Wisdom and Happiness Under New World Administration
People who want to be free, happy and prosperous are always seeking for good government. Why? The answer is obvious. Good government spreads happiness. Bad government spreads misery. This principle is aptly stated in these words: “When the righteous are in power, the people rejoice; but when the wicked bear rule, the people groan.”—Prov. 29:2, AT.
The new world will be full of rejoicing because its government is wholly righteous. An examination of the written Word of Jehovah will bring to view ample evidence that this is true.
Good government existed in the days of Solomon, king of Israel, while he was faithful toward Jehovah, whom he represented as king. Solomon put into operation the principles he learned from David his father, who preceded him on the throne. David had said: “‘When one ruling over mankind is righteous, ruling in the fear of God, then it is as the light of morning, when the sun shines forth, a morning without clouds. From brightness, from rain, there is grass out of the earth.’ For is not my household like that with God?” Evidently Solomon’s household was “like that with God,” for every day was a happy day. The record states: “Judah and Israel were many, like the grains of sand that are by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. And Judah and Israel continued to dwell in security, everyone under his own vine tree and under his own fig tree, from Dan to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.”—2 Sam. 23:3-5; 1 Ki. 4:20, 25.
Solomon’s reputation for righteous administration spread throughout all the ancient world. Foreigners who came to see for themselves soon found out that the reputation did not do justice to the reality. The queen of Sheba said: “I did not put faith in the words until I had come that my own eyes might see, and, look! I had not been told the half. You have surpassed in wisdom and prosperity the things heard to which I listened. Happy are your men, happy are these servants of yours who are standing before you constantly, listening to your wisdom!” More important than her words of praise was the blessing she invoked upon Jehovah because of what she had seen. “May Jehovah your God come to be blessed, who has taken delight in you by putting you upon the throne of Israel, because Jehovah loves Israel to time indefinite, so that he appointed you as king to render judicial decision and righteousness.”—1 Ki 10:7-9.
Jehovah rightly deserved to be blessed. All that Solomon had came as a gift from God. In his youth and inexperience Solomon had requested Jehovah: “You must give to your servant an obedient heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad.” Jehovah replied: “Look! I shall certainly give you a wise and understanding heart, . . . And also what you have not requested I shall certainly give you, both riches and glory, so that there will not have happened to be any among the kings like you, all your days.”—1 Ki. 3:9, 12, 13.
THE ONE GREATER THAN SOLOMON
Great as Solomon was, there is one who is greater. That one is Christ Jesus, upon whose shoulders rests the government of the entire new world. He is spoken of as “something more than Solomon” and “the most high of the kings of the earth” because of his endowments from the Most High God. His administration brings permanent happiness to all obedient mankind. In fact, Solomon’s wise and righteous administration was only a faint foregleam of the perfect administration of the new world by Christ Jesus.—Matt. 12:42; Ps. 89:27; Isa. 9:6, 7, AV.
Christ Jesus is the very embodiment of wisdom. “Carefully concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.” Foretelling the admirable qualities of the Administrator of the new world, Jehovah said: “And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah. And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.”—Col. 2:3; Isa. 11:1-4, AS.
In the year 1914 Jehovah began the administration of the new world by enthroning Christ Jesus and authorizing him to rule in the midst of his enemies. Shortly thereafter the beneficial effects of the New World administration began to be felt on earth. In 1919 the remnant of the members of the body of Christ on earth were freed from spiritual captivity to modern “Babylon,” Satan’s world organization. They were formed into a clean service organization and sent forth throughout the earth to spread abroad the wisdom of God, which brings happiness. True to his promise, Jehovah uses only one service organization, which is appropriately named “the faithful and discreet slave.” The spiritual prosperity of Jehovah’s visible organization today is ample proof of the discreet manner in which the slave class has administered all the King’s “belongings.”—Ps. 110:2; Isa. 48:20; 6:5-12; 52:11-13, AS; Matt. 24:45.
WISE PROVISIONS
Accurate knowledge and true wisdom are the forerunners of real happiness. It is written: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.” (Prov. 3:13-18, AS) The government of the new world has made ample provision for mankind to gain wisdom that is even greater than that of Solomon. Through its visible representative, the “faithful and discreet slave” class, it has provided two of the finest magazines in existence today, namely, The Watchtower and Awake! These magazines contain New World wisdom. The reading and study of them brings New World happiness. No other magazines on earth can stir up such surging hope and confident assurance of life and happiness in a new world free of misery.
Other wise provisions of the New World administration are meetings, where the treasures of spiritual knowledge and wisdom are freely shared by all in attendance. These are conducted in Kingdom Halls and in homes of Jehovah’s witnesses. People who really want wisdom do not stay at home. They are not satisfied with just reading about it or hearing about it in their homes. They are like the queen of Sheba. She heard about the wisdom of Solomon in her own home country, but she was not satisfied with that. She wanted to go and see for herself whether all that she heard was really true. After personal investigation she found that she had heard only the half of what could be learned. So it is with those today who are not satisfied with what they hear at home. They investigate further by getting as close as possible to the source of the divine wisdom. They get in association with the “faithful and discreet slave” class by going to the Kingdom Hall or meeting place near their home. There they find that they have heard ‘only the half’ of what there is to learn. They increase their happiness by taking in more knowledge of God. They constantly marvel at the new things revealed by Jehovah through his one service organization under the supervision of Christ Jesus, who is greater than Solomon.
No greater proof of New World wisdom bringing such happiness could be presented than the hundreds of thousands who attended the “Triumphant Kingdom” assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses held in 1955 throughout North America and Europe. The moving picture “The Happiness of the New World Society,” produced by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, is a record of the evidence. Nowhere on earth is there another international group that enjoys such happiness today. All credit and honor goes to Jehovah, who gave the throne of the New World government to his Son, who rules with excelling wisdom, bringing happiness.
However, the greatest happiness under the New World administration does not come from just hearing and accepting words of divine wisdom. There is a greater happiness. The apostle Paul spoke of this to the older men of the congregation of Ephesus. He said: “You must assist those who are weak and must bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’” Yes, that is the way to fill up the full measure of one’s happiness. Knowing this to be true, the King Christ Jesus directs all his followers on earth to give as freely as they have received of the divine wisdom. They “go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations,” spreading happiness amid an old world of gloom. As one united body of ministers they form a New World society. They dwell in a spiritual climate that is as refreshing as a beautiful dawn. “It is as the light of morning, when the sun shines forth, a morning without clouds.”—Acts 20:35; Matt. 28:19; 2 Sam. 23:4.
For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; out of his mouth there are knowledge and discernment. And for the upright ones he will treasure up practical wisdom; for those walking in integrity he is a shield.—Prov. 2:6, 7.