When Jehovah told the Levites: “I am your share,” what did he mean? (Numbers 18:20) Were the Levites the only ones who had Jehovah as their share? Can we today have Jehovah as our share? If we can, how? These two study articles will answer these questions.

STUDY ARTICLES 3, 4 PAGES 15-26

These articles talk about the race that Christians run. The prize is everlasting life. What examples can encourage us to continue running in this race? What could stop us from running? And what will help us to finish the race and win the prize?

STUDY ARTICLE 5 PAGES 27-32

Jehovah’s faithful servants are known and approved by him. What qualities can help us to continue to be his friends? This article will help each of us to think about his own friendship with God.

Jehovah Is My Share

pp. 3–8

Jehovah Is My Share

THEME SCRIPTURE

“I am your share and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel.”—NUMBERS 18:20.

1, 2. (a) What was the situation of the Levites when Jehovah gave a share of the land to all the other tribes of Israel? (b) What was Jehovah’s promise to the Levites?

AFTER the Israelites had conquered much of the Promised Land, Joshua, High Priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the tribes divided the land into portions, or parts. These portions were the tribes’ share of the land. (Numbers 34:13-29) Jehovah gave all the tribes a share of the land, but the Levites did not get a share. (Joshua 14:1-5) Why did the Levites not receive a territory, or share, of the Promised Land? Were they forgotten?

² The answer is in what Jehovah told the Levites. Jehovah promised not to abandon them. He said: “I am your share and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20) When Jehovah said: “I am your share,” he made a wonderful promise to the Levites. How would you feel if Jehovah said that to you? At first, you might ask, “Would Jehovah promise that to someone like me?” You might also ask, “Can Jehovah really be the share of any imperfect Christian today?” These are important questions because they involve you and the people you love. So we will look at what it means for someone to have Jehovah as his share. That will help us understand how Jehovah can be the share of Christians today. More specifically, we will understand how he can be your share, whether you hope to live in heaven or in a paradise on earth.

JEHOVAH TOOK CARE OF THE LEVITES

3. How did it happen that God chose the Levites for his service?

³ Before Jehovah gave the Law to Israel, family heads served as priests for their own families. But when Jehovah gave the Law to Israel, he chose some from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests and assistants. How did this happen? Jehovah said that when he destroyed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, he “sanctified” for himself every firstborn son of the Israelites. This means that they belonged to him for his service. But then Jehovah decided that “in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel,” he wanted to use the Levites for his service. Because the other tribes of Israel had more firstborn sons than there were Levites, Jehovah told the other Israelites to pay a price in exchange for those who were “in excess of the Levites.” (Numbers 3:11-13, 41, 46, 47) So the Levites could now start their service to the God of Israel.

4, 5. (a) What did it mean for the Levites to have God as their share? (b) How did God take care of the Levites?

⁴ When Jehovah chose the Levites for his service, how did he become their share? Instead of giving them a land inheritance, Jehovah gave them something precious, a very important work to do. “The priesthood of Jehovah” was their inheritance, or share. (Joshua 18:7) Numbers chapter 18 helps us to understand that they would still have the material things that they needed. (Read Numbers 18:19, 21, 24.) The Levites got “every tenth part in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service.” This means that they received a tithe, or one tenth, of what the land produced and of the increase of the domestic animals. Then the Levites contributed a tenth part of what they received, “of the very best of it,” for the needs of the priests.a (See footnote.) (Numbers 18:25-29) The priests also received “all the holy contributions” that the sons of Israel brought to God at his place of worship. So the priests could trust Jehovah to take care of their needs.

⁵ Some believe that the Israelites gave a second tithe. Israelite families used it for food, drink, and enjoyment during the holy conventions each year. (Deuteronomy 14:22-27) But there was another use for this tithe. The Israelites celebrated a Sabbath year every seven years. At the end of every third and sixth year of this period of seven years, the Israelites used this tithe to help the poor and also the Levites. Why were the Levites included in this law? Because they had “no share or inheritance” in Israel.—Deuteronomy 14:28, 29.

6. Even though the tribe of Levi did not have a share of the land, where did they live?

⁶ If the Levites had no share of the land, where did they live? God took care of them. He gave the Levites 48 cities along with the fields around these cities. These cities included the six cities of refuge. (Numbers 35:6-8) So the Levites had a place to live when they were not serving at the sanctuary of God. Jehovah took very good care of the needs of those who gave themselves to his service. So how could the Levites show that Jehovah was their share? By trusting that Jehovah had the power to give them what they needed and that he wanted to take care of them.

7. What did the Levites need to have for Jehovah to be their share?

⁷ There was no punishment in the Law for an Israelite who did not give the tithe. But when the people did not obey Jehovah’s law about the tithe, the priests and Levites suffered. That happened in the time of Nehemiah. As a result, the Levites had to work in the fields and could not do their work as ministers. (Read Nehemiah 13:10.) The Levites could have what they needed to sustain them only when the nation obeyed Jehovah’s Law. And the priests and Levites needed faith in Jehovah and in the ways that Jehovah used to take care of their needs.

INDIVIDUAL LEVITES WHO HAD JEHOVAH AS THEIR SHARE

8. What troubled the Levite Asaph?

⁸ The Levites as a tribe had Jehovah as their share. But some individual Levites also used the words “Jehovah is my share” when they spoke about their own friendship with God and their trust in him. (Lamentations 3:24) For example, the Bible talks about a Levite singer and composer who spoke of Jehovah as his share. We will call him Asaph, though he could have been a member of the family of Asaph, the main singer from the Levites in the time of King David. (1 Chronicles 6:31-43) We read in Psalm 73 that this Asaph became jealous of the wicked and could not understand why they seemed to have a good life. He even said: “Surely it is in vain that I have cleansed my heart and that I wash my hands in innocence itself.” It seems that Asaph forgot for a while that the work Jehovah had given him to do was very special. He forgot that Jehovah was his share. He was troubled until he “proceeded to come into the grand sanctuary of God.”—Psalm 73:2, 3, 12, 13, 17.

9, 10. Why could Asaph say that God was his “share to time indefinite”?

⁹ At the sanctuary, Asaph began to change his way of thinking. Maybe something like that has happened to you. Maybe you too forgot for a while how special your service to Jehovah is and began to think about the material things you could have. But by studying the Bible and by going to Christian meetings, you again started to think the way Jehovah thinks. Asaph understood what would finally happen to the wicked. He thought about the good things that he had as one of God’s servants. He said that Jehovah would hold his right hand and lead him. And he could say to Jehovah: “Besides you I do have no other delight on the earth.” (Psalm 73:23, 25) Then he said that Jehovah was his share. (Read Psalm 73:26.) Asaph wrote: “My organism and my heart have failed.” But he continued, saying that God was his “share to time indefinite.” He knew that Jehovah would remember him as a friend forever and would not forget his faithful service. (Ecclesiastes 7:1) This must have been very comforting to Asaph. He sang: “As for me, the drawing near to God is good for me. In the Sovereign Lord Jehovah I have placed my refuge.”—Psalm 73:28.

¹⁰ So when Asaph said that God was his share, he was not talking about just the material things he received as a Levite. He was mainly talking about his service to Jehovah and the friendship that he had with the Most High. (James 2:21-23) To continue to be Jehovah’s friend, Asaph had to keep his faith in Jehovah and trust in him. He had to be sure that Jehovah would reward him with a happy future if he obeyed Jehovah. You can be sure that Jehovah will do the same for you.

11. What question did Jeremiah ask Jehovah? How did Jehovah answer his question?

¹¹ Another Levite who said that Jehovah was his share was the prophet Jeremiah. Let us talk about what he meant when he said that. He lived in Anathoth, a Levite city near Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 1:1) There was a time when Jeremiah too asked Jehovah why the wicked had a good life but those who did what was right suffered. (Jeremiah 12:1) When he saw what was happening in Jerusalem and Judah, he made a complaint to Jehovah. Jeremiah knew that Jehovah is righteous. Jehovah answered Jeremiah’s question by telling him to preach a message of destruction, and then Jehovah made this prophecy come true. Those who obeyed Jehovah survived, but the wicked did not pay attention to the warning and died.—Jeremiah 21:9.

12, 13. (a) What made Jeremiah say: “Jehovah is my share”? What attitude did he show? (b) Why did all the tribes of Israel need to have the same “waiting attitude” as Jeremiah?

¹² Later, when Jeremiah looked at his homeland and saw how empty and ruined it was, he felt as if he were walking in darkness. It was as if Jehovah had made him “sit like men dead for a long time.” (Lamentations 1:1, 16; 3:6) Jeremiah had told the Israelites to return to their heavenly Father, but they had become so bad that Jehovah had to destroy Jerusalem and Judah. That made Jeremiah feel hurt, even though he had done what was right. Even in that time of sadness, Jeremiah said: “We have not come to our finish.” He said about Jehovah’s mercies: “They are new each morning.” It was then that Jeremiah said the words: “Jehovah is my share.” He still had something very special. It was his work as Jehovah’s prophet.—Read Lamentations 3:22-24.

¹³ For 70 years, the homeland of the Israelites would be empty and ruined. (Jeremiah 25:11) But Jeremiah’s words “Jehovah is my share” showed that he trusted in Jehovah. And his trust in God gave him reason to show “a waiting attitude,” that is, to wait patiently for Jehovah to act. All the tribes of Israel had lost their inheritance, so they needed to show the same attitude as Jeremiah. Jehovah was their only hope. After 70 years, they returned to their homeland and had the opportunity of serving Jehovah there.—2 Chronicles 36:20-23.

OTHERS COULD HAVE JEHOVAH AS THEIR SHARE

14, 15. Other than the Levites, who else had Jehovah as his share? Why?

¹⁴ Both Asaph and Jeremiah were of the tribe of Levi, but it was not only the Levites who could be privileged to serve Jehovah. Young David, the future king of Israel, called God his “share in the land of the living ones.” (Read Psalm 142:1, 5.) When David wrote this psalm, he was not in a palace or even in a house. He was hiding from his enemies in a cave. At least two times, David had to hide in caves. One time it was near Adullam and the other time it was in the wilderness of En-gedi. It is possible that he wrote Psalm 142 in one of those caves.

¹⁵ If David wrote this psalm in a cave, it is because he was hiding from King Saul. Saul wanted to kill David, so David escaped to a cave that was hard to get to. (1 Samuel 22:1, 4) In that isolated place, David probably felt that he had no friend to protect him. (Psalm 142:4) That was when David asked God for help.

16, 17. (a) Why could David have felt that he had no one to help him? (b) Whom could David ask for help?

¹⁶ Before David wrote Psalm 142, he might have heard about what had happened to High Priest Ahimelech. Without knowing that David was escaping from Saul, Ahimelech had helped David. Jealous King Saul ordered the death of Ahimelech and his family. (1 Samuel 22:11, 18, 19) David felt responsible for their deaths. It was as if he had killed the priest who had helped him. If you had been in David’s situation, would you have felt responsible? To make things even more difficult, David had no rest because Saul continued to chase him.

¹⁷ Soon after what happened to Ahimelech, the prophet Samuel died. He was the one who had anointed David to be the future king. (1 Samuel 25:1) That could have made David feel alone, as if he had no one to help him. But he knew that Jehovah would help him. He did not have the same special work that the Levites had, but he had been anointed to do another kind of special service. He was going to become the king of God’s people. (1 Samuel 16:1, 13) So David talked to Jehovah about all his thoughts and feelings and continued to trust in Jehovah. You too can have Jehovah as your share. You can trust in him while you continue to do your best in his service.

18. How did the ones we talked about in this article show that they had Jehovah as their share?

¹⁸ For the servants of Jehovah whom we have talked about in this article, what did it mean to have Jehovah as their share? It meant that they all received an assignment of work in his service. They also trusted that Jehovah would take care of them. The Levites and those of other tribes, such as David, could have God as their share. How can we be like them and have Jehovah as our share? We will talk about that in our next article.

[Footnote]

a To learn more about how Jehovah took care of the needs of the priests, see Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, page 684.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Material things: Things such as money, food, and clothes

▪ Sanctuary: A place of worship

▪ Assignment of work: A specific work someone gives you to do

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

▪ In what way was Jehovah the share of the Levites?

▪ What did Asaph, Jeremiah, and David do that shows that Jehovah was their share?

▪ What quality do you need to have God as your share?

[Blurb on page 5]

Jehovah cared for the needs of the Levites

[Blurb on page 7]

Asaph and Jeremiah trusted that Jehovah would act

[Blurb on page 8]

David trusted in God

[Picture on page 4]

How was Jehovah the share of the priests and Levites?

[Picture on page 6]

What helped Asaph to continue to have Jehovah as his share?

Are You Letting Jehovah Be Your Share?

pp. 9–14

Are You Letting Jehovah Be Your Share?

THEME SCRIPTURE

“If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me.”—MATTHEW 16:24.

1, 2. (a) Who are “the Israel of God” whom we read about at Galatians 6:16? (b) Who are “the twelve tribes of Israel” whom we read about at Matthew 19:28?

WHEN you read the name Israel in the Bible, what do you think of? Do you think of Isaac’s son Jacob, who was later named Israel? Or do you think of his descendants, the ancient nation of Israel? The Bible also talks about spiritual Israel, or “the Israel of God.” They are the 144,000, who are anointed with holy spirit to become kings and priests in heaven. (Galatians 6:16; Revelation 7:4; 21:12) But there is another special use of the name Israel. We read about it at Matthew 19:28.

² Jesus said: “In the re-creation, when the Son of man sits down upon his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also yourselves sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” In this verse, “the twelve tribes of Israel” are those who will live forever in Paradise on earth. The 144,000 will serve as judges and priests for them.

3, 4. What fine example have faithful anointed ones set?

³ Like the priests and Levites in the past, the anointed today think of their service to Jehovah as very precious. (Numbers 18:20) The anointed do not expect to get some territory or place on earth. Instead, Revelation 4:10, 11 shows that they will continue their service to Jehovah in heaven, where they will be kings and priests with Jesus Christ.—Ezekiel 44:28.

⁴ While on earth, the anointed live in a way that shows that Jehovah is their share. Their service to God is the most important thing to them. The apostle Peter said: “Do your utmost to make the calling and choosing of you sure for yourselves.” (2 Peter 1:10) Those anointed do this by putting faith in Christ’s ransom sacrifice and following him continually. They have different abilities and different situations in life, but they do not use their limitations as an excuse to do little in God’s service. Just the opposite, they put God’s service first in their lives and do all they can. Clearly, they are an example for those who hope to live on earth.

5. How can all Christians have Jehovah as their share? Why may that be difficult?

⁵ Jesus said that every Christian, whether he hopes to live in heaven or on earth, must “disown himself and pick up his torture stake” and follow him continually. (Matthew 16:24) Millions of people who hope to live in Paradise on earth are worshipping God and following Christ in that way. They are not content to do just a little in God’s service if they know that they can do more. Many have made their life simpler and have become regular pioneers. Others make the effort to pioneer some months each year. Still others, not able to pioneer, work hard in the ministry. They are like Mary, who poured perfumed oil on Jesus. Jesus said: “She did a fine deed toward me. . . . She did what she could.” (Mark 14:6-8) We live in a world controlled by Satan, so it may be difficult to do all we can. We need to work hard and put our trust in Jehovah. We will now look at four ways in which we can do that.

SEEK FIRST GOD’S KINGDOM

6. (a) How do people in the world show that their share is in this life only? (b) Why is it better to imitate David?

⁶ Jesus taught his followers to seek first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness. People in the world usually seek what is best for themselves. The Bible speaks of them as “men of this system of things, whose share is in this life.” (Read Psalm 17:1, 13-15.) These people do not care about Jehovah. Many care only about having a comfortable life, raising a family, and leaving an inheritance for their children. Their share is in this life only. David was different. He wanted to have “a good name” with Jehovah. His son Solomon later said that we should all do the same. (Ecclesiastes 7:1, footnote.) Just like Asaph, David knew that being a friend of Jehovah was the most important thing in life. It made David happy. In our time, many Christians have shown that their service to Jehovah is more important to them than their secular work. They show that Jehovah is their share.

7. What blessing did one brother receive for putting the Kingdom first?

⁷ Jean-Claude, in the Central African Republic, is a married elder with three children. It is hard to find a job in that land, and most people will do almost anything to keep their job. One day, the production manager told Jean-Claude to begin working nights. Work would start at 6:30 in the evening, seven days a week. Jean-Claude told him that he not only had to care for the material needs of his family but also had to help them have a good relationship with God. He also said that he had to help the congregation. The manager told him: “If you are fortunate enough to have a job, you must forget all other things, including your wife, your children, and your problems. You must devote your life to nothing but your work. Make your choice: your religion or your work.” What would you have done? Jean-Claude knew that if he lost his job, God would take care of him. He would still have a lot to do in God’s service, and Jehovah would care for the material needs of his family. So he went to the next meeting. After that, he got ready to go to work even though he did not know if he still had a job. Just then, he got a phone call. The manager had been dismissed from his job, but our brother still had his.

8, 9. In what way can we be like the priests and Levites and have Jehovah as our share?

⁸ Some of you may have been in a similar situation. You may have worried about how you would take care of your family if you lost your job. (1 Timothy 5:8) But whether that happened to you or not, you probably know from your own experience that God never disappoints those who have him as their share and put his service first in their lives. When Jesus told his disciples to keep on “seeking first the kingdom,” he promised them that God would give them all other things, such as what to eat, drink, or wear.—Matthew 6:33.

⁹ Think of the Levites, who did not receive a land inheritance. Because their work was to lead the nation in pure worship, they had to trust that Jehovah was their share and would take care of their material needs. (Numbers 18:20) Even though we are not serving at a literal temple as the priests and Levites were, we can have the same trust in Jehovah. As we get closer to the end, it becomes more and more important that we trust in God to take care of us.—Revelation 13:17.

SEEK FIRST GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

10, 11. How have some shown that they trust in God when they choose work? Give an example.

¹⁰ Jesus also told his disciples to seek first God’s righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) This means that we follow what Jehovah thinks is right and what is wrong and not what humans think. (Read Isaiah 55:8, 9.) Some people grew tobacco or sold tobacco products, trained others in war, or made and sold weapons of war before they became Christians. But after they learned the truth, most chose to change their work and qualify for baptism.—Isaiah 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:14.

¹¹ Andrew is an example of someone who did that. When he and his wife learned about Jehovah, they decided to serve him. Andrew liked his job very much but left it. Why? Because the organization he worked for was involved in war, and he wanted to do what Jehovah says is right. When Andrew left his job, he had two children and enough money to last just a few months. It seemed that, like the Levites, he had no inheritance. He trusted in God and looked for a job. Now when they think about that time, Andrew and his family can say that these words are true: “The hand of Jehovah has not become too short.” (Isaiah 59:1) Because they kept their life simple, Andrew and his wife have even been able to pioneer. He says that at times they have been anxious about money, a place to live, their health, and just the fact that they are getting older. But Jehovah has always helped them. They can say without any doubt that serving Jehovah is rewarding and that it is the greatest honor a human can have.a (See footnote.)—Ecclesiastes 12:13.

12. What quality do we need to seek first God’s righteousness? Give examples from the area where you live.

¹² Jesus told his disciples: “If you have faith the size of a mustard grain, you will say to this mountain, ‘Transfer from here to there,’ and it will transfer, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) Would you still seek first God’s righteousness if that would cause you difficulties? If you are not sure whether you could do that, speak with others in the congregation. Their experiences about how Jehovah helped them will certainly make your faith stronger.

BE THANKFUL FOR JEHOVAH’S PROVISIONS

13. When we work hard in serving Jehovah, what trust must we have?

¹³ If you treasure serving Jehovah, you can be sure that he will give you everything you need, just as he did for the Levites. Think about David. Even though he was hiding in a cave, he was sure that God would help him. We too can trust in Jehovah even when it seems that no one can help us. Remember that when Asaph came “into the grand sanctuary of God,” he was better able to understand what troubled him. (Psalm 73:17) In the same way, we must trust in Jehovah to give us what we need to keep our friendship with him. This will show that we value our service to Jehovah no matter what our situation may be. We will let Jehovah be our share.

14, 15. What should we do when there is a change in the way we understand certain scriptures? Why?

¹⁴ Do you trust in Jehovah when he helps us to understand “the deep things of God” that are in the Bible? (1 Corinthians 2:10-13) The apostle Peter was an excellent example of someone who did that. Jesus told the Jews: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.” Many disciples thought that Jesus was talking about literal flesh and blood. They said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” They “went off to the things behind.” But Peter said: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life.”—John 6:53, 60, 66, 68.

¹⁵ Peter did not completely understand Jesus’ words. But he trusted that Jehovah was using Jesus to help people understand the truth. When there is a change in the way we understand a Bible truth today, do you try to understand the reasons for the change? (Proverbs 4:18) The Beroeans in the first century “received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily.” (Acts 17:11) If you follow their example, you will value your service to God even more. You will be truly grateful to have Jehovah as your share.

MARRY ONLY IN THE LORD

16. How can single Christians let God be their share, according to 1 Corinthians 7:39?

¹⁶ Another way in which Christians keep God’s purposes in mind is by obeying the Bible’s command to marry “only in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:39) Many decide to stay single rather than to disobey this command. God takes good care of those who do that. What did David do when he felt lonely and as if he had no one to help him? He asked Jehovah for help. David said: “Before him I kept pouring out my concern; before him I continued to tell about my own distress, when my spirit fainted away within me.” (Psalm 142:1-3) Jeremiah served God faithfully for many years as a single person. He too may have felt lonely. You can study his example in chapter 8 of the book God’s Word for Us Through Jeremiah.

17. What does one single sister do when she feels lonely?

¹⁷ A sister in the United States said that she has never made the decision to stay single. She wants to get married when she meets the right person. Her mother, who is not a Witness, did not care whom her daughter married. She just really wanted her to get married. The sister asked her mother if she wanted to be responsible for a bad marriage. But when the mother saw that her daughter had a good job, was taking care of herself, and was happy, she stopped talking so much about it. This sister feels lonely sometimes. She says: “I try to make Jehovah my confidence. He never forsakes me.” What has helped her to trust in Jehovah? She answers: “Prayer helps me sense that God is real and that I am never alone. The Most High of the universe is listening, so how could I not feel dignified and joyful?” She trusts what the Bible says: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” So she tries to help others without expecting anything in return. She continues: “When I am thinking, ‘What can I do to help this person?’ I have joy.” (Acts 20:35) She has Jehovah as her share, and she is happy in his service.

18. How can you become Jehovah’s share?

¹⁸ No matter what your situation is, you can let God be your share. If you do, you can be among his happy people. (2 Corinthians 6:16, 17) You can then become Jehovah’s share, as other servants of God did in the past. (Read Deuteronomy 32:9, 10.) Just as Israel became God’s share among the nations, he can choose you to be his share and lovingly care for you.—Psalm 17:8.

[Footnote]

a See Awake! November 2009, pages 12-14.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Secular work: A job or employment

▪ Literal: Something that you can see and touch is literal

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

▪ How can you show that you trust in Jehovah by seeking first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness?

▪ How can you show that you are grateful for what Jehovah gives you?

▪ How can you prove that you trust in God by obeying his command to marry “only in the Lord”?

[Blurb on page 10]

Jehovah becomes our share when we put his service first in our life

[Blurb on page 11]

Our service to God is more important than our secular work

[Blurb on page 12]

Do you trust in Jehovah when there is a change in the way we understand a Bible truth?

[Blurb on page 14]

We obey the Bible’s command to marry “only in the Lord”

[Picture on page 13]

Jeremiah’s example encourages God’s people

Run the Race With Endurance

pp. 15–20

Run the Race With Endurance

THEME SCRIPTURE

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”—HEBREWS 12:1.

1, 2. What does the Bible say is similar to the life of true Christians?

EACH year many people around the world run in marathon races. Some who run in these races are very good runners, and they want to win. But most of the other runners know that they cannot win the race. The most important thing to them is just to finish the race.

² The Bible also talks about a race. It explains that the life of true Christians is like a race that has a prize. Those who make the effort to live like Christians and to remain loyal to Jehovah are like runners who want to finish the race. The apostle Paul wrote about this type of race in his first letter to the Christians in ancient Corinth. He wrote: “Do you not know that the runners in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may attain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24.

3. What did Paul mean when he said that only one receives the prize?

³ So when Paul said that only one receives the prize, did he mean that only one Christian would receive the prize of life? No. He was talking about the reason why the runners in races ran. The Christians in Corinth knew that all the runners in a race were determined to win, even though only one runner received the prize. That is why all runners trained very well and ran in the best way they could. They all made great efforts to win. Paul wanted his brothers to make every effort to remain loyal to Jehovah and finish the race. All Christians who do this can win the prize of everlasting life.

4. What do we need to know about the race that Christians run?

⁴ Those words are encouraging to us, but they also make us think seriously about how we are living. If we live in a way that pleases Jehovah, we have a wonderful hope of living forever either in heaven or in Paradise on earth. But life as a Christian is like running a very long race on a road with many dangers. There are many things that could slow us down in Jehovah’s service or even stop us from serving Jehovah. (Matthew 7:13, 14) This has already happened to some servants of Jehovah. What traps and dangers are there in the race for life? How can you avoid them? What can you do to finish and win the race?

TO WIN WE MUST ENDURE

5. What did Paul explain at Hebrews 12:1?

⁵ When Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem and Judea, he again talked about runners in a race. (Read Hebrews 12:1.) He explained why Christians should continue to run their race and also what they must do to finish the race. First we will talk about why Paul wrote this letter to the Hebrews and what he wanted them to do. Then we will talk about what we can learn from what he wrote to them.

6. What did the religious leaders try to do to Christians?

⁶ The Christians in the first century lived during a very difficult time. This was especially true of the Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem and Judea because the Jewish religious leaders tried to force people to obey them. Earlier, they had even made people believe that Jesus Christ was against the government and was a criminal who deserved to die. These religious leaders had killed Jesus Christ, and now they wanted to stop those who were preaching about him. In the book of Acts, we can read what happened after Pentecost of the year 33. These leaders attacked the Christians many times to try to stop them from preaching. So life was very difficult for faithful Christians.—Acts 4:1-3; 5:17, 18; 6:8-12; 7:59; 8:1, 3.

7. What made the time that those Christians lived in very difficult?

⁷ Another reason why those Christians lived in a very difficult time was that the destruction of Jerusalem was near. Jesus had warned them that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. He told them what would happen just before this destruction, and he also told them exactly what they should do to stay alive. (Read Luke 21:20-22.) Jesus warned them: “Pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you.”—Luke 21:34.

8. What might have caused some Christians to slow down in serving Jehovah or even stop?

⁸ Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians nearly 30 years after Jesus said those words. What happened to these Christians during those 30 years? Because of problems or because they became worried about their daily needs, some did not continue to learn about Jehovah and keep their friendship with him strong. (Hebrews 5:11-14) Some Christians probably thought that it would be easier to live like the Jews around them. They might have thought that this was not wrong because the Jews still believed in God and obeyed most of the Law of Moses. Also, there were some people in the congregations who were trying to force others to obey the Law of Moses and Jewish traditions. Some Christians believed them, and others listened to them because they were afraid. What did Paul say to encourage his Christian brothers to continue living like Christians and to remain loyal to Jehovah?

9, 10. (a) At the end of Hebrews chapter 10, what did Paul say the Hebrew Christians needed to do? (b) Why did Paul write about the acts of faith of servants of Jehovah in the past?

⁹ Jehovah inspired Paul to write this letter of encouragement to the Hebrew Christians. In chapter 10, he first explained to them that the Law of Moses was “a shadow of the good things to come” and that only through the sacrifice of Jesus could their sins be forgiven. At the end of chapter 10, Paul told them that to benefit from this sacrifice, they needed endurance. He said: “You have need of endurance, in order that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. For yet ‘a very little while,’ and ‘he who is coming will arrive and will not delay.’”—Hebrews 10:1, 36, 37.

¹⁰ In Hebrews chapter 11, Paul explained what true faith in God is. He did so by writing about the things that people with true faith did. In chapter 12, he again encouraged Christians to endure and told them to “run with endurance the race” that was before them. Why did he talk about faith before he again talked about endurance? Because he wanted those Christians to know that to show true faith in Jehovah, they needed endurance and courage. He mentioned many men and women who in the past had remained loyal to Jehovah even in very difficult situations. Their example would help the Hebrew Christians to endure in difficult situations. After mentioning the acts of faith of all these servants of Jehovah, Paul told the Hebrew Christians: “Because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”—Hebrews 12:1.

“A CLOUD OF WITNESSES”

11. When we think of the example of the great “cloud of witnesses,” what should we remember?

¹¹ Paul said that the servants of Jehovah who lived before the Christian time were a great “cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” They had remained loyal to Jehovah to the end of their lives, and their example shows that it is possible for Christians to remain loyal to Jehovah even in very difficult situations. The “cloud of witnesses” were like experienced runners who had finished their race. Their example would encourage others to continue to run the race. If we were in a race and knew that very good runners were watching us and encouraging us to continue running, then we would do our best to finish the race. So the Hebrew Christians needed to think about the example of those servants of Jehovah in the past. Their example could give them courage and remind them that it was possible for them to “run with endurance” and finish their race. And it is possible for us too.

12. What can we learn from the faith of the people Paul talked about?

¹² We can learn from the faith of the people that Paul talked about because many of them were in situations like ours. For example, Noah lived just before Jehovah destroyed the world of that time in a flood. And we are living just before Jehovah destroys Satan’s world. Jehovah asked Abraham and Sarah to leave their home. He promised to make from them a nation to serve him, and they waited for him to fulfill that promise. Jehovah asks us to stop living for ourselves and to live for him. He promises us that if we do that, he will be our friend and will reward us. Moses walked a long way through a dangerous land to go to the Promised Land. We live in a wicked world and wait for the new world that Jehovah has promised us. It is important for us to think about the life of these faithful people. We can imitate the things they did to please Jehovah and learn from the things that did not please him.—Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11.

WHAT HELPED THEM TO FINISH THE RACE?

13. Why was Noah’s situation difficult? What helped him to do everything that Jehovah told him to do?

¹³ What helped these servants of Jehovah to endure in the race and finish it? Note what Paul wrote about Noah. (Read Hebrews 11:7.) Noah had never seen a flood that destroyed all people and animals. (Genesis 6:17) A flood had never happened before. But Noah did not think that a flood was impossible. Why? Because he had faith that Jehovah always does what he says. So Noah did not think that it was too difficult to obey Jehovah. He did exactly what Jehovah commanded him. The Bible says: “He did just so.” (Genesis 6:22) Noah had many things to do. He needed to build the ark, gather the animals, store food for his family and for the animals, warn the people about the Flood, and help his family to have strong faith in Jehovah. It was not always easy for Noah to do everything that Jehovah commanded him. But he had faith in Jehovah, so he endured in the work that he had to do. And Jehovah saved him and his family and gave them many blessings.

14. In what situations did Abraham and Sarah show faith in God? What can we learn from their example?

¹⁴ Paul mentioned Abraham and Sarah as part of the “cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” Their life changed when God told them to leave their home in Ur. They did not know what would happen to them. But they had strong faith in Jehovah and obeyed him even in difficult situations. The Bible calls Abraham “the father of all those having faith” because he made many sacrifices for Jehovah. (Romans 4:11) The Hebrew Christians already knew about the life of Abraham and his family, so Paul mentioned only some of their acts of faith. But these were enough to show how strong their faith was. Paul said about them: “In faith all these died, although they did not get the fulfillment of the promises, but they saw them afar off and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land.” (Hebrews 11:13) Their faith in God and their friendship with him helped them to endure in the race.

15. Why did Moses choose to live the way he did?

¹⁵ Moses is another servant of Jehovah who is part of the “cloud of witnesses.” Moses left his home just as Abraham did. Moses left the glory and the riches of the king’s palace. He chose “to be ill-treated with the people of God.” Why did he choose to do this? Paul answered: “He looked intently toward the payment of the reward.” Paul also said about Moses: “He continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible.” (Read Hebrews 11:24-27.) Moses knew that there was something more important than “the temporary enjoyment of sin.” God was real to him, and he knew that all of God’s promises would come true. That is what helped him to act with great courage and to endure in difficult situations. And it helped him to work hard to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

16. How do we know that Moses did not give up because he could not enter the Promised Land?

¹⁶ Abraham and Moses died before God’s promises to them came true. Just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God told Moses: “From a distance you will see the land, but you will not go there into the land that I am giving to the sons of Israel.” Because they acted improperly at the waters of Meribah, Moses and Aaron did not enter the Promised Land. They allowed the rebellious people to make them very angry, so they acted in a way that did not honor God. (Deuteronomy 32:51, 52) Moses did not give up because he could not enter the Promised Land. He did not think that what God decided was unjust. We know this because he asked Jehovah to bless the people of Israel. His last words to them were: “Happy you are, O Israel! Who is there like you, a people enjoying salvation in Jehovah, the shield of your help, and the One who is your eminent sword?”—Deuteronomy 33:29.

SOME LESSONS FOR US

17, 18. (a) What can we learn from the “cloud of witnesses”? (b) What will we talk about in the next article?

¹⁷ We learned from the life of some of those who are part of the “cloud of witnesses surrounding us” that to finish the race, we must have strong faith in God and in his promises. (Hebrews 11:6) This faith must affect the way we live our life now. We know that there is a better future that God has promised us. We are able to see “the One who is invisible.” God is real to us, so we run the race with endurance.—2 Corinthians 5:7.

¹⁸ The race that Christians run is not easy. But we can finish the race. In the next article, we will talk about some other things that can help us to finish the race.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Cloud of witnesses: The many servants of God in the past who showed faith. Paul said that they were a large “cloud.” There were so many that they could not be counted

▪ Endurance: When someone has endurance, he remains loyal to God even in difficult situations

CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

▪ Why did Paul write about the acts of faith of witnesses in the past?

▪ How does the example of the great “cloud of witnesses surrounding us” help us to endure in the race?

▪ What have you learned from the examples of Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and Moses?

[Blurb on page 15]

Christians who remain loyal to Jehovah are like runners who finish a race

[Blurb on page 17]

Noah had faith in what Jehovah promised to do and endured in the work that he had to do

[Blurb on page 18]

Abraham and Sarah had strong faith in God and obeyed him even in difficult situations

[Picture on page 19]

Abraham and Sarah were willing to leave behind the comforts of Ur

Run That You May Attain the Prize

pp. 21–26

Run That You May Attain the Prize

THEME SCRIPTURE

“Run in such a way that you may attain it.”—1 CORINTHIANS 9:24.

1, 2. (a) What did Paul use to encourage the Hebrew Christians? (b) What did Paul say that we must do?

THE apostle Paul used an illustration of a race to encourage the Hebrew Christians. In the letter he wrote to them, he said that they were like runners in a race. But he reminded them that they were not alone in that race. There were many loyal servants of Jehovah in the past who had already finished the race. Paul said that these ones were like a great “cloud of witnesses” surrounding them. If the Hebrew Christians always remembered the acts of faith and the efforts of those loyal ones, they would be determined to finish the race.

² In the previous article, we talked about the example of some of those loyal servants of Jehovah. Their strong faith in God helped them to remain loyal to him to the end of their life. They continued running the race to the end. How can we too finish the race, just as they did? Paul said: “Let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”—Hebrews 12:1.

3. What can Christians learn from what Paul said about running in the Greek games?

³ Why did Paul say to “put off every weight”? A book that talks about Christians in the time of Paul explains the way the runners of his time ran. (Backgrounds of Early Christianity) It says: “The Greeks exercised and competed in the nude.”a (See footnote.) To run in this way may not seem right today. But the runners ran without clothes because they did not want anything to stop them from winning the prize. So when Paul told the Hebrew Christians to “put off every weight,” he meant that they should try to remove anything from their lives that could stop them from winning the prize of everlasting life. This was good advice for the Hebrew Christians, and it is good advice for us too. What things in our lives could be like a weight and make it difficult for us to finish the race?

“PUT OFF EVERY WEIGHT”

4. What were the people in Noah’s time doing?

⁴ Paul said to “put off every weight.” This weight includes anything that could stop us from giving our full attention to the race and from doing everything we can to finish it. What are some of those things that could be like a weight? Jesus helps us to understand this. He spoke about the time of Noah. Jesus explained: “Just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man.” (Luke 17:26) It is true that the world of our time will end just as the world of Noah’s time ended. But Jesus was explaining that the way people live now would be similar to the way people lived before the Flood of Noah’s time. (Read Matthew 24:37-39.) Most people in Noah’s time did not want to learn about God, and they did not want to live in a way that pleased him. What were they doing? Eating, drinking, and marrying. These were just the normal things of life. But doing these things was more important to the people than listening to God’s message. Jesus said that they “took no note.”

5. What can help us to run the race to the end?

⁵ Like Noah and his family, we have much to do every day. We need to work to earn money, and we need to take care of ourselves and our family. This can use a lot of our time and energy. And if we have money problems, we could become anxious about how to get the things we need every day. Also, because we have dedicated our lives to Jehovah, we have other important responsibilities. We preach, we prepare for our meetings and attend them, and we study the Bible with our family and do our personal study. Noah also had much to do to serve God, but “he did just so.” He did everything Jehovah asked him to do. (Genesis 6:22) It is very important that we do not carry any weight that would make it difficult for us to run the race to the end.

6, 7. What words of Jesus should we always remember?

⁶ What did Paul mean when he said to “put off every weight”? He did not mean to remove every responsibility from our lives. Some responsibilities are necessary. But remember what Jesus said about the necessary things of life: “Never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:31, 32) Jesus was helping us to understand that even the necessary things of life, like food and clothing, could become like a weight if they are the most important things in our lives. They could stop us from running the race.

⁷ Do not forget that Jesus said: “Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.” These words show us that our Father, Jehovah, will take care of our needs. Of course, to have “all these things” does not mean that we have everything that we would like to have. So Jesus told us not to be anxious even about the things we need. Otherwise, we would be like the nations who are “eagerly pursuing” these things. Why is it dangerous to become anxious about our needs? Jesus said: “Pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare.”—Luke 21:34, 35.

8. Why should we “put off every weight” now?

⁸ It is as if we can see the finish line. So we do not want to allow anything to make it difficult for us to finish the race. That is why we must “put off every weight.” We must be content to have the things we need. This was the advice the apostle Paul gave when he told us to have “godly devotion along with self-sufficiency.” (1 Timothy 6:6) If we listen to Paul’s advice, it will be easier to continue running and win the prize.

“THE SIN THAT EASILY ENTANGLES US”

9, 10. (a) What is the sin that could easily entangle us? (b) What can happen to the faith of a Christian?

⁹ Paul mentioned something else that we must put off. He said that we must put off “the sin that easily entangles us.” The Greek word that is translated “easily entangles” appears only once in the Bible, in this verse. One Bible scholar named Albert Barnes said that a runner of that time was careful not to wear clothing that could wrap around his legs and make it difficult for him to run. And he said that in the same way, a Christian should not allow anything to make it difficult for him to run his race. A Christian should not allow anything to entangle him, that is, to weaken his faith or even cause him to lose his faith. How does a Christian lose his faith?

¹⁰ A Christian does not lose his faith suddenly. This might happen gradually, and he may not even realize that his faith is becoming weaker and weaker. Earlier in his letter to the Hebrew Christians, Paul warned them about this danger. He said that they should be careful never to “drift away” from the faith and never to develop “a wicked heart lacking faith.” (Hebrews 2:1; 3:12) If the clothing of a runner wraps around his legs, he usually falls. So a runner must realize that if he chooses to run in the wrong kind of clothing, he could fall. What might cause a runner to ignore this danger? Maybe he is careless, that is, he does not pay attention when someone warns him. Maybe he is overconfident, that is, he thinks that he is strong and could never fall. Or maybe he is distracted, that is, he is busy thinking about other things. What can we learn from all of Paul’s advice?

11. What might cause us to lose our faith?

¹¹ We must remember that if a Christian loses his faith, it is because of things he has chosen to do. Another scholar talked about “the sin that easily entangles us.” He explained that the circumstances we are in, the people we associate with, and our wrong desires can all have a very powerful effect on us. These things could weaken our faith or even cause us to lose our faith.—Matthew 13:3-9.

12. What warnings are important to obey if we do not want to lose our faith?

¹² The faithful and discreet slave has often warned us to choose carefully what we watch and what we listen to because these things affect how we think and what we desire. The faithful and discreet slave has also warned us about the danger of always wanting more money and more things. If we love the entertainment of this world or want to have every new gadget, we could be so busy with these things that we do not have time for more important things. It could be dangerous to reject these warnings because we think that they are too strict. And we should not think that because we have strong faith, these warnings are for others and not for us. Satan uses the thinking and desires of the world to make us ignore the warnings. He does not want us to finish the race. Some have lost their faith because they became careless, overconfident, or distracted by things in the world. If this happens to us, we are in danger of losing the prize of everlasting life.—1 John 2:15-17.

13. What must we do to avoid thinking like the people in the world?

¹³ Every day, people in Satan’s world try to make us think like them. They want us to consider important the things they consider important. And they want us to want to do the same things that they do. (Read Ephesians 2:1, 2.) But we have a choice. We can decide if we will allow the thinking of the world to affect us. Paul said that the thinking of people in the world is like the air that is all around us. But this thinking is like poisonous air. So just as we would not want to breathe poisonous air, we must never allow the way people in the world think to affect the way we think. What can help us to continue running in the race? The example of Jesus. He is the best example of someone who ran the race to the end, and we can imitate him. (Hebrews 12:2) And we also have the example of the apostle Paul. He ran the race, and he encouraged his brothers to imitate his example.—1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:14.

HOW “YOU MAY ATTAIN” THE PRIZE

14. How important was it for Paul to finish the race?

¹⁴ How important was it for Paul to finish the race? When he spoke to the elders from Ephesus for the last time, he said: “I do not make my soul of any account as dear to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:24) So Paul was willing to sacrifice everything, even his life, to finish the race. Paul had worked very hard to preach the good news. But he said that all that effort would have been for nothing if he did not finish the race. He knew that he had to continue working hard to the end. He did not think that he had already won the prize. (Read Philippians 3:12, 13.) However, not long before he died, he was able to say: “I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith.”—2 Timothy 4:7.

15. What did Paul encourage his brothers to do?

¹⁵ Paul wanted his brothers to finish the race. He encouraged the Christians in Philippi to work hard for their own salvation. He reminded them to keep “a tight grip on the word of life.” He also told them why this was important to him: “That I may have cause for exultation in Christ’s day, that I did not run in vain or work hard in vain.” (Philippians 2:16) He also encouraged the Christians in Corinth to continue running to win the prize. He said: “Run in such a way that you may attain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24.

16. Why should the prize be real to us?

¹⁶ A runner in a long race does not see the finish line until the end. But he is always thinking about the finish line and knows that it is getting closer. And when he knows that the end of the race is near, he is even more determined to finish. The race that Christians run is similar. The prize must be real to us. This will help us to be determined to finish the race and win the prize.

17. How does faith make the prize real to us?

¹⁷ Paul wrote: “Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” (Hebrews 11:1) Abraham and Sarah were willing to leave a comfortable home and live as “strangers and temporary residents in the land.” How were they able to do this? The things that God had promised were real to them. “They saw them afar off.” Moses rejected “the temporary enjoyment of sin” and “the treasures of Egypt.” How did he have the faith and strength to do this? He “looked intently toward the payment of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:8-13, 24-26) Paul said that each of these people acted “by faith.” They had strong faith, so the prize was always real to them. They did not allow any difficult situation to make them forget the prize. They knew that God was helping them then, and they knew that his promises for the future would come true.

18. What should we do to avoid not finishing the race?

¹⁸ We can think deeply about the faithful men and women of Hebrews chapter 11, and we can imitate their example. This can help us to build up our faith and put off “the sin that easily entangles us.” (Hebrews 12:1) Also, by meeting together with our brothers who are trying to build up their own faith, we can “consider one another to incite to love and fine works.”—Hebrews 10:24.

19. Why is it important to continue running the race now?

¹⁹ We are near the end of our race, and it is as if we can see the finish line. Because Jehovah will help us and because we have strong faith in him, it is possible for us to “put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us.” We can continue running and attain the prize that our Father, Jehovah, promises us.

[Footnote]

a The ancient Jews thought that this was very shocking. The apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees says that many Jews were angry when apostate High Priest Jason wanted to have a gymnasium in Jerusalem just as the Greeks had.—2 Maccabees 4:7-17.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Attain: To work hard to get something. To attain the prize means to win the prize

▪ Entangle: Clothing that entangles a runner wraps around his legs and makes him fall. If we allow the thinking of the world to make us lose faith, we will fall and we will not be able to finish our race

DO YOU REMEMBER?

▪ How can we put off “every weight”?

▪ What might cause a Christian to lose his faith?

▪ Why must the prize be real to us?

[Blurb on page 22]

We should remove anything from our life that could stop us from finishing the race

[Blurb on page 24]

We have a choice. We can decide if we will allow the thinking of the world to affect us

[Blurb on page 26]

If we have strong faith, the prize will be real to us even in difficult situations

[Picture on page 25]

What is “the sin that easily entangles us”? How might it entangle us?

Are You Known by Jehovah?

pp. 27–32

Are You Known by Jehovah?

THEME SCRIPTURE

“Jehovah knows those who belong to him.”—2 TIMOTHY 2:19.

1, 2. (a) What did Jesus care about? (b) What questions should we think about?

ONE day a Pharisee asked Jesus: “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Matthew 22:35-37) Jesus had great love for Jehovah. The way he lived showed that he really cared about what Jehovah thought of him. That is why Jesus, just before he died, could talk about his faithful obedience to God, saying: “I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.”—John 15:10.

² Many people today say that they love God. Of course, we say that too. But there are some important questions that we need to think about: What does Jehovah think of me? Can I say that Jehovah “knows” me or that I have Jehovah’s approval? Does Jehovah think of me as someone who belongs to him? (2 Timothy 2:19) It is wonderful to think that we can have such a close friendship with the most important person in the universe!

3. Why is it hard for some to believe that they can belong to Jehovah? What can help them change this way of thinking?

³ But it is hard even for some who love Jehovah to think that they can be friends with God. Some believe that they are not worth anything. Because of that, they think that they cannot belong to Jehovah. It is so good to know that Jehovah sees us in a different way. (1 Samuel 16:7) Think about this: Why are you reading this magazine? Why are you trying hard to serve Jehovah with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength? If you dedicated your life to Jehovah and got baptized, why did you do it? The Bible says that Jehovah knows hearts and that he finds the people who are “desirable” to him. He then “draws” them, or invites them, to be his friends. (Read Haggai 2:7; John 6:44.) So you can be sure that you are serving Jehovah because he wants you to. He will never leave those he invited to be his friends if they continue to be faithful to him. They are precious to God, and he loves them very much.—Psalm 94:14.

4. Why should we always think about how precious our friendship with Jehovah is?

⁴ Now that Jehovah has drawn us, we need to keep ourselves in the love of God. (Read Jude 20, 21.) Remember, the Bible shows that it is possible to drift away or draw away from God and no longer be his friend. (Hebrews 2:1; 3:12, 13) For example, just before the words at 2 Timothy 2:19, the apostle Paul talked about Hymenaeus and Philetus. It seems that these two men served Jehovah at one time, but they later left the truth. (2 Timothy 2:16-18) Some in the congregations in Galatia also left the truth. They did not stay in the truth. (Galatians 4:9) We should always remember how precious our friendship with Jehovah is.

5. (a) To be known by God, what qualities do we need? (b) What examples will we now talk about?

⁵ There are some qualities we need if we want to be known by Jehovah. (Psalm 15:1-5; 1 Peter 3:4) Two of them are faith and humility. We will talk about the examples of two men who were loved by Jehovah because they showed these qualities. We will also look at a man who was proud and because of that was rejected by God. We can learn important lessons from these examples.

THE FATHER OF THOSE HAVING FAITH

6. (a) Because he had faith in Jehovah’s promises, what did Abraham do? (b) In what way did Jehovah really know Abraham?

⁶ Abraham was a man who “put faith in Jehovah.” He is called “the father of all those having faith.” (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:11) Because he had faith, Abraham was willing to leave his home, his friends, his work, and things he owned to go to a distant land. (Genesis 12:1-4; Hebrews 11:8-10) Abraham kept his faith strong. One proof of that was that many years later he was ready to obey Jehovah’s command and offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to Jehovah. (Hebrews 11:17-19) Abraham showed faith in Jehovah’s promises, and that made him special to God. Jehovah really knew Abraham. (Read Genesis 18:19.) This means that Jehovah not only knew that Abraham existed but also loved him as a friend.—James 2:22, 23.

7. What did Abraham know about Jehovah’s promises? How did he show his faith?

⁷ Jehovah promised Abraham that his descendants would “take possession of the gate” of their enemies and become “like the grains of sand that are on the seashore.” (Genesis 22:17, 18) Even though these promises did not come true during Abraham’s life, he continued to have strong faith in Jehovah. He knew that God’s promises always come true, and he showed this faith in the way he lived his life. (Read Hebrews 11:13.) Does Jehovah know us as people who have faith like Abraham’s?

SHOW YOUR FAITH BY WAITING FOR JEHOVAH TO ACT

8. What are some things that most people want very much?

⁸ There may be things that we want very much, such as getting married, having children, and having good health. There is nothing wrong with wanting these things. But many of us may not get what we want. If there is something that we want very much but that we cannot have now, what will we do? The way we act in this situation may show how strong our faith is.

9, 10. (a) What have some done to get what they want? (b) What do you think about Jehovah’s promises coming true in your life?

⁹ It would be foolish to go against God’s guidance to try to get what we want. This could damage our friendship with Jehovah. For example, some have chosen forms of health care that go against Bible principles. Others have accepted work that leaves them no time for their families or for congregation meetings. Some start a romantic relationship with someone who does not serve Jehovah. If a Christian does that, is he really trying to be known by Jehovah? Imagine if Abraham had become impatient about God’s promises. How would Jehovah have felt? What if Abraham had done things his own way and had tried to have a very comfortable life? What if he had decided to make a famous name for himself instead of waiting for Jehovah to act? (Compare Genesis 11:4.) Would Jehovah have continued to think of him as his friend?

¹⁰ What are the things that you want very much? Do you have enough faith to wait for Jehovah to give them to you? He promises to satisfy “the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16) Some of Jehovah’s promises may not come true as soon as we would like. But if we continue to live in a way that shows that we have faith like Abraham’s, Jehovah will not forget about us. He will reward us.—Hebrews 11:6.

ONE EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY AND ONE EXAMPLE OF PRIDE

11. What had Korah done for many years?

¹¹ We will look at the examples of two men who acted in opposite ways, Moses and Korah. What they did helps us understand that what Jehovah thinks of us depends on how much respect we show for his decisions and way of doing things. Korah was a Kohathite Levite. Probably he had the opportunity to see what Jehovah had done to free the Israelites through the Red Sea. He may also have had a part in Jehovah’s judgment against disobedient Israelites at Mount Sinai, and he may have helped to carry the ark of the covenant. (Exodus 32:26-29; Numbers 3:30, 31) It seems that he had been loyal to Jehovah for many years, and because of that, many in Israel respected him.

12. What happened to Korah’s friendship with God because of his pride?

¹² But on the way to the Promised Land, Korah thought that there was something wrong with the way Jehovah was leading the nation. He wanted to make changes. Then 250 other men in the nation joined Korah. They were sure that Jehovah knew them and that they had his approval. They told Moses: “That is enough of you, because the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah is in their midst.” (Numbers 16:1-3) This was a very proud way of thinking and acting. They trusted too much in their own way of doing things. Moses told them: “Jehovah will make known who belongs to him.” (Read Numbers 16:5.) By the end of the next day, Korah and all those who had joined him were dead.—Numbers 16:31-35.

13, 14. In what ways did Moses show that he was humble?

¹³ Moses was the opposite of Korah. He was “by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” (Numbers 12:3) He showed that he was meek and humble by doing exactly what Jehovah had commanded him. (Exodus 7:6; 40:16) We do not read in the Bible that Moses was always disagreeing with Jehovah’s way of doing things or that he got angry because he had to follow instructions from Jehovah. For example, Jehovah gave very specific instructions about how to build the tabernacle. These instructions included the color of the thread and the number of loops the Israelites should use to make the tent cloths. (Exodus 26:1-6) If an overseer in God’s organization gives you very specific instructions about things, you may sometimes feel discouraged. But Jehovah is a perfect overseer. He gives his servants work to do, and he trusts that they will do it well. When he gives many details, there is a good reason for it. Moses did not get angry with Jehovah or think that Jehovah was not showing him respect because he gave him many detailed instructions. Moses did not think that Jehovah was taking away his freedom. Moses told the workers to do exactly as Jehovah had commanded them. (Exodus 39:32) This was a humble way of thinking and acting. Moses knew that it was Jehovah’s work and that Jehovah was simply using him to do it.

¹⁴ Moses showed that he was humble even when he had reasons to be disappointed. For example, when the people complained that they had no water, Moses got very angry with them and did not give glory to Jehovah. Because of that, Jehovah told Moses that he would not be allowed to lead the people into the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:2-12) Moses and Aaron had suffered for many years, listening to the Israelites complaining. And now, because of that one mistake, Moses was not going to get what he had expected for so long! What did Moses do? He was of course disappointed. But he was humble and accepted Jehovah’s decision. He knew that Jehovah is a righteous God “with whom there is no injustice.” (Deuteronomy 3:25-27; 32:4) Today, when we think of Moses, we think of someone who was known by Jehovah.—Read Exodus 33:12, 13.

OBEDIENCE TO JEHOVAH REQUIRES HUMILITY

15. What can we learn from what proud Korah did?

¹⁵ We can have Jehovah’s approval only if we accept adjustments that are made. And we need to show respect for those Jehovah uses to lead the congregation. What do we do when these men make decisions or change the way we do things in the congregation? Because they trusted their own way of doing things, Korah and his followers could no longer be God’s friends. They were proud and showed little faith. Korah thought that Moses was just an old man making his own decisions, but he forgot that it was really Jehovah who was guiding the nation. As a result, Korah did not show loyalty to those God was using. Korah should have waited for Jehovah to act. Jehovah could have helped him understand why things were the way they were or could have changed things if needed. Because Korah acted like that, today we never think of Korah’s years of loyal service to Jehovah. We usually think of him as someone who disobeyed Jehovah because of his pride.

16. How can Moses’ humble example help us?

¹⁶ What happened to Korah is a warning for elders and others in the congregation. To wait for Jehovah to act and to obey those Jehovah uses to lead the congregation, we must be humble. Do we show that we are as humble and meek as Moses was? Do we understand and accept that Jehovah uses those who lead the congregation? Do we obey their instructions? Do we control our feelings when we get disappointed? If we do these things, we will have Jehovah’s approval. If we are humble and obedient, we will be precious to him.

JEHOVAH KNOWS THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM

17, 18. What can help us to continue to have Jehovah’s approval?

¹⁷ It is good for us to think about the examples of those whom Jehovah loved and invited to be his friends. Abraham and Moses were imperfect and had problems, just like us. But Jehovah thought of them as friends, as people who belonged to him. The opposite is what happened to Korah. His example shows how it could be possible for us to draw away from Jehovah and no longer be his friends. Each of us should think about questions like: What does Jehovah think of me? What can I learn from these Bible examples?

¹⁸ Jehovah thinks of his faithful servants as people who belong to him. This is a great comfort to us. So continue to make an effort to show such qualities as faith and humility. They will make you even more precious to our wonderful God. It is an honor to be known by Jehovah. Those who have his approval have a happy life now and will have wonderful blessings in the future.—Psalm 37:18.

SOME WORDS EXPLAINED

▪ Kohathite Levite: Levite who served at the tabernacle. The Kohathites had the responsibility of carrying the ark of the covenant

▪ Meek: A meek person is gentle and patient. He accepts instructions and waits for Jehovah to act. He does not get angry easily

▪ Being known by Jehovah: Having Jehovah’s approval

▪ Tabernacle: The tent used for worship in Israel. It was taken from place to place when the nation moved

DO YOU REMEMBER?

▪ What does it mean to be known by Jehovah?

▪ How can you imitate the faith of Abraham?

▪ What lessons can we learn from Korah and Moses?

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We need faith and humility to be friends of God

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If we wait for Jehovah to act, he will reward us

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Like Moses, we should humbly accept instructions

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Like Abraham, do we have faith that Jehovah’s promises always come true?

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Korah was not humble and willing to follow directions

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Are you known by Jehovah as someone who is humble and obedient?