COMMENTS YOU WILL NOT HEAR AT THE 11-17 WT STUDY
JEHOVAH BLESSES AND PROTECTS THOSE WHO ARE OBEDIENT--PROVERBS 1:33
(WTS comments in quotes; mine without or in parentheses)
INTRODUCTION
We have to agree that there are times where "Obedience saves lives!"
Can you think of some laws where that is true?
Traffic laws, health directives, laws of nature (law of gravity, not jumping off buildings)
God is not inviting "blind" obedience.
Malachi 3:10 ***
10 Bring all the tenth parts into the storehouse, that there may come to be food in my house; and test me out, please, in this respect," Jehovah of armies has said, "whether I shall not open to YOU people the floodgates of the heavens and actually empty out upon YOU a blessing until there is no more want."
1 John 4:1 ***
4 Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
Revelation 2:2 ***
2 I know your deeds, and your labor and endurance, and that you cannot bear bad men, and that you put those to the test who say they are apostles, but they are not, and you found them liars.
The WTS brings out the old chestnut, "Satan is making an all-out effort to prey on God's people. His goal is to destroy our spirituality so we lose the prospect of everlasting life." Yes, that is what JWs really worry about, their everlasting life. Why should they be concerned about how their unloving actions towards fellow members blacken Gods reputation?
Next, the WTS says, "If we stay close to God and respond swiftly to the direction we receive through his Word
and organization , we can be assured of his protective care." The WTS is implying here that we cannot stay close to God without his organization and that what we receive through his Word must come through the organization first.A DISOBEDIENT NATION BECOMES PREY
"The nation as a whole had become so steeped in apostasy that it was beyond recovery."
"Jehovah's abandonment of renegade Israel was painfully evident in 70 CE"
"That was a tragic reminder of Samuel's words to disobedient King Saul: "Does Jehovah have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look! To obey is better than a sacrifice, to pay attention than the fat or rams."--1 Samuel 15:22
*** w98 10/1 15 Imitate Jehovah's Mercy ***
The Jewish religious leaders resembled this older son. They believed that they were loyal to God because they strictly adhered to a code of laws. Granted, obedience is vital. (1 Samuel 15:22) But their overemphasis on works turned worship of God into a bookish routine, a mere shell of devotion with no true spirituality. Their minds were obsessed with traditions. Their hearts were loveless.
*** w94 1/15 16 Shepherds and Sheep in a Theocracy ***
Saul, the first king of Israel, did obey Jehovahbut only partially. For this he was rejected. Samuel told him: "To obey is better than a sacrifice, to pay attention than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22) Is it theocratic to follow Jehovahs will to a certain extent, perhaps by being regular in the preaching work or in meeting attendance, and then to compromise in matters of morality or in some other way? Of course not!
"Despite his insistence on obedience, Jehovah is well aware of the limitations of imperfect humans." (but not the WTS with their "do more" litany)
A KING RUINED BY BAD ASSOCIATIONS (JehoashBad Associations)King Jehoash was saved by High Priest Jehoiada from assassination.
"Jehoash good deeds included renovating Jehovahs temple."
"Jehoash's obedience to Jehovah failed to last. Why?" He listed to the princes of Judah and returned to serving idols. When High Priest Jehoiada's son Zechariah came to reprove him, Jehoash had him stoned to death. The cause--bad associations within his religious group.
Jehoash was punished when the Syrians came and took his possessions and was later assassinated by his own servants.
Of course, he received this punishment for idolatry and murdering Zechariah not because he had bad associations.
A SECRETARY SAVED BY OBEDIENCE(BaruchMaterialism)"Do you sometimes feel weary because few among the people you meet in the Christian ministry show any interest in the good news?"
Is it really the good news people arent interested in or Jehovahs Witnesses coming to their door again selling magazines and books? If a survey were done of non-witnesses and they were asked what JWs believed, would they say "oh, they visit my home and talk about the good news"? No it would be, "they dont celebrate Christmas or birthdays, they dont salute the flag, they dont take blood transfusions, etc."
In October, these are the first sentences of the suggested presentations, 1)"How would you explain to children or others why so many bad things happen today?" 2) "Do you think that the prayers of the religious leaders or anyone else can bring about world peace?" 3) "Many of us try to have peaceful relations with others. But you will likely agree it is often easier said than done." 4) "Bible prophecy indicates that a time is coming when no one will say, "I am sick." (in conjuction with an AIDS article) Can you find the GOOD NEWS?
Do you see Gods kingdom in any of those sentences? Rarely, does the average JW get past the first sentence, so where is the Kingdom being highlighted here?
And why do JWs meet so few people in the ministry? Because the go out when people are not home, some purposely and others unthinkingly because they always go out then.
"Do you occasionally feel a tinge of envy toward the well-to-do and their indulgent life-styles?"
Yes, I wonder why Elder Owns-His-Own-Business can buy a new house, car, boat and travel frequently as well as miss meetings because of business reasons? Oh, was the WTS talking about people outside the congregation?!
Yes, "Baruch began to rue his lot in life and to desire something better than his special privilege of service to God." He began to figure out a way to have what Elder OHOB has and keep his special privileges just like that elder did.
"Jehovah is deeply concerned about those who are tempted to pursue what they think are greener pastures in this system of things." Like the elders.
"Happily, like Baruch, many of such ones (not the elders) have responded to loving readjustment by responsible spiritual brothers (the elders)." Yes, Elder OHOB will not be counseled because he has given money to all the elders as well as the CO and DO.
"Yes, may all of us discern that there is no future for those who seek great things for themselves in this system. Not only do such ones fail to find true happiness but, worse still, they will soon pass away with this world."
Notice how the WTS judges unnamed individuals but then the elders turn around and feels this gives them license to label people AND pass that information along to others so they will shun them.
Well, if they do find happiness, the WTS will say it is only temporary. Of course, that doesnt mean true happiness is found in the anal-retentive atmosphere of the KH.
The WTS shows there is a lesson in humility to be learned and how to accept counsel and see that when it comes from the elders it is the same as if Jehovah told us.
"Jehovah did not counsel Baruch directly but spoke through Jeremiah, whose imperfections and idiosyncrasies Baruch probably (this means the Bible doesnt comment on this) knew quite well." Baruch "discerned the real source of the counselJehovah."
OBEDIENCE DURING A SIEGE SAVED LIVESJeremiah was not afraid to tell his fellow Israelites and rulers what they didnt want to hear (much like some in the congregation). The WTS applies this to non-witnesses though.
OBEDIENCE IN THE FACE OF GOGS ATTACK"SOON Satans entire wicked system will be destroyed in an unprecedented great tribulation"
"Satan in his role as Gog of the land of Magog will make an all-out attack against Jehovahs servants." "He (Jehovah) extends" protection "to shield the obedient." (Whereas the elders shield their guilty cronies.)
Now here is an interesting twist to an old story. The Israelites have just survived the 10 plagues with Gods protection during the last 7. The firstborn of all the Egyptians have been killed. Many Egyptians see that the Israelites god is the one to follow and many leave with them. Instead of taking "the shortest route toward the Promised Land," Moses leads them down to the Red Sea where they would be sitting ducks.
"If you had been there, would you have obeyed Jehovahs word through Moses and marched down to the Red Sea with full confidence, knowing that the Promised Land lay in a somewhat different direction?"
So what is the WTS saying here, that they are leading the JWS in what might seem to be the wrong way but the JWs should have confidence in the WTS anyway? How many times has the WTS lead people in the wrong way doctrinally only to have "the light get brighter"?
First, the WTS has never even turned a staff into a snake or made leprosy come and go on their hands, which is what Moses did to convince the Israelites. And what today compares with the dramatic events of the 10 plagues that culminated with the death of the firstborn of those not celebrating the first Passover?" Im sure the WTS can point to something like the fulfillment of the trumpet blasts in the 20 th century. But not only the Israelites were convinced. People not claiming to serve the Israelite God were convinced (I know it is supposed to be the great crowd!!!)
So the WTS says, "obey Jehovah (who equals the WTS), even when his requirements seem to go contrary to human reasoning." But what if it goes contrary to scriptural reasoning?
And they conclude with, "build up my faith through diligent Bible study, prayer, and meditation, as well as regular association with Gods people."
Hasnt it been true that many JWs that do study the Bible (not the WT publications) diligently and meditate find that they have not been associating with Gods people and leave the JWs to find Gods people?
OBEDIENCE INSTILLS HOPE"Those who make obedience to Jehovah their way of life experience even now the fulfillment of Proverbs 1:33, which says: "As the one listening [obediently] to me, he will reside in security and be undisturbed from dread of calamity."
"Deliverance is getting near. (Luke 21:28)"
"Clearly, only those obedient to God will have the confidence to heed these words."
That all sounds reasonable. Reading and studying the Bible to know how to be obedient to God, allows personal decision. But note what the last paragraph says.
"The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) Does this mean the FDS are prophets? Watch what they say.
"Today, Jehovah does not inspire prophets as in the past (no explanation of how this different from today); instead, he has commissioned a faithful slave class to provide timely spiritual food to his household." So does this make them prophets in this fashion, "Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets."?
Without making this clear, the WTS says "How important, therefore that we have an obedient attitude toward that slave." "Such obedience also reflects our attitude toward Jesus, the slaves master."
So Jehovah = WTS and Jesus = WTS. So this is how it goes Jehovah to Jesus to WTS to JWs.
Further statements like this will be made in next weeks study article.
So to whom does our obedience belong?