We Belong to Jehovah - "JEHOVAH WILL NOT FORSAKE HS PEOPLE"

We want to show Jehovah how grateful we are that we belong to him as his people.  We know that when we dedicated our lives  to him, it was the wisest choice we could make.  Even though we live "in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation," we can still be "blameless and innocent" and shine "as illuminators in the world." (Philippians 2:15)  So we are determined to avoid doing anything that Jehovah hate. (James 4:7)  And we love and respect our brothers and sisters because they also belong to Jehovah. - ROMANS 12:10.

The Bible promises: "Jehovah will not forsake his people." (Psalm 94:14)  This is a guarantee.  No matter what happens, Jehovah will be with us. Even if we die, he will not forget us. (Romans 8:38, 39) "If we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we dies to  Jehovah. So both if we live, and if we die, we belong to Jehovah." (Romans 14:8)  We look forward  to the time when Jehovah will bring back to life all his loyal friends who have died. (Matthew 22:32)  And even now we enjoy many wonderful gifts from our Father.  As the Bible says, "happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the  people he has chose as his own possession."  - PSALM 33:12. 

SOME EXPRESSION EXPLAINED

We belong to Jehovah: Jehovah gave us life, so we belong to Jehovah from the moment we begin to exist. But we belong to Jehovah in a special way when we dedicate our lives to him, we get baptized, and then we use our lives to serve him. 

Next time: Cultivate Compassion for "All Sorts of People" 

From the jw.org publications

We Belong to Jehovah - WE "HAVE INTENSE LOVE FOR ANOTHER"

We show that we value Jehovah's friendship  by the way we treat our brothers and sisters.  They belong to Jehovah, just as we do. If we remember this fact, we will always treat them with kindness and love. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)  How important is this?  Jesus said to his followers: "By this all will know that you are my disciples-if you have love among yourselves." - JOHN 13:35.

An example from the Law of Moses can help us understand how we should treat others in the congregation.  In Jehovah's
temple, there were  utensils that were used exclusively for worship.  The Law clearly explained how the Levites should care for those utensils, and anyone who did not follow these instructions would be killed.  (Numbers 1:50, 51)  If Jehovah cared so much about how people treated the objects that were used in his worship, how much more so does he care about how people treated his dedicated, loyal worshipers! He let s know how precious we are to him when he said: "Whoever touches  you touches the pupil of my eye." -ZECHARIAH 2:8.   

Malachi said that Jehovah is "paying attention and listening" to how his people treat one another. (Malachi 3:16) "Jehovah knows those who belong to him." (2 Timothy 2:19)  He is very aware of everything we do and say.  (Hebrews 4:13)  When we are unkind to our brothers and sisters, Jehovah notices it.  But we can be sure that Jehovah also notices when we are hospitable, generous, forgiving, and kind. - HEBREWS 13:16; 1 PETER 4:8, 9.

Next time: We Belong to Jehovah - "JEHOVAH WILL NOT FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE
    

From the jw.org publications

We Belong to Jehovah - WE REJECT WORLDLY DESIRES

In the previous article, we learned that Cain, Solomon, and the Israelites claimed to worship Jehovah but were not loyal to him. These examples taught us that it is not enough just to say that we worship Jehovah.  We need to hate what is bad and love what is good.  (Romans 12:9)  Jehovah says that there would b ea clear difference "between a righteous person and a wicked person, between one serving God and one not serving him. -MALACHI 3:18.

We are grateful to Jehovah for choosing us to be his people! It should be easy for all to see that we are on Jehovah's side.  (Matthew 5:16; 1 Timothy 4:15)  Ask yourself: 'Can others see that I am completely loyal to Jehovah? Am I proud to tell people that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses?  Imagine how sad Jehovah would be  if we were ashamed to tell others that we belong to him. - PSALM 119:46; MARK  8:2=38.

Sadly, even some Witnesses imitate "the spirit of the world."  As a result, they are not very different from those who do not worship Jehovah. (1 Corinthians 2:12)  "The spirit of the world" makes people focus on their own selfish desires.  (Ephesians 2:3)   For example,  despite all the counsel that we have received, some choose to dress immodestly.  They wear tight-fitting and revealing clothing, even to Christian gatherings. Or they choose extreme hairstyles.  (1 Timothy 2:9, 10)  As a result, it may be difficult for others to know whether they are Jehovah's Witnesses or not. - JAMES 4:4.

There are other ways that some Witnesses have not been clearly different from the world.  For example, at parties, some have danced and behaved in a way that is not acceptable for Christians. Others have posted photos of themselves and comments on social media that reveal their fleshly thinking. They may not have been disciplined in the Christian congregation for a serious sin, but they can be a bad influence on their brothers and sisters who are trying hard to be different from the world. - Read 1 PETER 2:11, 12.


Do not be influenced by those who are not clearly on Jehovah's side.

Everything in the world is designed to make us focus on "the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes, and the showy display of one's means of life." (1 John 2:16) We belong to Jehovah, so we are different. We "reject ungodliness and worldly desires," and we "live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things." (Titus 2:12)  Our whole way of life, including how we talk, eat, drink, dress, and work, should make it clear to everyone that we belong to Jehovah. - Read 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31, 32. 

Next time: We Belong to Jehovah - WE "HAVE INTENSE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER"

From the jw.org  publications

We Belong to Jehovah - Conclusion of WE DEDICATE OUR LIVES TO JEHOVAH

Read Malachi  3:16.  Why is it so important to dedicate your life to Jehovah and get baptized? It is true that from the moment you began to exist, you already belonged to your Creator, Jehovah.  But jut think how happy Jehovah will  be when you accept him as your Ruler and dedicate yourself to him. (Proverbs 23:15)   Jehovah knows those who willingly serve him, and he writes their names in his "book of remembrance." 

If we want our name to remain in Jehovah's "book of remembrance,"  There is something we must do. Malachi said that we must fear Jehovah and meditate on his name. If we worship anyone or anything else, our nae will be removed from Jehovah's book!- EXODUS 32:33; PSALM 69:28. 

So it is not enough for us to promise to do Jehovah's will and then get baptized. These are things that we do only one time, but worshipping Jehovah  is a way of life. Every day, for as long as we live, we must proved by our actions that we obey Jehovah. - 1 PETER 4:1, 2.

Next time: We Belong to Jehovah - WE REJECT WORLDLY DESIRES

From the jw.org publications

We Belong to Jehovah - WE DEDICATE OUR LIVES TO JEHOVAH

 We show our gratitude to Jehovah when we dedicate our lives to him and get baptized.  Then all can see that we belong to Jehovah and are willing to obey him.  (Hebrews 12:9)  Jesus did something similar when he got baptized.  Even though he was a part of a nation that was dedicated to Jehovah, he offered himself to Jehovah.  It was if he were saying: "To do your will, O my God, is my desire." - PSALM 40:7, 8. 

How did Jehovah feel when Jesus got baptized?  The Bible says:  After being baptized, Jesus immediately  came up from the water, and look! Also, a voice from the heavens said: 'This is my Son, the beloved whom I have approved.'"  (Matthew 3:16, 17) Jesus already belonged to God.  But Jehovah was happy when he saw that Jesus was willing to use his life to serve only Him. Jehovah is also pleased when we dedicate our lives to him, and he will bless us. - PSALM 149:4.

But Jehovah already owns everything!  What could we give to him?  Imagine a man who has beautiful flowers in his garden.   One day his little daughter picks  one of the flowers and gives it to him.   Even though  the flower already belongs to him, the loving Father is delighted with the gift. It shows that his daughter loves him. That flower from  his daughter is more precious to him than all the other flowers in his garden. In a similar way, Jehovah is delighted when we willing dedicate our lives to him. -Exodus 34:14.

Next time: We Belong to Jehovah - Conclusion of  WE DEDICATE OUR LIVES TO JEHOVAH

From the jw.org publications

We Belong to Jehovah

"Happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people he has chosen as his own possession." - PSALM 33:12.

Everything belongs to Jehovah!  He owns "the heavens, even the heavens of the heavens, and the earth with that is in it." (Deuteronomy 10:14; Revelation 4:11)  Because Jehovah created humans, all of us are his property. (Psalm 100:3)  But out of all the people who have ever lived, God has chosen some to belong to him in a special way.

For example,  Psalm 135 described faithful worshippers of Jehovah in ancient Israel s "his special property." (Psalm 135:4)  Also, Hosea prophesied that some non-Israelites would become Jehovah's people.  (Hosea 2:23) This prophecy was fulfilled when Jehovah began to choose people who were not Israelites to rule in heaven with Christ.  (Acts 10:45; Hebrews 9:23-26)   Those anointed  with holy spirit are called "a holy nation,"  "They are Jehovah's special possession." ( 1 Peter 2:9, 10) But what about all the faithful Christians today who hope to live forever on earth?  Jehovah also calls them "my special people" and "my chosen ones."  - ISAIAH 65:22. 

Today, the "little flock," who hope to live forever in heaven, and the "other sheep," who hope to live forever on earth, worship Jehovah together as "one flock." (Luke 12:32; John 10:16)   We want to show Jehovah how grateful we are that we have a special relationship with him.  In this article, we will discuss how we can express our gratitude to Jehovah for this special honor.

Next time: We Belong to Jehovah- WE DEDICATE OUR LIVES TO JEHOVAH

From the jw. org publications

Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - STAY CLOSE TO JEHOVAH

Cain, Solomon, and the Israelites all had the opportunity to repent and change their behavior.  (Acts 3:19) Clearly, Jehovah is not quick to give up on people just because they make a mistake. Think about how he forgave Aaron.  Today, Jehovah gives us loving warnings to protect us from doing what is wrong.  He uses the Bible, our publications, and even other Christians.  When we pay attention to Jehovah's warnings, we can be sure that he will show us mercy.

Jehovah's undeserved kindness has purpose. (2 Corinthians 6:1) It gives us the opportunity "to reject ungodliness and worldly desires." (Read Titus 2:11-14.)  In this system, There will always be situations that test our loyalty to Jehovah.  Be determined to stay completely on Jehovah's side, and remember that it is "Jehovah your God you should fear, him you should serve." and "to him you should cling"! - DEUTERONOMY 10:20. 

Expressions Explained

All humans have to choose whether they will support /worship Jehovah's side or Satan's.  We can stay on Jehovah's side or Satan's. We can support Jehovah's side by loving him and obeying his laws. Also, we must hate Satan and reject his thinking, which is the world's way of thinking.

Next time: We Belong to Jehovah

From the jw.org publications

Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - JEHOVAH REQUIRES US TO BE LOYAL TO HIM

Even though Aaron had made the golden calf, he repented and, along with the rest of the Levites, chose to be on Jehovah's side. These loyal ones made it clear that they were not on the side of the sinners.    That was a wise choice, because later that day, thousands who worshipped the golden calf  died. But those who were on Jehovah's side survived. and God promised to bless them. - EXODUS 32:27-29. 

What is the lesson for us?   The apostle Paul said: "These things became examples for us," so that we never "become idolaters." Paul explained that such accounts "written for  warning to us upon whom the ends of this system of things have come.  So let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall." ( 1 Corinthians 10:6, 7, 11, 12) As Paul pointed out, even those who  worship Jehovah can become involved with doing what is bad.  They may even think that Jehovah still approves of them. But just because a person wants to be Jehovah's friend or claims to be loyal does not always mean that Jehovah actually approves of him. - 1 CORINTHIANS 1-5.

 When Moses did not come down from Sinai as soon as the Israelites expected, they  became anxious. If the end of this system   has not come as soon as we expected, we too may feel anxious. We may begin to think that the wonderful future Jehovah promises is too far off or is too good to be true, and we may start to focus on what we want instead of what Jehovah wants.  If we are not careful, we could drift away from Jehovah and do things that we would never have imagined we would do.

Jehovah requires that we obey him completely and worship only him. (Exodus 20:5)  Why does he ask this of us?  Because he loves us. If we do not do what Jehovah wants, we will be doing what Satan wants, and that will harm us.  Paul stated:  "You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of 'the table of Jehovah and the table of demons." - 1 CORINTHIANS 10:21.

Next time: Who Is on Jehovah's Side? -STAY CLOSE TO JEHOVAH!

From the jw.org publications

Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - JEHOVAH REQUIRES US TO BE LOYAL TO HIM

We can also learn fro what happened after Jehovah freed the Israelites from Egypt.  As the people gathered in front of Mount Sinai, Jehovah showed himself to them in a dramatic way!  They saw a dark cloud, lightning. and smoke, and they heard thunder and a loud noise like horn. (Exodus 19:16-19)  Then they heard Jehovah announce that is is "a God who requires exclusive devotion."  He promised that he would be loyal to those who love him and obey his commandments.  (Read Exodus 20:1-6)   Jehovah was letting the  Israelites know that if they stayed on his side, he would be on their side. If you had been in that crowd, how would you have felt when you heard Jehovah's words? You would probably have answered like those Israelites, who said:  "All the words that Jehovah has spoken, we are willing to do." (Exodus 24:3) But it was not long before something happened that tested the Israelites' loyalty to God. What was it?

The Israelites were frightened by the dramatic display of God's power, so Moses went up to Mount Sinai and spoke to Jehovah for them. (Exodus 20:18-21) But time went by, and Moses did not come back down to the camp. It seemed that the people were stuck in the wilderness without their leader. What would they do?  It may be that the Israelites relied too much on a human leader, Moses. They became anxious and told Aaron; "Make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because we do not know what has happened to Moses, the man who led us out of the land of Egypt." - EXODUS 32:1, 2.

The Israelites knew that it was wrong to worship idols.  (Exodus 20:-5)  But how quickly they began to worshipthe gold calf!  Even though they disobeyed Jehovah's commandment, they fooled themselves into thinking that they were still   on Jehovah's side.  Aaron even called this calf worship  "a festival to Jehovah"!  What did Jehovah do? He told Moses that the people had "corrupted themselves" and left the way he "commanded them to go."  Jehovah was so angry that he even thought about destroying the entire nation. - EXODUS 32:5-10.

But Jehovah is a merciful God. He decided not to destroy the nation. Instead, he gave the Israelites the chance to show that they wanted  to be on his side.   (Exodus 32:14)  When Moses  saw the people shouting, singing, and dancing in front of the idol, he crushed the golden calf and ground it to powder.  Then he shouted:  "Who is on Jehovah's side? Come to me" And "all the Levites gathered  around" Moses. - EXODUS 32:17-20, 26. 

Next time: Who Is on Jehovah's Side? Conclusion of  JEHOVAH REQUIRES US TO BE LOYAL TO HIM

From the jw.org publications

Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - DO NOT BE FOOLED

 When Solomon was young, he had a good relationship with Jehovah. God made Solomon very wise and gave him the important task of building a beautiful temple in Jerusalem.  But Solomon  lost his friendship with Jehovah. (1 Kings 3:12; 11:1, 2) God's Law stated that the king should not take "many wives for himself, so that his heart may not go astray." (Deuteronomy 17:17)   Solomon disobeyed this law.  Eventually, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines!  (1 Kings 11:3)  Many of these women were foreigners who worshipped false gods. So Solomon disobeyed God's law against marrying foreign women. - DEUTERONOMY 7:3, 4.

Little by little, Solomon lost his love for Jehovah's laws. Eventually, he did really bad things. He built altars to the false goddess Ashtoreth and the god Chemosh, and then he worshipped these false god with his wives. Solomon even built these altars  on a mountain just in front of the Jerusalem, where had built Jehovah's temple!  (1 Kings 11:5-8; 2 Kings 23:13)  Perhaps Solomon fooled himself into thinking that Jehovah would ignore all the bad things he did as long as he offered sacrifices at the temple.

But Jehovah never ignores sin.  The Bible says: "Jehovah became furious at Solomon, because his heart had inclined away from Jehovah."  God had tried to help Solomon. Jehovah "had appeared to him twice and had warned him about this very thing, that he should not go after other gods.  But he did not obey what Jehovah had commanded."  As a result, he lost God's approval and support.  Jehovah did not allow Solomon's descendants to rule over the entire nation of Israel, and the had terrible problems for hundreds of years. - 1 KINGS 11:9-13.

If we choose friends who do not understand or respect God's standards, they could influence our thinking and harm our friendship with Jehovah.  They may be part of the congregation, but they do  not have a strong relationship with Jehovah.  Or they could be relatives, neighbors, workmates, or schoolmates who do not worship Jehovah.  If the people we spend time with do not live by Jehovah's standards, they can influence us so  much that we could lose our good relationship with God.

Read 1 Corinthians 5:33.  Most people have some good qualities. And those who do not worship Jehovah may not always do bad things.  Maybe you know some people like that.  Does this mean they are good associations? Well, how do they affect your relationship with Jehovah?  Do they help you draw closer to God?  What is truly important to these people?   What do they talk about?  Do they mainly talk about fashion, money, gadgets, entertainment, and such things?  Are they often critical of others?  Do they like to tell dirty jokes?  Jesus warned:  "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34)  If you realize that the people you spend time with are harming your relationship with Jehovah, take action! Limit the amount of time you are with them, and if necessary, end the friendship. - PROVERBS 13:20.

Next time: Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - JEHOVAH REQUIRES US TO BE LOYAL TO HIM

From the jw.org publications 

Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - JEHOVAH EXAMINES OUR HEART

For example, think of Cain.  He did not worship false gods, but still  Jehovah did not accept his worship. Why not?  Jehovah saw that there  were wicked tendencies in Cain's heart. ( 1 John 3:12)  Jehovah warned Cain: "If  you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor?  But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and it is craving to dominate you; but will you get the mastery over it? (Genesis 4:6, 7)  Jehovah was making it clear that if Cain repented and chose to be on God's side, He would be on Cain's side.

If Cain changed his thinking, Jehovah would accept his worship again. But Cain did not listen to God, and his wrong thinking and selfish desire led him  to wrong actions.  (James 1:14, 15)  When Cain was younger, he may never have imagined hat he would oppose Jehovah. But now he ignored God's warning, rebelled against God, and killed his own brother!

Like Cain, a Christian today might claim to worship Jehovah but actually be doing things that Jehovah hates.  (Jude 11)  He may be active in the ministry and regular at meetings.  But at the same time, he might be allowing immoral fantasies, greedy thoughts, or feelings of hatred  to control his thinking.  (1 John 2:15-17; 3:15)  Such thinking can lead to sinful actions. Other people may not know what we think or do, but Jehovah does.  He knows if we are not completely on his side. - JEREMIAH 17:9, 10. 

Even when we make small mistakes, Jehovah is not quick to give up on us. if we are heading in a dangerous direction, Jehovah invites us:  "Return to me, and I will return to you." (Malachi 3:7) Jehovah understand that we have weaknesses that we fight against. But he wants us to be firm  and oppose what is bad.  (Isaiah 55:7)  If we do, he promises that he will help us and give us the strength we need to conquer our wrong desires. - GENESIS 4:7.  

Next Time: Who Is on Jehovah's Side? - DO NOT BE FOOLED

From the jw.org publications

Who Is on Jehovah's Side?

"Jehovah your you should fear, him you should serve, to him you should cling." - DEUTERONOMY 10:20. 

IT IS wise for us to stay close to Jehovah. No one is more powerful, wise, and loving than he is!  Of course, we always want to be loyal to him and be on his side. (Psalm 96:4-6)  But some who worshipped God failed to do that.

In this article, we will discuss examples of who claimed to be on Jehovah's side but at the same time were doing things that Jehovah hates.  The important lessons we learn from their examples can help us to stay loyal to Jehovah.

Next time: JEHOVAH EXAMINES OUR HEART

From the jw.org publications

Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - DO NOT LET WHAT OTHERS DO DISTRACT YOU

Do not lose self-control when you are frustrated.  Sometimes we experience the same problems over and over again.   But the Bible says:  "Let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out." (Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13)  When something or someone frustrates us again and again, do we think before we speak? Do we control our temper?  (Proverbs 10:19; 17:27; Matthew 5:22)   When others provoke us, we need to learn to "yield place to the wrath," or allow room for Jehovah to express his anger.  (Read Romans 12:17-21) What does that mean?  Instead of becoming angry, we patiently wait for Jehovah to do something about our problem when he thinks it is necessary, if we tried to get revenge instead of looking to Jehovah, would be disrespecting him.

Carefully follow the latest directions. Do we faithfully follow the latest direction that Jehovah had given us? We should not keep doing things the way we have already done them in the past.

Just because that is the way we are used to doing.  Instead, we should be quick to follow any new direction that Jehovah gives us through his organization. (Hebrews 13:17) Also, we must be careful not to "go beyond the things that are written."  (1 Corinthians 4:6) When we follow Jehovah's directions carefully, we keep looking to him.

Do not allow the mistakes of others to damage your friendship with Jehovah.  If we continue to look at Jehovah, we will not damage our friendship with him or become angry because of what others do.  This is especially important  if, like Moses, we have some responsibility in God's organization.  Of course, each of us need to work hard and obey Jehovah to be saved . (Philippians 2:12)  However, the more responsibility we have, the more 
Jehovah expects of us. (Luke 12:48) But if we really love Jehovah, nothing wills stumble us or separate us from his love. - PSALM 119:165; ROMANS 8:37-39.

We live in challenging times.  So it is very important that we keep looking to Jehovah, who is "enthroned in the heavens," in order to understand what he wants us to do.  We should never allow  the actions of others to damage our friendship with Jehovah.  What happened to Moses teaches us this very important lesson.  Instead of  overreacting when others make mistakes, let us be determined to "look to Jehovah our God until he shows us favor." - PSALM 123:1, 2.

Next time: "Who Is on Jehovah's Side?"

From the jw.org publications

Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

What caused Moses to rebel against Jehovah?  Notice again what Psalm 106:32, 33 says: They provoked Him at the waters of Meribah, and it went badly for Moses because of them.  They embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly  with his lips."  So even though the Israelites rebelled  against Jehovah, it was Moses who became embittered, or angry.  He did not show self-control but he spoke without thinking about the consequences.

Moses stopped looking to Jehovah because he allowed the actions of others to distract him.  The first timer the people complained about water, Moses did what was right.  (Exodus 7:6) But maybe he became tired and frustrated because the Israelites had rebelled for many years. It could be that Moses was not thinking only about his own feelings instead of how he could  glorify Jehovah. 

If a faithful prophet such as Moses could become distracted and sin, the same thing could easily happen to us. Moses was  about to enter the Promised Land, and are about to enter the new world.  (2 Peter 3:13) We certainly do not want to lose that special privilege.  But to enter the new world, we must continue to look to Jehovah and always obey him.  (1 John 2:17)  What lessons can we learn from Moses mistake? 

Next time: Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - DO NOT LET WHAT OTHERS DO DISTRACT YOU

From the jw.org publications

Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - HOW MOSES REBELLED

There may be still another reason why Jehovah was so angry with Moses and Aaron.  Moses told the people "must we bring out water for you from this crag?"  When Moses said "we," he was likely referring to himself and Aaron.  What Moses said was very disrespectful because he did not give Jehovah all the credit for the miracle. Psalm 106:32, 33 says: "They provoked him at the waters of Meribah, and it went badly for Moses because of them.  They embittered his spirit, ad he spoke rashly with his lips. (Numbers 27:14)  Moses did not give Jehovah the honor He deserved.  Jehovah told  Moses and Aaron:  "You both rebelled against my order." (Numbers 20:24)  That was a very serious sin!

Jehovah expected more of Moses and Aaron because they were leading his people.  (Luke 12:48)  In the past, Jehovah had not allowed an entire generation of Israelites to go into the Promised Land because they had rebelled against him. (Numbers 14:26-30, 34)  So it was right and fair that when Moses rebelled, Jehovah punished him in the same way. Just like the other rebels, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.  

Next time: Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

From the jw.org publications

Where Are Your Eyes Looking? -Conclusion of A FAITHFUL MAN LOST A PRIVILEGE

However, what happened in a similar situation about 40 years later?  The Israelites were almost at the end of their journey through the wilderness.  They arrived at a place near Kadesh, close to the border of the Promised Land.  This place also became known as Maribah. Why? Because the Israelites complained again that there was no water.  (Numbers 20:1-5)  But this time, Moses made a serious mistake.

What did Moses do when the people rebelled? Again, he looked to Jehovah for direction. But this time Jehovah did not tell Moses to hit the rock. He  told Moses to take his rod, bring the people near the rock, and then  speak to the rock.  (Numbers 20:6-8) Did Moses do that? No.  He was so frustrated and angry that he shouted at the people: "Hear now you rebels! Must we bring water for you from this crag? Then he hit the crag, or rock, not just once, but twice. - NUMBERS 20:10, 11.

Jehovah became very angry with Moses.  (Deuteronomy 1:37; 3:26) Why did Jehovah react in that way?  One reason could be be that Moses did not obey the new directions Jehovah had given him.

There may be another reason why Jehovah was so angry.  The massive rocks at the first Maribah are solid granite. No matter how hard someone hits granite, no one expects that water will come out.   But the rocks at the second Maribah are very different.  Most of them are a king of rock  called limestone. Because limestone  is a softer rock, water often steeps into and collects underground.  Then the people can get this water by making a hole in the rock. So when Moses  hit the rock instead of speaking to it, could it be that the Israelites thought the water came out naturally and not because Jehovah performed a miracle? We cannot say for sure.

Next time: Where Are Your Eyes Looking?  HOW MOSES REBELLED

From the jw.org publications

Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - A FAITHFUL MAN LOST HIS PRIVILEGE

Moses certainly looked to Jehovah for direction.  The Bible tells us that "he continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible." (Read  Hebrews 11:24-27.)  It also says that "there has never again arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom Jehovah knew face-to-face." (Deuteronomy 34:10) But even though Moses was a close friend of Jehovah, he lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:12)  What went wrong? 

Less than two months after the Israelites left Egypt, and before they even arrived at Mount Sinai, something serious happened.  The people started to complain because there was no water.  They began to murmur against Moses and  became so angry that "Moses cried out to Jehovah: 'What should I do with these people? A little longer and they will stone me!"  (Exodus 17:4)  Jehovah gave Moses clear instructions.  Jehovah told him to take his rod  and hit the rock in Horeb.  The Bible says:  "Moses did so before the eyes of Israel."  Then water came out., the Israelites had to plenty to drink, and the problem was solved. - EXODUS 17:5, 6. 

The Bible tells us that Moses named the place Massah, which means "Testing," and Meribah, which means "Quarreling." Why?  Because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because they put Jehovah to the test by saying: "Is Jehovah in our midst or not?" - EXODUS 17:7.  

How did Jehovah feel about what happened at Maribah?  He felt that the Israelites had rebelled against him and his authority, not just against Moses.  (Read Psalm 95:8, 9)  What the Israelites did was very wrong.  But Moses did the right thing. He looked to Jehovah and then carefully followed his instructions.  

Next time: Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - Conclusion of A FAITHFUL MAN LOST A PRIVILEGE

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Where Are Your Eyes Looking?

"To you I raise my eyes, you who are enthroned in the heavens." - PSALM 123:1.

WE ARE living in "critical times" that are "hard to deal with." (2 Timothy 3:1)  And life is going to become more difficult before Jehovah destroys this wicked world and brings true peace to the earth.  For this reason, we should ask ourselves, 'Whom do I look to for help and direction? We may immediately say, "to Jehovah," and that is the best answer.

 What does it mean to look to Jehovah?  And how can we make sure that we keep looking to him when we have problems?  A long time ago, one Bible writer explained how much we need to look to Jehovah when we need help.  (Read Psalm 123:1-4.)  He said  that when we look to Jehovah, we are like a servant who looks to his master. How so?  A servant looks to or relies on, his master to give him food and protect him.  But he must also watch his master constantly to understand what his master wants him to do, and then he must do it.  Then we can be sure that Jehovah will help us when we need his help. - EPHESIANS 5:17) 

Even though we know that we must always look to Jehovah, sometimes we may become distracted. That is exactly what happened to Jesus' closer friend  Martha. She became "distracted with attending to so many duties." (Luke 10:40-42)  If a faithful person   such as Martha became distracted even though Jesus was right there with her, we should not be surprised that we could distracted too. So, what can distract us from looking to Jehovah?  In this article, we will discuss how we could be distracted by what others do. And we will learn how to keep looking to Jehovah.

Next time: Where Are Your Eyes Looking? - A FAITHFUL MAN LOST A PRIVILEGE

From the jw.org publications