STUDY ARTICLE 48
“Wuna Must Dey Holy”
“Make wuna dey holy for all wuna character.”—1 PET. 1:15.
SONG 34 Hold Jehovah Tight
WETIN WE GO LEARN? *
1. Which advice apostle Peter give Christians, and why this one fit be like wetin no dey possible to do?
WHETHER our hope na to live for heaven or earth, we go fit gain when we study the advice wey apostle Peter give anointed Christians for the time of the apostles. Peter write say: “Like the Holy Person wey call wuna, make wuna dey holy for all wuna character, because they don write-am say: ‘Wuna must dey holy because I dey holy.’ ” (1 Pet. 1:15, 16) From the thing wey Peter talk, we learn say we fit do like Jehovah wey be the number one example of person wey dey holy. We fit dey holy and we must dey holy for everything. This one fit be like wetin no dey possible because we no dey perfect. Peter make some mistakes, but e example show say we fit “dey holy.”
2. Which questions we go talk about for this article?
2 For this article, we go talk about this questions: Wetin e mean to dey holy? Wetin Bible teach us about the way Jehovah dey holy? How we fit dey holy for everything? And how our friendship with Jehovah connect with to dey holy?
WETIN E MEAN TO DEY HOLY?
3. How plenty people think say holy person be, but wetin fit tell us the correct thing?
3 When people think of holy person, the thing wey de come many people mind na person wey no de smile, wey de wear special garment, and wey de over serious. But holy people no be like that. Bible talk about Jehovah as “the happy God,” even as e dey holy. (1 Tim. 1:11) Bible talk say servants of Jehovah na “happy” people. (Ps. 144:15) Jesus condemn people wey wear special garment and do good things so that people go see them. (Matt. 6:1; Mark 12:38) Servants of Jehovah know wetin e mean to dey holy because of the things wey they don learn for Bible. We dey sure say our holy God love us and say e no go ever tell us to do something wey we no go fit do. So when Jehovah tell us say: “Wuna must dey holy,” we dey sure say na wetin we fit do. The truth na say, before we go fit dey holy for everything wey we de do, we need to understand wetin e mean to dey holy.
4. Wetin e mean to dey “holy”?
4 Wetin e mean to dey holy? For Bible, the main thing wey the word “holy” de talk about, na to dey clean for everything wey person de do and for e worship. E fit still mean person wey they separate to be God own, make e de serve God. So wetin we de talk be say, we go dey holy if we dey clean for the way we de live our life, if we de worship Jehovah for the way e want, and if our friendship with God dey tight. Even as we get sin for body and Jehovah dey holy for complete way, e still want make we be e tight friend. This one no surprise you?
JEHOVAH DEY HOLY FINISH!
5. Wetin we fit learn about Jehovah from faithful angels?
5 Jehovah dey clean for everything. We learn this one from the thing wey the seraphs talk about Jehovah. The seraphs na angels wey dey near the throne of Jehovah. Some of them announce say: “Jehovah wey get army na God wey holy, holy, holy.” (Isa. 6:3) And for this angels to get tight friendship with Jehovah their holy God, they must dey holy. And the truth be say, them dey holy. Because of that one, the place them for earth wey angels come tell people the message from God, fit become holy place. Na this kind thing happen when Moses dey for that bush wey de burn.—Ex. 3:2-5; Josh. 5:15.
6-7. (a) As e dey for Exodus 15:1, 11, how Moses make-am dey clear say God dey holy? (b) Wetin remind Israel people say God dey holy? (Check picture for front cover.)
6 After Moses lead Israel people pass the Red Sea, e make-am dey clear to them say Jehovah their God dey holy. (Read Exodus 15:1, 11.) Egypt people wey de worship lie-lie gods no dey holy at all. Canaan people wey de worship lie-lie gods no still dey holy. Part of their worship na to do dirty things about sex and to use children do sacrifice. (Lev. 18:3, 4, 21-24; Deut. 18:9, 10) But Jehovah dey different from this lie-lie gods. E no go ever tell e servants to do any of this dirty things. Jehovah dey holy for complete way. The thing wey they write ontop the gold for the cloth wey the high priest de wear for head, make this one dey clear. The thing wey they write na: “Jehovah na holy God.”—Ex. 28:36-38.
7 The thing wey they write ontop the gold go make-am dey clear to anybody wey see-am say, true-true, Jehovah dey holy. But what if person for Israel that time no see the gold because e no fit near the high priest? The person go miss this important message wey they write for the gold? No! Everybody for Israel hear the message when they read the Law to the men, women, and the children. (Deut. 31:9-12) If to say you dey there, you for don hear this message wey be: ‘I be Jehovah wuna God. And wuna must dey holy, because I dey holy.’ “Wuna must dey holy to me, because me, Jehovah, I dey holy.”—Lev. 11:44, 45; 20:7, 26.
8. Wetin we learn from Leviticus 19:2 and 1 Peter 1:14-16?
8 Now, make we talk about something wey Jehovah talk say make they read to all Israel people. This thing dey for Leviticus 19:2. Jehovah tell Moses say: “Talk to the whole Israel people wey gather and tell them say, ‘Make wuna dey holy because me, Jehovah wuna God, dey holy.’ ” E fit be say Peter de quote from this Bible verse when e advice Christians make them “dey holy.” (Read 1 Peter 1:14-16.) Na true say we no dey under the Law of Moses today. But, the thing wey Peter write match with the thing wey we learn from Leviticus 19:2, wey talk say Jehovah dey holy and people wey love Jehovah suppose do their best to dey holy. This one na true whether our hope na to live for heaven or for this earth, when e don turn to Paradise.—1 Pet. 1:4; 2 Pet. 3:13.
“MAKE WUNA DEY HOLY FOR ALL WUNA CHARACTER”
9. Wetin go be the gain when we study wetin dey Leviticus chapter 19?
9 Because we want make our holy God glad, we dey ready to learn how we fit dey holy. Jehovah de give us some advice so that we go fit do this one. One better place wey we fit see this kind advice na Leviticus chapter 19. One man wey don study things about Hebrew, wey e name na Marcus Kalisch, write say this chapter fit be the chapter wey important pass for the book of Leviticus and for the first five books for Bible. Make we see some verse them from this chapter wey get fine-fine lessons about different ways wey we fit dey holy everyday as we de live our life. As we de do this one, make we remember say the lessons start with: “Make wuna dey holy.”
10-11. Wetin Leviticus 19:3 talk say we need to do, and why this one dey important?
10 After Jehovah talk say make Israel people dey holy, e still talk say: “Make each of wuna respect e mama and e papa . . . I be Jehovah wuna God.”—Lev. 19:2, 3.
11 E clear say e dey important make we obey the thing wey God talk say make we do wey be, to honor our papa and mama. Remember wetin Jesus talk when one man ask say: “Which good thing I must do if I want get everlasting life?” Part of the answer wey Jesus give the man na say e need to honor e papa and e mama. (Matt. 19:16-) Jesus even condemn the Pharisees and scribes because they do everything wey they fit do make they no de care for their papa and mama. Because of this one, they make “the word of God” dey useless. ( 19Matt. 15:3-6) Part of that “word of God” na the number 5 commandment for inside the Ten Commandments and the thing wey we read for Leviticus 19:3. (Ex. 20:12) Again, remember say before Bible talk for Leviticus 19:3 say make we respect our papa and mama, Bible don first talk say: “Make wuna dey holy because me, Jehovah wuna God, dey holy.”
12. How we fit obey the command for Leviticus 19:3?
12 When we think about the command wey Jehovah give us, say make we de honor our papa and mama, we fit ask ourself say, ‘I de honor my papa and mama?’ If you feel say you suppose do more before now, you fit decide now to make the situation better. You no go fit change wetin don pass, but you go fit do your best now to spend more time with your papa and mama and help them more. Maybe you fit make arrangement to do this one. Or, e fit be say you fit do more to help them get the things wey they need to survive, or help them dey tight more with Jehovah. Or you fit do more to encourage and comfort them. If you do like that, you de obey the command for Leviticus 19:3.
13. (a) Which other command dey Leviticus 19:3? (b) Today, how we fit copy the example wey Jesus show, with wetin Luke 4:16-18 talk?
13 Leviticus 19:3 teach us another thing about to dey holy. E talk about to do Sabbath. But Christians no dey under the Law, so we no need to do Sabbath every week. Even with that one, we fit learn plenty things from the way Israel people do Sabbath and how they gain from this one. Sabbath na time to rest from work and do things to worship God. * No wonder Jesus de go synagogue for the town wey e grow and read from God Word for Sabbath day. (Ex. 31:12-15; read Luke 4:16-18.) The command wey God give for Leviticus 19:3 wey say “do my sabbath them,” suppose make us bring out time from the things wey we de do everyday, so that we go fit do more things to worship God. You feel say you need to change some things so that you go fit obey that command? If you de always bring out time to do things wey concern the worship of Jehovah, you go get tight friendship with Jehovah, and this one really dey important if you want dey holy.
DO WETIN GO MAKE YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH JEHOVAH DEY STRONG
14. Which important truth Leviticus chapter 19 repeat many times?
14 Leviticus chapter 19 repeat one important truth many times and this truth fit help us continue to dey holy. The ending part of verse 4 talk say: “I be Jehovah wuna God.” That idea dey for this chapter, 16 times. This one make us remember the first commandment wey talk say: “I be Jehovah your God . . . Make you no ever worship any other god except me.” (Ex. 20:2, 3) Every servant of Jehovah wey want dey holy must make sure say nothing or nobody dey more important pass e friendship with Jehovah. And because we be Jehovah Witness, we don tell ourself say we no go do anything wey go bring shame to e holy name.—Lev. 19:12; Isa. 57:15.
15. Wetin the verse them for Leviticus chapter 19 wey talk about sacrifice, suppose make us do?
15 Israel people show say they accept Jehovah as their God as they obey e laws. Leviticus 18:4 talk say: “Make wuna follow the things wey I don decide, and make wuna de obey my laws and de follow them. I be Jehovah wuna God.” Some of this “laws” for Israel people dey chapter 19. For example, verse 5-8, 21, 22 talk about animal sacrifice them. Israel people need to do this sacrifice them for way wey no go “dirty the holy thing wey be for Jehovah.” As we de read this verse them, e suppose make us want do wetin go make Jehovah dey happy and make us praise Jehovah as Hebrews 13:15 advice us make we do. This praise be like sacrifice to Jehovah wey e de accept.
16. Wetin fit remind us say people wey de serve God and people wey no de serve God dey different?
16 If we want dey holy, we must dey ready for people to see us say we dey different from people wey no de serve God. This one fit no easy. Sometimes, our schoolmates, workmates, family people wey no de serve Jehovah, and other people, fit de do things so that we go put hand for things wey go make us no de worship Jehovah for the way wey e want. When they do like that, we get important decision to make. Wetin fit help us make the correct decision? Think about this fine thing wey Leviticus 19:19 talk wey fit guide us. Part of-am talk say: “Make you no ever wear clothe wey they make with two different thread wey they mix together.” That law help to make Israel people dey different from other nations around them. Today, we no dey under the Law, so e no bad if Christian wear cloth wey they sew with two different material like wool and leather or cotton and another kind of material. But, we no want be like people wey the things wey they believe and wey them de do no agree with wetin Bible teach, even if this people na our schoolmates, workmates, or family people. Na true say we love our family members and we de show love to other people. But the decisions wey we de make for our life go show say we de obey Jehovah even if this one go make us dey different from people around us. Remember say, part of wetin e mean for person to dey holy, na to dey separate for God. This one dey important if we de try our best to dey holy.—2 Cor. 6:14-16; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4.
17-18. Which important lesson we fit learn from Leviticus 19:23-25?
17 As Bible talk say “I be Jehovah wuna God,” that one suppose help Israel people remember say na their friendship with Jehovah be the number one thing for their life. How this one fit dey possible? Leviticus 19:23-25 show us one way. (Read-am.) Think about wetin this thing wey Bible talk for here fit mean for Israel people after they don enter the Promise Land. If person plant trees for food, e no suppose chop the fruits from this trees for three years. For the number four year, e go give the fruit out make they use-am for the house of God. Na only for the number five year, the owner fit chop the fruit. This law suppose help Israel people understand say make they no put the things wey they want as number one. Jehovah want make they trust say e go care for them, and make they put e worship as the number one thing for their life. E go make sure say they get enough food to chop. And God encourage them make they open hand contribute gifts for e house, the place wey them de worship God.
18 The law wey they write for Leviticus 19:23-25 remind us of the thing wey Jesus talk for the Sermon on the Mount. E talk say: “Make wuna no de worry . . . about wetin wuna go eat or wetin wuna go drink.” Jesus still talk say: ‘Wuna Papa for heaven know say wuna need all this things.’ God go give us the things wey we need, just as e de care for the birds. (Matt. 6:25, 26, 32) We trust say Jehovah go care for us. And we go de do good things to help people wey need help, but no be to show ourself. We go still de glad to contribute anything wey we fit, so that they go use-am to care for things for congregation. Jehovah de see us as we de open hand well to support e worship and e go pay us back. (Matt. 6:2-4) When we get open hand, we de show say we understand the lessons wey we learn from Leviticus 19:23-25.
19. How you don benefit from the verse them wey we don talk about for the book of Leviticus?
19 Na just some verse them for Leviticus chapter 19 we don talk about, and e help us to understand how we fit be like our holy God. When we de copy Jehovah, this one show say we de try to ‘dey holy for all our character.’ (1 Pet. 1:15) Plenty people wey no de serve Jehovah don see the fine way wey servants of God de behave. True-true, this one don make some of them give glory to Jehovah. (1 Pet. 2:12) But plenty other things dey wey we fit learn from Leviticus chapter 19. The next article go talk about other verse them for that chapter and e go help us understand other ways for our life wey we fit “dey holy,” as Peter advice for Bible.
SONG 80 You Go See Say Jehovah Good
^ We love Jehovah no be small, and we want do wetin e like. Jehovah dey holy, and e expect e servants to dey holy too. This kind thing really dey possible for humans wey sin dey their body? Yes, e dey possible. We fit learn how to dey holy for everything, when we study the thing wey apostle Peter tell Christians and the thing wey Jehovah command the nation of Israel to do.
^ If you want know more about Sabbath and the things wey we fit learn from-am, go check the topic wey be “Time Dey for Work and Time Dey for Rest” for December 2019 Watchtower.