Jehovah Is Reasonable

Jehovah's humility is manifest in yet another beautiful quality-reasonableness. This quality is sadly lacking among imperfect humans. Not only is Jehovah willing to listen to his intelligent creatures but he is also willing to yield when there is no conflict with righteous principles. As used in the Bible, the word "reasonable" literally means "yielding." This quality too is a hallmark of divine wisdom. James 3:17 says: "The wisdom from above is . . . reasonable." In what sense is the all-wise Jehovah reasonable? For one thing, he is adaptable. Remember, his very name teaches us that Jehovah causes himself to become whatever is needed in order to fulfill his purposes. (Exodus 3:14) Does that not indicate a spirit of adaptability and reasonableness?

There is a remarkable Bible passage that helps us begin to grasp Jehovah's adaptability. The prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of Jehovah's heavenly organization of spirit creatures. He saw a chariot of awe-inspiring proportions, Jehovah's own "vehicle" always under His control. Most were four-sided and full of eyes so that they could see everywhere and could change direction instantly, without stopping or turning. And this gigantic chariot did not have to lumber along like an unwieldy, man-made vehicle. It could moved at the speed of lightning, even making right-angled turns! (Ezekiel 1:1, 14, 28) Yes, Jehovah's organization, like the Almighty Sovereign in control of it, is supremely adaptable, responsive to the ever-changing situations and needs it must address.

Humans can only try to imitate such perfect adaptability. All too often, though, humans and their organizations are more rigid than adaptable, more unreasonable than yielding. To illustrate: A supertanker or a freight train might be awesome in terms of size and power. But can either one respond to sudden changes in circumstance? If an obstacle falls across the tracks in front of a freight train, turning is out of the question. Sudden stops are not much easier. A heavy freight train may take over a mile to stop after the brakes are applied! Similarly, a supertanker may coast onward for five miles after the engines are shut off. Even if the engines are thrown into reverse, the tanker may still plow on for two miles! It is similar with human organizations that are prone to rigidity and unreasonableness. Because of pride, men often refuse to adapt to changing needs and circumstances. Such rigidity has bankrupted corporations and even toppled governments. (Proverbs 16:18) How happy we can be that neither Jehovah nor his organization is anything like that!

Next time: How Jehovah Displays Reasonableness

Draw Close To Jehovah, 2002