Abraham—Wanfala Example Bilong Faith
“[Abraham hem] dadi bilong evriwan wea garem faith.”—ROMANS 4:11.
1, 2. (a) Olketa tru Christian distaem rememberim Abraham olsem wanem kaen man? (b) Why nao olketa kolem Abraham “dadi bilong evriwan wea garem faith”?
HEM laen dadi bilong wanfala maeti nation, wanfala profet, wanfala bisnisman, wanfala leader. Nomata olsem, midolwan olketa Christian distaem, olketa rememberim hem from fasin wea muvim Jehovah God for ting long hem olsem wanfala fren—faith wea no seksek. (Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23) Nem bilong hem Abraham, and Bible kolem hem “dadi bilong evriwan wea garem faith.”—Romans 4:11.
2 Waswe, olketa man wea stap bifor Abraham, olsem Abel, Enoch, and Noah, showimaot faith? Yes, bat Abraham nao kasem covenant wea bae givim blessing long evri nation bilong earth. (Genesis 22:18) So hem kamap tokpiksa dadi bilong evriwan wea putim faith long datfala promis Seed. (Galatians 3:8, 9) Long wanfala wei, Abraham hem dadi bilong iumi, bikos faith bilong hem olsem wanfala example for followim. Full laef bilong hem showimaot faith, bikos hem kasem staka test and hard taem. Tru nao, longtaem bifor Abraham kasem barava main test long faith bilong hem—komand for offerim son bilong hem Isaac—Abraham pruvim faith bilong hem long planti smol test. (Genesis 22:1, 2) Bae iumi lukluk distaem long samfala first test hia and lukim wanem leson nao iumi lanem from olketa distaem.
Komand for Lusim Ur
3. Wanem nao Bible talem iumi abaotem living bilong Abram?
3 Bible start for story abaotem Abram (wea bihaen kamap Abraham) long Genesis 11:26, wea sei: “Terah stap for seventi year, then hem kamap dadi long Abram, Nahor and Haran.” Abram hem kam from laen bilong Shem wea fraet long God. (Genesis 11:10-24) Olsem Genesis 11:31 talem, Abram stap witim famili bilong hem long richfala taon bilong “Ur bilong olketa bilong Chaldea,” wanfala taon wea stap bifor long east bilong Euphrates River.a So, hem no grow ap olsem man wea stap insaed tent and muv from ples tu ples bat hem grow ap long taon insaed wanfala ples wea living hem isi tumas. Hem savve baem olketa samting from nara kantri long olketa market long Ur. Datfala taon garem staka big haos wea garem wata supply insaed.
4. (a) Wanem nao olketa challenge wea Ur mekem for olketa wea worshipim tru God? (b) Hao nao gogo Abram hem start for putim faith long Jehovah?
4 Nomata Ur garem planti material samting, hem mekem bigfala challenge kamap for eniwan wea laek for servem trufala God. Hem wanfala taon wea fulap witim wei for worshipim idol and kastom biliv. Tru nao, main samting bilong datfala taon hem wanfala barava hae taoa bilong moon-god Nanna. Iumi sure Abram kasem bigfala hevi for share long disfala nogud worship, maet hevi from samfala relative tu. Samfala Jew biliv hao Terah, dadi bilong Abram, hem man for wakem idol. (Joshua 24:2, 14, 15) Nomata wanem, Abram hem no duim nogud giaman worship. Olo laen dadi bilong hem, Shem, hem laef yet and sharem savve bilong hem abaotem trufala God. Samting wea kamaot from diswan nao, Abram putim faith long Jehovah, and no long Nanna!—Galatians 3:6.
Wanfala Test Bilong Faith
5. Wanem komand and promis nao God givim long Abram taem hem stap yet long Ur?
5 Faith bilong Abram bae kasem test. God showim hemseleva and givim disfala komand: “Go aot from kantri bilong iu and from olketa relative bilong iu and from haos bilong dadi bilong iu and go long kantri wea mi bae showim long iu; and mi bae mekem wanfala bigfala nation kamaot from iu and mi bae blessim iu and mi bae mekem nem bilong iu kamap big tumas; and mekem iuseleva kamap wanfala blessing. And mi bae blessim olketa wea blessim iu, and man wea talem nogud samting long iu mi bae cursim, and evri famili bilong graon bae barava blessim olketa seleva thru long iu.”—Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 7:2, 3.
6. Why nao Abram needim trufala faith for lusim Ur?
6 Abram hem olo and no garem pikinini. Hao nao bae hem kamap “wanfala bigfala nation”? And wea nao datfala land wea God talem for hem go long hem? Long datfala taem God no talem hem. So Abram needim trufala faith for lusim Ur and isi living long there. Datfala buk Family, Love and the Bible sei olsem abaotem taem bifor: “Barava bigfala panis for wanfala member bilong famili wea duim barava nogud samting hem for aotem hem, for stopem hem for olsem wanfala ‘member’ bilong famili. . . . Dastawe hem barava bigfala wei for obey and trust long God taem Abraham followim komand bilong God and lusim, no kantri bilong hem nomoa, bat olketa relative bilong hem tu.”
7. Hao nao olketa Christian distaem feisim olketa test olsem Abram?
7 Olketa Christian distaem maet feisim semkaen test. Olsem Abram, maet iumi kasem hevi for putim olketa material samting firstaem long olketa theocratic samting. (1 John 2:16) Maet olketa famili member wea no biliv againstim iumi, insaed diswan olketa relative wea disfellowship, wea maet trae for switim iumi for kaban long nogud wei. (Matthew 10:34-36; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 15:33) So Abram showimaot gudfala example for iumi. Hem putim wei wea hem fren witim Jehovah firstaem long evri samting—insaed diswan famili tu. Hem no savve hao, wanem taem, or wea nao olketa promis bilong God bae fulfill. Nomata olsem, hem willing for mekem laef bilong hem followim olketa promis hia. Datwan hem gudfala encouragement for putim Kingdom olsem first samting long laef bilong iumi distaem!—Matthew 6:33.
8. Faith bilong Abram affectim olketa klos famili member long wanem wei, and wanem nao olketa Christian savve lanem from diswan?
8 Waswe long olketa klos famili member bilong Abram? Luk olsem faith and biliv bilong Abram affectim olketa long bigfala wei, bikos waef bilong hem, Sarai, and Lot, son bilong brata bilong hem obeyim komand bilong God for lusim Ur tu. Bihaen, brata bilong Abram, Nahor and samfala pikinini bilong hem lusim Ur and go stap long Haran, wea olketa worshipim Jehovah. (Genesis 24:1-4, 10, 31; 27:43; 29:4, 5) Nomata Terah, dadi bilong Abram tu agree for go witim son bilong hem! Bible sei hem, olsem hed bilong famili nao muv go for kasem Canaan. (Genesis 11:31) Maet iumi tu savve win sapos iumi witness long olketa relative bilong iumi.
9. Wanem samting nao Abram need for redyim for gogo bilong hem, and why nao datwan maet needim hem for sakrifaesim samfala samting?
9 Bifor hem startim gogo bilong hem, Abram mas duim planti samting. Hem mas sellim land and planti samting and baem olketa tent, camel, kaikai, and samting hem needim. Maet Abram lusim selen from hem hariap for redyim evri samting olsem, bat hem hapi tumas for obeyim Jehovah. Hem wanfala spesol day taem evri samting redy and sekson witim olketa camel bilong Abram stanbae aotsaed long olketa wall bilong Ur, redy nao for go! From olketa gogo followim Euphrates River, olketa go long northwest saed. Bihaen planti week olketa gogo for samting olsem 1,000 kilometer, olketa kasem wanfala taon long north bilong Mesopotamia wea garem nem Haran, wanfala main ples for pipol wea travel for rest long hem.
10, 11. (a) Why nao Abram stap long Haran for lelebet taem? (b) Wanem encouragement nao diswan givim for olketa Christian wea lukaftarem olo dadi and mami?
10 Abram stap long Haran, maet from hem tingim dadi bilong hem Terah, wea olo. (Leviticus 19:32) Olsem tu, planti Christian distaem garem privilege for lukaftarem dadi and mami wea olo or sik, samfala mas changem samting for duim datwan. Long taem olsem, olketa sure sakrifaes wea olketa duim witim love hem samting wea “God hem hapi” long hem.—1 Timothy 5:4.
11 Samfala year go pas. “Terah hem laef kasem tu handred and faev year. Then Terah dae long Haran.” Abram hem sorre, bat bihaen datfala taem bilong sorre hem finis, hem go moa. “Abram hem seventi faev year taem hem lusim Haran. So Abram tekem Sarai waef bilong hem and Lot son bilong brata bilong hem and evri kago wea olketa hipimap finis and olketa man wea olketa tekem long Haran, and olketa go aot for go long land bilong Canaan.”—Genesis 11:32; 12:4, 5.
12. Wanem nao Abram duim taem hem stap long Haran?
12 Hem interesting for lukim hao taem hem stap long Haran, Abram ‘hipimap kago.’ Nomata hem sakrifaesim planti material samting for lusim Ur, taem Abram lusim Haran, hem wanfala rich man. Diswan hem from blessing bilong God. (Ecclesiastes 5:19) Nomata God no promis for givim riches long evri pipol bilong hem distaem, hem faithful long promis bilong hem for provaedem need bilong olketa wea ‘lusim haos, brata, or sista’ for saed bilong Kingdom. (Mark 10:29, 30) Abraham ‘tekem olketa man’ tu, wea minim planti servant. Datfala Jerusalem Targum and Chaldee Paraphrase sei Abram ‘mekem niu follower.’ (Genesis 18:19) Waswe, faith bilong iu muvim iu for story witim olketa neiba, wakfren, or skulfren? Abram no stap long there olowe and forgetim komand bilong God, bat hem iusim gud taem wea hem stap long Haran. Bat datfala taem hem finis nao. “From diswan Abram hem go barava olsem Jehovah talem long hem.”—Genesis 12:4.
Narasaed Long Euphrates
13. Wanem taem nao Abram akrosim Euphrates River, and why nao diswan hem important samting?
13 So Abram mas travel moa. Hem lusim Haran and travel for samting olsem 90 kilometer. Maet Abram stop long wanfala ples long Euphrates river wea narasaed hem bisnis ples bilong Carchemish. Diswan hem wanfala main ples wea olketa wea travel savve akrosim river.b Long wanem taem nao olketa camel bilong Abram katkros long datfala river? Bible showaot diswan happen 430 year bifor olketa Jew lusim Egypt long Nisan 14, 1513 B.C.E. Exodus 12:41 sei olsem: “Long end bilong foa handred and thirti year, barava long datfala day nao evri army bilong Jehovah go aot from land bilong Egypt.” So, hem luk olsem datfala covenant bilong Abraham hem start long Nisan 14, 1943 B.C.E., taem Abram obey for akrosim Euphrates river.
14. (a) Wanem nao Abram savve lukim witim eye bilong faith? (b) Long wanem wei nao pipol bilong God long distaem kasem moa blessing winim Abram?
14 Abram lusim wanfala rich taon. Nomata olsem, distaem hem savve tingim “taon wea garem trufala faondeson,” wanfala raeteous gavman ovarem olketa man. (Hebrews 11:10) Tru nao, witim lelebet savve nomoa, Abram start for lukim samfala main part long purpose bilong God for baem bak olketa man wea dae. Distaem, iumi kasem blessing bilong moa savve winim Abram abaotem olketa purpose bilong God. (Proverbs 4:18) Distaem, datfala “taon” or Kingdom gavman wea Abram hope for hem, hem really samting—wea start long heven start kam long 1914. So waswe, datwan shud muvim iumi for duim samting wea showimaot faith and trust long Jehovah?
Taem for Stap Insaed Long Promis Land hem Start
15, 16. (a) Why nao Abram needim wei for no fraet for buildim wanfala altar for Jehovah? (b) Hao nao olketa Christian distaem savve strong olsem Abram?
15 Genesis 12:5, 6 sei olsem: “Gogo olketa kasem land bilong Canaan. And Abram wakabaot thru long datfala land go kasem Shechem, klosap long olketa bigfala tree bilong Moreh.” Shechem hem stap 50 kilometer long north saed bilong Jerusalem and hem stap long naesfala valley wea pipol storyim olsem “paradaes bilong holy land.” Nomata olsem, “long datfala taem pipol bilong Canaan stap long datfala land.” Bikos pipol bilong Canaan garem dirty fasin, Abram need for barava careful for protectim famili bilong hem from olketa nogud wei bilong olketa.—Exodus 34:11-16.
16 For mek-tu taem, “Jehovah showim hemseleva long Abram and sei: ‘Mi bae givim disfala land long seed bilong iu.’ ” Hem spesol samting! Tru, Abram needim faith for hapi long samting wea olketa pikinini bilong hem nomoa bae enjoyim long future. Nomata olsem, Abram “buildim wanfala altar long there for Jehovah, wea showim hemseleva long hem.” (Genesis 12:7) Wanfala savveman sei: “Wei for buildim wanfala altar long datfala ples hem wei for tekem datfala ples and diswan join witim raet for showimaot faith bilong hem.” For buildim altar olsem hem showaot wei for no fraet. Iumi sure altar hia hem kaen altar wea Law covenant storyim bihaen, wea olketa wakem from olketa ston wea no eniwan katem. (Exodus 20:24, 25) Lukluk bilong datwan bae difren evribit from olketa altar wea pipol bilong Canaan iusim. From Abram showimaot strong long pablik olsem man wea worshipim tru God, Jehovah, diswan mekem pipol feel nogud and maet spoelem hem. Waswe long iumi distaem? Waswe, samfala long iumi—especially olketa young wan—hol bak for talem olketa neiba and skulfren iumi worshipim Jehovah? Example bilong Abram for no fraet shud encouragem iumi evriwan for feel praod for olsem servant bilong Jehovah!
17. Hao nao Abram showimaot hem man for preach abaotem nem bilong God, and diswan mekem olketa Christian tingim wanem distaem?
17 Long eni ples wea Abram go, worship bilong Jehovah hem kam first evritaem. “Bihaen hem muv from there and go long ples bilong maunten long east bilong Bethel and apim tent bilong hem witim Bethel long west and Ai long east. Then hem buildim wanfala altar long there for Jehovah and start for singaot long nem bilong Jehovah.” (Genesis 12:8) Hebrew toktok “singaot long nem” hem minim tu for “talemaot (preach abaotem) datfala nem.” Iumi sure Abram strong for talemaot nem bilong Jehovah midolwan olketa neiba bilong hem long Canaan. (Genesis 14:22-24) Diswan mekem iumi tingim waka bilong iumi for share long big wei long taem wea fitim for “talemaot nem bilong hem” distaem.—Hebrews 13:15; Romans 10:10.
18. Hao nao Abram stap witim pipol bilong Canaan?
18 Abram no stap longtaem long eni ples hia. “Bihaen Abram lusim datfala ples, and go from ples tu ples for datfala Negeb”—area wea drae lelebet long south bilong olketa maunten long Judah. (Genesis 12:9) From hem muv from ples tu ples evritaem and talemaot hem man wea worshipim Jehovah long evri niu ples hem kasem, Abram and famili bilong hem “talemaot long pablik hao olketa nao stranger and pipol wea stap for lelebet taem nomoa long datfala land.” (Hebrews 11:13) Long semtaem, olketa stap klia long wei for fren klos tumas witim olketa neiba wea worshipim heathen god. Distaem tu olketa Christian mas “no part bilong world.” (John 17:16) Nomata iumi kaen and showimaot respect long olketa neiba and pipol iumi waka witim, iumi careful for no garem fasin wea showimaot spirit bilong world wea stap farawe from God.—Ephesians 2:2, 3.
19. (a) Why nao living for muv evritaem hem mekem olketa challenge kamap for Abram and Sarai? (b) Wanem nao samfala challenge moa wea Abram bae feisim?
19 Iumi mas no forgetim hao wei for change for followim living for muv evritaem hem no isi for Abram or Sarai. Olketa kaikaim animal bilong olketa seleva and no baem long wanfala market bilong Ur; olketa stap insaed olketa tent and no insaed wanfala naes haos. (Hebrews 11:9) Laef bilong Abram hem busy; hem garem staka samting for duim for lukaftarem olketa animal and servant bilong hem. Sarai tu lukaftarem waka bilong olketa woman long datfala taem: mixim flour, kukim bred, mekem wool, sewim kaleko. (Genesis 18:6, 7; 2 Kings 23:7; Proverbs 31:19; Ezekiel 13:18) Nomata olsem, olketa bae feisim niu test. Klosap nao Abram and famili bilong hem bae feisim wanfala samting wea mekem laef bilong olketa stap long danger! Waswe, faith bilong Abram bae strong for feisim datfala challenge?
[Footnote]
a Nomata distaem Euphrates hem stap samting olsem 16 kilometer long east saed bilong ples wea Ur stap bifor, pruv showaot long taem bifor river hia hem ran long west saed bilong datfala taon. Dastawe, olketa sei Abram kam from “narasaed bilong [Euphrates] River.”—Joshua 24:3.
b Planti handred year bihaen, King Ashurnasirpal II bilong Assyria iusim olketa rafta for akrosim Euphrates river klosap long Carchemish. Bible no talem sapos Abram duim olsem tu or hem akrosim long leg nomoa.
Waswe, Iu Lukim?
• Why nao olketa kolem Abram “dadi bilong evriwan wea garem faith”?
• Why nao Abram needim faith for lusim Ur bilong olketa bilong Chaldea?
• Hao nao Abram showimaot hem putim worship bilong Jehovah olsem first samting?
[Map long page 16]
GOGO BILONG ABRAM
Ur
Haran
Carchemish
CANAAN
Great Sea
[Credit Line]
From wanfala map bilong Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey bilong Israel
[Piksa long page 15]
Abram needim faith for lusim isi living long Ur
[Piksa long page 18]
Taem hem stap insaed olketa tent, Abram and famili bilong hem “talemaot long pablik hao olketa nao stranger and pipol wea stap for lelebet taem nomoa”