samting firstaem, olsem for chusim buluka for sakrifaesim and prea long Baal.c​—1 Kings 18:24, 25.

Long distaem, iumi no savve lukim eni mirakol. Nomata olsem, Jehovah hem nating change. Iumi savve trustim hem long sem wei tu olsem Elijah. Olsem example, taem nara man no agree long samting wea Bible hem talem, letem olketa talemaot tingting bilong olketa. Olsem Elijah hem duim, iumi savve trustim hao tru God nao bae stretem diswan. Iumi duim olsem taem iumi depend, no long tingting bilong iumiseleva, bat long toktok wea insaed long Bible wea savve “stretem evri samting.”​—2 Timothy 3:​16.

Olketa profet bilong Baal redyim sakrifaes bilong olketa and singaotem god bilong olketa. Olketa singaot olsem plande taem: “Baal, ansarem mifala!” Olketa singaot olsem gogo plande hour go pas. Bible hem sei: “Olketa no herem eni voice and no eniwan ansa kam.” Long midol day Elijah start for mekfani long olketa. Hem sei maet Baal hem busy tumas dastawe hem no ansarem olketa from hem go long toilet or hem sleep yet so wanfala man mas wekapem hem. Elijah talem olketa false profet, “Iufala singaot big.” Hem lukim klia hao disfala Baal worship hem laea wan stret and hem laekem pipol bilong God for lukim seleva datfala worship hem laea wan.​—1 Kings 18:26, 27.

Then olketa priest bilong Baal duim samfala moa krangge samting. “Olketa barava singaot big and katem olketa seleva long naef olsem olketa savve duim evritaem, gogo blood hem kamaot.” Datwan hem iusles nomoa! “Olketa no herem eni voice, and no eniwan ansa kam, and no eniwan lisin gud.” (1 Kings 18:28, 29) Tru nao, Baal nating stap nomoa. Hem wanfala laea samting nomoa wea Satan iusim for switim pipol for no worshipim Jehovah. Long disfala taem tu, sapos iumi no chusim Jehovah bat iumi chusim narafala masta, bae iumi feel nogud nomoa and shame tu.​—Psalm 25:3; 115:​4-8.

Olketa Kasem Ansa

Taem hem gogo for evening, Elijah nao mas redyim sakrifaes bilong hem. Hem wakem bak moa wanfala altar for Jehovah wea luk olsem hem nogud nao from samfala man wea heitim tru worship olketa spoelem. Hem hipimap 12-fala ston, maet for mekem plande long 10-tribe nation bilong Israel for tingim moa hao olketa mas obeyim Law wea 12-fala tribe bilong Israel nao kasem. Then hem putim sakrifaes bilong hem antap long altar and kapsaetem wata antap long evri samting. Luk olsem hem tekem wata hia from Mediterranean Sea wea stap klosap. Hem digim wanfala drain tu raonem altar and fulimap long wata. Elijah mekem hem isi for olketa profet bilong Baal for pruvim sapos worship bilong olketa nao tru wan, bat hem duim olketa samting wea luk olsem hem hard nao for Jehovah pruvim saed bilong hem. Hem duim datwan bikos hem barava trustim God bilong hem.​—1 Kings 18:30-​35.

Taem evri samting hem redi finis, Elijah hem prea. Prea bilong Elijah hem barava klia and showimaot wanem nao important long tingting bilong hem. First samting wea barava important, Elijah laekem evri man for savve Jehovah nao hem “God long Israel,” no Baal. Mek-tu samting, hem laekem evri man for savve hem wanfala wakman nomoa bilong Jehovah, and hao God nomoa fit for kasem evri praise. Last samting, hem showimaot hem tingim yet pipol bilong hem, bikos hem barava laekem Jehovah for “mekem olketa kam bak long hem.” (1 Kings 18:36, 37) Elijah lovem olketa yet nomata olketa nao mekem plande nogud samting kamap from olketa no stap faithful. Taem iumiseleva prea long God, iumi tu savve showimaot semkaen wei for tingim nem bilong God, and showimaot iumi hambol and kea for olketa narawan wea needim help.

Bifor Elijah hem prea, maet olketa pipol tingting sapos Jehovah tu bae no ansa kam olsem Baal. Bat bihaen datfala prea, man no need for tingting moa. Bible hem sei olsem: “Seknomoa fire bilong Jehovah kam daon and bonem datfala sakrifaes and olketa firewood and olketa ston and dust, and hem kaikaim tu wata wea stap insaed long drain.” (1 Kings 18:38) Ansa for datfala test hem barava klia nao! And wanem nao olketa pipol talem?

Evriwan singaot olsem: “Jehovah nao tru God! Jehovah nao tru God!” (1 Kings 18:39) Olketa lukim tru samting nao. Bat olketa nating showimaot yet olketa garem faith. Olketa sei Jehovah nao hem tru God bihaen olketa lukim fire kam daon from heven for ansarem prea bilong Elijah, bat datwan no showimaot olketa garem faith. So Elijah askem olketa for duim nara samting moa for showimaot olketa garem faith. Hem askem olketa for duim samting wea olketa shud duim plande year bifor, hem nao for obeyim Law bilong Jehovah. Law bilong God hem sei olketa mas killim dae eni false profet and man wea worshipim idol. (Deuteronomy 13:​5-9) Olketa priest hia wea worshipim Baal barava strong enemy bilong Jehovah God wea min for againstim samting wea Jehovah hem laekem. Waswe, hem fitim olketa pipol hia showimaot mercy long olketa priest hia? From olketa priest hia nating showimaot mercy long olketa laef pikinini wea olketa bonem long fire olsem sakrifaes for Baal, olketa priest hia nating fit for kasem mercy! (Proverbs 21:13; Jeremiah 19:5) So Elijah talem olketa pipol for olketa mas killim dae olketa priest hia.​—1 Kings 18:40.

Samfala savveman distaem tok againstim samting wea kamaot from disfala test long Maunt Carmel. Samfala wari from olketa tingse maet diswan mekem samfala man wea strong long religion for tingse hem gud nomoa for religion duim raf fasin. And tru tumas, plande krangge man wea strong long religion duim barava raf fasin distaem. Bat Elijah hem no olsem. Hem duim waka for Jehovah taem hem killim dae olketa man hia. And tu, olketa tru Christian distaem savve hao olketa mas no duim sem samting wea Elijah duim. Olketa mas no killim dae olketa wea wicked. Bihaen Messiah hem kam, evri disaepol bilong Jesus mas followim samting wea Christ talem long Peter. Hem sei: “Putim bak sword bilong iu long ples bilong hem, from olketa wea iusim sword bae dae from sword.” (Matthew 26:52) Jehovah bae iusim Son bilong hem nao for duim samting wea fitim justice bilong Hem long future.

Olketa tru Christian mas showimaot long laef bilong olketa hao olketa garem faith. (John 3:​16) Olketa savve duim diswan taem olketa followim example bilong olketa faithful man olsem Elijah. Hem worshipim Jehovah nomoa and hem encouragem olketa nara man for duim sem samting tu. Hem no fraet for showimaot klia hao datfala religion wea Satan iusim for switim pipol for lusim Jehovah hem laea wan nomoa. And hem depend long Jehovah nao for stretem datfala problem winim wei for depend long savve bilong hemseleva. Tru nao, Elijah hem sapotim tru worship. Hem gud for iumi wanwan followim faith bilong hem tu!

[Olketa Footnote]

[Blurb long page 20]

Sapos iumi no chusim Jehovah bat iumi chusim narafala masta, bae iumi feel nogud nomoa

[Piksa long page 21]

“Jehovah nao hem tru God!”