Hem Defendim Pure Worship

1, 2. (a) Wat nao mekem pipol blo Elijah for safa? (b) Wat nao Elijah mas feisim lo Maunt Carmel?

ELIJAH luk lo datfala crowd blo pipol wea wakabaot go ap lo Maunt Carmel. Nomata hem early morning and sun no shaen braet yet, hem savve lukim hao olketa pipol hia barava poor and safa. Hem no rain nao for thri and haf year, and datwan barava affectim olketa.

² Samting olsem 450 profet blo Baal wakabaot witim olketa pipol hia, olketa praod and barava heitim Elijah, wea hem profet blo Jehovah. Queen Jezebel hem killim dae finis staka servant blo Jehovah, bat Elijah still gohed strong for againstim wei for worshipim Baal. Bat, hao long nao bae hem savve gohed olsem? Maet olketa priest hia tingse hard for wanfala man seleva winim evriwan lo olketa. (1 Ki. 18:4, 19, 20) King Ahab tu hem kam lo royal chariot blo hem lo datfala taem. Hem tu no showimaot hem tinghae lo Elijah.

3, 4. (a) Why nao maet Elijah feel fraet lo datfala important day? (b) Wat nao samfala kwestin wea iumi bae story raonem?

³ Datfala profet hem feisim wanfala barava important day lo laef blo hem. Taem Elijah gohed watchim olketa pipol wea kamap for Maunt Carmel, hem luksavve hao klosap samting bae happen wea bae showimaot hu nao garem moa paoa, God or olketa wicked pipol. Hao nao hem feel taem datfala day hem start? Iumi savve “Elijah hem man wea olsem iumi nomoa,” so masbi hem feel fraet tu lo datfala day. (Readim James 5:17.) Samting iumi barava sure lo hem nao: Taem datfala apostate king, evri pipol hia wea no showimaot faith, and olketa priest hia wea barava heitim hem, olketa hipap raonem hem Elijah, hem mas barava feel olsem hemseleva nomoa stand for Jehovah.—1 Ki. 18:22.

⁴ Bat why nao disfala situation hem kamap lo Israel? And hao nao disfala story savve helpem iu? Bae iumi lukim example blo faith blo Elijah and wat iumi distaem savve lanem from datwan.

Wanfala Hard Situation Hem Klosap for Finis

5, 6. (a) Wat nao hard situation wea Israel deal witim? (b) Hao nao King Ahab mekem Jehovah feel nogud?

⁵ For klosap full laef blo Elijah hem sorre tumas for lukim hao pipol blo hem gohed for rejectim pure worship wea hem nao samting wea Elijah lovem tumas. Olketa blo Israel lo datfala taem mas deal witim wanfala hard situation, olketa mas disaed sapos bae olketa followim pure worship or false worship, for chus for worshipim Jehovah God or olketa idol blo olketa nation wea stap raonem olketa. Lo taem blo Elijah datfala situation hem barava kamap worse tumas.

⁶ King Ahab hem barava mekem Jehovah feel nogud tumas. Hem maritim Jezebel, dota blo king blo Sidon. Jezebel laek for mekem evriwan lo Israel for mas worshipim Baal and hem laek finisim worship blo Jehovah. Wei blo Jezebel barava affectim Ahab. Hem buildim wanfala temple and altar for Baal and hem nao main wan for leadim pipol for baodaon lo datfala god.—1 Ki. 16:30-33.

7. (a) Why nao wei for worshipim Baal hem nogud samting tumas? (b) Hao long nao hem no rain lo taem blo Elijah, and why iumi sure samting wea Bible talem hem stret nomoa? (Lukim tu box.)

⁷ Why nao wei for worshipim Baal hem nogud samting tumas? Hem mekem Israel for lusim tru God. Hem wanfala barava nogud and raf religion. Olketa garem olketa man and woman wea prostitute lo temple, olketa party wea olketa bae duim sex, and olketa sakrifaesim tu olketa pikinini. Jehovah feel nogud lo datwan, so hem sendem Elijah lo Ahab for talemaot dat bae hem no rain go kasem taem profet blo God talem. (1 Ki. 17:1) Staka year go pas, then Elijah hem go lo Ahab and talem hem for hipimap evri pipol and olketa profet blo Baal lo Maunt Carmel.a

8. Wat nao iumi distaem savve lanem from disfala story abaotem wei for worshipim Baal?

⁸ Bat, wat nao iumi distaem savve lanem from disfala story abaotem wei for worshipim Baal? Samfala maet ting datfala story abaotem wei for worshipim Baal hem no fitim distaem bikos no eni temple or altar blo Baal stap distaem. Bat disfala story hem no just history nomoa. (Rome 15:4) Datfala word “Baal” hem minim “owner” or “masta.” Jehovah talem pipol blo hem olketa mas chusim hem nao for kamap owner or olsem hasband blo olketa. (Isa. 54:5) Hao, iu agree dat pipol distaem servem staka difren masta winim wei for servem Olmaeti God? Maet pipol iusim laef blo olketa for servem olketa masta olsem selen, waka, recreation, feeling for laek duim sex, or staka nara god winim wei for worshipim Jehovah. (Matt. 6:24; readim Rome 6:16.) So iumi lukim hao staka samting wea olketa duim lo datfala taem for worshipim Baal hem stap distaem tu. Taem iumi ting raonem disfala story abaotem Jehovah and Baal, hem savve helpem iumi for mekem olketa wise disison abaotem hu nao iumi bae servem.

Hao Nao Israel Hem “Followim Tufala Difren Tingting”?

9. (a) Why nao Maunt Carmel hem ples wea barava fitim for olketa hipap lo hem for Jehovah pruvim Baal hem iusles? (Lukim tu footnote.) (b) Wat nao Elijah talem lo pipol blo Israel?

⁹ Maunt Carmel hem hae so man savve luk akrosim valley blo Kishon go kasem datfala Great Sea (Mediterranean Sea) wea stap klosap, and tu, man savve luk go kasem olketa maunten blo Lebanon wea stap farawe lo north.b Lo datfala day, taem sun kamap, olketa savve lukim hao land blo olketa hem barava nogud nao. Taem Jehovah givim olketa pikinini blo Abraham datfala land, evriting grow gud lo there. Bat from pipol hia no obey, graon hia hem barava drae nao bikos hem no rain for long taem nao! Taem pipol hia hipap kam, Elijah hem start for story lo olketa and sei: “Hao long nao bae iufala followim tufala difren tingting? Sapos Jehovah nao hem tru God, iufala followim hem, bat sapos Baal nao hem tru, iufala followim hem.”—1 Ki. 18:21.

10. Hao nao pipol blo Elijah “followim tufala difren tingting,” and wat nao wanfala important samting wea olketa forgetim?

¹⁰ Wat nao Elijah minim taem hem sei olketa “followim tufala difren tingting”? Well, olketa pipol hia no luksavve dat olketa mas chus for followim worship blo Jehovah or worship blo Baal. Olketa tingse olketa savve duim tufala evriwan, for mekem Baal hapi lo wei for duim olketa rabis samting for worshipim hem and then lo semtaem go prea lo Jehovah God for askem olketa blessing. Maet olketa ting Baal bae blessim olketa garden and animal blo olketa, and “Jehovah, komanda blo olketa army” bae protectim olketa taem olketa go faet. (1 Sam. 17:45) Olketa forgetim wanfala barava important samting, wea staka distaem tu no tingim. Jehovah no sharem worship blo hem witim eniwan. Hem laekem pipol for worshipim hemseleva nomoa. Eni worship wea mix witim nara kaen worship, hem barava no acceptim and hem nogud tumas lo hem!—Readim Exodus 20:5.

11. Hao nao samting wea Elijah talem lo Maunt Carmel helpem iumi for luksavve wat nao important lo iumi and worship blo iumi?

¹¹ Olketa Israelite followim tufala difren tingting olsem man wea trae for followim tufala road lo semtaem. Staka pipol distaem duim sem samting tu. Olketa letem nara samting lo laef for kamap olsem masta blo olketa and olketa no worshipim God. Taem iumi followim samting wea Elijah talem for no followim tufala difren tingting, datwan bae helpem iumi for luksavve wat nao hem important lo laef blo iumi and worship blo iumi.

Challenge for Pruvim Hu Nao Tru God

12, 13. (a) Wat nao Elijah talem olketa for duim? (b) Hao nao iumi showimaot dat iumi trustim Jehovah olsem Elijah?

¹² Elijah challengem olketa taem hem talem olketa for duim wanfala test. Datfala test hem simpol nomoa. Olketa priest blo Baal bae setimap wanfala altar and putim sakrifaes antap lo datwan. Then olketa bae prea for god blo olketa for laetem datfala fire. Elijah bae duim sem samting tu. Then hem sei: ‘God wea iusim fire for ansa kam, hem nao tru God.’ Elijah barava sure lo hu nao tru God. From faith blo hem barava strong, hem givim chance lo olketa enemy blo hem for traem firstaem. So olketa profet blo Baal nao start firstaem. Olketa chusim wanfala young bull for sakrifaesim and olketa start for prea lo Baal.c—1 Ki. 18:24, 25.

¹³ Distaem Jehovah no duim eni mirakol. Bat, wei blo Jehovah hem no change, so iumi savve barava trustim hem olsem Elijah duim. For example, taem olketa narawan disagree witim wat Bible teachim, iumi no fraet for letem olketa talem firstaem tingting blo olketa. Olsem Elijah, iumi trustim God nao for pruvim evri samting. Iumi duim datwan taem iumi no trustim iumiseleva, and iumi depend lo Bible wea Jehovah givim kam for ‘stretem tingting blo pipol.’—2 Tim. 3:16.

14. Hao nao Elijah mekfani lo olketa profet blo Baal, and why nao olsem?

¹⁴ Olketa profet blo Baal start for setimap sakrifaes blo olketa and singaot lo god blo olketa. Olketa gohed for sei. “O Baal, ansarem mifala!” Olketa gohed for duim datwan for staka hour. Bat Bible sei olketa no herem eni voice “and no eniwan ansa.” Lo twelv o’klok, Elijah start for mekfani lo olketa and sei Baal mas busy tumas dastawe hem no ansarem olketa, or hem maet go lo toilet, or maet hem sleep and samwan need for wekapem hem. Elijah talem olketa man for laea hia for “gohed singaot big”. Hem lukim klia wei wea olketa wea worshipim Baal olketa laea, and datwan luk fani lo hem, and hem laekem pipol blo God for luksavve lo laea blo olketa hia.—1 Ki. 18:26, 27.

15. Hao nao situation blo olketa priest blo Baal showimaot dat hem iusles for chusim eni nara masta and no Jehovah?

¹⁵ Taem olketa priest blo Baal herem datwan, olketa “gohed singaot big and katem olketa seleva lo naef and olketa spia followim kastom blo olketa, olketa duim olsem gogo blood kamaot lo body blo olketa.” Bat no eniting happen! “No eniwan story and no eniwan ansa. No eniwan lisin lo olketa.” (1 Ki. 18:28, 29) Really, no eni Baal stap. Hem samting wea Satan iusim nomoa for laea lo pipol mekem olketa lusim Jehovah. Tru samting nao, if man chusim eni nara masta winim Jehovah, datwan bae mekem hem for sorre and shame nomoa.—Readim Psalm 25:3; 115:4-8.

Ansa wea Tru God Givim

16. (a) Taem Elijah repairim altar blo Jehovah lo Maunt Carmel, datwan remindim pipol lo wanem samting? (b) Wanem nao nara samting wea showimaot Elijah trustim God blo hem?

¹⁶ Taem hem gogo for evening, hem taem blo Elijah moa for mekem sakrifaes. Hem repairim wanfala altar blo Jehovah wea olketa enemy blo pure worship distroem. Hem iusim 12-fala ston, maet diswan for remindim olketa lo 10-tribe nation blo Israel, dat olketa still anda lo datfala law wea God givim for 12-fala tribe evriwan. Then hem putim sakrifaes blo hem antap lo altar and then hem kapsaetem wata lo hem. Luk olsem hem kasem wata hia from Mediterranean Sea wea stap klosap. Then hem digim wanfala drain raonem datfala altar and fulimap witim wata. Hem givim staka chance lo olketa profet blo Baal for pruvim saed blo olketa, bat taem hem mekem sakrifaes blo Jehovah hem mekem hem luk hard tumas for datwan hem happen, hem duim datwan bikos hem barava trustim God blo hem.—1 Ki. 18:30-35.

17. Hao nao prea blo Elijah showimaot wat hem important lo hem, and hao nao iumi savve followim example blo hem taem iumi prea?

¹⁷ Taem evri samting redi, Elijah talem wanfala prea. Datfala prea hem barava simpol, and showimaot klia wat nao important lo Elijah. Main samting, hem laekem pipol for savve dat Jehovah nao God blo Israel, and no Baal. Second samting, Elijah laekem evriwan for savve hem wanfala servant blo Jehovah nomoa, and evri glory and praise shud go lo Jehovah. Last samting, Elijah showimaot dat hem tingim pipol blo hem and hem laekem Jehovah for ‘tanem tingting blo pipol hia.’ (1 Ki. 18:36, 37) Nomata olketa kasem staka nogud samting bikos olketa no faithful, Elijah still lovem olketa. Taem iumi prea lo God, waswe, iumi showimaot sem kaen wei for hambol, mekhae lo nem blo God, and tingim olketa narawan wea needim help?

18, 19. (a) Hao nao Jehovah ansarem prea blo Elijah? (b) Wat nao Elijah talem olketa pipol for duim, and why nao olketa priest blo Baal no fit for kasem mercy?

¹⁸ Bifor Elijah talem datfala prea, pipol maet ting Jehovah bae fail olsem Baal tu. Bat bihaen datfala prea, semtaem nomoa olketa lukim pruv nao. Bible sei: “Fire from Jehovah kam daon and bonem datfala burnt offering, olketa pis firewood, olketa ston, and dust, and hem draem evri wata from datfala drain.” (1 Ki. 18:38) Datwan hem barava spesol samting! So wat nao pipol hia duim?

¹⁹ Pipol hia singaot big olsem: “Jehovah nao hem tru God! Jehovah nao hem tru God!” (1 Ki. 18:39) Olketa barava lukim klia pruv nao. Nomata olsem, olketa no showimaot faith yet. Bihaen olketa lukim fire wea kam daon from heven for ansarem prea blo Elijah, hem isi for sei dat Jehovah nao tru God. Bat datwan no minim olketa garem faith. So Elijah askem olketa for duim samting. Hem talem olketa wat olketa shud duim staka year bifor, hem nao for obeyim olketa law blo Jehovah. Law hem sei olketa mas killim dae olketa false profet and olketa wea worshipim idol. (Deut. 13:5-9) Olketa priest olketa real enemy blo Jehovah God and olketa duim samting againstim plan blo hem. Waswe, olketa fit for kasem mercy? Hao, olketa showimaot mercy tu lo olketa innocent pikinini wea olketa bornem olketa olsem sakrifaes for Baal? (Readim Proverbs 21:13; Jer. 19:5) Olketa man hia barava no fit for kasem mercy! So, Elijah givim order for killim olketa dae, and hem nao wat olketa duim.—1 Ki. 18:40.

20. Why nao samfala distaem olketa no agree witim hao Elijah killim dae olketa priest blo Baal?

²⁰ Samfala distaem olketa no agree witim wat hem happen lo Maunt Carmel. Samfala pipol maet wari nogud nao pipol wea strong lo religion iusim datfala story for sei hem olraet nomoa for killim olketa man from difren religion. And sorre samting nao, datwan nao wat staka religion duim distaem. Bat Elijah hem no olsem, wat hem duim hem followim samting wea Jehovah talem wea fitim justice. And tu, olketa tru Christian savve bae olketa no iusim sword olsem Elijah for distroem olketa wea wicked. Bat olketa followim standard blo olketa disaepol blo Jesus wea hem talem lo Peter: “Leavim sword ia. Eniwan wea iusim sword for killim dae narawan, bae olketa iusim sword for killim hem dae tu.” (Matt. 26:52) Jehovah nao bae iusim son blo hem for duim samting followim justice lo future.

21. Hao nao example blo Elijah hem fitim olketa tru Christian distaem?

²¹ Hem responsibility blo olketa tru Christian for showimaot faith lo laef blo olketa. (John 3:16) Wanfala wei for duim diswan hem for followim example blo olketa wea faithful olsem Elijah. Hem worshipim Jehovah nomoa and encouragem olketa narawan for duim sem samting. Hem no fraet for showimaot klia, laea blo olketa religion wea Satan iusim for laea lo pipol for lusim Jehovah. And hem trustim Jehovah for stretem evri samting, winim wei for depend lo savve blo hemseleva and wat hemseleva laekem. Elijah defendim pure worship. Iumi evriwan laek for garem sem faith olsem Elijah!