References for “Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook”

References for Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook

JANUARY 1-7

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | JOB 32-33

Comfort Those Who Are Dealing With Anxiety

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Elihu

Elihu was impartial, not bestowing a flattering title on anyone. He recognized that he, like Job, was made of clay and that the Almighty was his Creator. Elihu had no intention of terrifying Job but spoke to him as a true friend, addressing Job by name, something that was not done by Eliphaz, Bildad, or Zophar.—Job 32:21, 22; 33:1, 6.

JANUARY 15-21

Spiritual Gems

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Communication

Information and ideas were transmitted from person to person in a variety of ways in Bible lands of antiquity. To a great extent, ordinary local and foreign news was communicated by word of mouth. (2Sa 3:17, 19; Job 37:20) Travelers, who often journeyed with caravans, related news from distant places when they stopped for food, water, and other provisions at cities or points along the caravan routes. In its unique position with relation to Asia, Africa, and Europe, the land of Palestine was traversed by caravans traveling to and from distant points. So its residents could readily acquire information regarding significant events in foreign lands. News, both national and foreign, could often be obtained in the city marketplace.

JANUARY 22-28

Spiritual Gems

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Lawgiver

Jehovah as the Lawgiver. Jehovah is actually the one true Lawgiver in the universe. Attributable to him are the physical laws governing inanimate creation (Job 38:4-38; Ps 104:5-19), and animal life. (Job 39:1-30) Man also, as a creation of Jehovah, is subject to Jehovah’s physical laws, and since he is a moral, rational creature, capable of reasoning and of spirituality, he is equally subject to God’s moral laws. (Ro 12:1; 1Co 2:14-16) Furthermore, Jehovah’s law governs spirit creatures, angels.—Ps 103:20; 2Pe 2:4, 11.

Jehovah’s physical laws are unbreakable. (Jer 33:20, 21) Throughout the known visible universe his laws are so stable and reliable that, in areas where scientists have knowledge of these laws, they can calculate the movements of the moon, planets, and other celestial bodies with split-second accuracy. One who goes contrary to the physical laws experiences immediate application of their sanctions. Likewise, the moral laws of God are irrevocable and cannot be circumvented or violated with impunity. They are as sure of enforcement as are His natural laws, though the punishment may not be as immediately enforced. “God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.”—Ga 6:7; 1Ti 5:24.

JANUARY 29–FEBRUARY 4

Spiritual Gems

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Ridicule

Job was a man righteously maintaining his integrity through great ridicule. But he developed the wrong viewpoint and made a mistake, for which he was corrected. Elihu said of him: “What able-bodied man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?” (Job 34:7) Job became too concerned with his own justification rather than God’s, and he tended to magnify his own righteousness more than God’s. (Job 35:2; 36:24) In receiving the severe ridicule of his three “companions,” Job tended to count it directed toward himself rather than toward God. In this he was like a person who gives himself up to derision and ridicule and delights in it, taking it in as though he were drinking water with enjoyment. God later explained to Job that these ridiculers were actually (in the final analysis) speaking untruth against God. (Job 42:7) Similarly, Jehovah told the prophet Samuel when Israel demanded a king: “It is not you whom they have rejected, but it is I whom they have rejected from being king over them.” (1Sa 8:7) And Jesus said to his disciples: “You will be objects of hatred by all the nations [not on your own account, but] on account of my name.” (Mt 24:9) Keeping these things in mind will enable the Christian to endure ridicule in the right spirit and will qualify him to receive a reward for his endurance.—Lu 6:22, 23.

FEBRUARY 5-11

Spiritual Gems

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Chaff

The thin protective covering or husk on the kernels of cereal grains such as barley and wheat. Though the Biblical references to chaff are figurative, they reflect the threshing practices common in ancient times. After harvesting, this inedible membrane covering of the valuable grain was useless, and hence was an appropriate symbol of something light, worthless, and undesirable, something to be separated from the good and to be disposed of.

First, the threshing operation broke the chaff loose from the kernel. Then by winnowing, the light chaffy part was carried away like dust in the wind. (See WINNOWING.) This well illustrates how Jehovah God both removes the apostates from among his people and also disposes of wicked persons and opposing nations. (Job 21:18; Ps 1:4; 35:5; Isa 17:13; 29:5; 41:15; Ho 13:3) God’s Kingdom will crush its enemies into such small particles that they will be easily blown away like the chaff.—Da 2:35.

The worthless chaff was often gathered and burned to prevent it from blowing back and contaminating the piles of grain. Similarly, John the Baptizer foretold the coming burning destruction of the wicked false religionists—the Thresher, Jesus Christ, will gather in the wheat, “but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.”—Mt 3:7-12; Lu 3:17; see THRESHING.

FEBRUARY 12-18

Spiritual Gems

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Grave

At Romans 3:13 the apostle Paul quotes Psalm 5:9, likening the throat of wicked and deceitful men to “an opened grave.” As an opened grave is to be filled with the dead and with corruption, their throat opens for speech that is deadly and corrupt.—Compare Mt 15:18-20.

FEBRUARY 19-25

Spiritual Gems

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Finger

Figuratively, God is spoken of as accomplishing work with his “finger(s),” such as writing the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (Ex 31:18; De 9:10), performing miracles (Ex 8:18, 19), and creating the heavens (Ps 8:3). That God’s “fingers” employed in creative activity have reference to his holy spirit, or active force, is indicated by the Genesis account of creation, where it is said that God’s active force (ruʹach, “spirit”) moved over the surface of the waters. (Ge 1:2) However, the Christian Greek Scriptures give the key to sure understanding of this symbolic usage, Matthew’s account explaining that Jesus expelled demons by ‘God’s holy spirit’ and Luke’s telling us that it was by “God’s finger.”—Mt 12:28; Lu 11:20.