Toktok Bilong Jehovah Hem Laef
Olketa Main Point From Buk Bilong Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
ASSYRIA wea world paoa long taem bifor barava spoelem Samaria, wea hem kapitol taon bilong ten-tribe kingdom bilong Israel. For longfala taem finis Assyria laek for attakim Judah. Profet Nahum from Judah hem garem message for Nineveh, wea hem kapitol taon bilong Assyria. Bible buk bilong Nahum wea hem finis for raetem bifor 632 B.C.E., hem storyim datfala message.
World paoa wea kamap bihaen long Assyria hem Babylon, wea samfala taem olketa king bilong Chaldea nao rulim. Luk olsem Habakkuk finis for raetem buk bilong hem long 628 B.C.E., and hem profesi abaotem wei wea Jehovah bae iusim Babylon for finisim Judah, and tu, samting wea bae kasem Babylon.
Profet Zephaniah from Judah hem talemaot olketa profesi bifor Nahum and Habakkuk. Hem talemaot message bilong judgment and hope for Judah winim 40 year bifor Jerusalem hem finis long 607 B.C.E. Bible buk bilong Zephaniah hem talem tu toktok againstim olketa nara nation.
“TRABOL BAE KASEM DATFALA TAON WEA KILLIM DAE STAKA PIPOL”
Jehovah God wea “no savve kros kwiktaem and wea garem bigfala paoa,” hem nao “talemaot toktok againstim Nineveh.” Nomata Jehovah hem “wanfala sef ples for haed long day bilong trabol” for olketa wea trustim hem, hem mas finisim Nineveh.—Nahum 1:1, 3, 7.
“Jehovah bae mekem kamap moa glory bilong Jacob.” Bat Assyria hem mekem pipol bilong God barava fraet fogud olsem wei wea ‘lion pisisim wanfala animal.’ Jehovah bae “bonem olketa chariot wea [Nineveh] iusim for faet. And hem bae killim dae olketa young lion bilong [hem] witim sword.” (Nahum 2:2, 12, 13) “Trabol bae kasem datfala taon wea killim dae staka pipol,” wea hem nao Nineveh. And ‘evriwan wea herem nius abaotem hem bae hapi and klapem hand bilong olketa.’—Nahum 3:1, 19.
Ansa for Olketa Bible Kwestin:
1:9—Judah bae hao taem Jehovah “barava finisim” Nineveh? Assyria bae no attakim moa Judah, and “wei for safa bae no kamap long narafala taem.” Nahum storyim Nineveh olsem hem distroe finis taem hem sei: “Lukim! Antap long olketa maunten nao hem leg bilong datwan wea tekem kam gud nius, datwan wea talemaot peace. Judah, celebratem olketa festival bilong iu.”—Nahum 1:15.
2:6—Wanem nao “olketa gate bilong olketa river” wea open? Olketa gate hia hem olketa hol wea Tigris River nao mekem long olketa wall wea raonem Nineveh. Nineveh tingse hem stap sef nomoa taem army bilong Babylon and Media kam againstim hem long 632 B.C.E. Hem tingse olketa bigfala wall wea stap raonem hem bae protectim hem. Bat bigfala rain hem mekem Tigris River for ran big. Wanfala man for raet abaotem history, Diodorus, hem sei hao disfala rain hem “mekem samfala area long taon for fulap witim wata and hem brekem samfala part long olketa wall wea raonem datfala taon.” Diswan mekem olketa gate hem open, and olsem profesi hem talem,Nineveh hem finis kwiktaem nomoa olsem fire hem bonem grass wea barava drae gud.—Nahum 1:8-10.
3:4—Wanem nao mekem Nineveh hem olsem wanfala jury? Nineveh hem promis for fren gud witim olketa nation and for helpem olketa, bat samting wea hem duim nao hem barava spoelem olketa. Olsem example, Assyria hem helpem King Ahaz bilong Judah for stopem nogud plan bilong Syria and Israel. Bat gogo, “datfala king bilong Assyria againstim [Ahaz] and mekem hem wari tumas.”—2 Chronicles 28:20.
Olketa Leson for Iumi:
1:2-6. Wei wea Jehovah finisim olketa enemy bilong hem from olketa no laek worshipim hem showimaot Jehovah laekem olketa worshiper bilong hem for servem hem nomoa.—Exodus 20:5.
1:10. Olketa bigfala wall and staka handred taoa wea stap raonem Nineveh nating stopem toktok bilong Jehovah againstim Nineveh for kamap tru. Olketa enemy bilong pipol bilong Jehovah distaem tu bae no missim judgment bilong God.—Proverbs 2:22; Daniel 2:44.
‘MAN WEA RAETEOUS BAE GOHED FOR LAEF’
Chapter 1 and 2 long buk bilong Habakkuk hem wanfala story wea profet Habakkuk hem story witim Jehovah God. From Habakkuk feel nogud long olketa samting wea gohed long Judah, hem askem God olsem: “Why nao iu mekem mi for lukim samting wea spoelem man, and iu gohed for lukluk nomoa long trabol?” Jehovah ansarem hem and sei: “Mi bae iusim olketa bilong Chaldea, datfala nation wea raf and wea kwiktaem tekovarem nara ples” for panisim Judah. Datfala profet sapraes long wei wea God bae iusim “olketa wea duim nogud samting” for duim datwan long Judah. (Habakkuk 1:3, 6, 13) Jehovah promisim Habakkuk hao olketa wea raeteous bae gohed for laef, bat olketa enemy mas kasem panis. And tu, Habakkuk raet abaotem faevfala trabol wea bae kasem Chaldea, datfala enemy.—Habakkuk 2:4.
Long wanfala prea wea Habakkuk askem Jehovah for showimaot mercy, hem talem long wanfala “sorre singsing” wei wea Jehovah showimaot bigfala paoa long Red Sea, long wilderness, and long Jericho. Habakkuk profesi tu abaotem kros bilong Jehovah long Armageddon. Hem finisim datfala prea witim olketa toktok hia: “Lord bilong universe, Jehovah, hem nao givim mi strong. Hem bae mekem leg bilong mi olsem olketa deer, and hem bae mekem mi wakabaot long olketa haefala ples.”—Habakkuk 3:1, 19.
Ansa for Olketa Bible Kwestin:
1:5, 6—Why nao maet olketa Jew tingse hem hard for olketa bilong Chaldea for againstim Jerusalem? Bikos taem Habakkuk hem start for profesi, Egypt hem barava bossim Judah. (2 Kings 23:29, 30, 34) Nomata army bilong Babylon start for kamap strong, olketa no winim yet Pharaoh Necho. (Jeremiah 46:2) And tu, temple bilong Jehovah hem stap long Jerusalem, and no eniwan winim olketa king wea rul long there wea kam from laen bilong David. Long tingting bilong olketa Jew long datfala taem, bae hem hard tumas for God letem olketa bilong Chaldea for distroem Jerusalem. Nomata olketa hard for bilivim toktok bilong Habakkuk, datfala vision abaotem wei wea olketa bilong Babylon bae distroem Jerusalem ‘hem kamap tru’ long 607 B.C.E.—Habakkuk 2:3.
2:5—Hu nao datfala “strong man,” and why nao “hem bae no kasem goal bilong hem”? Datfala “strong man” hem olketa bilong Babylon wea savve tumas hao for faet and winim olketa nara nation. Wei wea hem winim olketa nation hem mekem hem olsem man wea drunk long wine. Bat hem bae no winim evri nation for hemseleva, bikos Jehovah bae iusim olketa bilong Media and Persia for finisim Babylon. Long distaem, datfala “man” hem olketa gavman long world. Hem drunk tu from hem trustim hemseleva, hem bighed, and hem barava laek for kasem moa paoa. Bat hem no kasem goal bilong hem for ‘winim evri nation for hemseleva.’ Kingdom bilong God nomoa bae mekem pipol garem wan mind.—Matthew 6:9, 10.
Olketa Leson for Iumi:
1:1-4; 1:12–2:1. Habakkuk askem olketa honest kwestin, and Jehovah ansarem hem. Trufala God hem lisin long prea bilong olketa servant bilong hem wea faithful.
2:1. Iumi shud gohed strong for servem Jehovah olsem Habakkuk. And tu, iumi shud willing for changem tingting bilong iumi and followim eni “strong kaonsel” wea maet iumi kasem.
2:3; 3:16. Taem iumi gohed for weitim day bilong Jehovah for kam, iumi mas tingim evritaem hao datfala day hem klosap tumas.
2:4. For iumi sef long judgment day bilong Jehovah, iumi mas gohed faithful and no givap.—Hebrews 10:36-38.
2:6, 7, 9, 12, 15, 19. Trabol bae kasem man wea lovem raf fasin, duim dirty fasin, worshipim olketa idol, or duim nogud samting from hem greedy. Iumi mas stap klia long olketa nogud samting hia.
2:11. Sapos iumi no talemaot hao disfala world hem wicked, “wanfala ston bae singaot witim sorre.” Hem barava important for iumi gohed strong for preachim disfala message abaotem Kingdom and no fraet!
3:6. No eni samting bae stopem Jehovah taem hem givim judgment bilong hem, nomata eni organization long world wea luk olsem olketa strong olsem olketa maunten and hill.
3:13. Jehovah promisim hao hem bae no killim dae eniwan nomoa long Armageddon. Jehovah bae sevem olketa servant bilong hem wea faithful.
3:17-19. Nomata iumi maet kasem olketa hard taem distaem and long Armageddon, iumi savve trustim hao Jehovah bae givim iumi “strong” taem iumi gohed hapi for servem hem.
“DAY BILONG JEHOVAH HEM KLOSAP”
Staka pipol long Judah worshipim Baal. Profet Zephaniah talem disfala toktok bilong Jehovah, and hem sei: “Bae mi panisim Judah and evriwan wea stap long Jerusalem.” Zephaniah talem disfala warning: “Day bilong Jehovah hem klosap.” (Zephaniah 1:4, 7, 14) Olketa wea duim samting wea God laekem nomoa “bae no dae” long datfala day.—Zephaniah 2:3.
“Trabol bae kasem . . . datfala nogud taon”—Jerusalem! “Jehovah hem sei: ‘Iufala mas gohed for weitim mi, go kasem day wea mi kam for pei bak, from mi bae hipimap olketa nation and judgem olketa . . . mekem mi showimaot kros bilong mi long olketa.’ ” Bat God promis olsem: “Bae mi mekem olketa pipol evriwea long earth for honorim and praisem iufala, taem mi mekem olketa wea stap olsem prisoner kamap free.”—Zephaniah 3:1, 8, 20.
Ansa for Olketa Bible Kwestin:
2:13, 14—Hu nao “gohed for singsing” taem no eniwan stap long Nineveh? From Nineveh bae kamap ples for olketa wild animal and bird, singsing wea gohed nao hem krae bilong olketa bird and maet hem saond bilong wind wea blowim window bilong olketa haos and olketa building wea emti.
3:9—Wanem nao disfala “klin languis,” and hao nao man story long hem? Disfala klin languis hem truth abaotem God wea stap insaed long Word bilong hem, Bible. Insaed diswan hem olketa teaching from Bible. Iumi story long disfala languis long wei wea iumi bilivim truth wea stap insaed long Bible, teachim datwan long nara pipol, and followim will bilong God long laef bilong iumi.
Olketa Leson for Iumi:
1:8. Luk olsem samfala long taem bilong Zephaniah “werem kaleko bilong nara kantri” from olketa laekem olketa nara nation for acceptim olketa. Hem barava krangge samting for olketa wea worshipim Jehovah distaem trae for followim datfala sem samting wea olketa long taem bilong Zephaniah duim for mekem pipol long world acceptim olketa!
1:12; 3:5, 16. Jehovah gohed for sendem olketa profet for warnim pipol bilong hem abaotem judgment bilong hem. Hem duim datwan nomata plande Jew duim samting wea olketa seleva laekem and no laek lisin long message bilong God, olsem rabis long botom bilong drum for putim wine wea no eniwan savve sekem. From day bilong Jehovah hem klosap, iumi mas gohed for talemaot message abaotem Kingdom and no givap, and no letem wei wea pipol no interest mekem iumi “wikdaon.”
2:3. Jehovah nomoa savve sevem iumi long day bilong kros bilong hem. For Jehovah hem gohed hapi long iumi, iumi mas “lukaotem Jehovah” long wei for studyim gud Word bilong hem, Bible; prea long hem for helpem iumi; and fren gud witim hem. Iumi mas “lukaotem raeteous fasin” long wei for garem klinfala fasin. And iumi mas “lukaotem kwaet fasin” long wei for garem hambol tingting and willing for stap anda long God and olketa arrangement bilong hem.
2:4-15; 3:1-5. Long day wea Jehovah bae judgem pipol, olketa false Christian religion and evri nation wea spoelem pipol bilong God bae finis, long sem wei wea Jerusalem and olketa nara nation long taem bifor olketa finis. (Revelation 16:14, 16; 18:4-8) Iumi mas gohed strong for talemaot olketa judgment message bilong God.
3:8, 9. Taem iumi weitim day bilong Jehovah for kam, iumi showimaot iumi redi for datfala day long wei for lanem datfala “klin languis” and for ‘singaot long nem bilong God’ long wei for dedicate long hem. Iumi tu “wan mind” for servem Jehovah witim pipol bilong hem and givim hem “sakrifaes bilong praise” olsem wanfala present.—Hebrews 13:15.
“Hem Hariap Tumas”
Man wea raetem psalm hem sei: “Klosap nao man wea wicked bae finis; and iu bae lukaotem ples bilong hem, bat hem bae no stap.” (Psalm 37:10) Taem iumi ting raonem samting wea buk bilong Nahum talem abaotem Nineveh and samting wea buk bilong Habakkuk talem abaotem Judah wea apostate and Babylon, iumi barava sure hao olketa toktok wea man wea raetem psalm hem talem bae kamap tru. Bat iumi mas weit go kasem wanem taem for datwan kamap tru?
Zephaniah 1:14 hem sei: “Bigfala day bilong Jehovah hem klosap. Hem klosap nao, and hem hariap tumas.” Buk bilong Zephaniah talem iumi tu hao iumi savve stap sef long datfala day and samting wea iumi mas duim distaem for stap redi for datfala day. Tru tumas, “toktok bilong God hem laef and garem paoa.”—Hebrews 4:12.
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Olketa bigfala wall wea stap raonem Nineveh nating stopem profesi bilong Nahum for kamap tru
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Randy Olson/National Geographic Image Collection