Honoring Jehovah

Jehovah honors his creatures. It is reasonable then that we should, in turn, honor him. (Proverbs 3:9; Revelation 4:11) Jehovah's Word also states: "Those honoring me I shall honor, and those despising me wil be of little account." (1Samuel 2:30) When Pharoah of Egypt was told to let God's people go, he arrogantly answered: " Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice?" (Exodus 5:2) When Pharoah sent his armies to crush the Israelites, Jehovah parted the waters of the Red Sea for Israel. But when the Egyptians followed, Jehovah caused the waters to return. "Pharoah's chariots and his military forces [Jehovah] has cast into the sea." (Exodus 14:26-28; 15:4) So Pharoah's proud refusal to honor Jehovah led to his diastrous end.- Psalm 136:15.

King Belshazzar of Babylon refused to honor Jehovah. During a drunken feast, he mocked Jehovah by drinking wine out of the sacred vessels of gold and silver taken from Jerusalem's temple. And while he was doing this, he praised the pagan gods But Jehovah's servant Daniel told him: "You have not humbled your heart. . . But against the Lord of the heavens you exalted yourself." that very night Belshazzar was killed, and his kingdom was taken away from him. - Daniel 5:22-31.

In the first century C.E., King Herod was giving an address to the public, and they shouted "A god's voice, and not a man's!" The vain king did not disagree but wanted the glory. At that, "the angel of Jehovah struck him, because he did not give the glory to God." (Acts 12:21-23) Herod honored himself, not Jehovah and was struck dead. The religious leaders of that time had dishonored God by conspiring to kill his Son, Jesus. Some rulers knew that Jesus taught the truth but would not follow him, "for they loved the glory of men more than even the glory of God." (John 11:47-53; 12:42, 43) The nation as a whole did not honor Jehovah or his appointed Representative, Jesus. As a result, Jehovah did not continue to honor them, abandoning them and their temple to destruction. But he preserved alive those who honored him and his Son. - Matthew 23:38; Luke 21:20-22.

All those who want to live in God's new world after this present system is destroyed must honor God and his Son, Christ Jesus, and obey them. (John 5:22, 23; Philippians 2:9-11) Those who do not show such honor "will be cut off from the very earth." On the other hand, the upright ones whodo honor and obey and obey God and Christ "are the ones that will reside in the earth." - Proverbs 2:21, 22.

Next time: Peer Pressure - Can It Be To Your Advantage?