Ozzie,
Here is the Article they used for the hook....From Pages 26-30 of the Noveember 1 2002 Watchtower
It was so broken up that I could not post the scan of it
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Supporters of True Worship
Then and Now
Do You remember the name of a man who wept over the ancient city of Jerusalem? 'Jesus you may sayand, indeed, Jesus did so. (Luke 19:28,41)
However, centuries before Jesus walked on earth, another faithful servant of God similarly wept over Jerusalem. His name was Nehemiah.Nehemiah 1:3,4.
What caused Nehemiah to he so sad that he wept over Jerusalem? What did he do for the benefit of the city and its inhabitants? And what can we can from His example? To answer, let us review so me events of his day.
A Man of Feelings and Action.
Nehemiah was appointed governor of Jerusalem, but before that, he was a high-ranking official in the Persian court in the city of Shushan. Yet, his life of comfort did not diminish his concern for the welfare of his Jewish brothers in far way Jerusalem. In fact, the first thing he did when a delegation of Jews from Jerusalem visited Shusan was To ask them about the Jews, those who had escaped, who had been left over of the captivity, and also about Jerusalem." (Nehemiah 1:2) When the visitors responded that the people of Jerusalem were "in a very bad plight" and that the city wall was "broken down," Nehemiah "sat down and began to weep and mourn for days." After that he expressed his feelings of sadness in a heartfelt prayer to Jehovah. (Nehemiah 1:3-11) Why was Nehemiah so sad? Because Jerusalem was the center of Jehovah's worship on earth, and it had been neglected. (I Kings 11:36) Moreover, the city's broken-down condition was a reflection of the poor spiritual state of its inhabitants. Nehemiah 1:6,7.
Nehemiah's concern for Jerusalem and his compassion for the Jews living there Moved him to give of himself. As soon as the Persian king allowed him to take a leave of absence from his duties, Nehemiah began to plan the long trip to Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:5, 6) He wanted to give his strength, time, and skills in support of the needed repair work. Within a few days of his arrival, he already had a plan in place for the repair of Jerusalem's entire wall.-Nehemiah 2:11-18.
Nehemiah divided the huge task of repairing the wall among many families, all of whom worked side by side.* More than 40 different groups were assigned to repair one "measured section" each. The result? With so many workers including parents accompanied by their children giving their time and energy, a seemingly overwhelming task became manageable. (Nehemiah 3:11, 12, 19, 20) Within two action-packed months, the entire wall was repaired! Nehemiah wrote that even those who had opposed the repair work were forced to acknowledge that "it was from our God that this work had been one. Nehemiah 6:15,16
* Nehemiah 3:5 notes that some prominent Jews, "majestic ones," refused to share in the work, but they were the exception. People of varied backgrounds priests, goldsmiths, ointment mixers, princes, traders all supported the project.Verses 1, 8, 9, 32.
An Example to Be Remembered
Nehemiah contributed more than his time and organizational skills. He also used his material means to support true worship. He used his own money to buy back his Jewish brothers from slavery. He lent money without interest. He never "made it heavy" upon the Jews by demanding an allowance as governor, something to which he was entitled. Instead, he kept an open house to feed "a hundred and fifty men, and those coming in to us from the nations that were around us." Each day he provided "one bull, six select sheep and birds" for his guests. In addition, once every ten days he offered them "every sort of wine in abundance"all at his own expense. Nehemiah 5:8, 10,14-18.
What an outstanding example of generosity Nehemiah set for all of God's servants then and now! This courageous servant of God freely and willingly used his material means to support the workers so as to advance true worship. Appropriately, he could ask Jehovah: "Do remember. . .0 my God, for good, all that I have done in behalf of this people." (Nehemiah 5:19) Surely Jehovah will do just thatHebrews 6:10.
Nehemiah's Example Is Followed Today
It is heartwarming to see that Jehovah's people today similarly display warm feelings, a willingness to act, and a self-sacrificing attitude in behalf of true worship. When we hear that fellow believers suffer hardships, we are deeply concerned about their welfare. (Romans 12:15) Like Nehemiah, we turn to Jehovah in prayer in support of our afflicted brothers in the faith, asking him: "Please, let your ear become attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take delight in fearing your name."Nehemiah 1:11; Colossians 4:2.
However, our concern for the spiritual and physical welfare of our Christian Brothers and for the advancement of true worship does not affect merely our feelings. It also moves us to action. Those whose circumstances allow are impelled by love to leave the relative comfort of their homes and, much like Nehemiah, move to other locations to give assistance to those in need. Undeterred by the less comfortable living conditions that such volunteers may face in some parts of the world, they support the advancement of true worship there, serving side by side with their Christian brothers.
The spirit of self-sacrifice they display is truly commendable.
Doing Our Share Close to Home
Understandably, most of us are not able to move to another location. We support true worship close to home. That is also illustrated in the book of Nehemiah. Note the detail that Nehemiah adds about some of the faithful families who shared in the repair work. He wrote: "Jedaiah the son of Harumaph did repair work in front of his own house... Benjamin and Hasshub did repair work in front of their own house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah did repair work close by his own house." (Nehemiah 3:10, 23, 28-30) Those men and their families contributed greatly to the advancement of true worship by doing their share in the repair work close to home.
Today, many of us support true worship in our own communities in various ways. We share in Kingdom Hall construction projects, disaster relief efforts and, most important, the Kingdom- preaching work. In addition, whether we are able to participate personally in construction or relief work or not, all of us have a heartfelt desire to support true worship with our material means, just as Nehemiah so generously did in his day.See box "Characteristics of Voluntary Giving."
Finding the necessary funds to finance our growing printing activities, relief efforts, and numerous other services performed around the globe may at times seem overwhelming. Recall, however, that the task of repairing the huge wall of Jerusalem also seemed overwhelming. (Nehemiah 4:10) Yet, because the task was divided among many willing families, the work was accomplished. Likewise to day, finding the considerable means to carry out our worldwide activities will
remain within reach if each one of us continues to care for a portion of the work.
The box "Ways in Which Some Choose to Give" shows several ways in which the Kingdom work can be supported financially. During the past year, many among God's people have given such support, and the Governing Body of Jehovahs Witnesses would like to use this opportunity to express their deep gratitude to all whose heart impelled them to share in this voluntary giving. Most of all, we thank Jehovah for his rich blessing on the wholehearted efforts of his people in promoting true worship throughout the world. Yes, when we reflect on how Jehovahs hand has guided us over the years, we are moved to echo the words of Nehemiah, who thankfully said: The hand of my God, how it was good upon me. Nehemiah 2:18.
