The Watchtower — September 15, 2004

‘You Must Pray This Way’

DO YOU know the words of the Lord’s Prayer? It is a model prayer taught by Jesus Christ. During his renowned Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “You must pray, then, this way.” (Matthew 6:9) Since it was introduced by Jesus, it is often called the Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father prayer.​—Latin, Paternoster.

Millions around the world have committed the Lord’s Prayer to memory and repeat it often, perhaps daily. In recent years, many have recited this prayer in schools and at public events. Why is the Lord’s Prayer so highly esteemed?

The third-century theologian Cyprian wrote: “What can be a more spiritual prayer than that which was given to us by Christ . . . ? What praying to the Father can be more truthful than that which was delivered to us by the Son who is the Truth?”​—John 14:6.

In its catechism, the Roman Catholic Church deems the Our Father to be “the fundamental Christian prayer.” The World Book Encyclopedia acknowledges this prayer’s important place in all religions of Christendom, calling it one of the “basic statements of Christian faith.”

It must be acknowledged, however, that many who recite the Lord’s Prayer do not fully understand it. “If you have any kind of Christian background you probably are able to rattle off the Lord’s Prayer without having to pause for breath,” says Canada’s Ottawa Citizen newspaper, “but you might have difficulty saying it slowly and with understanding.”

Is it really important to understand our prayers to God? Why did Jesus give us the Lord’s Prayer? What does it mean for you? Let us now address these questions.

The Lord’s Prayer​—Its Meaning for You

THE Lord’s Prayer, as given by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, is found in the Bible at Matthew chapter 6, verses 9 through 13. Just before giving this prayer, Jesus said: “When praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words.”​—Matthew 6:7.

Clearly, then, Jesus did not intend that the Lord’s Prayer be recited word for word. True, he later repeated this prayer for the benefit of another audience. (Luke 11:2-4) But the wording of the prayer differs somewhat in the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke. Moreover, later prayers by Jesus and his disciples did not rigidly adhere to the specific words of his model prayer.

Why is the Lord’s Prayer recorded in the Bible? Through this model, Jesus teaches us how our prayers can be acceptable to God. In this prayer, we also find answers to some of life’s basic questions. Let us therefore consider each part of the Lord’s Prayer.

What Is God’s Name?

“Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9) These opening words of the model prayer help us to draw close to God by addressing him as “our Father.” Like a child, who is naturally drawn to a loving and understanding parent, we can approach our heavenly Father confident that he wants to hear us. “O Hearer of prayer,” sang King David, “even to you people of all flesh will come.”​—Psalm 65:2.

Jesus instructs us to pray for God’s name to be sanctified, or set apart as holy. But what is God’s name? The Bible answers in these words: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:18) Have you ever read the name Jehovah in the Bible?

Actually, God’s name, Jehovah, appears nearly 7,000 times in ancient Bible manuscripts. However, some translators have gone so far as to remove this name from their versions of the Bible. Rightly, therefore, we pray for our Creator to sanctify his name, or make it holy. (Ezekiel 36:23) One way to act in harmony with such a prayer is to use the name Jehovah when we pray to God.

A woman named Patricia was raised a Catholic and was quite familiar with the Lord’s Prayer. How did she react when one of Jehovah’s Witnesses showed her God’s name in the Bible? “I couldn’t believe it!” she exclaimed. “So I got my own translation of the Bible, and it was also in there. Then the Witness showed me Matthew 6:9, 10 and explained that God’s name is tied in with the Lord’s Prayer. I was really excited and asked her to study the Bible with me.”

God’s Will to Take Place on Earth

“Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:10) How will this part of Jesus’ model prayer be fulfilled? Most people imagine heaven as a realm of peace and tranquillity. The Scriptures refer to heaven as Jehovah’s “lofty abode of holiness and beauty.” (Isaiah 63:15) No wonder we pray that God’s will take place upon earth “as in heaven”! But will this ever happen?

Jehovah’s prophet Daniel foretold: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these [earthly] kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” (Daniel 2:44) This heavenly Kingdom, or government, will soon take action to bring about global peace under righteous rule.​—2 Peter 3:13.

Praying for God’s Kingdom to come and for his will to be done on earth is an expression of faith that will not lead to disappointment. The Christian apostle John wrote: “I heard a loud voice from the throne say: ‘Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.’” Then John added: “And the One seated on the throne said: . . . ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’”​—Revelation 21:3-5.

Prayer and Our Physical Needs

By what he said in the model prayer, Jesus showed that our primary concern when praying should be related to God’s name and will. Yet, the model prayer continues with personal requests that are properly addressed to Jehovah.

The first of these is: “Give us today our bread for this day.” (Matthew 6:11) This is not a request for material wealth. Jesus encouraged us to pray for “our bread for the day according to the day’s requirement.” (Luke 11:3) In harmony with the Lord’s Prayer, we can pray in faith that God will provide for our daily needs if we love and obey him.

Undue anxiety over economic problems could cause us to neglect our spiritual need and thus fail to do what God expects of us. But if we put the worship of God first in life, we can be sure that our petitions for material needs, such as food and clothing, will be favorably heard. Jesus said: “Keep on . . . seeking first the kingdom and [God’s] righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:26-33) Seeking God’s righteousness is a challenge, since all of us are sinful and in need of forgiveness. (Romans 5:12) The Lord’s Prayer addresses that matter too.

Our Prayers and Forgiveness

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) In Luke’s record of the Lord’s Prayer, these “debts” are referred to as “sins.” (Luke 11:4) Will Jehovah God really forgive our sins?

Although King David of ancient Israel had committed serious sins, he was repentant and confidently prayed: “You, O Jehovah, are good and ready to forgive; and the loving-kindness to all those calling upon you is abundant.” (Psalm 86:5) What a comforting thought! Our heavenly Father is “ready to forgive” the sins of those who repentantly call upon him. Just as surely as a debt can be fully canceled, so Jehovah God can forgive our sins completely.

However, Jesus mentioned a condition: To be forgiven by God, we must forgive others. (Matthew 6:14, 15) Although the righteous man Job was mistreated by three companions, he was forgiving and even prayed for them. (Job 42:10) If we forgive those who sin against us, we will please God and be in a position to benefit from his mercy.

God’s willingness to hear our petitions should move us to seek his approval. And we can do so even though we are imperfect. (Matthew 26:41) Here, too, Jehovah can help us, just as Jesus showed by concluding the model prayer with a vital request.

Help to Pursue a Righteous Course

“Do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.” (Matthew 6:13) Jehovah does not abandon us to temptation or cause us to fall into sin. His Word states: “With evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” (James 1:13) God does allow us to be tempted, but he can deliver us from the Great Tempter​—“the wicked one” known as Satan the Devil.

The apostle Peter urged fellow Christians: “Keep your senses, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.” (1 Peter 5:8) Why, Satan even tempted the perfect man Jesus Christ! What was the Devil’s goal? To draw Jesus away from the pure worship of Jehovah God. (Matthew 4:1-11) If you are seeking to serve God, Satan’s goal is to devour you too!

Through the world that is under his control, the Devil may tempt us to engage in practices disapproved by God. (1 John 5:19) So it is vital that we regularly turn to God for help, especially when we are facing a persistent temptation. And if we worship Jehovah according to his inspired Word, the Bible, he will deliver us by helping us to resist the Devil. “God is faithful,” the Bible tells us, “and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”​—1 Corinthians 10:13.

Faith in God Essential

How heartwarming it is to know that our heavenly Father is interested in each one of us! He even had his Son, Jesus Christ, teach us how to pray. Surely this makes us want to please Jehovah God. How can we do so?

The Bible states: “Without faith it is impossible to please [God] well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Hebrews 11:6) How can such faith be acquired? “Faith follows the thing heard,” says the Bible. (Romans 10:17) Jehovah’s Witnesses are delighted to talk about Scriptural matters with all who yearn to serve God in true faith.

It is hoped that this discussion of the Lord’s Prayer has deepened your appreciation for its meaning. By taking in further knowledge of Jehovah and his rewards for “those earnestly seeking him,” you can strengthen your faith in God. May you learn more about him and his purposes so that you can enjoy a close relationship with your heavenly Father forever.​—John 17:3.

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“Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth. Give us today our bread for this day; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.”​—Matthew 6:9-13

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Jehovah provides for the needs of those who love him

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God also helps us to resist the Devil

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If we, like Job, forgive those who sin against us, we can benefit from God’s mercy

The Splendor of Jehovah’s Creation

“The Abounding Wealth of the Seas”

AT SUNSET a light breeze stirs the sea, and waves gently lap the shoreline. The soothing sound of the surf holds a powerful attraction for many who flock to the beach for rest and tranquillity.a

Long stretches of such beaches line thousands of miles of coastlines around the earth. This ever-changing divide between sand and water marks the limits of the sway of the sea. That is how the Creator designed it to be. Speaking of himself, God declares that he has “set the sand as the boundary for the sea.” He adds: “Although its waves toss themselves, still they cannot prevail; and although they do become boisterous, still they cannot pass over it.”​—Jeremiah 5:22; Job 38:8; Psalm 33:7.

Ours is indeed a watery planet, like no other in the solar system. More than 70 percent of the globe is covered by water. When Jehovah was preparing the earth for human habitation, he decreed: “Let the waters under the heavens be brought together into one place and let the dry land appear.” And that is what “came to be so.” The account adds: “God began calling the dry land Earth, but the bringing together of the waters he called Seas. Further, God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:9, 10) What is accomplished by the presence of the oceans?

In a number of remarkable ways, the water of the oceans was designed to sustain life. For example, water has the capacity to store heat. Thus, the oceans act as a huge heat reservoir, moderating the frigid cold of winter.

Water has another life-sustaining capacity. More than any other liquid, it can easily dissolve other substances. Since life processes are made possible through chemical reactions, the presence of water is necessary in order to dissolve the reacting substances and bring their molecules into contact. Many of the chemical compounds found in living tissues contain water. Notes the book The Sea: “All forms of life need water​—which must come ultimately from the oceans, even for the plants and animals that live on land.”

Earth’s oceans also play a critical role in purifying the atmosphere. Oceanic plankton absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. According to one researcher, “70 percent of the oxygen added to the atmosphere each year comes from plankton in the sea.”

The oceans can also provide natural drugs to treat disease. For centuries, fish extracts have been used as medicine. Cod-liver oil has been around for a long time. More recently, chemicals from fish and other sea creatures have been used to treat asthma and to fight viruses and cancer.

Efforts have been made to estimate the economic value of ocean-related goods and services. While no accurate conclusions can possibly be drawn, researchers have estimated that almost two thirds of the value of global ecosystem services is derived from the oceans. This confirms the fact that the seas were created for a purpose​—to accommodate and support life. How well this fits in with what the Bible calls “the abounding wealth of the seas”!​—Deuteronomy 33:19.

Jehovah is glorified as the Grand Designer and Maker of this wealth. Nehemiah was moved to praise him in the following words: “You are Jehovah alone; you yourself have made the heavens, . . . the seas and all that is in them; and you are preserving all of them alive.”​—Nehemiah 9:6.

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Water, Wind, and Waves

Water and wind create huge waves that crash with a deafening roar on rocky cliffs, like these in California, in the United States. Waves have always been a marvelous feature of the ocean, demonstrating its awesome might. They are also an astonishing reminder of the Creator’s magnificent power. Jehovah is the one “treading upon the high waves of the sea.” “By his power he has stirred up the sea, and by his understanding he has broken the stormer to pieces.” (Job 9:8; 26:12) Indeed, “above the sounds of vast waters, the majestic breaking waves of the sea, Jehovah is majestic in the height.”​—Psalm 93:4.

Sand Sculptures

The seashore occasionally provides the backdrop for impressive sculptures of sand, like the dunes seen here on the coast of Namibia, in southern Africa. The wind is the prime mover that gives distinctive shape to the sand. While some dunes may appear to be just small humps, others reach heights of 1,300 feet [400 m]. Such vast quantities of sand help us to understand the Biblical expression “the grains of sand that are on the seashore.” It is used to denote something uncountable, difficult to measure. (Genesis 22:17) We stand in awe before the Creator, who provided such an ingenious sandy bulwark against the incursions of the stormy sea.

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Sunset coast, Bight of Biafra, Cameroon

“Go On Acquiring Power in the Lord”

“Go on acquiring power in the Lord and in the mightiness of his strength.”​—EPHESIANS 6:10.

1. (a) What extraordinary combat took place some 3,000 years ago? (b) Why did David prove victorious?

SOME 3,000 years ago, two combatants faced each other between two opposing armies on the field of battle. The younger one was a shepherd boy named David. Before him stood Goliath, a man of unusual strength and stature. His coat of mail weighed about 125 pounds [57 kg], and he carried a massive spear and a large sword. David wore no armor at all, and his only weapon was a sling. The Philistine giant Goliath felt insulted that his Israelite challenger was just a boy. (1 Samuel 17:42-44) To the onlookers on both sides, the outcome must have seemed a foregone conclusion. But the mighty do not always win the battle. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) David proved victorious because he fought in Jehovah’s strength. “To Jehovah belongs the battle,” he said. The Bible record notes that “David, with a sling and a stone, proved stronger than the Philistine.”​—1 Samuel 17:47, 50.

2. In what sort of fight do Christians engage?

² Christians do not engage in physical warfare. Although they are peaceable with all men, they do fight a spiritual battle against very powerful opponents. (Romans 12:18) In the final chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul described a fight in which every Christian is involved. He wrote: “We have a wrestling, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.”​—Ephesians 6:12.

3. According to Ephesians 6:10, what do we need in order to guarantee our success?

³ Those “wicked spirit forces” are Satan and the demons, who desire to destroy our relationship with Jehovah God. Since they are much stronger than we are, we find ourselves in a situation similar to that of David, and we cannot succeed unless we depend on God for strength. Indeed, Paul urges us to “go on acquiring power in the Lord and in the mightiness of his strength.” (Ephesians 6:10) After giving that counsel, the apostle describes the spiritual provisions and the Christian qualities that enable us to come off victorious.​—Ephesians 6:11-17.

4. What two main points will we consider in this article?

⁴ Let us now analyze what the Scriptures say about the strengths and tactics of our enemy. Then we will consider the defensive strategy we must employ in order to protect ourselves. If we follow Jehovah’s instructions, we can be confident that our enemies will not prevail against us.

A Wrestling Against Wicked Spirit Forces

5. How does the use of the term “wrestling” at Ephesians 6:12 enable us to perceive Satan’s strategy?

⁵ Paul explains that we “have a wrestling . . . against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.” The principal wicked spirit is, of course, Satan the Devil, “the ruler of the demons.” (Matthew 12:24-26) The Bible portrays our fight as “a wrestling,” or a hand-to-hand struggle. In the wrestling matches of ancient Greece, each participant tried to unbalance his opponent in order to throw him to the ground. Likewise, the Devil wants us to lose our spiritual balance. How can he make us do this?

6. Show from the Scriptures how the Devil can use different tactics in order to undermine our faith.

⁶ The Devil may act like a serpent, a roaring lion, or even an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:3, 14; 1 Peter 5:8) He can use human agents to persecute or discourage us. (Revelation 2:10) Since Satan has the whole world at his disposal, he can exploit its desires and attractions in order to ensnare us. (2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 2:16; 5:19) He can employ worldly or apostate thinking to mislead us, just as he deceived Eve.​—1 Timothy 2:14.

7. What limitations do the demons have, and what advantages do we enjoy?

⁷ Although the weapons and the power of Satan and his demons may seem overwhelming, they have their limitations. These wicked spirits cannot force us to do evil things that displease our heavenly Father. We are free moral agents, and we have control over our thoughts and actions. Moreover, we do not fight alone. What was true in the time of Elisha is true in our day: “There are more who are with us than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16) The Bible assures us that if we subject ourselves to God and oppose the Devil, he will flee from us.​—James 4:7.

Aware of Satan’s Designs

8, 9. What trials did Satan bring upon Job to break his integrity, and what spiritual dangers do we face today?

⁸ We are not ignorant of Satan’s designs because the Scriptures reveal his basic tactics. (2 Corinthians 2:11) Against the righteous man Job, the Devil used severe economic problems, the death of loved ones, family opposition, physical suffering, and unfounded criticism from false friends. Job became depressed and felt that God had abandoned him. (Job 10:1, 2) Although Satan may not directly cause these problems today, such hardships do affect many Christians, and the Devil can use them to his advantage.

⁹ Spiritual dangers have proliferated in this time of the end. We live in a world where material pursuits override spiritual goals. The media constantly portray illicit sex as a source of happiness rather than heartache. And the majority have become “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) This way of thinking can threaten our spiritual balance unless we “put up a hard fight for the faith.”​—Jude 3.

10-12. (a) What was one warning Jesus gave in his illustration of the sower? (b) Illustrate how spiritual values can be strangled.

¹⁰ One of Satan’s most successful ploys is that of getting us absorbed in this world and its materialistic pursuits. In his illustration of the sower, Jesus warned that in some cases “the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word [of the Kingdom].” (Matthew 13:18, 22) The Greek word here rendered “choke” means “strangle completely.”

¹¹ In tropical forests, one may find the strangler fig. It grows slowly as it surrounds the trunk of a host tree. Little by little, the vine envelops its host with roots that get stronger and stronger. The strangler fig’s multiple roots eventually absorb most of the nutrients in the soil at the base of the tree, while its canopy deprives its host of light. Finally, the host dies.

¹² In a similar way, the anxieties of this system and the quest for riches and a comfortable life-style can gradually absorb more and more of our time and energy. With our attention diverted to the things of the world, we might easily neglect personal Bible study and make it a custom to miss Christian meetings, thus being cut off from spiritual nourishment. Materialistic goals now replace spiritual pursuits, and we finally become easy prey for Satan.

We Need to Stand Firm

13, 14. What stand do we need to take when opposed by Satan?

¹³ Paul urged fellow believers to “stand firm against the machinations of the Devil.” (Ephesians 6:11) Of course, we cannot vanquish the Devil and his demons. God has assigned that task to Jesus Christ. (Revelation 20:1, 2) Until Satan is removed, however, we have to “stand firm” so that his attacks do not overwhelm us.

¹⁴ The apostle Peter also emphasized the need to stand firm against Satan. “Keep your senses, be watchful,” wrote Peter. “Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. But take your stand against him, solid in the faith, knowing that the same things in the way of sufferings are being accomplished in the entire association of your brothers in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8, 9) Actually, the support of our spiritual brothers and sisters is crucial to our standing firm when the Devil attacks like a roaring lion.

15, 16. Give a Scriptural example to show how the support of fellow believers can help us to stand firm.

¹⁵ When a nearby lion roars on the African savanna, antelope may react by running away at top speed until they are out of danger. Elephants, however, provide an example of mutual support. The book Elephants​—Gentle Giants of Africa and Asia explains: “A means of defense that the typical herd of elephants commonly employs is to form a circle of their bodies, with the adults facing outward against the threat and the young animals protected inside the ring.” Faced with such a manifestation of strength and support, lions rarely attack even young elephants.

¹⁶ When threatened by Satan and his demons, we similarly need to stay together, shoulder to shoulder with our brothers who are solid in the faith. Paul acknowledged that certain fellow Christians proved to be “a strengthening aid” to him during his imprisonment in Rome. (Colossians 4:10, 11) The Greek word translated “strengthening aid” appears only once in the Christian Greek Scriptures. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, “a verbal form of the word signifies medicines which allay irritation.” Like soothing ointment, the support of mature worshipers of Jehovah can alleviate the pain caused by emotional or physical suffering.

17. What can help us to be faithful to God?

¹⁷ Encouragement from fellow Christians today can strengthen our resolve to serve God faithfully. Especially are Christian elders eager to provide spiritual help. (James 5:13-15) Aids to faithfulness include regular Bible study and presence at Christian meetings, assemblies, and conventions. Our own close relationship with God helps us to remain faithful to him. Indeed, whether we are eating, drinking, or doing anything else, we should want to do all things for God’s glory. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Naturally, prayerful reliance on Jehovah is essential in order to continue in a course that pleases him.​—Psalm 37:5.

18. Why should we not give up even if distressing circumstances sap our strength?

¹⁸ Sometimes Satan’s attacks come when we do not feel spiritually strong. A lion pounces upon a weakened animal. Family problems, economic hardship, or illness can sap our spiritual strength. But let us not give up in doing what is pleasing to God, for Paul said: “When I am weak, then I am powerful.” (2 Corinthians 12:10; Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13) What did he mean? He meant that the power of God can make up for our human weaknesses, provided we turn to Jehovah for strength. David’s victory over Goliath shows that God can and does strengthen his people. Present-day Witnesses of Jehovah can testify that in times of extreme crisis, they have felt the strengthening hand of God.​—Daniel 10:19.

19. Give an example to show how Jehovah can strengthen his servants.

¹⁹ Regarding the support that God had given them, one married couple wrote: “Over the years, we have served Jehovah as husband and wife and have enjoyed many blessings and have come to know many wonderful people. We have also been trained and strengthened by Jehovah to endure hardships successfully. Like Job, we did not always understand why things happened as they did, but we did know that Jehovah was always there to help us.”

20. What Scriptural proof shows that Jehovah always supports his people?

²⁰ Jehovah’s hand is not too short to support and strengthen his faithful people. (Isaiah 59:1) The psalmist David sang: “Jehovah is giving support to all who are falling, and is raising up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14) Indeed, our heavenly Father “daily carries the load for us” and supplies what we really need.​—Psalm 68:19.

We Need “the Complete Suit of Armor From God”

21. How did Paul emphasize the need for spiritual armor?

²¹ We have considered some of Satan’s methods and have seen the need to stand firm in the face of his attacks. Now we must consider another vital provision for making a successful defense of our faith. Twice in his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul mentioned an essential factor in standing firm against Satan’s machinations and succeeding in our wrestling against wicked spirit forces. Paul wrote: “Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil . . . Take up the complete suit of armor from God, that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have done all things thoroughly, to stand firm.”​—Ephesians 6:11, 13.

22, 23. (a) What does our spiritual armor include? (b) What will we consider in the following article?

²² Yes, we need to wear “the complete suit of armor from God.” When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he was guarded by a Roman soldier, who may at times have worn a complete suit of armor. However, it was by divine inspiration that the apostle was moved to discuss the spiritual armor vitally needed by every servant of Jehovah.

²³ This God-given armor includes qualities that a Christian must have as well as spiritual provisions made by Jehovah. In the following article, we will examine each piece of spiritual armor. This will enable us to determine to what extent we are equipped for our spiritual warfare. At the same time, we will see how the wonderful example of Jesus Christ helps us to succeed in resisting Satan the Devil.

How Would You Answer?

• What fight do all Christians have?

• Describe some of Satan’s tactics.

• How can the support of fellow believers strengthen us?

• On whose strength must we depend, and why?

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Christians ‘have a wrestling against wicked spirit forces’

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Anxieties of this system can choke the word of the Kingdom

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Fellow Christians can be “a strengthening aid”

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Do you pray to God for strength?

“Put On the Complete Suit of Armor From God”

“Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil.”​—EPHESIANS 6:11.

1, 2. In your own words, describe the spiritual armor Christians need to put on.

ROME was at the height of its power during the first century C.E. The strength of the Roman legions enabled the city to control much of the then known world. One historian described this army as “the most successful military organization in history.” Rome’s professional army was made up of well-disciplined soldiers who underwent rigorous training, but their success as an effective fighting force also depended on their armor. The apostle Paul used a Roman soldier’s armor to illustrate the spiritual equipment Christians need in order to battle successfully against the Devil.

² We find a description of this spiritual armor at Ephesians 6:14-17. Paul wrote: “Stand firm . . . with your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and with your feet shod with the equipment of the good news of peace. Above all things, take up the large shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the wicked one’s burning missiles. Also, accept the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word.” Viewed from a physical standpoint, the suit of armor that Paul described provided a Roman soldier with considerable protection. Then, too, he wielded a sword, his principal weapon for individual combat.

3. Why should we obey the instructions of Jesus Christ and follow his example?

³ Apart from equipment and training, the success of the Roman army depended on the soldiers’ obedience to their commander. Similarly, Christians must obey Jesus Christ, whom the Bible describes as a “commander to the national groups.” (Isaiah 55:4) He is also “head of the congregation.” (Ephesians 5:23) Jesus gives us instructions for our spiritual warfare and provides a perfect example of how to wear spiritual armor. (1 Peter 2:21) Since a Christlike personality has much in common with our suit of spiritual armor, the Scriptures advise us to “arm” ourselves with the mental disposition of Christ. (1 Peter 4:1) As we analyze each piece of our spiritual armor, then, we will use the example of Jesus to demonstrate its importance and effectiveness.

Protecting the Loins, the Breast, and the Feet

4. What role did a girdle play in a soldier’s armor, and what does it illustrate?

⁴ Loins girded about with truth. In Bible times, soldiers wore a wide leather belt, or girdle, that was from two to six inches [5-15 cm] wide. Some translators suggest that the verse should read, “with truth as a belt tight around your waist.” The soldier’s belt helped to protect his loins, and it provided a convenient support from which to suspend the sword. When a soldier girded his loins, he was getting ready for battle. Paul used the soldier’s belt to illustrate the extent to which Scriptural truth should influence our lives. It should be tightly wrapped around us, as it were, so that we live in harmony with the truth and can defend it on any occasion. (Psalm 43:3; 1 Peter 3:15) To that end, we need to study the Bible diligently and meditate on its contents. Jesus had God’s law ‘within his inward parts.’ (Psalm 40:8) When questioned by opposers, he could therefore respond by quoting the Scriptures from memory.​—Matthew 19:3-6; 22:23-32.

5. Explain how Scriptural advice can help us in times of trial or temptation.

⁵ When we allow Bible truth to guide us, it can protect us from faulty reasoning and enable us to make wise decisions. During times of temptation or trial, the Bible’s guidelines will strengthen our resolve to do what is right. In effect, we will see our Grand Instructor, Jehovah, and will hear a word behind us saying: “This is the way. Walk in it.”​—Isaiah 30:20, 21.

6. Why does our figurative heart need protection, and how can righteousness effectively safeguard it?

⁶ Breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of the soldier protected a vital organ, the heart. Our figurative heart​—the person we are on the inside—​needs special protection because it is inclined toward what is wrong. (Genesis 8:21) We must therefore get to know and love Jehovah’s righteous standards. (Psalm 119:97, 105) Our love of righteousness leads us to reject worldly thinking that ignores or waters down Jehovah’s clear guidelines. Moreover, when we love what is right and hate what is wrong, we avoid pursuing a course that can ruin our lives. (Psalm 119:99-101; Amos 5:15) Jesus is exemplary in this regard, for concerning him, the Scriptures say: “You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness.”​—Hebrews 1:9.a

7. Why did a Roman soldier need good footwear, and what does it illustrate?

⁷ Feet shod with the equipment of the good news of peace. Roman soldiers needed adequate shoes or sturdy sandals, since during a campaign they often marched 20 miles [30 km] each day while wearing or carrying some 60 pounds [27 kg] of armor and equipment. Paul appropriately used footwear to represent our readiness to preach the Kingdom message to everyone who will listen. This is important because how will people come to know Jehovah if we are not ready and willing to preach?​—Romans 10:13-15.

8. How can we imitate Jesus’ example as a preacher of the good news?

⁸ What was the most important activity in the life of Jesus? He told the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate: ‘I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.’ Jesus preached whenever he found a hearing ear, and he enjoyed his ministry so much that he gave it priority over his physical needs. (John 4:5-34; 18:37) If we, like Jesus, are eager to declare the good news, we will find many opportunities to share it with others. Furthermore, our being absorbed in our ministry will help keep us spiritually strong.​—Acts 18:5.

The Shield, the Helmet, and the Sword

9. What protection did a large shield offer a Roman soldier?

⁹ The large shield of faith. The Greek word translated “large shield” refers to a shield that was large enough to cover most of the body. It would provide protection from the “burning missiles” referred to at Ephesians 6:16. In Bible times, soldiers used darts made out of hollow reeds having small iron receptacles that could be filled with burning naphtha. One scholar describes these darts as “one of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare.” If a soldier did not have a large shield to protect himself from such missiles, he could be gravely injured or even killed.

10, 11. (a) What “burning missiles” of Satan could undermine our faith? (b) How does Jesus’ example show the importance of faith during times of trial?

¹⁰ What “burning missiles” does Satan employ to undermine our faith? He may promote persecution or opposition in the family, at work, or at school. A desire to possess more and more material things and the lure of immorality have also proved spiritually devastating in the case of some. To protect ourselves against such threats, “above all things, [we must] take up the large shield of faith.” Faith comes from learning about Jehovah, regularly communicating with him in prayer, and discerning how he protects and blesses us.​—Joshua 23:14; Luke 17:5; Romans 10:17.

¹¹ When Jesus was on earth, he demonstrated the importance of having strong faith during critical times. He totally trusted his Father’s decisions and was delighted to do God’s will. (Matthew 26:42, 53, 54; John 6:38) Even when experiencing great anguish in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to his Father: “Not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) Jesus never lost sight of the importance of keeping integrity and making his Father rejoice. (Proverbs 27:11) If we have similar confidence in Jehovah, we will not let criticism or opposition weaken our faith. Instead, our faith will be strengthened if we rely on God, show love for him, and keep his commandments. (Psalm 19:7-11; 1 John 5:3) No material rewards or fleeting sensual pleasure can compare with the blessings Jehovah has in store for those who love him.​—Proverbs 10:22.

12. What important part of us does our figurative helmet protect, and why is such protection vital?

¹² The helmet of salvation. A helmet protected the soldier’s head and brain​—the seat of intellect. Our Christian hope is compared to a helmet because it protects our mind. (1 Thessalonians 5:8) Although we have made our mind over by means of accurate knowledge of God’s Word, we are still weak, imperfect humans. Our mind can easily become corrupted. Goals of this system of things can distract us or even replace our God-given hope. (Romans 7:18; 12:2) The Devil tried in vain to sidetrack Jesus by offering him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” (Matthew 4:8) But Jesus flatly rejected the offer, and Paul said of him: “For the joy that was set before him [Jesus] endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”​—Hebrews 12:2.

13. How can we maintain our confidence in the hope ahead?

¹³ The sort of confidence that Jesus had is not automatic. If we fill our mind with the dreams and goals of this system of things instead of keeping in mind the hope ahead, our faith in God’s promises will get weaker. In time, we could even lose our hope completely. On the other hand, if we regularly meditate on the promises of God, we will continue to rejoice in the hope set before us.​—Romans 12:12.

14, 15. (a) What is our figurative sword, and how can it be used? (b) Illustrate how the sword of the spirit can help us resist temptation.

¹⁴ The sword of the spirit. God’s word, or message, recorded in the Bible is like a powerful two-edged sword that can cut down religious falsehood and help righthearted people find spiritual freedom. (John 8:32; Hebrews 4:12) This spiritual sword can also defend us when we are assaulted by temptations or apostate attempts to destroy our faith. (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5) How thankful we are that ‘all Scripture is inspired of God and completely equips us for every good work’!​—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

¹⁵ When he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus effectively used the sword of the spirit to fend off false reasoning and cunning temptations. To each challenge of Satan, he replied: “It is written.” (Matthew 4:1-11) David, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Spain, likewise found that the Scriptures helped him to overcome temptation. When he was 19 years old, an attractive young woman who worked in the same cleaning company suggested that they “have a good time together.” David rejected her advances and asked his supervisor for work in a different area so that the situation would not arise again. “I remembered the example of Joseph,” David said. “He rejected immorality and immediately got out of the way. I did the same.”​—Genesis 39:10-12.

16. Explain why we need training in order to ‘handle the word of the truth aright.’

¹⁶ Jesus also used the sword of the spirit to help others escape from Satan’s control. “What I teach is not mine,” said Jesus, “but belongs to him that sent me.” (John 7:16) To imitate Jesus’ skillful teaching, we need training. Regarding Roman soldiers, the Jewish historian Josephus wrote: “Every soldier is every day exercised, and that with great diligence, as if it were in time of war which is the reason why they bear the fatigue of battles so easily.” In our spiritual warfare, we need to use the Bible. Moreover, we must ‘do our utmost to present ourselves approved to God, as workmen with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright.’ (2 Timothy 2:15) And how much satisfaction we experience when we use the Scriptures to answer an interested person’s sincere question!

Pray on Every Occasion

17, 18. (a) What role does prayer play in resisting Satan? (b) Give an example to illustrate the value of prayer.

¹⁷ After considering the complete suit of spiritual armor, Paul adds another important piece of advice. In resisting Satan, Christians should avail themselves of “every form of prayer and supplication.” How often? “Carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit,” Paul wrote. (Ephesians 6:18) When we face temptations, trials, or discouragement, prayer can fortify us immensely. (Matthew 26:41) Jesus “offered up supplications and also petitions to the One who was able to save him out of death, with strong outcries and tears, and he was favorably heard for his godly fear.”​—Hebrews 5:7.

¹⁸ Milagros, who has cared for her chronically ill husband for over 15 years, says: “When I feel discouraged, I turn to Jehovah in prayer. Nobody can help me more than he can. True, there are moments when I feel I just can’t carry on any longer. But time and again after praying to Jehovah, I have felt my strength renewed and my spirits uplifted.”

19, 20. What do we need in order to come off victorious in our fight against Satan?

¹⁹ The Devil knows that his time is short, and he intensifies his efforts to conquer us. (Revelation 12:12, 17) We have to resist this powerful enemy and “fight the fine fight of the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12) This calls for strength beyond what is normal. (2 Corinthians 4:7) We also need the help of God’s holy spirit and should therefore pray for it. Jesus said: “If you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him!”​—Luke 11:13.

²⁰ Clearly, it is essential that we put on the complete suit of armor that Jehovah supplies. Wearing this spiritual armor requires that we develop godly qualities, such as faith and righteousness. It demands that we love the truth as if girded with it, that we be ready to spread the good news on every occasion, and that we keep close in mind the hope ahead. We must learn to wield the sword of the spirit skillfully. By putting on the complete suit of armor from God, we can come off victorious in our wrestling with wicked spirit forces and can indeed bring glory to Jehovah’s holy name.​—Romans 8:37-39.

[Footnote]

How Would You Answer?

• Who provides the best example of wearing spiritual armor, and why should we consider his example carefully?

• How can we protect our mind and our figurative heart?

• How can we become adept at handling the sword of the spirit?

• Why should we carry on prayer on every occasion?

[Pictures on page 17]

Diligent Bible study can motivate us to declare the good news on every occasion

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Our sure hope helps us to face trials

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Do you use “the sword of the spirit” in the ministry?

Mills That Put Bread on the Table

IT HAS been referred to as “the staff of life,” “the chief of all foods,” “man’s constant mainstay and support from time immemorial.” Yes, from antiquity, bread has been a staple food. In fact, one of man’s most pressing needs has been that of procuring his daily bread.

The basic ingredient of bread is flour, or meal, obtained by the grinding of cereals. Milling, then, is an ancient art. Without the convenience of machinery, what a laborious task it must have been to reduce grain to flour! In Bible times, the sound of the hand mill was associated with normal, peaceful conditions, and its absence indicated desolation.​—Jeremiah 25:10, 11.

What has milling involved through the ages? What are some of the methods and devices that have been used to accomplish it? And what kind of mills put bread on your table today?

Why the Need?

To the first human pair, Adam and Eve, Jehovah said: “Here I have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed. To you let it serve as food.” (Genesis 1:29) Among the foods Jehovah God gave to mankind were seed from the stalks of cereal grasses. This source of food was essential for man’s existence, since all cereals​—including wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, millet, sorghum, and maize—​contain starchy carbohydrates that the body is capable of transforming into its principal fuel​—glucose.

Man, though, is not equipped to digest whole, raw cereals. For humans, they are easier to consume when reduced to flour and then cooked. The simplest ways of converting a quantity of grain to flour are by pounding it in a mortar, crushing it between two stones, or using a combination of both.

Mills Powered by Human Muscles

Statuettes from ancient Egyptian tombs illustrate the use of one early type of grain mill, the saddle quern. It was so named because it resembles a saddle in shape. This mill consisted of two stones​—a slightly concave and sloping stone was on the bottom, and a smaller stone was on the top. The worker​—usually a woman—​knelt behind the device and grasped the upper stone with both hands. She then placed the full weight of her upper body on it and moved the upper stone back and forth on the lower stone, crushing the grain between the two stones. What a simple but effective device!

However, hours spent kneeling took their toll. Pushing the upper stone to the far end of the quern and pulling it back again put constant strain on the back, arms, thighs, knees, and toes of the worker. Studies of bone abnormalities in skeletons from ancient Syria have led paleontologists to conclude that operating similar querns caused young women repetitive stress injuries​—notched kneecaps, damage to the last dorsal vertebra, and severe osteoarthritis in the big toe. In ancient Egypt, operating the hand mill seems to have been the lot of maidservants. (Exodus 11:5)a Some scholars believe that when the Israelites left Egypt, the saddle quern was the kind of mill they took with them.

Later refinements to milling devices included grooving on both stones to improve efficiency. Introducing a funnel-shaped opening in the upper stone enabled the operator to load it with grain, which flowed automatically between the stones. In the fourth or fifth century B.C.E., Greece saw the creation of a rudimentary milling machine. A horizontal handle, or lever, pivoted at one end, was attached to the upper stone. Moving the free end of this lever back and forth in a short arc caused the hopper-fed upper stone to rub against the lower stone.

All the aforementioned mills had a serious limitation. They depended on a back-and-forth movement that no animal could be trained to perform. Hence, these mills had to rely on human muscle power. Then along came new technology​—the rotary mill. Animals could now be used.

Rotary Mills Make the Task Easier

Although sources vary, the rotary grain mill may have been invented in the Mediterranean basin about the second century B.C.E. By the first century C.E., Jews in Palestine were familiar with such a mill, for Jesus spoke of “a millstone such as is turned by an ass.”​—Mark 9:42.

The animal-powered mill was used in Rome and much of the Roman Empire. Many such mills still stand in Pompeii. They consist of a heavy hourglass-shaped upper stone that acted as a hopper and a conical lower stone. As the upper stone rotated on the lower stone, kernels of grain were fed between the two and were pulverized. Existing upper stones of this type vary in size from about 18 to 36 inches [45-90 cm] in diameter. These mills were as much as six feet [180 cm] high.

Whether lighter rotary mills developed from animal mills or vice versa is not clear. In any case, the rotary hand mill had the advantage of being portable and easy to use. It consisted of two circular stones perhaps 12 to 24 inches [30-60 cm] in diameter. The top of the lower stone was slightly convex and the lower face of the upper stone slightly concave so as to fit the convex lower stone. The upper stone rested on a central pivot and was turned by a wooden handle. Typically, two women sat facing each other, each placing one hand on the handle to turn the upper stone. (Luke 17:35) With her free hand, one of the women fed grain in small amounts into the filler hole of the upper stone, and the other woman gathered the flour as it poured from the rim of the mill into a tray or cloth spread beneath it. This type of mill met the needs of soldiers, mariners, or small households living far from milling establishments.

Driven by Water or Wind

About 27 B.C.E., the Roman engineer Vitruvius gave a description of a water mill of his time. Flowing water pushed against the paddles of a vertical wheel fixed to a horizontal axle, causing the wheel to turn. Gears transferred this motion to a vertical shaft. The shaft, in turn, drove a large upper millstone.

How did the output of the water mill compare with that of other mills? Hand mills are estimated to have ground less than 20 pounds [10 kg] of grain per hour, and the most efficient animal mills, up to 100 pounds [50 kg]. Vitruvius’ water mill, on the other hand, could grind some 300 to 400 pounds [150-200 kg] per hour. With innumerable variations and improvements, the basic principle described by Vitruvius continued to be used by capable millwrights for centuries thereafter.

Flowing water was not the only source of natural energy used to power millstones. If waterwheels were replaced by the sails of a windmill, the same objective could be achieved. Windmills came into use in Europe probably in the 12th century C.E. and were used widely for milling in Belgium, Germany, Holland, and elsewhere. They were in operation until mills driven by steam and other sources of energy gradually made all other power sources obsolete.

“Our Bread for This Day”

Despite progress, many milling methods of the past survive in one part of the earth or another. Mortar and pestle are still employed in parts of Africa and Oceania. In Mexico and Central America, saddle querns are used to grind maize for tortillas. And a number of water mills and windmills are still in operation here and there.

Most flour used for breadmaking in the developed world today, however, is produced in fully mechanized and completely automated roller mills. Grain kernels are gradually reduced to flour as they undergo successive grindings between pairs of steel cylinders with grooved surfaces revolving at different speeds. This system makes it possible to produce various grades of flour at low cost.

Obtaining flour for baking is doubtless no longer the toil it once was. Yet, we can be grateful to our Creator for giving us both grain and the ingenuity to transform it into “our bread for this day.”​—Matthew 6:11.

[Footnote]

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Egyptian saddle quern

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Soprintendenza Archeologica per la Toscana, Firenze

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In an animal-driven mill, olives were pressed for oil

[Picture Credit Line on page 22]

From the Self-Pronouncing Edition of the Holy Bible, containing the King James and the Revised versions

Jehovah’s Word Is Alive

Highlights From the Book of Deuteronomy

THE year is 1473 B.C.E. Forty years have passed since Jehovah delivered the sons of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Having spent these years in the wilderness, the Israelites are still a nation without a land. At last, though, they stand at the threshold of the Promised Land. What awaits them as they take possession of it? What problems will they encounter, and how should they deal with them?

Before Israel crosses the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, Moses prepares the congregation for the great task ahead. How? By delivering a series of discourses that encourage and exhort, admonish and warn. He reminds the Israelites that Jehovah God deserves exclusive devotion and that they must not follow the ways of the surrounding nations. These speeches make up the main part of the Bible book of Deuteronomy. And the counsel given in them is just what we need today, for we too live in a world in which giving Jehovah our exclusive devotion is a challenge.​—Hebrews 4:12.

Written by Moses except for the last chapter, the book of Deuteronomy covers a period of a little over two months.a (Deuteronomy 1:3; Joshua 4:19) Let us see how what is stated there can help us to love Jehovah God with all our heart and serve him faithfully.

‘DO NOT FORGET WHAT YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN’

(Deuteronomy 1:1–4:49)

In the first discourse, Moses recounts some of the wilderness experiences​—particularly those that will be helpful to the Israelites as they prepare to take possession of the Promised Land. The account of the appointment of judges must have reminded them that Jehovah organizes his people in a way that ensures loving care. Moses also relates that the bad report of the ten spies led to the failure of the preceding generation to enter the land of promise. Think of the impact this warning example must have had on Moses’ listeners as that land lay before their very eyes.

Recalling the victories that Jehovah had given the sons of Israel before they crossed the Jordan must have infused them with courage as they stood ready to begin their conquest on the other side of the river. The land they were about to occupy was rife with idolatry. How fitting that Moses gives a stern warning against idol worship!

Scriptural Questions Answered:

2:4-6, 9, 19, 24, 31-35; 3:1-6​—Why did the Israelites annihilate some of the people who lived east of the Jordan but not others? Jehovah commanded Israel not to engage in strife with the sons of Esau. Why? Because they were the offspring of Jacob’s brother. The Israelites were not to molest or war against the Moabites and the Ammonites, for they were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. However, the Amorite Kings Sihon and Og had no such claims to the land under their control. Hence, when Sihon refused to let the Israelites pass through and Og came to meet them in battle, Jehovah commanded the Israelites to demolish their cities, leaving no survivors.

4:15-20, 23, 24​—Does the prohibition against making carved images mean that it is wrong to make representations of objects for artistic purposes? No. The prohibition here was against making images for worship​—against ‘bowing down to idols and serving them.’ The Scriptures do not forbid carving sculptures or making paintings of objects for artistic purposes.​—1 Kings 7:18, 25.

Lessons for Us:

1:2, 19. The sons of Israel wandered through the wilderness for some 38 years, even though Kadesh-barnea was only “eleven days from Horeb [the mountainous region around Mount Sinai where the Ten Commandments were given] by the way of Mount Seir.” What a price to pay for disobeying Jehovah God!​—Numbers 14:26-34.

1:16, 17. God’s standards of judging are the same today. Those entrusted with the responsibility to serve on a judicial committee must not allow favoritism or fear of man to distort their judgment.

4:9. ‘Not forgetting the things that their eyes had seen’ was essential for Israel’s success. As the promised new world nears, it is vital that we too keep in front of us Jehovah’s wonderful deeds by being diligent students of his Word.

LOVE JEHOVAH, AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS

(Deuteronomy 5:1–26:19)

In his second speech, Moses recounts the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and restates the Ten Commandments. Seven nations are specified for complete destruction. The sons of Israel are reminded of an important lesson they learned in the wilderness: “Not by bread alone does man live but by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth does man live.” In their new situation, they must “keep the whole commandment.”​—Deuteronomy 8:3; 11:8.

As they settle in the land of promise, the Israelites will need laws not only regarding worship but also respecting judgment, government, war, and everyday social and private life. Moses reviews these laws and emphasizes the need to love Jehovah and obey his commandments.

Scriptural Questions Answered:

8:3, 4​—In what way did the Israelites’ clothing not wear out and their feet not become swollen during the wilderness trek? This was a miraculous provision, as was the regular supply of manna. The Israelites used the same garments and footwear they started out with, likely passing them on to others as children grew up and adults died. Since the two censuses taken at the beginning and at the end of the wilderness trek revealed that the number of Israelites did not increase, the original supply of these items would have been sufficient.​—Numbers 2:32; 26:51.

14:21​—Why could the Israelites give to an alien resident or sell to a foreigner an unbled dead animal that they themselves would not eat? In the Bible, the term “alien resident” could refer to a non-Israelite who became a proselyte or to a settler who lived by basic laws of the land but who did not become a worshiper of Jehovah. A foreigner and an alien resident who did not become proselytes were not under the Law and could use unbled dead animals in various ways. The Israelites were permitted to give or sell such animals to them. The proselyte, on the other hand, was bound by the Law covenant. As indicated at Leviticus 17:10, such a person was forbidden to eat the blood of an animal.

24:6​—Why was seizing “a hand mill or its upper grindstone as a pledge” likened to seizing “a soul”? A hand mill and its upper grindstone represented a person’s “soul,” or his means of life. Seizing either of these would deprive the entire family of its daily supply of bread.

25:9​—What is significant about drawing the sandal off and spitting in the face of a man who refused to perform brother-in-law marriage? According to “the custom of former times in Israel concerning the right of repurchase . . . , a man had to draw his sandal off and give it to his fellow.” (Ruth 4:7) Drawing the sandal off a man who refused to perform brother-in-law marriage therefore confirmed that he had renounced his position and right to produce an heir for his deceased brother. This was disgraceful. (Deuteronomy 25:10) Spitting in his face was an act of humiliation.​—Numbers 12:14.

Lessons for Us:

6:6-9. Just as the Israelites were commanded with respect to the Law, we too must know God’s commands by heart, keep them in front of us at all times, and inculcate them in our children. We must ‘tie them as a sign upon our hand’ in that our actions​—represented by our hands—​must show that we are obedient to Jehovah. And like ‘a frontlet band between the eyes,’ our obedience must be visible to all.

6:16. May we never put Jehovah to the test as the Israelites faithlessly did at Massah, where they murmured about the lack of water.​—Exodus 17:1-7.

8:11-18. Materialism can make us forget Jehovah.

9:4-6. We must guard against self-righteousness.

13:6. We must not allow anyone to draw us away from the worship of Jehovah.

14:1. Self-mutilation shows disrespect for the human body, may be connected with false religion, and must be avoided. (1 Kings 18:25-28) Our hope in the resurrection makes such an extreme expression of mourning for the dead inappropriate.

20:5-7; 24:5. Consideration should be shown to those with special circumstances, even when the task at hand is important.

22:23-27. One of the most effective defenses a woman has when she is threatened with rape is to scream.

“YOU MUST CHOOSE LIFE”

(Deuteronomy 27:1–34:12)

In his third speech, Moses states that after crossing the Jordan, the Israelites must write the Law on great stones and also pronounce cursings for disobedience and blessings for obedience. The fourth discourse opens with the renewal of the covenant between Jehovah and Israel. Moses again warns against disobedience and exhorts the people to “choose life.”​—Deuteronomy 30:19.

In addition to giving the four discourses, Moses discusses the change of leadership and teaches the Israelites a beautiful song that praises Jehovah and warns of the woes resulting from unfaithfulness. After blessing the tribes, Moses dies at the age of 120 and is buried. The mourning period lasts 30 days, taking up nearly half of the time covered by Deuteronomy.

Scriptural Questions Answered:

32:13, 14​—Since the Israelites were forbidden to eat any fat, what is meant by their eating “the fat of rams”? The expression is here used figuratively and denotes the best of the flock. Such poetic usage is indicated by the fact that the same verse speaks of “the kidney fat of wheat” and “the blood of the grape.”

33:1-29​—Why was Simeon not specifically mentioned in the blessing with which Moses blessed the sons of Israel? This was because Simeon as well as Levi had acted “harshly,” and their anger was “cruel.” (Genesis 34:13-31; 49:5-7) Their inheritance was not quite the same as that of the other tribes. Levi received 48 cities, and Simeon’s portion was within Judah’s territory. (Joshua 19:9; 21:41, 42) Hence, Moses did not specifically bless Simeon. However, Simeon’s blessing was included in the general blessing to Israel.

Lessons for Us:

31:12. Young ones should sit with the grown-ups at congregation meetings and endeavor to listen and to learn.

32:4. All of Jehovah’s activities are perfect in that he expresses his attributes of justice, wisdom, love, and power in perfect balance.

Of Great Value to Us

Deuteronomy presents Jehovah as “one Jehovah.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) It is a book about a people in a unique relationship with God. The book of Deuteronomy also warns against idolatry and emphasizes the need to give the true God exclusive devotion.

Surely Deuteronomy is of great value to us! Though we are not under the Law, we can learn much from it that will help us to ‘love Jehovah our God with all our heart, soul, and vital force.’​—Deuteronomy 6:5.

[Footnote]

[Map on page 24]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

SEIR

Kadesh-barnea

Mt. Sinai (Horeb)

Red Sea

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Based on maps copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

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Moses’ discourses make up the main part of Deuteronomy

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What lesson is taught by Jehovah’s provision of manna?

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Seizing a hand mill or its upper grindstone as a pledge was likened to seizing “a soul”

Questions From Readers

Why were Israelite men permitted to marry captive foreign women when the Mosaic Law commanded that no marriage alliance be formed with foreigners?​—Deuteronomy 7:1-3; 21:10, 11.

The reason this was allowed had to do with special circumstances. Jehovah had commanded the Israelites to demolish the cities of seven nations in the land of Canaan, killing all their inhabitants. (Deuteronomy 20:15-18) In the case of other nations, the only likely adult survivors were captured virgin women. (Numbers 31:17, 18; Deuteronomy 20:14) An Israelite man could marry such a woman, but only if she took certain measures.

Concerning the steps such a woman was required to take, the Bible states: “She must now shave her head and attend to her nails, and remove the mantle of her captivity from off her and dwell in your house and weep for her father and her mother a whole lunar month; and after that you should have relations with her, and you must take possession of her as your bride, and she must become your wife.”​—Deuteronomy 21:12, 13.

A captive virgin whom an Israelite wanted to marry was to shave her head. Cutting off the hair was an expression of mourning or distress. (Isaiah 3:24) For example, when the patriarch Job lost all his children and property, he cut the hair off his head as a sign of mourning. (Job 1:20) The foreign woman was also to attend to her nails, perhaps ‘paring her nails close’ so that even if they were colored, her hands would not look attractive. (Deuteronomy 21:12, Knox) What was “the mantle of her captivity” that the captive woman was to put aside? It was customary for the women of pagan cities who were about to be conquered to dress in their finest clothing. They did this in hopes of winning the favor of their captors. Such apparel had to be set aside by a captured woman in mourning.

A captive woman who was to be the wife of an Israelite man was to mourn for her dead loved ones for one lunar month. The destruction of the defeated cities was to be so thorough that all her former family and social ties would no longer exist. Since the Israelite soldiers would have destroyed images of her gods, her objects of adoration would be gone. The month of mourning also served as a period of purification during which a captive woman would free herself of all features of her past religious devotion.

The situation was different, though, in the case of foreign women in general. In this regard, this principle applied: “You must form no marriage alliance with them. Your daughter you must not give to his son, and his daughter you must not take for your son.” (Deuteronomy 7:3) What was the reason for this restriction? Deuteronomy 7:4 says: “For he will turn your son from following me, and they will certainly serve other gods.” The prohibition, then, was for the purpose of protecting the Israelites from religious contamination. However, a foreign woman in the circumstances described at Deuteronomy 21:10-13 presented no such threat. All her relatives were dead, and images representing her gods were destroyed. She had no contact with practicers of false religion. An Israelite was allowed to marry a foreigner under such circumstances.

A Look at the Chester Beatty Treasures

“RICH in the treasures of so many lost civilizations, . . . dazzling in the beauty of its miniatures and paintings.” That is how former curator R. J. Hayes summed up the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland. It is home to a vast collection of priceless antiquities, exquisite works of art, and rare books and manuscripts of almost inestimable value. So who was Chester Beatty? And what treasures did he collect?

Alfred Chester Beatty, born in 1875 in New York, U.S.A., was of Scottish, Irish, and English ancestry. By the time he was 32 years old, he had made a large personal fortune as a mining engineer and consultant. All through his life, he used his considerable resources to collect things of beauty and excellence. When he died in 1968 at the age of 92, Beatty left his entire collection to the people of Ireland.

What Did He Collect?

Beatty’s collections are extensive and varied. Only about 1 percent are exhibited at any one time. He gathered rare and precious items from many different periods and cultures spanning thousands of years​—from medieval and Renaissance Europe as well as from numerous Asian and African countries. For example, his collection of exquisite Japanese woodblock prints is considered one of the finest in the world.

Standing in complete contrast with works of fine art is an intriguing collection of over a hundred Babylonian and Sumerian clay tablets with ancient cuneiform writing. People living in Mesopotamia over 4,000 years ago inscribed minute details of their lives on wet clay tablets, which were then baked. Many such tablets have survived to our day, giving us clear evidence of the antiquity of writing.

A Fascination With Books

It seems that Chester Beatty was attracted by the artistry involved in making fine books. He collected thousands of secular and religious volumes, including some intricately decorated copies of the Koran. He was, says one writer, “enthralled by the mathematical proportions of the Arabic script, . . . and his sense of colour was excited by the embellishment of the calligraphy with gold and silver leaf and other vivid minerals.”

Jade fascinated Chester Beatty, even as it did some of the emperors of China in earlier centuries. They considered fine jade to be the most precious of all minerals, far more valuable than gold. These rulers commissioned skilled craftsmen to transform blocks of jade into smooth, thin sheets. Gifted artists then filled these jade pages with delicate calligraphy and illustrations etched in gold, thus producing some of the most astonishing books ever made. Beatty’s collection of these books is world renowned.

Priceless Bible Manuscripts

For lovers of the Bible, Chester Beatty’s greatest treasures are in his vast collection of ancient and medieval Bible manuscripts. Beautiful illuminated manuscripts reflect the patience and artistry of the scribes who copied them by hand. The printed books display the skill and craftsmanship of early bookbinders and printers. For instance, the Biblia Latina was printed in Nuremberg in 1479 by Anton Koberger, who lived about the time of Johannes Gutenberg and is described as “one of the most important and active of the early printers.”

One exceptional exhibit in the Chester Beatty Library is an early fourth-century vellum manuscript by Ephraem, a Syrian scholar. Ephraem quotes extensively from a second-century work called the Diatessaron. In it the writer Tatian merged the four Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ’s life into a single harmonious narrative. Later writers made reference to the Diatessaron, but no copies of it have survived. Some 19th-century scholars even doubted its existence. In 1956, however, Beatty discovered Ephraem’s commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron​—a discovery that added to the existing evidence of the Bible’s authenticity and truthfulness.

A Treasure Trove of Papyrus Manuscripts

Beatty also collected a huge number of papyrus manuscripts, both religious and secular. Over 50 papyrus codices are dated earlier than the fourth century C.E. Some of these papyri were rescued from great heaps of papyrus​—essentially wastepaper dumps—​that lay undiscovered for centuries in the Egyptian desert. Many papyrus documents were in a very fragmented state when put up for sale. Dealers would turn up with cardboard boxes full of papyrus scraps. “Those who were interested in buying them would simply dip in and pick out the biggest fragment that contained the most writing,” says Charles Horton, curator of the Western Collections of the Chester Beatty Library.

Beatty’s “most sensational discovery,” says Horton, consisted of precious Biblical codices that “included some of the earliest known copies of the Christian Old and New Testament.” Dealers who knew the value of the codices might well have torn them up to sell separate parts to different buyers. However, Beatty was able to buy the bulk of the find. Just how significant are these codices? Sir Frederic Kenyon describes their discovery as “by far the most important” since Tischendorf discovered the Codex Sinaiticus in 1844.

These codices are dated between the second and fourth centuries C.E. Among books of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Greek Septuagint version are two copies of Genesis. These are of special value, says Kenyon, “because the book [of Genesis] is almost wholly lacking in the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus,” fourth-century vellum manuscripts. Three codices contain books of the Christian Greek Scriptures. One has most of the four Gospels and much of the book of Acts. The second codex, with additional leaves that Beatty obtained later, has an almost complete copy of the apostle Paul’s letters, including his epistle to the Hebrews. The third codex contains about one third of the book of Revelation. According to Kenyon, these papyri have “strengthened very materially the basis​—already very strong—​of our confidence in the text of the New Testament as it has come down to us.”

The Chester Beatty Biblical papyri show that Christians began to use the codex, or leaf-book, in place of the unwieldy scroll at a very early date, likely before the end of the first century C.E. The papyri also show that with writing materials in short supply, copyists often reused old papyrus sheets. For example, one Coptic manuscript of part of John’s Gospel is written “in what seems to be a school exercise-book containing Greek sums.”

These papyrus documents are not dazzling in beauty, but they are priceless. They are a visible, tangible link to the very beginnings of Christianity. “Here, right in front of your own eyes,” says Charles Horton, “you can see the kind of books used by some of the earliest Christian communities​—books that were treasured by them.” (Proverbs 2:4, 5) If you have an opportunity to examine some of these treasures in the Chester Beatty Library, you will not be disappointed.

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Japanese woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai

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The “Biblia Latina” was among the earliest printed copies of the Bible

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Ephraem’s commentary on Tatian’s “Diatessaron” reinforces the authenticity of the Bible

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Chester Beatty P45, one of the oldest codices in the world, contains most of the four Gospels and much of the book of Acts in a single volume

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Reproduced by kind permission of The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

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All images: Reproduced by kind permission of The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

‘Search Out Who Is Deserving’

DAMASCUS was a thriving city in the first century of our Common Era. Surrounded by orchards, it was like an oasis for caravans arriving from lands to the east. Not long after the death of Jesus Christ, there was a Christian congregation in Damascus. Among its members were Jews who may have become Jesus’ followers during the Festival of Pentecost in Jerusalem in 33 C.E. (Acts 2:5, 41) Some disciples from Judea may have moved to Damascus when persecution arose after the stoning of Stephen.​—Acts 8:1.

Probably during 34 C.E., a Christian from Damascus named Ananias received an extraordinary assignment. The Lord told him: “Rise, go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. For, look! he is praying.”​—Acts 9:11.

The street called Straight was about a mile [1.5 km] long and ran through the center of Damascus. From the accompanying 19th-century engraving, we get some idea of what the street looked like in ancient times. In view of its nature, Ananias may have had to search for some time to find the house of Judas. Ananias found it, however, and his visit led to Saul’s becoming the apostle Paul, a zealous proclaimer of the good news.​—Acts 9:12-19.

Jesus had sent forth his disciples and had told them to ‘search out those who were deserving’ of the good news. (Matthew 10:11) Apparently, Ananias literally searched for Saul. Like Ananias, Jehovah’s Witnesses happily search for deserving ones and are delighted when people embrace the good news of the Kingdom. Finding them makes all the effort worthwhile.​—1 Corinthians 15:58.

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The present-day “street called Straight”

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From the book La Tierra Santa, Volume II, 1830

Would You Welcome a Visit?

Even in this troubled world, you can gain happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God, his Kingdom, and his wonderful purpose for mankind. If you would welcome further information or would like to have someone call at your home to conduct a free Bible study with you, please write to Jehovah’s Witnesses, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, or to the appropriate address listed on page 2.