1-2. As e dey for Psalm 25:14, wetin we must do to fit be Jehovah tight friend?

 IF YOU want continue to be person friend, which character you think say go dey important to get? To love and support each other fit come your mind. You fit no think say fear dey important to be good friend. But as we see for the verse wey we take the topic of this article, people wey want be Jehovah tight friend must ‘fear-am.’—Read Psalm 25:14.

² No matter how many years we don de worship Jehovah, all of us need to continue to fear Jehovah for the correct way. But wetin e mean to fear God? Wetin fit help us to fear Jehovah? And how we fit learn to fear Jehovah from the example of Obadiah, High Priest Jehoiada, and King Jehoash?

3. How fear de help us do the correct thing?

³ If we know say danger dey for something or somewhere, e fit make fear catch us. This kind fear good because e fit make us do wetin go save our life. Fear say we fit fall, go make us no climb high place. Fear say something fit wound us go make us run from the thing. The fear say if we talk or do wetin bad to our friend fit spoil our friendship with-am, go make us no talk or do the thing.

4. How Satan want make people de fear Jehovah?

 ⁴ Satan no want make people fear Jehovah for the correct way. Satan want make we believe say Jehovah de always vex with us and e want punish us, and say we no go fit ever make Jehovah happy. (Job 4:18, 19) Satan want make this fear make us stop to worship Jehovah. So we need to learn how to fear Jehovah for the correct way so that we no go fall for Satan trap.

5. Wetin e mean to fear God?

⁵ Person wey de fear God for the correct way na person wey love and respect-am well-well and no want do anything wey go spoil e friendship with God. This na the kind fear wey Jesus get for God. (Heb. 5:7) Jesus no fear Jehovah the way Satan want make we de fear Jehovah. (Isa. 11:2, 3) Instead, e love Jehovah well-well and e happy to obey-am. (John 14:21, 31) Like Jesus, we de fear Jehovah and get deep respect for-am because God na love, e get sense, e no de do partial, and e get power well-well. We still know say Jehovah love us well-well and say the way we de live our life dey important to-am. So if we obey Jehovah, e go make-am happy, but if we disobey-am, e go pain-am.—Ps. 78:41; Prov. 27:11.

6. Wetin be one way wey we fit learn to fear Jehovah? (Psalm 34:11)

⁶ To fear Jehovah na something wey we need to learn because them no born us with fear of God. (Read Psalm 34:11.) One way wey we fit do this one na to look the things wey Jehovah make. The more we de look them, the more we go de see say Jehovah get power, sense and love us well-well. This one go move us to love and respect-am more-more. (Rom. 1:20) One sister wey e name na Adrienne talk say, “When I look the things wey Jehovah make and I see the kind sense wey e get, e really dey wonderful and this one de help me know say Jehovah know wetin good for me.” Because this sister de always take time think about wetin Jehovah make, this one make-am talk say, “I no want do anything wey go spoil my friendship with Jehovah, wey give me life.” Try take some time this week to think about something wey Jehovah don make. This one go help you love and respect Jehovah more.—Ps. 111:2, 3.

7. How prayer fit help us fear or respect Jehovah more?

⁷ Another thing wey fit help us learn how to fear Jehovah na when we de always pray to-am. The more we de pray to Jehovah, the more we go de know Jehovah. Every time we beg Jehovah to help us fit endure our problem, this one de make us remember say Jehovah get power well-well. When we pray to thank Jehovah as e send e pikin to die for us, this one de make us remember say Jehovah really love us. And when we get problem and we beg Jehovah say make e give us sense to know the correct way to handle-am, this one de make us remember say Jehovah sense pass our own by far. This kind prayers de make us fear or respect Jehovah more. And e de make us want run from anything wey fit spoil our friendship with-am.

8. Wetin we fit do so that we go continue to fear Jehovah?

⁸ When we study the good and bad example of people for Bible, e fit help us learn how to continue to fear Jehovah. Make we talk about two example of people wey fear Jehovah, them be Obadiah, wey de work for King Ahab palace and High Priest Jehoiada. We go still talk about Jehoash wey be king of Judah. When e start to rule, e serve Jehovah well but later, e leave Jehovah.

9. How fear of Jehovah help Obadiah? (1 Kings 18:3, 12)

⁹ Bible talk about Obadiah, b say na person wey really fear Jehovah. (Read 1 Kings 18:3, 12.) As Obadiah fear Jehovah, how that one help-am? E help-am be person wey de talk true and person wey people fit really trust. Na this one make the king put Obadiah in charge of e house. (Compare Nehemiah 7:2.) The fear wey Obadiah get for Jehovah make-am get strong mind and e really need this character. Obadiah live for the time wey King Ahab de rule Israel. This king really wicked and e do plenty things wey Jehovah hate, pass other kings wey don rule Israel before e time. (1 Ki. 16:30) Ahab wife wey be Jezebel de worship Baal and hate Jehovah well-well sotey e try to make sure say nobody worship Jehovah again for the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel wey e husband de rule. E even kill plenty prophet of Jehovah. (1 Ki. 18:4) All this one show say Obadiah worship Jehovah when things really hard for Israel.

10. Wetin Obadiah do wey show say e really get strong mind?

¹⁰ Wetin Obadiah do wey show say e really get strong mind? When Jezebel start to look for Jehovah prophet to kill them, Obadiah hide 100 prophet for cave. E divide them for two group and them be 50 for each group and de give them bread and water. (1 Ki. 18:13, 14) If to say them catch-am, Jezebel for kill-am. E fit be say Obadiah go don fear as e no want die, but e love Jehovah and other servants of Jehovah pass e life.

11. How servants of Jehovah for this our time take be like Obadiah? (Still check the picture.)

¹¹ Many of Jehovah servants for this our time de live for country wey them ban our work. Them de respect the government for their country, but like Obadiah, this brothers and sisters no de ever gree to stop to worship Jehovah. (Matt. 22:21) Them de show say them fear God as them de obey God instead of men. (Acts 5:29) Them de do this one as them de hide do meeting and preaching. (Matt. 10:16, 28) Them de try their best to make sure say their brothers and sisters get  wetin them need to continue to worship Jehovah. See the example of Brother Henri wey de live for one country for Africa wey them ban our work for some time. For the time of the ban, Brother Henri agree to use e time de go give our book them to brothers and sisters. E write say: “I be person wey de quick shame. So I believe say na the deep respect wey I get for Jehovah give me the strong mind wey I need.” You think say you go fit get the kind strong mind wey Brother Henri get? You go fit, if you fear Jehovah for the correct way.

12. How High Priest Jehoiada and e wife show say them hold Jehovah tight?

¹² High Priest Jehoiada fear Jehovah. That fear make-am hold Jehovah tight and help other people get the mind to worship Jehovah. When Athaliah wey be Jezebel pikin use force start to rule as queen for Judah even though say e no get right to rule, High Priest Jehoiada do wetin show say e hold Jehovah tight. The people of Judah really fear Athaliah because of the kind person wey e be. Athaliah na really wicked woman and e do everything wey e fit do to start to rule the land of Judah sotey e kill all e own grandson them wey get the right to become king. (2 Chron. 22:10, 11) But Jehoiada and e wife wey e name na Jehoshabeath save Jehoash wey be one of Athaliah grandson so that e no go kill-am. Them hide Jehoash from Athaliah as them de care for-am. Wetin Jehoiada and e wife do make-am possible for person from the family of King David to fit continue to be king for Israel. Jehoiada hold Jehovah tight and e no allow the fear of Athaliah make-am no do wetin Jehovah want.—Prov. 29:25.

13. When Jehoash reach seven years, wetin Jehoiada do again wey show say e hold Jehovah tight?

¹³ When Jehoash reach seven years, Jehoiada still do something wey show say e really hold Jehovah tight. E make one plan, and if the plan work, Jehoash go become king and na e get right to rule because e come from David family. But if Athaliah catch Jehoiada for this plan wey e get, e go kill-am. Jehovah bless the plan. The leaders and Levites for Israel support Jehoiada to make Jehoash king and kill Athaliah. (2 Chron. 23:1-5, 11, 12, 15; 24:1) After them don make Jehoash king, Jehoiada make agreement between Jehovah and the king and the people say them go continue to be Jehovah people. (2 Ki. 11:17) Jehoiada still put the people wey de guard the temple for the gate wey dey the temple so that anybody wey no clean for Jehovah eye no go enter.—2 Chron. 23:19.

14. How Jehovah bless Jehoiada because of the way e hold-am tight?

¹⁴ Jehovah don talk before say e go honor people wey honor-am. True-true, Jehovah bless Jehoiada as e promise. (1 Sam. 2:30) For example, Jehovah make sure say them write wetin Jehoiada do for Bible, so that we go fit learn from-am. (Rom. 15:4) And when e die, them show-am special honor as them bury-am where them de bury kings for the City of David, because e do good for Israel for the way e worship God and care for the temple.—2 Chron. 24:15, 16.

15. Wetin we fit learn from the story of Jehoiada? (Still check the picture.)

¹⁵ The story of Jehoiada teach all of us how to fear God for the correct way. Elders go fit copy Jehoiada example if them de always put mind for how them go fit protect Jehovah sheep. (Acts 20:28) People wey don de worship Jehovah for many years fit learn from  Jehoiada say when them fear Jehovah and hold-am tight, e go fit use them do wetin e want for e organization. E no go ever forget them. Young people fit copy the way Jehovah honor Jehoiada when them de respect and honor old people for Jehovah organization, especially old people wey don de worship Jehovah for many years. (Prov. 16:31) And all of us go fit learn from the leaders and Levites wey support Jehoiada. Make all of us de use all our heart obey the elders, this one go show say we de support them.—Heb. 13:17.

16. Wetin show say King Jehoash no get strong mind to do wetin correct?

¹⁶ Jehoiada help Jehoash to be good king. (2 Ki. 12:2) Because of this one, King Jehoash worship Jehovah well when e dey young. But after Jehoiada die, Jehoash start to listen to prince them wey no de worship Jehovah. Wetin happen because of this one? Jehoash and the people of Judah start to worship other gods. (2 Chron. 24:4, 17, 18) This one really pain Jehovah, so e send different-different prophets to go warn them, but them no gree listen. Them no even listen to Zechariah wey be Jehoiada pikin. Zechariah no only be prophet, but e still be priest and Jehoash cousin. King Jehoash even kill Zechariah, this one show say e no value wetin Jehoiada family do for-am as them save e life when e small.—2 Chron. 22:11; 24:19-22.

17. Wetin later happen to King Jehoash?

 ¹⁷ Jehoash no continue to fear Jehovah. Because of this one, things no go well for-am. Jehovah don talk before say anybody wey no respect-am, e no go value the person. (1 Sam. 2:30) Jehoash get plenty army, but when e go fight war with Syria people wey their army no plenty, them win Jehoash army and wound Jehoash well-well. After Syria people go back to their land, Jehoash servants kill Jehoash because e kill Zechariah. Even though say Jehoash na king, them no bury-am for the place wey them de bury kings, because e really wicked.—2 Chron. 24:23-25; check “son of Barachiah” for study note for Matthew 23:35. (For English.)

18. From wetin Jeremiah 17:7, 8, talk, wetin we fit do make we no be like Jehoash?

¹⁸ Wetin we fit learn from Jehoash example? Jehoash just be like tree wey them use stick support because e root no strong for ground. Na Jehoiada be like the stick wey support Jehoash. But after Jehoiada die, Jehoash leave Jehovah because e start to listen to people wey don stop to worship Jehovah. This example show say we suppose fear Jehovah, no be only because people for our family or congregation de do-am. To fit continue to hold Jehovah tight, we must continue to make our love and respect for-am strong more-more. To fit do this one, we need to always study Bible, think deep about wetin we learn, and de pray.—Read Jeremiah 17:7, 8; Col. 2:6, 7.

19. Wetin Jehovah want make we do?

¹⁹ Wetin Jehovah want from us no be wetin we no go fit do. In fact, Ecclesiastes 12:13, tell us wetin Jehovah want from us, e talk say: “Fear the true God and follow e law, because this na the whole thing wey person suppose do.” When we de fear God, we go fit stand well when we face problem for future wey go test our faith, just like Obadiah and Jehoiada. And nothing go fit spoil our friendship with Jehovah.