the divine oracles and find an emphatic No! Jehovah did not mislead the Israelites as to his reason for their selection. “Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. Jehovah did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples: but because Jehovah loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he sware unto your fathers, hath Jehovah brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:6-8, AS) Unquestionably, the superiority of this nation would depend upon their being and remaining a people to exalt the name of Jehovah, for the psalmist sang, “He saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.”—Ps. 106:8.

12. Why would God not unalterably retain Israel as a people because of friendship with Abraham?

¹² True, God himself had said that it was because of the oath that he had sworn to their fathers. But that he did not thereby unalterably bind himself to maintain the entire nation as his own is clearly shown by what occurred in the wilderness in the second year after they left Egypt. After ten of the twelve spies that were sent into Canaan to spy out the land returned with an unfavorable and fearful report, Jehovah became angry with the nation for this manifest lack of faith. “And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.” (Num. 14:11, 12, AS) Centuries later John the Baptist also gave testimony on this point when he condemned certain ones of the natural descendants of Abraham: “You offspring of vipers, who has shown you how to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruits that befit repentance. And do not start saying within yourselves, ‘As a father we have Abraham.’ For I say to you that God has power to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Luke 3:7, 8, NW) Clearly Jehovah was not interested in a people just for their own sake or because of some supposed “superiority” that their position with him might give them. Nor was he here erecting a “master race” that could forever claim a favored standing because of God’s friendship for their forefather Abraham. Jehovah God never alters his righteous principles and has consistently maintained the position he established in Eden.

TYPICAL ISRAEL A UNITED FAMILY

13. How did Jehovah emphasize that the priesthood was not a special caste?

¹³ It is not strange, then, that in the organization of Israel no allowance for class distinction was made possible under the Law, neither was Jehovah erecting a caste system when he established the priesthood as an officiating body and a means of approach for the Israelites. Since Jehovah was emphasizing the sin-laden condition of the Jews, it was necessary that some provision be made whereby Jehovah would be accessible in worship. The priests, being consecrated and sanctified to this service, could provide this means of approach through the various sacrifices and oblations arranged for under the terms of the Law covenant. But even though the priests were given this peculiar privilege, Jehovah still emphasized the fact that he was God of all Israel. “At that time, saith Jehovah, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.”—Jer. 31:1, AS.

14. How did the tribe of Levi come into this favored position?

¹⁴ Furthermore, originally it was not the Levites that had been set apart as God’s chosen ones. In Egypt, when the angel of Jehovah went throughout the land and slew all the first-born of the Egyptians, all the first-born of all the families of Israel were sanctified by Jehovah and became his own by reason of their lives’ being spared. Thus all families were represented equally in his possession. Now, according to the practice in ancient times, the eldest sons would normally in course of time serve as priests anyway, but, in establishing his national priesthood, Jehovah, by his own right of independent action, took the Levites in their place. “And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine: for all the first-born are mine; on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast; mine they shall be: I am Jehovah.” (Num. 3:11-13, AS; see also Nu 3 verses 44-51) Thus it is that Jehovah in inaugurating the Law covenant said to all the families of Israel, “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:5, 6, AS) Certainly, then, Jehovah was not inaugurating with the Levites an elevated priesthood nor making a class distinction.

15. (a) What evidences show that families were not given undue prominence in Israel? (b) How was discrimination prevented?

¹⁵ As a further evidence that families were not given unusual prominence in Israel, marriage was permitted between members of differing tribes although it was not allowed in cases where the inheritance of land would thereby pass out of the tribe. (Num. 27:5-11; 36:1-12) Although marriage was forbidden with aliens, there were certain conditions when a marriage could even be made with a woman taken captive in war. (Deut. 21:10-13) It will be remembered that Rahab, an ancestress of Christ Jesus, was welcomed into the tribe of Judah by Salmon, who married her, as was also the case with Ruth, who became the wife of Boaz. (Matt. 1:2-5; Josh. 6:23, 25; Ruth 4:10, 13) In the matter of marriage it is remarkable too that even though a man was a servant he could marry his master’s daughter. (1 Chron. 2:34, 35) From this it is seen that servants occupied a very favored position in Israel. It is true that slavery was permitted, but was it not emphasized that all the nation of Israel was enslaved to Jehovah? (Lev. 25:55, AT) Furthermore it was not permitted that a natural son of Abraham be sold permanently into involuntary slavery to his brothers. (Ex. 21:2-8; Lev. 25:39-55; Deut. 15:12-18) In addition, servants were not to be oppressed in any way but were to be treated with consideration. Injuries resulting to them at the hands of their masters were to be recognized and punishment was to be meted out or proper remedy made even to the extent of letting the servant go free because of the loss of an eye or a tooth. (Ex. 21:20, 21, 26, 27, 32) Neither were wages to be withheld; prompt payment was required at all times. (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15) It becomes apparent then that although classes did appear in Israel the law did not allow for discrimination of any kind against any group or individual because of station in life. Only those who were enemies of the nation were ostracized or considered as outcasts.—Deut. 7:1-3.

16. What is pictured by the one law’s being given for homeborn and stranger alike?

¹⁶ Here again, however, we see the mercy of God manifested. Even though a positive commandment was given to completely destroy all those who were unlawfully in the land the Israelites were given to inherit, Jehovah made provision for those strangers who were favorably disposed toward the Jews. If they would be willing to submit to circumcision and would keep all the laws of Israel, they would be accepted as a part of the nation and would receive many blessings the same as the homeborn Jew. (Num. 15:14-16) Here then in every way in the nation of Israel is a beautiful picture of the unity that exists in the congregations of Jehovah’s people today, the one law for homeborn and stranger alike well picturing the one set of theocratic counsel for the “little flock” of the anointed and for the “other sheep”, dwelling together as “one flock”, a family without division.

Unity in New World Living a Reality

1, 2. How can it be seen that family life plays an important part in theocratic structure?

FAMILY life plays an important part in the theocratic structure of the Christian congregation. That is because Jehovah God has theocratically ordered the family arrangement just as he did in the beginning with Adam and later in the nation of Israel. While on the one hand it was true as regards the Israelites that they were Jews by birth and on the other it is true that Christians today are Jehovah’s witnesses by choice and association, still the family order prevails throughout the entire organization. As one leaves the old-world society and separates himself from the dying family that is under Adam’s condemnation he must of necessity, if he is to receive life, associate with the New World society and become a member of the family of God. This he does by accepting Jesus Christ as his father in the place of Adam and, if he is received by God, he is justified and made God’s own spiritual son or he is reserved for life everlasting on the earth and given this righteous standing at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ.

² Even those in the congregation that are placed in responsible positions as overseers are selected according to the manner of their control over their own families if they are married. (1 Tim. 3:4, 5) And when Paul shows the proper attitude for those in such positions he likens it to the family association. “Do not severely criticize an older man. To the contrary, entreat him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters with all chasteness.” (1 Tim. 5:1, 2, NW) So it is that the theocratic organization is in reality a family and God requires those who share in the activity and benefits of the family to share also in its responsibilities and to work for the best interests of the family.