‘Hem Gohed Servem Jehovah’
Followim Faith Bilong Olketa
‘Hem Gohed Servem Jehovah’
SAMUEL luk long feis bilong pipol bilong hem. Disfala faithful wakaman wea waka olsem profet and judge for staka year hem hipimap datfala full nation long datfala taon Gilgal. Datwan hem long May or June long calender bilong iumi distaem and drae season hem start finis. Olketa farm bilong wheat long datfala ples olketa redi nao for harvestim. Evriwan wea hipap, no eniwan story. Wanem nao Samuel savve duim for kasem heart bilong olketa?
Pipol hia no barava minim gud samting wea olketa duim. Olketa laekem tumas for wanfala man rulim olketa. Olketa no barava minim gud hao olketa nating respectim God bilong olketa Jehovah, and profet bilong hem. Hem olsem olketa rejectim Jehovah olsem King bilong olketa! Wanem nao Samuel savve duim for mekem olketa repent?
Samuel talem olketa wea hipap: “Mi olo and garem gray hair” nao. From hem gray hair, datwan mekem pipol tinghae long toktok bilong hem. Then hem sei moa: “Mi stap witim iufala start from taem mi young kam kasem distaem.” (1 Samuel 11:14, 15; 12:2) Nomata Samuel hem olo, hem tingim yet wanem hem duim taem hem young. Wanem hem disaedem taem hem young, helpem hem for garem faith and love for God bilong hem Jehovah.
Evritaem nomoa, Samuel mas strongim and gohed strong long faith bilong hem bikos hem stap midolwan pipol wea no garem faith and no faithful. Distaem tu, hem hard lelebet for strongim faith bilong iumi bikos iumi stap long world wea pipol no garem faith and duim nogud samting. Iumi bae lukim and lanem wanem iumi savve duim from example bilong Samuel start long taem hem young yet.
Hem “Servem Jehovah Taem Hem Smol Boy”
Samuel hem difren from olketa nara pikinini taem hem smol. No longtaem bihaen hem stop susu nomoa, maet taem hem foa year, hem start for duim waka long tabernacle bilong Jehovah long Shiloh wea hem 30 kilometer from hom bilong hem long Ramah. Dadi and mami bilong hem, Elkanah and Hannah, givim boy bilong tufala long Jehovah for duim wanfala spesol service for kamap wanfala Nazirite for full laef bilong hem. * Waswe, diswan minim parents bilong Samuel les long hem?
Nomoa! Olketa savve bae olketa lukaftarem son bilong tufala long Shiloh. Luk olsem Hae Priest Eli nao lukaftarem hem, bikos Samuel waka witim hem. Samfala woman tu waka long olketa nara ples long datfala tabernacle.—Exodus 38:8.
And tu, Hannah and Elkanah nating forgetim firstborn boy bilong tufala, bikos Jehovah nao ansarem prea bilong tufala for garem pikinini. Hannah askem God for givim hem wanfala boy, and hem promis for givim datfala boy long God for duim holy waka for full laef bilong hem. Taem Hannah visitim Samuel evri year, hem savve tekem kam coat wea hem sewim for Samuel werem taem hem duim waka bilong hem long temple. Masbi datfala smol boy barava tinghae long mami bilong hem wea visitim hem. And masbi love wea parents bilong hem showimaot helpem hem for tinghae long waka wea hem garem for servem Jehovah and for stap long datfala spesol ples.
Olketa parents distaem savve lanem staka samting from Hannah and Elkanah. Staka parents savve warim olketa material samting for pikinini bilong olketa and no tingim nao spiritual samting. Bat parents bilong Samuel tingim olketa spiritual samting firstaem, and datwan nao helpem boy bilong tufala taem hem kamap big.—Proverbs 22:6.
Iumi savve tingim datfala boy hem growap and wakabaot long olketa hill long Shiloh. Taem hem luk go daon long datfala taon and valley wea stap narasaed, hem mas barava hapi and feel praod taem hem lukim datfala tabernacle bilong Jehovah. Datfala tabernacle hem wanfala ples wea holy. * Moses lukaftarem waka for buildim datfala tabernacle 400 year bifor, and hem nomoa ples for worshipim Jehovah long datfala taem.
Young Samuel barava laekem datfala tabernacle. Long story wea hem raetem bihaen, hem sei: “Samuel servem Jehovah taem hem smol boy, and werem kaleko bilong priest.” (1 Samuel 2:18) Datfala kaleko wea Samuel werem showimaot hem helpem olketa priest long tabernacle. Nomata Samuel no kamaot long laen bilong olketa priest, hem garem staka waka for duim, olsem for openem olketa door long tabernacle evri morning and duim samting for helpem Eli wea olo. Long olketa taem hia wea hem hapi long waka wea hem duim, isisi hem start for feel nogud long samfala samting. Wanfala samting hem no stret long haos bilong Jehovah.
Hem Duim Stret Samting Nomata Pipol Duim Nogud Samting
Taem Samuel young nomoa, hem lukim pipol duim nogud samting. Eli garem tufala boy wea nem bilong tufala hem Hophni and Phinehas. Samuel story olsem: “Olketa son bilong Eli olketa iusles man nomoa; olketa no tingim Jehovah.” (1 Samuel 2:12) Hophni and Phinehas tufala iusles man nomoa bikos tufala nating respectim Jehovah. Tufala nating tinghae long olketa raeteous standard bilong God and wanem hem laekem tufala for duim. From diswan, olketa start for duim olketa nara nogud samting.
Law bilong God showimaot klia waka wea olketa priest duim and wei for offerim olketa sakrifaes long tabernacle. God garem reason for datwan! Olketa sakrifaes hia piksarem olketa samting wea God duim for forgivim sin bilong pipol, mekem God savve hapi long olketa, and olketa savve kasem olketa blessing and instruction from hem. Bat Hophni and Phinehas pullim olketa nara priest for no tinghae long olketa sakrifaes wea olketa duim. *
Tingim young Samuel standap and lukluk long nogud samting wea gohed for happen. Haomas pipol nao hem lukim wea poor, hambol, and wea narawan spoelem, olketa kam long datfala holy tabernacle for kasem spiritual comfort and strong bat taem olketa go bak, olketa barava feel sorre, or shame nomoa? And hao nao hem feel taem hem savve Hophni and Phinehas tu no tinghae long law bilong Jehovah saed long sex, taem tufala durong witim samfala woman wea waka long tabernacle? (1 Samuel 2:22) Maet hem hope, Eli bae duim samting abaotem datwan.
Eli nao fit for duim samting abaotem datfala nogud samting wea gohed. From hem hae priest, hem garem responsibility long eni samting wea gohed long tabernacle. And from hem wanfala dadi, hem garem responsibility for stretem tufala boy bilong hem. Tru tumas, samting wea tufala duim hem spoelem tufala seleva and staka moa long datfala ples. Bat Eli no duim waka bilong hem olsem wanfala dadi and olsem wanfala hae priest. Hem nating givim strong kaonsel long tufala boy bilong hem. (1 Samuel 2:23-25) Bat tufala son bilong hem needim strong discipline. Olketa duim sin wea fit for tufala dae long hem!
Gogo Jehovah mas sendem long Eli “wanfala man bilong God,” wea hem wanfala profet wea no garem nem for talemaot strong judgment message. Jehovah talem Eli: “Iu gohed for honorim olketa son bilong iu winim mi.” God talem hao tufala nogud son bilong Eli bae dae long sem day and famili bilong Eli bae safa fogud, and hem bae lusim tu privilege bilong hem for waka olsem priest. Waswe, disfala strong warning mekem datfala famili for changem wei bilong olketa? Bible storyim hao olketa nating change.—1 Samuel 2:27–3:1.
Hao nao datfala nogud wei affectim young Samuel? Iumi lukim and savve, long olketa nogud taem hia, Samuel gohed for duim gud samting. Long 1 Samuel 2:18 Bible sei, Samuel faithful for “servem Jehovah taem hem smol boy.” Nomata Samuel smol boy nomoa, hem givim laef bilong hem for duim waka bilong God. Long verse 21 long sem chapter, iumi readim samting wea iumi tinghae long hem: “Datfala boy Samuel, start from taem hem smol go kasem taem hem big hem servem Jehovah.” Taem hem kakamap big, wei wea hem fren witim Dadi bilong hem long heven kamap moa strong. Disfala wei wea hem fren gud witim Jehovah, barava protectim hem from eni nogud samting.
Hem isi for Samuel garem kaen tingting olsem, sapos hae priest and tufala son bilong hem savve duim sin, maet hem tu savve duim eni samting wea hem laek for duim. Bat nogud samting wea olketa narawan duim, and tu olketa wea garem paoa, hem no wanfala excuse for duim sin. Distaem tu, staka young Christian followim example bilong Samuel and gohed for “servem Jehovah” nomata taem samfala no showimaot gudfala example.
Wanem gudfala samting nao Samuel kasem from hem showimaot gudfala example olsem? Bible sei: “Samuel hem gohed for kamap big and Jehovah and olketa man barava hapi long hem.” (1 Samuel 2:26) So olketa wea garem stretfala tingting barava laekem wei bilong Samuel. Jehovah barava tinghae long wei wea disfala boy faithful long hem. And Samuel savve God bae duim samting for stretem olketa nogud samting wea gohed long Shiloh, bat maet hem no savve wanem taem.
‘Wakaman Bilong Iu Lisin Long Iu Nao’
Bat long wanfala naet taem hem klosap morning, Samuel herem wanfala voice kolem nem bilong hem. Long datfala taem laet bilong bigfala lamp hem laet yet insaed tent and evri samting hem kwaet. Hem tingse Eli wea hem olo and klosap for blind nao kolem hem. Samuel getap and “ran go” long datfala olo man. Waswe, long mind bilong iu, iu lukim datfala boy wea no werem eni sandol ran kwiktaem for lukim wanem nao Eli needim? Iumi tinghae long wei wea Samuel showimaot respect and hem kaen long Eli. Nomata Eli duim staka sin, hem still hae priest bilong Jehovah.—1 Samuel 3:2-5.
Samuel wekapem Eli and sei: “Mi long hia, iu kolem mi.” Bat Eli sei hem nating kolem Samuel and hem sendem hem go bak sleep. Sem samting happen thrifala taem! Then Eli luksavve long samting wea happen. Jehovah no evritaem sendem vision or talem profesi long pipol bilong hem long datfala taem bikos long nogud samting wea hem gohed. Bat long datfala naet Jehovah hem story moa, and Eli savve hem story long disfala boy! Eli talem Samuel for go bak sleep and talem hem hao for ansa gud. Samuel obeyim Eli. Then nomoa Samuel herem samwan kolem hem: “Samuel, Samuel!” Datfala boy hem ansa: ‘Wakaman bilong iu lisin long iu nao.’—1 Samuel 3:1, 5-10.
Jehovah hem toktok, and distaem hem garem wanfala wakaman long Shiloh wea lisin long hem. Hem kamap wei bilong Samuel for lisin long Jehovah. Waswe, iu tu garem wei olsem? Iumi no need for herem wanfala voice long naet for toktok kam long iumi. Distaem iumi savve herem voice bilong God long Bible wea hem Word bilong hem. Taem iumi gohed for lisin long God and duim samting followim, faith bilong iumi bae kamap moa strong. Samuel duim sem samting.
Datfala naet long Shiloh hem important taem long laef bilong Samuel bikos hem start for garem spesol wei for fren gud witim Jehovah, and kamap profet bilong God and man for toktok for hem. Firstaem, datfala boy fraet lelebet for talemaot message bilong Jehovah long Eli, bikos hem wanfala judgment message againstim datfala famili bilong Eli wea klosap for kamap tru. Bat Samuel winim wei for fraet and Eli acceptim datfala judgment message. No longtaem bihaen, evri samting wea Jehovah talem hem kamap tru. Olketa Israelite go faetem olketa Philistine, and Hophni and Phinehas dae long sem day. Taem Eli herem olketa tekem holy Ark bilong Jehovah, hem dae tu.—1 Samuel 3:10-18; 4:1-18.
Bat Samuel gohed strong long waka bilong hem olsem wanfala faithful profet. Bible sei: “Jehovah stap witim hem,” and Jehovah mekem kamap tru evri profesi wea Samuel talemaot.—1 Samuel 3:19.
“Samuel Prea Long Jehovah”
Waswe, datwan minim olketa Israelite followim toktok bilong Samuel and kamap spiritual pipol wea faithful? Nomoa. Gogo olketa disaed hao olketa no laekem wanfala profet for rulim olketa, bat olketa laek for olsem olketa nara nation, and garem wanfala king for rulim olketa. Samuel duim samting wea olketa laekem, bat hem mas talemaot long olketa Israelite bigfala sin wea olketa duim. Olketa no rejectim man, bat Jehovah nao olketa rejectim! So Samuel hipimap pipol long Gilgal.
Long Gilgal, Samuel remindim olketa Israelite abaotem faithful wei bilong hem. Then Bible sei: “Samuel prea long Jehovah.” Hem askem Jehovah for sendem kam thunder and rain.—1 Samuel 12:17, 18.
No enitaem hem thunder and rain olsem long drae season. Kaen samting olsem hem no happen bifor! Nomata sapos pipol long datfala taem daot or mekfani, hem for lelebet taem nomoa. Skae hem start for dark. Wind start for blowim olketa wheat long field. Thunder start for bosta. And rain start for foldaon. Wanem nao pipol duim? “Olketa pipol fraet tumas long Jehovah and long Samuel.” Datfala taem nao olketa luksavve olketa barava sin.—1 Samuel 12:18, 19.
Jehovah God nao kasem heart bilong olketa hia wea bighed and no Samuel seleva. Start from taem Samuel hem young go kasem taem hem olo, hem faithful long God. And Jehovah blessim hem. Kam kasem distaem, Jehovah hem nating change. Hem sapotim yet olketa wea garem faith olsem Samuel.
[Olketa Footnote]
^ Olketa Nazirite mas no drinkim alcohol and no katem hair bilong olketa. Staka duim diswan for lelebet taem nomoa, bat tu-thri olsem Samson, Samuel, and John Baptaesa, stap olsem Nazirite for full laef bilong olketa.
^ Datfala sanctuary, sheip bilong hem luk olsem rectangle. Hem wanfala big tent wea garem timba frame. Bat material wea olketa iusim for wakem long hem, hem skin bilong animal, olketa kaleko wea garem naes design long hem, and olketa expensive timba wea olketa kavarem long silver and gold. Datfala sanctuary hem stap long courtyard wea sheip bilong hem olsem rectangle wea garem naesfala altar for mekem sakrifaes. Gogo olketa wakem samfala nara rum long saed bilong datfala tabernacle for olketa priest iusim. Luk olsem Samuel hem sleep long wanfala long olketa rum hia.
^ Datfala story showimaot tufala example abaotem diswan. Firstfala samting, Law hem markem stret olketa pis meat for sakrifaesim wea olketa priest savve kaikaim. (Deuteronomy 18:3) Bat long tabernacle, olketa nogud priest hia duim barava difren samting. Olketa talem olketa wakaman for tekem bigfala fok and pushim insaed datfala big sospan, and olketa savve tekem for olketa seleva eni meat wea pas long fok taem olketa liftimap nomata maet olketa best pis meat nao pas long fok! Nara samting, taem pipol tekem kam sakrifaes for bonem long altar, olketa nogud priest hia talem olketa wakaman bilong olketa for mas tekem datfala meat and no letem for sakrifaesim datwan, and askem olketa for givim meat wea no kuk yet nomata olketa no sakrifaesim yet long Jehovah.—Leviticus 3:3-5; 1 Samuel 2:13-17.
[Piksa long page 17]
Nomata Samuel fraet, hem faithful for talemaot judgment message long Eli
[Piksa long page 18]
Samuel garem faith taem hem prea, and Jehovah ansarem prea bilong hem taem hem sendem kam thunder and rain
