1, 2. (a) What has Jehovah revealed to us? (b) What promise do we find at Isaiah 46:10, 11 and 55:11?

THE very first words of the Bible make this simple but profound statement: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) We have seen only a few of the many things God created in the universe, and we understand very little about things such as space, light, and gravity. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) But Jehovah has revealed to us his purpose for the earth and for humans. He created humans in his image and wanted them to enjoy living on earth. (Genesis 1:26) They would be his children, and he would be their Father.

² From the third chapter of Genesis, we learn that Jehovah’s purpose was challenged. (Genesis 3:1-7) However, there is no problem that Jehovah cannot solve. No one can stand in his way. (Isaiah 46:10, 11; 55:11) We can be certain that Jehovah’s original purpose will be fulfilled exactly at the right time!

3. (a) What important teachings help us to understand the message of the Bible? (b) Why will we now discuss these teachings? (c) What questions will we consider?

³ No doubt, we know what God’s purpose is for the earth and for humans, as well as what Jesus’ role is in that purpose. These are very important Bible truths and are likely the first truths we learned when we began to study God’s Word. Now we want to help others to learn these very important teachings. We have a special opportunity to do so during this time of the year, when we are inviting people to attend the Memorial of Christ’s death. (Luke 22:19, 20) If they come to this important event, they will learn more about God’s wonderful purpose. So now is a good time to think about specific questions that we can use to encourage people to attend. In this article, we will consider three questions: What is God’s purpose for the earth and for humans? What went wrong? And why is Jesus’ ransom sacrifice the key that unlocks the door for God’s purpose to be accomplished?

WHAT WAS THE CREATOR’S PURPOSE?

4. How is creation “declaring the glory of God”?

⁴ Jehovah is an awe-inspiring Creator. Everything he created is of the highest standard. (Genesis 1:31; Jeremiah 10:12) What can we learn from the beauty and order we see in creation? We learn that all the things Jehovah created, from the smallest to the largest, are beneficial. In addition, when you think of the amazing human cell, or see a newborn baby, or watch a gorgeous sunset, how do you feel? We admire these things because Jehovah created us with the ability to know what is truly beautiful.​—Read Psalm 19:1; 104:24.

5. What has Jehovah done so that all of his creation would work well together?

⁵ Jehovah carefully set boundaries for all of his creation. He made laws in nature, and he made moral laws. He made these laws so that everything in the universe would work well together. (Psalm 19:7-9) All things in the universe have an assigned place and function. For example, the law of gravity keeps the atmosphere close to the earth, and it controls the oceans and tides. Without gravity, life on earth would not be possible. The boundaries that Jehovah set in nature result in perfect order in the universe. This shows that he has a purpose for the earth and for humans. In our ministry, we can help others to get to know the Creator of this amazing universe.​—Revelation 4:11.

6, 7. What are some gifts that Jehovah gave Adam and Eve?

⁶ Jehovah’s purpose was for humans to live forever on earth. (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 37:29) He is generous, and he gave Adam and Eve a variety of precious gifts. (Read James 1:17.) Jehovah gave them free will and the ability to reason, to love, and to enjoy friendships. The Creator spoke to Adam and instructed him on how to do what is good. Adam also learned how to take care of himself, the animals, and the land. (Genesis 2:15-17, 19, 20) Jehovah gave Adam and Eve the ability to taste, touch, see, hear, and smell the good things he made for them. In this way, they could enjoy life in their beautiful home. Adam and Eve had plenty of interesting work to do. And they could keep learning and discovering new things forever.

⁷ What else was part of God’s purpose? Jehovah gave Adam and Eve the ability to have perfect children. And their children would also have children, until humans filled the whole earth. Jehovah wanted parents to love their children, just as he loved his first perfect human children, Adam and Eve. He gave the human family the earth and all the precious and beautiful things on it. This would be their home, and it would never be taken away from them.​—Psalm 115:16.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

8. Why did God give Adam and Eve the law found at Genesis 2:16, 17?

⁸ Things did not immediately work out as Jehovah wanted. What happened? Jehovah gave Adam and Eve a simple law so that they would know the limits of their freedom. He said: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16, 17) That law was not difficult for them to understand. And it would not be difficult for them to obey, since there was plenty of other delicious food in the garden.

9, 10. (a) What did Satan accuse Jehovah of? (b) What did Adam and Eve decide to do? (See opening picture.)

⁹ Satan the Devil used a serpent to fool Eve into disobeying her Father, Jehovah. (Read Genesis 3:1-5; Revelation 12:9) Satan made an issue of the fact that God’s human children were not allowed to eat “from every tree of the garden.” It was as if he were saying: ‘You mean you cannot do what you want?’ Next, he told her: “You certainly will not die.” That was a lie. Then he tried to convince Eve that she did not need to listen to God. Satan said: “God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened.” Satan was saying that Jehovah did not want them to eat the fruit because this would give them some special knowledge. Finally, he made this false promise: “You will be like God, knowing good and bad.”

¹⁰ Adam and Eve had to decide what to do. Would they obey God, or would they listen to the serpent? Sadly, they decided to disobey God. They rejected Jehovah as their Father and joined Satan. Now they were on their own, without Jehovah’s protection.​—Genesis 3:6-13.

11. Why could Jehovah not ignore Adam and Eve’s sin?

¹¹ When Adam and Eve broke God’s law, they were no longer perfect. Moreover, they became God’s enemies, because he hates wickedness. His “eyes are too pure to look on what is evil.” (Habakkuk 1:13) If Jehovah had done nothing about Adam and Eve’s sin, the well-being of all his creation would have been threatened. Both angels and humans would have wondered whether they could depend on his word. But Jehovah is faithful to his own standards; he never violates them. (Psalm 119:142) Although Adam and Eve had free will, they could not avoid the consequences of rebelling against Jehovah. They eventually died and returned to the dust from which they were created.​—Genesis 3:19.

12. What happened to Adam’s children?

¹² When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, Jehovah could no longer accept them as part of his family. He sent them out of the garden of Eden, and they could never return there. (Genesis 3:23, 24) Jehovah made them face the consequences of their decision. (Read Deuteronomy 32:4, 5.) As a result, they could no longer imitate Jehovah’s qualities perfectly. Adam lost a marvelous future not only for himself but also for his children. He could give his children only imperfection, sin, and death. (Romans 5:12) Adam took away from them the opportunity to live forever. Adam and Eve could not have a perfect child, and their children could not have perfect children. Ever since Satan turned Adam and Eve against God, the Devil has tried to influence all humans to do the same.​—John 8:44.

THE RANSOM MAKES FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD POSSIBLE

13. What does Jehovah want for humans?

¹³ Jehovah still loved humans. Although Adam and Eve had left him, he still wanted humans to have a good relationship with him. And he did not want any of them to die. (2 Peter 3:9) Therefore, God immediately made arrangements so that humans could have a friendship with him again. How could he do this without going against his own standards? Let us see.

14. (a) According to John 3:16, what did God do to rescue humans from sin and death? (b) What question can we discuss with people?

¹⁴ Read John 3:16. Many of the people we invite to the Memorial know this verse by heart. But how does Jesus’ sacrifice make everlasting life possible? We have the opportunity to help people understand the answer to this question when we invite them to the Memorial, when we are with them at the Memorial, and when we visit them later. The more they understand the ransom, the more they will realize how much Jehovah loves humans and how wise he is. What points about the ransom can we share with them?

15. How was Jesus different from Adam?

¹⁵ Jehovah provided a perfect man who could give his life as a ransom. That perfect man had to be loyal to Jehovah. He had to be willing to give his life for humans. (Romans 5:17-19) Jehovah transferred the life of Jesus, his first creation, from heaven to earth. (John 1:14) So Jesus became a perfect human, just as Adam had been. But unlike Adam, Jesus followed the standards Jehovah expected from a perfect man. Even under the most extreme tests, he never broke any of God’s laws.

16. Why is the ransom such a precious gift?

¹⁶ By dying as a perfect man, Jesus could save humans from sin and death. He corresponded exactly to all that Adam should have been. Jesus was a perfect man, absolutely loyal and obedient to God. (1 Timothy 2:6) He died for us, and his sacrifice gives all men, women, and children the opportunity to live forever. (Matthew 20:28) The ransom is the key that unlocks the door for God’s purpose to be fulfilled.​—2 Corinthians 1:19, 20.

JEHOVAH OPENED THE DOOR FOR US TO RETURN

17. What does the ransom make possible?

¹⁷ Jehovah provided the ransom at great cost to himself. (1 Peter 1:19) He values us so much that he was willing to let his precious Son die for us. (1 John 4:9, 10) In a sense, Jesus became our father instead of Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45) Jesus made it possible for us not only to live forever but also to return to God’s family one day. By means of the ransom, humans will become perfect and Jehovah can accept them back into his family without breaking his own laws. Imagine how wonderful it will be when all those who are loyal to Jehovah become perfect! Finally, everyone in heaven and on earth will be united as one family. We will all be children of God.​—Romans 8:21.

18. When will Jehovah become “all things to everyone”?

¹⁸ Even though our first parents rejected Jehovah, he did not stop loving people, and he provided the ransom. And although we are imperfect, Satan cannot prevent us from being loyal to Jehovah. By means of the ransom, Jehovah will help us to become completely righteous. Imagine what life will be like when everyone “who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him” will have everlasting life! (John 6:40) Our loving and wise Father will fulfill his purpose and help humans to become perfect. Jehovah will then become “all things to everyone.”​—1 Corinthians 15:28.

19. (a) What should gratitude for the ransom motivate us to do? (See the box “Let Us Keep Searching Out Deserving Ones.”) (b) What will we consider in the next article?

¹⁹ Our gratitude for the ransom should motivate us to tell others about this priceless gift. People need to know that by means of the ransom, Jehovah lovingly offers all mankind the opportunity to live forever. But the ransom does far more than that. It settles the issues that Satan raised in the garden of Eden. We will consider how it does this in the next article.

1. What good things does the ransom make possible for us?

THE ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ makes many blessings possible. For example, the ransom arrangement opens the door for all of Adam’s children who love righteousness to become part of God’s family one day. Another blessing is that we can live forever in happiness. More than that, the ransom is connected with matters that are very important to everyone in heaven and on earth.​—Hebrews 1:8, 9.

2. (a) What very important matters in heaven and on earth did Jesus include in his prayer? (See opening picture.) (b) What will we discuss in this article?

² About two years before Jesus died, he taught his disciples to pray: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) Let us examine how the ransom is connected to the sanctification of Jehovah’s name, the rule of God’s Kingdom, and the doing of God’s will.

“LET YOUR NAME BE SANCTIFIED”

3. What does Jehovah’s name represent? How did Satan attack Jehovah’s name?

³ First of all, Jesus prayed for Jehovah’s name to be sanctified, or treated as holy. Jehovah’s name represents Jehovah himself, who he is. He is the most powerful and righteous Person in the whole universe. Jesus also called him “Holy Father.” (John 17:11) Because Jehovah is holy, everything he does and any laws he makes are holy. But in Eden, Satan slyly questioned God’s right to set standards for humans. He lied about Jehovah and attacked God’s name, or reputation.​—Genesis 3:1-5.

4. How did Jesus treat God’s name as holy?

⁴ Jesus, on the other hand, truly loved the name of Jehovah and did everything he could to sanctify it. (John 17:25, 26) How? By his conduct and teaching, Jesus helped others to see that Jehovah’s standards are right and that everything he asks of us is for our own good. (Read Psalm 40:8-10.) Even when Satan caused him to suffer and die a painful death, Jesus remained loyal. He proved that it is possible for a perfect man to obey Jehovah completely.

5. How can we treat Jehovah’s name as holy?

⁵ How can we show that we love Jehovah’s name? By our conduct. Jehovah requires us to be holy. (Read 1 Peter 1:15, 16.) This means that we worship only him and obey him with all our heart. Even when we are persecuted, we do our best to live in the way Jehovah teaches us. By living according to Jehovah’s standards, we bring glory to his name. (Matthew 5:14-16) We prove that his laws are good and that Satan is a liar. We are not perfect, so we will make mistakes. But when we do, we repent and do our best to stop doing things that dishonor Jehovah’s name.​—Psalm 79:9.

6. Why can Jehovah view us as righteous, even though we are imperfect?

⁶ Whether we are of the anointed or of the “other sheep,” Jehovah forgives our sins if we have faith in the ransom. He accepts as his worshippers those who dedicate themselves to him. He declares anointed Christians righteous as his sons and the “other sheep” righteous as his friends. (John 10:16; Romans 5:1, 2; James 2:21-25) Therefore, even now, the ransom makes it possible for us to have a good relationship with our Father and to sanctify his name.

“LET YOUR KINGDOM COME”

7. What blessings does the ransom make possible?

⁷ In the model prayer, Jesus said: “Let your Kingdom come.” How is the ransom connected to the Kingdom of God? God’s Kingdom, or government, is made up of Jesus and 144,000 chosen from mankind. The ransom makes it possible for these humans to be resurrected to heaven. (Revelation 5:9, 10; 14:1) They will be kings and priests and will rule over the earth with Jesus for a thousand years. During that time, Jehovah will use the Kingdom to make the earth a paradise and to help all humans become perfect. Jehovah’s servants in heaven and on earth will finally be one family. (Revelation 5:13; 20:6) Jesus will destroy Satan and remove all the problems that he has caused.​—Genesis 3:15.

8. (a) How did Jesus help his disciples understand that God’s Kingdom is important? (b) How do we support the Kingdom today?

⁸ Jesus helped his disciples to understand the importance of God’s Kingdom. How? Immediately after his baptism, Jesus began to preach “the good news of the Kingdom of God” everywhere he went. (Luke 4:43) He also told his disciples to be witnesses of him “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8) Today, by means of the Kingdom-preaching work, people have the opportunity to learn about the ransom and become subjects of God’s Kingdom. We show that we are loyal subjects of the Kingdom by assisting the anointed to preach the good news worldwide.​—Matthew 24:14; 25:40.

“LET YOUR WILL TAKE PLACE”

9. Why can we be confident that Jehovah will fulfill his purpose for humans?

⁹ What did Jesus mean when he next said: “Let your will take place”? When Jehovah says that something will happen, it will happen. (Isaiah 55:11) Satan’s rebellion could not stop Jehovah. What was Jehovah’s will for the earth? He wanted the earth to be filled with the perfect children of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 1:28) If Adam and Eve had died without having children, God’s purpose to fill the earth with their children would have come to nothing. So Jehovah allowed them to have children. The ransom gives all who exercise faith the opportunity to become perfect and live forever. Jehovah loves people and wants us to have the wonderful life that he intended for us.

10. How does the ransom benefit humans who have died?

¹⁰ What about the billions of people who died without ever having an opportunity to know Jehovah? Jehovah wants people to live. So he will even bring back to life those who have died. The ransom makes it possible for them to come back to life. Then they will be able to learn about Jehovah and to live forever. (Acts 24:15) Jehovah is the Source of life. When Jehovah gives life back to those who have died, he becomes their Father. (Psalm 36:9) In the model prayer, Jesus said that Jehovah is “our Father in the heavens.” (Matthew 6:9) Jehovah has given Jesus a very important role in resurrecting the dead. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life.”​—John 6:40, 44; 11:25.

11. What is God’s will for the “great crowd”?

¹¹ Jesus also said: “Whoever does the will of God, this one is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35) It is God’s will that people from all nations and tribes and languages become his worshippers. They are described as “a great crowd, which no man was able to number.” They have faith in the ransom and want to obey God. They praise him and say: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.”​—Revelation 7:9, 10.

12. From Jesus’ prayer, what do we learn about Jehovah’s purpose for humans?

¹² We have learned much about Jehovah and his purpose for humans from Jesus’ model prayer. One, we must do all we can to sanctify Jehovah’s name and honor him. (Isaiah 8:13) Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, which makes our salvation possible, also honors God’s name. In fact, Jesus’ own name means “Jehovah Is Salvation.” Two, Jehovah will use his Kingdom to bring all the benefits of the ransom to obedient humans. And three, we have confidence that nothing can stop Jehovah’s will from being done.​—Psalm 135:6; Isaiah 46:9, 10.

SHOW JEHOVAH YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE RANSOM

13. Why do we get baptized?

¹³ An important way in which we show that we are grateful for the ransom is by dedicating our life to Jehovah and getting baptized. In this way, we show that we have faith in the ransom and that “we belong to Jehovah.” (Romans 14:8) When we get baptized, we ask Jehovah to give us “a good conscience.” (1 Peter 3:21) Jehovah answers by applying the benefits of the ransom to us. And we are absolutely sure that he will give us everything that he promised.​—Romans 8:32.

14. Why does Jehovah command us to love others?

¹⁴ Everything Jehovah does is influenced by love. His will is that his worshippers imitate him and love one another. (1 John 4:8-11) When we love people, we make it clear that we want to be “sons of [our] Father who is in the heavens.” (Matthew 5:43-48) The two greatest commands are first, to love Jehovah, and second, to love others. (Matthew 22:37-40) One way we show love for people is by teaching them the good news of God’s Kingdom. If we obey Jehovah’s command to love others, especially our brothers, our love for him will be “made perfect.”​—1 John 4:12, 20.

THE RANSOM BRINGS BLESSINGS FROM JEHOVAH

15. (a) What blessings do we now receive from Jehovah? (b) What blessings will we receive in the future?

¹⁵ Jehovah assures us that because we have faith in the ransom, our sins are “blotted out.” He can forgive our sins completely. (Read Acts 3:19-21.) As we discussed earlier, the ransom makes it possible for Jehovah to adopt some humans to become his sons in heaven. These are the anointed ones. (Romans 8:15-17) He invites those who are of the “other sheep” to be part of his family on earth. After they have become perfect, there will be a final test. If they are loyal to Jehovah, he will adopt them as his children too. (Romans 8:20, 21; Revelation 20:7-9) Jehovah will always love all of his children. The ransom will continue to bring blessings forever. (Hebrews 9:12) Jehovah has given us this precious gift, and no one can take it away from us.

16. How does the ransom help us to be free?

¹⁶ If we repent of our sins, there is nothing the Devil can ever do to prevent us from eventually becoming part of Jehovah’s family. Jesus died “once for all time.” The ransom has been paid permanently. (Hebrews 9:24-26) Adam brought us death, but Jesus’ sacrifice will bring us everlasting life. The ransom can free us from Satan’s world and from fear of death.​—Hebrews 2:14, 15.

17. What does Jehovah’s love mean to you?

¹⁷ God’s promises will always be fulfilled. Just as the laws Jehovah made in nature never change, Jehovah will never change. He will never disappoint us. (Malachi 3:6) Jehovah gives us far more than just the gift of life. He gives us his love. “We have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love.” (1 John 4:16) His promises always come true. Soon, the earth will become a beautiful paradise. Everyone living will imitate Jehovah and love one another. Then all of his servants in heaven and on earth will say: “Let the praise and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”​—Revelation 7:12.

1, 2. (a) How are Jehovah’s Witnesses different from other religions? (b) What will we learn in this article and the next?

PEOPLE often ask Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Who is your leader?” They wonder about this because many religions have a man or woman who is their leader. However, we are proud to say that our Leader is not an imperfect human. Instead, our Leader is Jesus Christ! And he obeys his Father and Leader, Jehovah.​—Matthew 23:10.

² There is also a group of men, called “the faithful and discreet slave,” who take the lead among God’s people on earth today. (Matthew 24:45) But how do we know that it really is Jehovah who is leading us through his Son? We will see three reasons why we can be sure of that. And although Jehovah has been using certain humans to lead his people, it will be clear that Jehovah was and still is the true Leader of his people.​—Isaiah 58:11.

HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERED THEM

3. What empowered Moses to lead Israel?

³ Holy spirit empowered God’s representatives. God chose Moses to be the leader of the Israelites. What helped him to care for this very important assignment? Jehovah gave Moses “His holy spirit.” (Read Isaiah 63:11-14.) So Jehovah was actually leading his people, because it was his spirit that was helping Moses.

4. What proved that Moses had God’s spirit? (See opening picture.)

⁴ Could people see that Moses had God’s spirit? Yes! Jehovah’s holy spirit gave Moses the ability to perform miracles and to make God’s name known to Pharaoh, the powerful Egyptian ruler. (Exodus 7:1-3) Holy spirit also helped Moses to be a loving and patient leader. He was very different from the harsh and selfish leaders of other lands! (Exodus 5:2, 6-9) Clearly, Jehovah had chosen Moses to be the leader of His people.

5. To whom else did Jehovah give holy spirit to lead his people?

⁵ To whom else did Jehovah give holy spirit to lead his people? The Bible says: “Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom.” (Deuteronomy 34:9) “Jehovah’s spirit came upon Gideon.” (Judges 6:34) And “the spirit of Jehovah began to empower David.” (1 Samuel 16:13) All those men relied on God’s spirit to help them do things that they could not have done in their own strength. (Joshua 11:16, 17; Judges 7:7, 22; 1 Samuel 17:37, 50) Clearly, Jehovah was the one who gave them the power to do great things, so only he deserved the praise.

6. Why did God want his people to respect the leaders in Israel?

⁶ What should the Israelites have done when they saw that God’s holy spirit had empowered Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and David? They should have respected them. When the people complained about Moses, notice what Jehovah asked: “How much longer will this people treat me without respect?” (Numbers 14:2, 11) Clearly, Jehovah chose those men to lead His people. When the people obeyed them, they were actually following Jehovah as their Leader.

ANGELS HELPED THEM

7. How did angels help Moses?

⁷ Angels helped God’s representatives. (Read Hebrews 1:7, 14.) God used angels to guide Moses. First, an angel “appeared to him in the thornbush” and gave him the assignment to free the Israelites and to lead them. (Acts 7:35) Second, God used angels to give Moses the Law in order to instruct the Israelites. (Galatians 3:19) Third, Jehovah told him: “Lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you. Look! My angel will go ahead of you.” (Exodus 32:34) The Bible does not say that the Israelites saw an angel do those things. However, from the way Moses instructed and guided the people, it was clear that the angels helped him.

8. How did angels help Joshua and Hezekiah?

⁸ Whom else did the angels help? The Bible says that “the prince of Jehovah’s army,” an angel, helped Joshua to win a battle against the Canaanites. (Joshua 5:13-15; 6:2, 21) Later, when King Hezekiah led God’s people, the huge Assyrian army threatened to destroy Jerusalem. In one night, “the angel of Jehovah went out and struck down 185,000 men.”​—2 Kings 19:35.

9. Even though God’s representatives were imperfect, what were the Israelites expected to do?

⁹ The angels are perfect. However, the men whom they helped were not. For example, Moses once did not honor Jehovah. (Numbers 20:12) Joshua did not ask God what to do when the Gibeonites wanted to make an agreement with him. (Joshua 9:14, 15) At one point, Hezekiah became proud. (2 Chronicles 32:25, 26) Even though these men were imperfect, the Israelites were expected to follow their lead. The Israelites could see that Jehovah was using the angels to support these men. Clearly, Jehovah was leading his people.

GOD’S WORD GUIDED THEM

10. How was Moses guided by God’s Law?

¹⁰ God’s Word guided his representatives. The Bible refers to the Law given to Israel as “the Law of Moses.” (1 Kings 2:3) But the Bible makes it clear that Jehovah was the one who gave Israel the Law. And Moses also had to obey it. (2 Chronicles 34:14) For example, after Jehovah told him how to build the tabernacle, “Moses did according to all that Jehovah had commanded him. He did just so.”​—Exodus 40:1-16.

11, 12. (a) What were Joshua and the kings who ruled God’s people required to do? (b) How did God’s Word guide the men who took the lead?

¹¹ Joshua had a portion of God’s Word when he became leader, and Jehovah told him: “You must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it.” (Joshua 1:8) The kings who later ruled God’s people also had to read the Law every day, write a copy of it, and obey “all the words of this Law and these regulations by carrying them out.”​—Read Deuteronomy 17:18-20.

¹² How did God’s Word guide the men who took the lead? Think about the example of King Josiah. After the Law of Moses was found, Josiah’s secretary began to read it to him.a (See footnote.) “As soon as the king heard the words of the book of the Law, he ripped his garments apart.” God’s Word then motivated Josiah to destroy all the idols in the land and arrange for the largest Passover celebration ever held. (2 Kings 22:11; 23:1-23) Because Josiah and other faithful leaders followed God’s Word, they were willing to adjust the direction they gave to God’s people. Those changes helped God’s people to obey Him.

13. How were the leaders of God’s people different from the leaders of other nations?

¹³ The leaders of other nations were guided by limited human wisdom. For example, Canaanite leaders and their people did terrible things, which included committing incest, homosexuality, bestiality, child sacrifice, and idolatry. (Leviticus 18:6, 21-25) Also, Babylonian and Egyptian leaders did not have the same rules for cleanness that God’s people had. (Numbers 19:13) However, God’s people could see how their faithful leaders encouraged them to keep their worship clean, to be clean physically, and to avoid sexual uncleanness. Clearly, Jehovah was leading them.

14. Why did Jehovah discipline some of the leaders of his people?

¹⁴ Not all the kings who ruled God’s people followed God’s instructions. Those unfaithful kings refused to follow the guidance of God’s holy spirit, his angels, and his Word. In some cases, Jehovah disciplined or replaced those leaders. (1 Samuel 13:13, 14) Later, Jehovah appointed someone who would be a perfect leader.

JEHOVAH APPOINTS A PERFECT LEADER

15. (a) How did the prophets show that a perfect leader was coming? (b) Who was the perfect leader?

¹⁵ For hundreds of years, Jehovah promised that he would appoint a perfect leader for his people. For example, Moses told the Israelites: “Jehovah your God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) Isaiah said that this One would become “a leader and commander.” (Isaiah 55:4) And Daniel wrote about the Messiah, who would become “the Leader.” (Daniel 9:25) Finally, Jesus Christ identified himself as the “Leader” of God’s people. (Read Matthew 23:10.) Jesus’ disciples willingly followed him, and they believed that he was Jehovah’s choice. (John 6:68, 69) What convinced them that Jesus Christ was the one whom Jehovah would use to lead his people?

16. What proved that Jesus was empowered by holy spirit?

¹⁶ Holy spirit empowered Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, John saw “the heavens being parted and, like a dove, the spirit coming down upon him.” Soon after that, “the spirit impelled him to go into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:10-12) During Jesus’ ministry on earth, God’s holy spirit empowered him to teach and to perform miracles. (Acts 10:38) In addition, holy spirit helped Jesus to show qualities such as love, joy, and strong faith. (John 15:9; Hebrews 12:2) No other leader had such proof of having God’s holy spirit. Clearly, Jehovah had chosen Jesus as Leader.

17. What did angels do to help Jesus?

¹⁷ Angels helped Jesus. Shortly after Jesus was baptized, “angels came and began to minister to him.” (Matthew 4:11) Hours before his death, “an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43) Jesus knew that Jehovah would send angels to help him whenever he needed it.​—Matthew 26:53.

18, 19. How did God’s Word guide Jesus’ life and teaching?

¹⁸ God’s Word guided Jesus. From the beginning of his ministry until his death on the torture stake, Jesus allowed the Scriptures to direct him. Even when he was dying, he referred to prophecies about the Messiah. (Matthew 4:4; 27:46; Luke 23:46) However, the religious leaders at that time were very different from Jesus. They chose to ignore God’s Word whenever it did not agree with their teachings. Jesus quoted God’s Word when he said about them: “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.” (Matthew 15:7-9) Jehovah could never choose men who did not follow his Word to lead his people.

¹⁹ Jesus also used God’s Word when he taught others. When religious leaders challenged him, he did not use his own wisdom or experience in life to answer them. Instead, he taught people from the Scriptures. (Matthew 22:33-40) Also, Jesus could have impressed others with many stories about his life in heaven or the creation of the universe. Instead, because he loved God’s Word, he was eager to share it with others, and “he opened up their minds fully to grasp the meaning of the Scriptures.”​—Luke 24:32, 45.

20. (a) How did Jesus honor Jehovah? (b) What difference was there between the attitude of Jesus and that of Herod Agrippa I?

²⁰ Even though Jesus’ listeners were amazed at the way he spoke, he always gave his Teacher, Jehovah, the honor. (Luke 4:22) When a rich man tried to honor Jesus with the title “Good Teacher,” Jesus was humble and said: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.” (Mark 10:17, 18) However, Herod Agrippa I, who became the leader of Judea about eight years later, had a very different attitude from that of Jesus. One day, at a special meeting, Herod put on very impressive and expensive royal clothing. When the people saw him and heard him, they shouted: “A god’s voice, and not a man’s!” Herod loved to be praised. But then what happened? “Instantly the angel of Jehovah struck him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten up with worms and died.” (Acts 12:21-23) Clearly, Jehovah had not chosen Herod to be a leader. However, Jesus proved that God had chosen him, and he constantly honored Jehovah as the Supreme Leader of His people.

21. What will we consider in the next article?

²¹ Jehovah wanted Jesus to be Leader for more than just a few years. After his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.” He added: “And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matthew 28:18-20) But how can Jesus lead God’s people on earth when he is an invisible person in heaven? Whom would Jehovah use to represent Jesus on earth? And how would Christians be able to recognize God’s representatives? The next article will consider the answers to those questions.

1, 2. After Jesus went to heaven, what may the apostles have wondered?

JESUS’ apostles stood on the Mount of Olives and watched as their master and friend, Jesus, was lifted up toward heaven and hidden by a cloud. (Acts 1:9, 10) For about two years, Jesus had taught, encouraged, and led them. But now he was gone. What would they do?

² Before going to heaven, Jesus told his followers: “You will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) How could they possibly do that work? Jesus had promised that God’s holy spirit would help them. (Acts 1:5) But who would direct them and organize the worldwide preaching work? The apostles knew that Jehovah had used men to lead the Israelites in the past. So they may have wondered whether Jehovah would now choose a new leader.

3. (a) After Jesus went to heaven, what important decision did the faithful apostles make? (b) What questions will we answer in this article?

³ Soon after Jesus went to heaven, his disciples consulted the Scriptures, prayed to God for help, and chose Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot as the 12th apostle. (Acts 1:15-26) Why was this selection so important to them and to Jehovah? The disciples realized that there needed to be 12 apostles.a (See footnote.) Jesus had chosen the apostles and trained them for a very important role among God’s people. What was that role, and how did Jehovah and Jesus prepare them for it? What similar arrangement exists today? And how can we “remember those who are taking the lead” among us, especially “the faithful and discreet slave”?​—Hebrews 13:7; Matthew 24:45.

JESUS LEADS THE GOVERNING BODY

4. What role did the apostles and other elders in Jerusalem have?

⁴ The apostles began to take the lead in the Christian congregation at Pentecost in the year 33. The Bible says that “Peter stood up with the Eleven” and taught lifesaving truths to a large crowd. (Acts 2:14, 15) Many people in that crowd became Christians. After that, those new Christians “continued devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles.” (Acts 2:42) The apostles were responsible for managing the money of the congregation. (Acts 4:34, 35) They also taught God’s people and prayed for them, saying: “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4) And they sent experienced Christians to preach in new territories. (Acts 8:14, 15) Later, other anointed elders joined the apostles in taking the lead in the congregation. As a governing body, they gave direction to all the congregations.​—Acts 15:2.

5, 6. (a) How did holy spirit empower the governing body? (See opening picture.) (b) How did the angels help the governing body? (c) How did God’s Word guide the governing body?

⁵ Christians in the first century knew that Jehovah was directing the governing body through Jesus. How could they be sure? First, holy spirit empowered the governing body. (John 16:13) All anointed Christians received holy spirit, but it specifically empowered the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem to carry out their role as overseers. For example, in the year 49, holy spirit guided the governing body to make a decision about circumcision. The congregations followed that direction. As a result, they “continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number day by day.” (Acts 16:4, 5) From the letter to the congregations about circumcision, we can see that the governing body had God’s spirit and showed qualities such as love and faith.​—Acts 15:11, 25-29; Galatians 5:22, 23.

⁶ Second, angels helped the governing body. For example, an angel told Cornelius to find the apostle Peter. After Peter preached to Cornelius and his relatives, they received holy spirit, even though the men had not been circumcised. Cornelius thus became the first uncircumcised Gentile to become a Christian. When the apostles and other brothers heard about this, they accepted God’s will and welcomed uncircumcised Gentiles into the Christian congregation. (Acts 11:13-18) From this, we can see that angels actively supported the preaching work that the governing body was directing. (Acts 5:19, 20) Third, God’s Word guided the governing body. Those men used the Scriptures to help them make important decisions about Christian beliefs and to direct the congregations.​—Acts 1:20-22; 15:15-20.

7. Why can we say that Jesus led the early Christians?

⁷ Even though the governing body had authority in the congregation, its members understood that Jesus Christ was their Leader. How do we know that? The apostle Paul said that it was Christ who appointed “some as apostles.” He also said that Christ was “the head,” or Leader, of the congregation. (Ephesians 4:11, 15) And instead of naming themselves after an apostle, “the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.” (Acts 11:26) Paul knew that it was important to follow the Bible-based teachings of the apostles and other men who took the lead. Even so, Paul said: “But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ.” This statement included every member of the governing body. Then Paul added: “The head of the Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:2, 3) Clearly, Jehovah had appointed his Son, Christ Jesus, to lead the congregation.

“THIS IS NOT MAN’S WORK”

8, 9. What important role did Brother Russell have?

⁸ Starting in 1870, Charles Taze Russell and some of his friends began trying to worship God according to the Bible and to help others to do so. This included helping people who spoke various languages. So Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was legally formed in 1884, and Brother Russell became the president.b (See footnote.) He studied the Bible very carefully and was not afraid to tell others that church teachings such as the Trinity and the immortality of the soul were not in the Bible. He learned that Christ’s return would be invisible and that “the appointed times of the nations” would end in 1914. (Luke 21:24) Brother Russell used his time, energy, and money to teach these truths to others. It is clear that Jehovah and Jesus used Brother Russell to take the lead at an important time in history.

⁹ Brother Russell did not want any special attention from people. In 1896, he wrote that he and other responsible men did not want to be honored at all. They did not want to be given any special titles, and they did not want any group to be called by their name. He later said: “This is not man’s work.”

10. (a) When did Jesus appoint “the faithful and discreet slave”? (b) Explain how it became clear that the Governing Body was different from the Watch Tower Society.

¹⁰ In 1919, three years after Brother Russell’s death, Jesus appointed “the faithful and discreet slave.” For what purpose? To give his followers “food at the proper time.” (Matthew 24:45) Even during those early years, a small group of anointed brothers at headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, provided spiritual food to Jesus’ followers. The expression “governing body” began appearing in our publications after 1940. At that time, the governing body was closely connected with directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. However, in 1971, it was made clear that the Governing Body was different from the Watch Tower Society, which was responsible for legal matters only. From then on, anointed brothers could become part of the Governing Body without being Society directors. More recently, responsible brothers of the “other sheep” have served as directors of the Society and of other corporations used by God’s people. As a result, the Governing Body can focus on providing Bible instruction and direction. (John 10:16; Acts 6:4) The July 15, 2013, issue of The Watchtower explained that “the faithful and discreet slave” is a small group of anointed brothers who make up the Governing Body.

11. How does the Governing Body make decisions?

¹¹ The Governing Body makes important decisions as a group when its members meet together each week. Meeting this way helps them to have close communication and stay united. (Proverbs 20:18) No member of the Governing Body is more important than the other members, so each year a different brother takes the lead at those meetings. (1 Peter 5:1) This is also the case in each of the six committees of the Governing Body. No member of the Governing Body feels that he is the leader of his brothers. Each of them is also one of the domestics and receives spiritual food from the faithful slave and follows its direction.

“WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE?”

12. What questions will we answer next?

¹² The Governing Body is neither inspired nor perfect. It can make mistakes when explaining the Bible or directing the organization. For example, the Watch Tower Publications Index includes the subject “Beliefs Clarified,” which lists adjustments to our understanding of the Bible since 1870. Jesus did not tell us that his faithful slave would produce perfect spiritual food. So how can we answer Jesus’ question: “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave?” (Matthew 24:45) What evidence is there that the Governing Body is the faithful slave? Let us consider the same three things that helped the governing body in the apostles’ time.

13. How has holy spirit helped the Governing Body?

¹³ Holy spirit helps the Governing Body. The holy spirit has helped the Governing Body to understand Bible truths that were not understood before. For example, consider the list of beliefs clarified that was mentioned earlier. No human could have understood and explained these “deep things of God” on his own! (Read 1 Corinthians 2:10.) The Governing Body feels as did the apostle Paul, who wrote: “These things we also speak, not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by the spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:13) After hundreds of years of false teachings and no clear direction, why has there been such an increase of Bible understanding since 1919? The reason can only be that God has been helping with his holy spirit!

14. According to Revelation 14:6, 7, how do angels help the Governing Body and God’s people today?

¹⁴ Angels help the Governing Body. The Governing Body has the huge responsibility of directing over eight million publishers in the worldwide preaching work. Why has that work been so successful? One reason is the support of the angels. (Read Revelation 14:6, 7.) In many cases, the angels have directed publishers to a person who had just prayed to God for help!c (See footnote.) The preaching and teaching work continues to grow even where there is intense opposition. This also is only possible with help from the angels.

15. How is the Governing Body different from Christendom’s leaders? Give an example.

¹⁵ God’s Word guides the Governing Body. (Read John 17:17.) Consider what happened in 1973. The June 1 issue of The Watchtower asked whether “persons who have not broken their addiction to tobacco qualify for baptism.” The answer it gave to that question was based on Bible principles, and it was no! The Watchtower cited several scriptures and explained why a person who will not stop smoking should be disfellowshipped. (1 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 7:1) It said that this strict standard does not come from humans but comes “from God, who expresses himself through his written Word.” No other religious organization has been willing to rely so completely on God’s Word even when doing so may be very difficult for some of its members. A recent book on religion in the United States says: “Christian leaders have regularly revised their teachings to match the beliefs and opinions gaining support among their members and in the larger society.” The Governing Body, however, is not guided by what most people like. Instead, its members are guided by God’s Word, which proves that Jehovah is the one who is really guiding his people today.

“REMEMBER THOSE WHO ARE TAKING THE LEAD”

16. What is one way to remember the Governing Body?

¹⁶ Read Hebrews 13:7. The Bible says to “remember those who are taking the lead.” One way we can do this is by mentioning the Governing Body in our prayers. (Ephesians 6:18) They have many responsibilities, which include providing spiritual food, directing the worldwide preaching work, and caring for the donations that are made to the organization. So they really do need our regular prayers!

17, 18. (a) How do we follow the direction of the Governing Body? (b) How does our preaching support the Governing Body and Jesus?

¹⁷ We can also remember the Governing Body by following its instructions and direction. The Governing Body gives us direction through our publications, meetings, assemblies, and conventions. It also appoints circuit overseers, who then appoint elders. By carefully following the directions given to them, the circuit overseers and the elders show that they remember the Governing Body. And all of us show respect for our Leader, Jesus, by obeying the men he is using today.​—Hebrews 13:17.

¹⁸ Another way that we can remember the Governing Body is by doing our best in the preaching work. Hebrews 13:7 urges Christians to imitate the faith of those taking the lead. The Governing Body has shown great faith by zealously preaching and promoting the good news. Are we supporting those brothers in this important work? If we are, we will feel happy when we hear Jesus tell us: “To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”​—Matthew 25:34-40.

19. Why are you determined to follow our Leader, Jesus?

¹⁹ When Jesus returned to heaven, he did not abandon his followers. (Matthew 28:20) He knew that the holy spirit, the angels, and God’s Word helped him to take the lead when he was on earth. He gives the faithful slave today the same help. The Governing Body continues “following the Lamb,” Jesus, “no matter where he goes.” (Revelation 14:4) So when we follow the direction of the Governing Body, we follow our Leader, Jesus. Soon, he will lead us to everlasting life. (Revelation 7:14-17) And no human leader can promise that!

AS A young man who loved God, my father, Arthur, wanted to become a Methodist minister. But he changed his mind when he read some literature from the Bible Students and began to associate with them. In 1914, when my father was 17, he got baptized. During World War I, he was ordered to join the military, but he refused to fight. So he was sentenced to ten months in the Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, Canada. After he was released from prison, he became a colporteur, as pioneers were then called.

In 1926, my father married Hazel Wilkinson. Her mother had learned the truth in 1908. I was born on April 24, 1931, the second of four children. My father loved and respected the Bible, and he taught us to do the same. The worship of Jehovah was the most important thing in our lives. We regularly preached from house to house as a family.​—Acts 20:20.

LIKE MY FATHER, I REMAINED NEUTRAL AND PIONEERED

In 1939, World War II began. The next year, the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada was banned. Schoolchildren had to salute the flag and sing the national anthem in their classrooms. Usually, the teachers allowed my sister Dorothy and me to go out of the room while this was happening. But one day, my teacher tried to embarrass me by saying that I was a coward. After school, several classmates attacked me and knocked me to the ground. This only made me more determined to “obey God as ruler rather than men.”​—Acts 5:29.

In July 1942, when I was 11 years old, I was baptized in a water tank on a farm. I enjoyed vacation pioneering whenever I had time off from school. Today we call this auxiliary pioneering. One year I was able to go with three other brothers to northern Ontario, where we preached to loggers.

On May 1, 1949, I began regular pioneering. I was then invited to help with construction work at the Canada branch and later became a member of the Canada Bethel family. I was assigned to the printery, where I learned how to operate the flatbed press. I remember working all night for several weeks to help print a tract about the persecution of Jehovah’s people in Canada.

Later, I worked in the Service Department. I was assigned to interview pioneers who were going to serve in Quebec, where there was fierce persecution. One of these pioneers was Mary Zazula from Edmonton, Alberta. Her parents were members of the Orthodox Church. When Mary and her older brother refused to stop studying the Bible, their parents threw them out of the house. Mary and her brother were baptized in June 1951, and six months later they began to pioneer. During the interview, I could see that Mary loved Jehovah very much. I remember thinking that she was the girl I would like to marry. Nine months later, we got married​—on January 30, 1954. One week after our wedding, Mary and I were invited to be trained for circuit work. For the next two years, we did circuit work in northern Ontario.

As the worldwide preaching work grew, more and more missionaries were needed. Mary and I thought that if we could survive Canada’s freezing weather in the winter and annoying mosquitoes in the summer, we could survive anywhere. We attended the 27th class of Gilead School and graduated in July 1956. By November we were in our new home​—Brazil.

MISSIONARY WORK IN BRAZIL

When we arrived in Brazil, we began to learn Portuguese. First, we learned simple ways to start a conversation. Next, we memorized a short magazine presentation. Then, we went out in the field ministry and met a lady who showed interest in our message. We had decided that if a householder showed interest, we would read a scripture about life under God’s Kingdom. So I read Revelation 21:3, 4​—and then I fainted! I was not used to the hot and humid weather. The heat continued to be a challenge for me.

Our missionary assignment was the city of Campos. Today, there are 15 congregations there! But when we arrived, there was only one isolated group in the city as well as a missionary home with four sisters: Esther Tracy, Ramona Bauer, Luiza Schwarz, and Lorraine Brookes (now Wallen). My assignment in the missionary home was to help with the laundry and get wood for cooking. One Monday night after our Watchtower Study, Mary was resting on the sofa with her head on a cushion. We were talking about our day. When Mary got up, a snake came out from under the cushion! This unexpected visitor caused a lot of excitement until I killed it.

After a year of learning Portuguese, we began to do circuit work. We served in areas where there was no electricity. We slept on mats and traveled by horse and carriage. Once we went by train to a town in the mountains so that we could preach in an isolated area. We rented a room there. The branch office sent us 800 magazines to use in the ministry. We had to make many trips to the post office to pick up the boxes of magazines.

In 1962, the Kingdom Ministry School was held in different places throughout Brazil. For six months, I was assigned to travel by myself to one school after another. I taught classes in Manaus, Belém, Fortaleza, Recife, and Salvador. When I was in Manaus, I organized a district convention in a famous opera house. Because of heavy rains, there was not much clean water to drink, and we did not have a good place for the brothers and sisters to eat their meals during the convention. I spoke to a military officer and explained our problem. He kindly arranged to give us enough drinking water for the whole convention. He also sent soldiers to set up two large tents, which we used as a kitchen and a dining room.

While I was away, Mary witnessed in a business area where no one was interested in talking about the Bible. The people there had come from Portugal to Brazil to make money. Mary felt discouraged and said to some of her friends, “The last place on earth I would want to live is Portugal.” Soon after that, we received a letter. It was an invitation to serve in Portugal, where our preaching work was under ban. Mary was shocked! But we accepted the assignment and moved to Portugal.

OUR ASSIGNMENT IN PORTUGAL

We arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, in August of 1964. The secret police were making life very difficult for our brothers there. So it seemed wise for us not to contact the local Witnesses in the beginning. At first, we stayed in a rented room. Then, when we got our visas, we rented an apartment. After five months, it was safe for us to get in contact with the brothers at the branch. We were so happy when we were finally able to go to a meeting!

Because our work was banned, Kingdom Halls were closed up and congregation meetings were held in the homes of the brothers. Their homes were regularly searched by policemen. Hundreds of our brothers and sisters were taken to police stations to be questioned. The police mistreated them and tried to force them to reveal the names of the responsible brothers. So to protect one another, the brothers stopped using surnames and called one another by first names only.

Our main goal was to make sure that our brothers could still get the literature that would help them endure. Mary would type Watchtower study articles and other literature on a special kind of paper. The paper was then used as a stencil to make many copies for the brothers.

DEFENDING THE GOOD NEWS IN COURT

In June 1966, an important court case was held in Lisbon. All 49 members of the Feijó Congregation were accused of attending an illegal meeting in someone’s home. To prepare them for the trial, I pretended to be the lawyer who would try to prove the brothers were guilty. But just as we expected, we lost the case. The 49 brothers and sisters all spent time in prison, from 45 days to five and a half months. But the trial was a great witness. In fact, during the trial, our lawyer even quoted the words of Gamaliel from the Bible. (Acts 5:33-39) Afterward, the news media reported on the trial. We were very happy when our lawyer began to study the Bible with us and attended meetings.

In December 1966, I was assigned to be the branch overseer and spent much time working on legal matters. We did everything we could to establish legal reasons why Jehovah’s Witnesses should be able to worship freely in Portugal. (Philippians 1:7) Finally, on December 18, 1974, we were legally recognized. Brothers Nathan Knorr and Frederick Franz came from world headquarters to share our joy. We had a memorable meeting in Oporto and Lisbon with 46,870 in attendance.

Jehovah also caused the preaching work to expand in islands where people speak Portuguese, such as the Azores, Cape Verde, Madeira, and São Tomé and Príncipe. As the number of Witnesses in these places grew, we needed a bigger branch. After it was built, Brother Milton Henschel gave the dedication talk on April 23, 1988. There were 45,522 brothers and sisters in attendance, including 20 who had been missionaries in Portugal and who had returned for the dedication.

WE LEARNED FROM FAITHFUL EXAMPLES

Over the years, Mary and I have really enjoyed learning from faithful brothers. For example, when I worked along with Brother Theodore Jaracz on a zone visit, I learned a valuable lesson. The branch we were visiting had a big problem, and the Branch Committee had done all they could to help. They felt bad that they could not do more. So Brother Jaracz comforted them by saying: “Now it is time to leave some space for holy spirit to work.” I will also never forget something that Brother Franz said many years ago when Mary and I were visiting Brooklyn. A group of us asked him for advice, and he told us: “My recommendation is: Stay with Jehovah’s visible organization through thick and thin. It is the only one doing the work Jesus commanded his disciples to do​—preach the good news of God’s Kingdom!”

Doing this has made Mary and me very happy. We also have precious memories of making zone visits to branches all over the world. We loved meeting Jehovah’s servants of all ages and reassuring them that their service to Jehovah is appreciated. We always encouraged them to continue serving him.

Many years have gone by, and both of us are now in our 80’s. Mary has various health problems. (2 Corinthians 12:9) And we have had other trials. But these trials have strengthened our faith and made us more determined to keep our integrity to Jehovah. When we look back over our years of serving Jehovah, we know that he has blessed us with his undeserved kindness in many, many ways.a​—See footnote.

The apostle Paul wrote that Jehovah “will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Does this mean that Jehovah decides ahead of time what we can endure and then chooses what trials we will face?

If this were true, think of how it would affect our life. For example, one brother’s son committed suicide. The father was heartbroken. He wondered whether Jehovah had looked into the future and decided that he and his wife would be able to endure this tragedy. In this system, many of us will face tragedies. So should we believe that Jehovah controls everything that happens in our life?

As we examine 1 Corinthians 10:13, we will see that the Bible does not support the idea that Jehovah knows ahead of time what we can endure and then decides what trials we will have. Why can we say this? Let us examine four reasons.

First, Jehovah gave humans free will, the freedom to make choices. He wants us to make our own decisions. (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; Joshua 24:15) If we choose to make decisions that please Jehovah, we can rely on him to guide us. (Proverbs 16:9) But when we make bad decisions, we will have to live with the results. (Galatians 6:7) So if Jehovah chose what trials we went through, would we really have free will?

Second, Jehovah does not protect us from “unexpected events.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) A person may have a tragic accident simply because he happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jesus spoke about an accident in which 18 people were killed when a tower fell on them. He made it clear that God did not cause their deaths. (Luke 13:1-5) It is not logical to think that before an accident happens, God decides who will live or die.

Third, each one of us must maintain integrity to Jehovah. Satan said that Jehovah’s servants serve Him because of what He gives them. Satan claimed that we would not remain loyal to Jehovah if we experienced trials. (Job 1:9-11; 2:4; Revelation 12:10) If Jehovah protected us from certain trials, it might seem as if Satan were right.

Fourth, Jehovah does not choose to know everything that will happen to us ahead of time. Of course, Jehovah can know what will happen in the future if he wants to. (Isaiah 46:10) But the Bible shows that he does not choose to know everything ahead of time. (Genesis 18:20, 21; 22:12) Jehovah is loving and righteous, so he does not interfere with our freedom to make our own choices.​—Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Corinthians 3:17.

What, then, did Paul mean when he said that Jehovah “will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear”? Here, Paul was describing what Jehovah does during trials, not before them.a (See footnote.) If we trust in Jehovah, he will help us through any trial in our life. (Psalm 55:22) We will now examine two reasons why Paul could say this.

The first reason is that the trials we go through are “common to men.” As long as we are living in Satan’s system, we will all experience difficult situations, perhaps even tragedy. But if we rely on Jehovah, we can endure these trials and remain loyal. (1 Peter 5:8, 9) Earlier in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul wrote about some of the tests the Israelites had in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:6-11) Those who relied on Jehovah could endure those trials. But some Israelites disobeyed Jehovah. They did not remain loyal because they did not rely on him.

The second reason is that “God is faithful.” What does this mean? When we look at how Jehovah has taken care of his servants throughout history, we see that he loyally helps “those who love him and keep his commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7:9) We learn that Jehovah always keeps his promises. (Joshua 23:14) We can be sure that (1) Jehovah will not allow any trial to become so difficult that we cannot endure it, and (2) he will “make the way out” for us.

How does Jehovah “make the way out” for those who rely on him? Of course, he can remove a trial. But remember, Paul said that Jehovah will “make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” Thus, Jehovah often makes the way out for us by strengthening us so that we can remain loyal. Let us discuss some of the ways he does this.

• Jehovah “comforts us in all our trials.” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) He can calm our mind, heart, and emotions by means of the Bible, his holy spirit, and the faithful slave.​—Matthew 24:45; John 14:16, footnote; Romans 15:4.

• Jehovah can use his holy spirit to guide us. (John 14:26) The holy spirit can help us to remember Bible accounts and principles so that we can make wise decisions.

• Jehovah can use his angels to help us.​—Hebrews 1:14.

• Jehovah can use our brothers and sisters to help us. They can strengthen us by what they say and do.​—Colossians 4:11.

So, what have we learned from Paul’s words found at 1 Corinthians 10:13? Jehovah does not choose what trials we go through. But we can be sure that if we trust in Jehovah, we can endure any trial. We know that Jehovah will always make the way out for us so that we can remain loyal to him.