Comments You Will Not Hear at the 10-17-10 WT Study (August 15, 2010)(pages 21-25) (TONGUE)
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L ET “THE L AW
OF L OVING- K INDNESS”
S AFEGUARD Y OUR T ONGUE
“Her mouth she has opened in wisdom, and the law of loving-kindness
is upon her tongue.” —PROV. 31:26.
1, 2. (a) What quality are Jehovah’s worshippers
encouraged to cultivate? (b) What will be discussed
in this article?
THE weighty message that King Lemuel of
ancient times received from his mother
included an important qualification of a
good wife. “Her mouth she has opened in
wisdom,” he was informed, “and the law
of loving-kindness is upon her tongue.”
(Prov. 31:1, 10, 26) Loving-kindness is desirable
upon the tongue of a wise woman as
well as all others who want to please Jehovah
God. (Read Proverbs 19:22.) Loving-kindness
should be evident in the speech of all true
worshippers.
COMMENTS
Jehovah’s worshippers? True worshippers? Only jws…
Isn’t it amazing that the WTS gives an example of a woman advising a man with authority? That wisdom could come from a woman’s mouth and that a man should listen to it?
2 What is loving-kindness? Toward whom
is it to be displayed? What will help us to
put “the law of loving-kindness” upon our
tongue? How will doing so affect our communication
with family members and fellow Christians?
COMMENTS
Toward non-jws? What does the WTS interpret as kindness towards nonbelievers?
Fellow Christians—only jws
When Kindness Is Motivated
by Loyal Love
3, 4. (a) What is loving-kindness? (b) How does
loving-kindness differ fromgeneral kindness, or human
kindness?
3 As the very term suggests, loving kindness
includes the traits of love and kindness.
It involves kindness, that is, taking a
personal interest in others and showing that
concern by helpful deeds and thoughtful
words. Since love is also a factor, displaying
loving-kindness calls for taking an interest
in the welfare of others out of love for them.
However, the original-language word for
loving-kindness means more than kindness
stemming from love. Loving-kindness is the
kindness that willingly and loyally attaches
itself to someone until its purpose regarding
that person comes to fruition.
COMMENTS
Taking a personal interest?
By helpful deeds and
Thoughtful words?
Loyally attaches until purpose fulfilled?
Many if not most jws interpret that as what James described, Christians who think thoughtful words are enough. That all they have to do is say “How’s it going?” as they walk past.
James 2:15,16
If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, 16 yet a certain one of YOU says to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but YOU do not give them the necessities for [their] body, of what benefit is it?
4 Loving-kindness differs from kindness
in yet another sense. General kindness, or
human kindness, can be expressed even toward
strangers. The apostle Paul and 275
others who were shipwrecked with him were
shown this type of kindness by the inhabitants
of the island of Malta—people they had
never even met. (Acts 27:37–28:2) On the
other hand, loving-kindness has to do with
the loyal attachment between individuals
who have already developed a relationship._
This was what the Kenites showed to “all the
sons of Israel at the time of their coming up
out of Egypt.”—1 Sam.15:6.
COMMENTS
How did Jesus express the difference between showing love to those we already know and to those we don’t know or find it difficult to love?
Without doing additional research, will the jws at the WT study know what relationship the Kenites had to Israelites?
*** w05 3/15 pp. 22-23 Highlights From the Book of First Samuel *** The Kenites were the sons of Moses’ father-in-law. They assisted the Israelites after these pulled away from Mount Sinai. (Numbers 10:29-32)
Even the WTS says:
*** w06 5/1 p. 30 par. 13 Loyally Serving Christ the King *** If we love only those who love us, we would not be doing any “extraordinary thing.” In that case our love would be incomplete and defective.
(Matthew 5:45-47) 45 that YOU may prove yourselves sons of YOUR Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. 46 For if YOU love those loving YOU, what reward do YOU have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? 47 And if YOU greet YOUR brothers only, what extraordinary thing are YOU doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing?
Meditation and Prayer Essential
5. What will help us to bridle our tongue?
5 Reflecting loving-kindness in our speech
is by no means easy. Referring to the tongue,
the disciple James wrote: “Not one of mankind
can get it tamed. An unruly injurious
thing, it is full of death-dealing poison.”
(Jas. 3:8) What can help us to bridle this
body member that is so difficult to control?
Jesus’ words to the religious leaders of his
day give us insight. He said: “Out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
(Matt. 12:34) To have loving-kindness safeguard
our tongue, we need to implant that
quality in our heart—our inner person. Let
us see how meditation and prayer help us to
do just that.
COMMENTS
Is it enough to show love in speech and not in actions? Are there those who say the right words but their hearts are corrupt?
What about the WTS policy that it okay to lie to certain people? Is it alright to lie if the intent is to “help”? How many jws know that the WTS does not always tell them the whole truth? Is that how God operates, tell people lies to protect them? So while Hebrews says it is impossible for God to lie, it is not impossible for the WTS or individual jws to deliberately lie?
*** it-2 p. 244 Lie *** Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive or to injure him or another person.
_ For further discussion of how loving-kindness differs
from loyalty, love, and kindness, see the May 15,
2002, issue of The Watchtower, pages 12-13, 18-19.
6. Why should we appreciatively meditate on Jehovah’s
acts of loving-kindness?
6 Jehovah God is “abundant in loving kindness,”
states the Bible. (Ex. 34:6) “Your
loving-kindness, O Jehovah,” sang the
psalmist, “has filled the earth.” (Ps. 119:64)
The Scriptures contain numerous accounts
of how Jehovah showed loving-kindness to
his worshippers. Taking time to meditate appreciatively
on ‘Jehovah’s dealings’ can instill
in us the desire to cultivate this godly
quality.—Read Psalm 77:12.
COMMENTS
Where are the acts of loving-kindness by Jesus?
7, 8. (a) What act of loving-kindness did Jehovah
performtoward Lot and his family? (b) How did David
feel about being a recipient of God’s loving kindness?
7 For example, think about how Jehovah
delivered Abraham’s nephew Lot and his
family when He brought about the destruction
of Sodom, the city where they lived. As
that time drew closer, the angels who had
come to Lot urged him to take his family and
quickly leave the city. “When he kept lingering,”
says the Bible, “then in the compassion
of Jehovah upon him, the [angels] seized
hold of his hand and of the hand of his wife
and of the hands of his two daughters and
they proceeded to bring him out and to station
him outside the city. ”Are not our hearts
touched when we reflect on this saving act,
and are we not moved to acknowledge that it
was an expression of God’s loving-kindness?
—Gen.19:16, 19.
COMMENTS
OT—Lot and his family
OT—David
Remember the WTS teaches that God also eternally destroyed all the children, babies and the unborn at Sodom, for the sins of their parents.
The WTS has flipflopped many times regarding the Sodom teaching.
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/resurrection.php
(Ezekiel 18:20) . . . A son himself will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father himself will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the very righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be.
(2 Chronicles 25:4) . . .And their sons he did not put to death, but [did] according to what is written in the law, in the book of Moses, that Jehovah commanded, saying: “Fathers should not die for sons, neither should sons themselves die for fathers; but it is each one for his own sin that they should die.”
YET
(Exodus 34:7) 7 preserving loving-kindness for thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin, but by no means will he give exemption from punishment, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons and upon grandsons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation.”
8 Consider also the example of King David
of ancient Israel, who sang: “[Jehovah] is
forgiving all your error, [he] is healing all
your maladies.” How David must have appreciated
being shown forgiveness for his sin
with Bath-sheba! He extolled Jehovah, saying:
“As the heavens are higher than the
earth, his loving-kindness is superior toward
those fearing him.” (Ps. 103:3, 11) Meditating
on these and other Scriptural accounts
fills our hearts with gratitude for Jehovah’s
loving-kindness, and we are moved to praise
and thank him. The more grateful we are at
heart, the more inclined we are to become
imitators of the true God.—Eph. 5:1.
COMMENTS
OT—David
I believe David should have also appreciated being forgiven for having Bathsheba’s husband killed.
Under the Law, both adultery and murder were capital punishments. Any other Israelite guilty of those crimes would have been executed…But somehow David was “special”? I guess David was the only merciful murderous adulterer.
*** it-1 p. 590 David *** Jehovah was watching, however, and uncovered the whole reprehensible matter. If Jehovah had permitted the case involving David and Bath-sheba to be handled by human judges under the Mosaic Law, both of the wrongdoers would have been put to death, and of course, the unborn offspring of their adultery would have died with the mother. (De 5:18; 22:22) However, Jehovah dealt with the case himself and showed mercy to David because of the Kingdom covenant (2Sa 7:11-16), no doubt because David himself had shown mercy (1Sa 24:4-7; compare Jas 2:13) and because of repentance that God observed on the part of the wrongdoers. (Ps 51:1-4)
9. What powerful reason is there for Jehovah’s worshippers
to display loving-kindness in their daily
life?
9 Scriptural examples show that Jehovah
extends his loving-kindness—his loyal
love—to those who already have an approved
relationship with him. What about
those who lack such a bond with the living
God? Is Jehovah harsh or unkind toward
them? Not at all. “[God] is kind toward the
unthankful and wicked,” states Luke 6:35.
“He makes his sun rise upon wicked people
and good and makes it rain upon righteous
people and unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:45) Before
learning the truth and acting on it, we
were recipients of God’s kindness, or general
kindness. As his worshippers, however, we
have become the objects of his loyal love
—his steadfast loving-kindness. (Read Isaiah
54:10.) How thankful we can be for that!
And what a powerful reason that is for displaying
loving-kindness in our speech as
well as in other aspects of our daily life!
COMMENTS
Those who lack an approved relationship with God = all non-jws
His worshippers – only jws – the only ones who receive God’s loyal love?
10. Why is prayer an invaluable aid in making
loving-kindness a part of our personality?
10 An invaluable aid in our cultivating
loving-kindness is the privilege of prayer.
This is because love and kindness—elements
of loving-kindness—are aspects of the fruit-
age of Jehovah’s holy spirit. (Gal. 5:22) We
can instill loving-kindness in our hearts by
coming under the influence of that spirit.
The most direct way to receive Jehovah’s
holy spirit is to ask for it in prayer. (Luke 11:
13) It is appropriate that we repeatedly pray
for God’s spirit and accept its guidance. Yes,
meditation and prayer are essential if we are
to have the law of loving-kindness upon our
tongues.
COMMENTS
The WTS teaches that God only hears the prayers of “his” people – jws
Once having asked for holy spirit, how does a jw know they have received it?
Upon the Tongues of Marriage Mates
11. (a) How do we know that Jehovah expects husbands
to show their wives loving-kindness? (b) In
what way can the law of loving-kindness help a husband
safeguard his tongue?
11 The apostle Paul exhorts husbands:
“Continue loving your wives, just as the
Christ also loved the congregation and delivered
up himself for it.” (Eph. 5:25) Paul
also reminds them of what Jehovah told
Adam and Eve. The apostle writes: “A man
will leave his father and his mother and he
will stick to his wife, and the two will become
one flesh.” (Eph. 5:31) Clearly, Jehovah
expects husbands to stick loyally to
their wives, always showing them loving kindness.
A husband whose tongue is governed by
loyal love does not expose the
faults of his wife in public or speak disparagingly
of her. He is happy to praise her.
(Prov. 31:28) If for some reason friction
arises in the relationship, loving-kindness
moves the husband to restrain his tongue
from humiliating his wife.
COMMENTS
But how often does the WTS characterize all women as being deficient, humiliating them?
*** w51 5/1 p. 279 Making a Success of Marriage *** Ah, yes, live with your wife according to knowledge of God’s commands and with understanding of his fundamental laws of nature. Consider the biological constitution of the female, her limitations, her cycles, her vicissitudes, which greatly affect her mental processes, disposition and temperament. God does not overlook these feminine restrictions; neither should husbands. (Lev. 18:19; 20:18)
*** w52 7/1 p. 406 par. 6 Restrictions of Christian Freedom *** The husband takes into consideration the biological constitution of the female, her limitations, her cycles, her vicissitudes, which greatly affect her mental processes, disposition and temperament. God does not overlook these feminine restrictions; neither should husbands.—Lev. 18:19; 20:18; 1 Pet. 3:7-9, NW.
12. How can a wife’s speech show that the law of
loving-kindness governs her tongue?
12 The law of loving-kindness should also
govern the tongue of the wife. Her speech
should not be influenced by the spirit of the
world. Having “deep respect for her husband,”
she speaks well of him in public and
increases the respect others may already
have for him. (Eph. 5:33) Not wanting to diminish
the respect the children have for
their father, she refrains from disagreeing
with him or questioning his opinion in front
of them. She resolves such matters in private.
“The truly wise woman has built up her
house,” says the Bible. (Prov.14:1)Her home
is a pleasant and comfortable place for the
entire family.
COMMENTS
Should men have respect for women?
Never disagreeing—not even if life is involved?
*** w07 9/1 p. 29 par. 13 Teach Your Children to Love Jehovah *** A husband and wife who love and respect each other have a better chance of teaching their children to love and respect others, including Jehovah.
13. Where in particular should the law of loving kindness
rule, and how can it do so?
13 Even in the privacy of their home,
marriage mates must continue to use their
tongues in a way that shows that they have
respect for each other. “Put them all away
from you,” wrote Paul, “wrath, anger, badness,
abusive speech, and obscene talk out of
your mouth.” He added: “Clothe yourselves
with the tender affections of compassion,
kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and
long-suffering. . . . Clothe yourselves with
love, for it is a perfect bond of union.” (Col.
3:8, 12-14) When children are accustomed
to hearing loving and kind speech in the
home, not only will they thrive but they will
be more likely to imitate their parents’ way
of speaking.
COMMENTS
Respect FOR EACH OTHER
My experience is that even jws yell behind closed doors; even elders. What people don’t see and hear matters; but what God sees and hears?
(Ezekiel 8:12) . . .And he proceeded to say to me: “Have you seen, O son of man, what the elderly ones of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each one in the inner rooms of his showpiece? For they are saying, ‘Jehovah is not seeing us. Jehovah has left the land.’”
David extolled Jehovah’s
loving-kindness
14. In what way can family heads use their tongue
to comfort those under their care?
14 The psalmist wrote of Jehovah: “May
your loving-kindness serve, please, to comfort
me.” (Ps. 119:76) An outstanding way in
which Jehovah comforts his people is by giving
them exhortation and guidance. (Ps.119:
105) How can family heads benefit from the
example of our heavenly Father and use their
tongue to comfort those under their care?
They can do so by providing needed direction
and encouragement. What a fine opportunity
the Family Worship evening provides
to discover spiritual treasures!—Prov. 24:4.
COMMENTS
Of course, only exhortation and guidance through the WTS; the Bible is not enough.
Family Worship – why was it only “family study” for years? There is little difference between the two except a few capitalizations.
Show Loyal Love to Fellow Believers
15. How may elders and other spiritually mature
ones use their tongue to safeguard others in the
congregation?
15 “Let your loving-kindness and your
trueness themselves constantly safeguard
me,” prayed King David. (Ps. 40:11) How
may Christian elders and other spiritually
mature ones in the congregation imitate Jehovah
in this regard? Using our tongue
to direct attention to Scriptural information
certainly is an act of loving-kindness.
—Prov.17:17.
COMMENTS
OT—David
Who are the “other spiritually mature ones”? older sisters? MS?
Do they direct attention to the Bible or the WTS publications?
16, 17. What are some ways in which we can show
that our speech is governed by the law of loving kindness?
16 What should we do if we observe a
Christian heading in a direction that conflicts
with Bible principles? Would not
loving-kindness move us to use our tongue
to try to correct him? (Ps. 141:5) If we come
to know of a serious sin committed by a fellow
believer, loyal love moves us to encourage
the wrongdoer to “call the older men of
the congregation to him” so that they can
“pray over him, greasing him with oil in the
name of Jehovah.” (Jas. 5:14) If the wrongdoer
fails to contact the elders, our not reporting
the matter is neither loving nor
kind. Some among us may be discouraged,
lonely, afflicted with feelings of unworthiness,
or overwhelmed by disappointments.
A fine way for us to demonstrate that the law
of loving-kindness is upon our tongue is
that we “speak consolingly to the depressed
souls.”—1 Thess. 5:14.
COMMENTS
So does this mean that any jw can stick their nose into another’s business, imposing their conscience on them?
Does this mean the elders forgive sins?
Fails to contact the elders—what about child molestation? Since the molester is rarely dealt with judicially, why report and get yourself in trouble.
Feelings of unworthiness inflicted by elders and “mature” ones who let them know they are bad association, weak, immature, not measuring up, never commending.
Yes, tell the depressed that it will all go away if they go to all the meetings and regular pioneer.
Do you have a regular
Family Worship evening?
17 How should we respond when rumors
about fellow believers are circulated by
God’s enemies? Rather than questioning
the integrity of our brothers, we ought to
dismiss such talk silently or ask the accuser,
if he is reasonable, whether he is really sure
that there is a basis for his remarks. If enemies
of God’s people seek to know the
whereabouts of our Christian brothers in order
to bring them harm, loyal love for our
brothers dictates that we not provide the information.—
Prov.18:24.
COMMENTS
Better how should we respond when rumors about fellow believers are circulated by other jws?
Aren’t those as much enemies of God?
The Man of “Loving-Kindness
Will Find Life”
18, 19. Why should the law of loving-kindness not
depart from our tongue in dealings with fellow worshippers?
18 Loyal love should be evident in all
our dealings with fellow worshippers of Jehovah.
Even under difficult circumstances,
the law of loving-kindness should not de-
part from our tongue. When the loving kindness
of the sons of Israel became “like
the dew that early goes away,” Jehovah was
displeased. (Hos. 6:4, 6) On the other hand,
Jehovah takes pleasure in a regular pattern
of loving-kindness. Consider how he blesses
those who pursue it.
COMMENTS
Fellow worshippers of Jehovah = only jws
19 Proverbs 21:21 states: “He that is pursuing
righteousness and loving-kindness will
find life, righteousness and glory.” Among
the blessings such a person will experience is
that he will find life—not a brief existence
but life without end. Jehovah helps him to
“get a firm hold on the real life.” (1 Tim. 6:12,
19) By all means, then, let us “carry on with
one another loving-kindness.”—Zech. 7:9.
COMMENTS
CARROT—Life without end the hook that gets almost all people to become jws and stay jws.
Can You Explain?
? How would you define loving kindness?
? What will help us to have the law of
loving-kindness upon our tongue?
? How may marriage mates show
loyal love in their speech?
? What shows that the law of loving kindness
is upon our tongue in our dealings with fellow believers?
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
The WTS can talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk.
Next week, WHO CAN DELIVER THOSE CRYING FOR HELP?
Love, Blondie