Making the Mind Over for the New World

THE commission Jehovah God gave to Jeremiah required him to make over his mind. Though in his own estimation he was a mere boy, Jeremiah accepted that commission and proved faithful to it, letting God dictate both the substance and manner of presenting his message. The same principles apply to Jehovah’s spokesmen today. If we would faithfully carry out our commission we must ‘be made new in the force actuating our minds.’—Eph. 4:23.

To make over our minds requires, first of all, that we study God’s Word, together with the helps he has provided. Meditation on the things we have learned is also essential. More than that, we must associate with our brothers at the congregational meetings. And not to be overlooked is prayer.

What does all this mean to us in practical application and within the prophetic picture made by Jeremiah? That by both our words and our actions we must say: “Down with the old! Up with the new!” It means that we will divest ourselves of all sentimental and erroneous notions as to Jehovah God’s purpose regarding an apostate people called by his name. Christendom will be deservedly destroyed just as surely as was ancient Jerusalem. We may therefore no more pray for it—or sing its patriotic songs that are in effect a prayer on behalf of a part of Christendom—than Jeremiah was permitted to do.—Jer. 7:16.a

Back there Jehovah God gave Jeremiah a twofold commission: “See, I have commissioned you this day . . . to uproot and to pull down and to destroy and to tear down, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah uprooted and pulled down .Jerusalem by predicting that it was doomed. He was also commissioned to plant and to build. This he did by telling of a miraculous restoration of Jehovah’s people.—Jer. 1:10.

Likewise we, the Jeremiah class of today. have a twofold commission to carry out. By fearlessly warning of Jehovah’s vengeance to be executed at Armageddon, we are doing a tearing down and destroying work. And by preaching this good news of the Kingdom’s having been established and the blessings that it will soon bring to the world God loved so much, we are doing a building and planting work. In response to the message, a great crowd of sheeplike ones have taken their stand and join in the preaching work.

Fraught with meaning for us today is also the prophetic picture of the yoke. Just as Jeremiah back there warned of an iron yoke that would replace the wooden yoke that false prophet Hananiah broke, so we today must warn all those of good will toward God that unless they voluntarily submit to the wooden yoke of dedication to God they will come under the iron yoke of destruction at Armageddon. To take the yoke of the reigning King Jesus Christ means sweet refreshment to one’s soul.

Truly, we have a striking theme with which to start off the new year and a new Watchtower subscription campaign!

[Footnotes]