How to Make Your Bible Reading Fruitful

“BLESSED are the poor in spirit.” Such are the opening words of Jesus’ celebrated Sermon on the Mount, according to several English-language Bibles. (Matthew 5:3, Revised Standard Version, Protestant and Catholic editions) Can you understand what Jesus really meant by “poor in spirit”? Was he referring to those who are discouraged? Or could he have meant the feeble-minded? The latter may seem unlikely, but surely it is important to know.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are recognized even by their critics as excellent Bible students, have found that the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures admirably meets the requirements of clarity and accuracy. It renders that passage from the Sermon on the Mount: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.”

Some Bible commentaries admit that this is what “poor in spirit” means. Why, then, do many current versions, such as the Catholic Jerusalem Bible and the New International Version, persist in using the expression “poor in spirit”?

This example shows that in order to make one’s Bible reading fruitful, it is necessary to choose a translation that is faithful, clear, and understandable.

Proper Attitude

Fruitful Bible reading also requires a proper attitude on the part of the reader. Those same words of the Sermon on the Mount nicely sum up what our attitude should be, namely: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” Is your life lacking a true spiritual dimension? Are you aware of the fact that you need to feed your mind and heart with spiritual food? The Bible can help you fill that need.

However, you will not find food for mind and heart in the Bible if you read it as you would any other piece of literature. You must approach it, “not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) You will be reading, not human philosophy or nationalistic history, but God’s thoughts and the history of his dealings with his servants on earth. It also contains amazing prophecies, some of these having already been fulfilled, while others are being fulfilled before our eyes or are yet due to come to pass for mankind’s greatest good.

Since the Bible is the Word of God, to read it fruitfully a person should seek His help. Prayer to God is, therefore, an appropriate prelude to Bible reading. In simple words, expressed from your heart, ask him to help you to understand what you read and how to apply it in your personal life. Sometimes we lack the ability to use the knowledge we have acquired, which ability is wisdom. The Bible itself counsels: “If any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep on asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching; and it will be given him. But let him keep on asking in faith, not doubting at all.”​—James 1:5, 6.

Reading With Faith

You may say: ‘How can I pray in faith and read with faith if I lack faith?’ Well, if you approach Bible reading ‘conscious of your spiritual need,’ your faith will increase as you gain knowledge of Jehovah God and his marvelous purposes centered upon Christ. True faith is not to be confused with blind credulity. The Bible itself defines faith as “the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.”​—Hebrews 11:1.

True faith requires an underlying basis of knowledge, and such knowledge makes the things promised by God become as real as though they were beheld. Faith is, therefore, something that can be acquired. It follows the reading and hearing of things pertaining to God and his wonderful purposes for mankind. As the apostle Paul puts it, “Faith follows the thing heard. In turn the thing heard is through the word about Christ.”​—Romans 10:17.a

As your faith increases, your Bible reading will become more fruitful. Why? Because your “expectation of things hoped for” will become more “assured.” This might be illustrated by a new friendship between you and another person. As time passes and you get to know the person better, your confidence in that one grows. Finally, after living through many situations in which your friend has never let you down, you come to put implicit trust in that person. If he or she writes to you, you know how to get the spirit of what is meant. Even if a sentence is not too clear, you know the person so well that you have no difficulty in grasping the thought. You read that friend’s letter in a trusting way, not with suspicion.

Similarly, the more you get to know the Bible and its Author, Jehovah God, the more trust you will have in both God and his Word. Even some episodes in Bible history that may seem difficult to understand will not shake that trust. For instance, even if the reason for drastic action by God against some person or nation is not immediately apparent, you will have confidence that it was necessary. It is much the way you might say of a trusted friend: ‘Well, if he did that, there must have been a good reason.’

Of course, your faith in God will be strengthened if you can find the reason why he acted in such a way or why he sometimes appears to delay in acting against the wicked. But you may need help. That brings us to another important aspect of fruitful Bible reading.

The Need for Help

It is an excellent thing to read the entire Bible. At the rate of one chapter a day, it would take you over three years to get through both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures. If you read three or four chapters a day, it will take you about a year. However, to get a general idea of what the Bible contains, you might start with Psalms and Proverbs. Then go back to Genesis, Exodus, and First Samuel before moving on to the Christian era, with Matthew, Acts, and a few of the letters written to the early Christians, such as Philippians, James, and First or Second Peter.

While doing this, you will come to realize that in order to get practical and spiritual benefit from the Bible, it is good to find out what it says on a given subject. Passages bearing on one subject may be widely separated. You will likely feel the need for Bible study aids that will help you to learn what the Scriptures say, topic by topic. Also, since the books of the Bible are not arranged in strictly chronological order, such aids can help you to grasp the time sequence. Geographic and historical background material can also be very useful in understanding the Scriptures.

Where can such Bible study help be found? In recent years Catholic authors have published many books ostensibly meant to help Catholics in their Bible reading. But such authors find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. If such authors truly help Catholics to understand the Bible, the latter quickly discover that much Catholic dogma cannot be found in it. On the other hand, if the authors justify Catholic doctrine, they undermine the readers’ confidence in the Bible because they subordinate Scripture to church tradition.​—Compare Mark 7:13.

More and more sincere Catholics are accepting help from Jehovah’s Witnesses. In many lands, thousands of Catholic people are struggling to read the Bible with understanding but are receiving little or no help from their local priests. They resemble the Ethiopian official who was reading the book of Isaiah. When the evangelizer Philip asked if he really understood what he was reading, the Ethiopian humbly replied: “How can I, unless some one guides me?” (Acts 8:31, RS, Catholic edition) Philip helped him, and a little later this sincere man became a baptized Christian. Similarly, as they go from door to door Jehovah’s Witnesses meet Catholics, and when these say that they have a Bible in their home, the Witnesses ask if they would like help to make their Bible reading really fruitful.

Reading That Produces Fruitage

In their Bible educational work, Jehovah’s Witnesses use a wide range of Bible study aids, such as My Book of Bible Stories (116 Bible accounts presented in simple language and in chronological order), Is the Bible Really the Word of God? (for scientific and historical evidence of the Bible’s authenticity), “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial” (a book-by-book summary of the Bible’s contents, with geographic and historical background information), and You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth (which gathers scriptures on 30 vital topics, including the wonderful hope God’s Word sets before sincere Bible readers today).

These Bible study aids, together with the personal help that Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to offer you free of charge, will make your Bible reading pleasurable and fruitful. You will find guidance for everyday living and a wonderful hope for life in God’s promised New Order, where, at long last, the will of God will “be done, on earth as in heaven.”​—Matthew 6:10, JB.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 7]

The Ethiopian recognized what is needed to understand the Bible

Digging Deeper Into God’s Word

‘If as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, you will find the very knowledge of God.’​—PROVERBS 2:4, 5.

1. What is a true source of happiness, and why?

“HAPPY is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment, for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold itself. It is more precious than corals, and all other delights of yours cannot be made equal to it. Length of days is in its right hand . . . It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy.”​—Proverbs 3:13-18.

2. Why are Jehovah’s Witnesses happy, but what advice are they given from the time of their baptism?

² True Christians are happy, indeed, to have found wisdom. That means the ability to use their knowledge of God’s Word in their active worship, in solving their day-to-day problems, and in making decisions concerning their goals in life. Before being accepted for baptism by Jehovah’s Witnesses, each candidate’s basic Bible knowledge is tested by a comprehensive series of pointed questions. One of the concluding questions asks: “Following your baptism in water, why will it be vital for you to maintain a good schedule for personal study and to share regularly in the ministry?” This impresses on the mind of that baptismal candidate the need to continue to study beyond the elementary things and “press on to maturity.” (Hebrews 6:1) But do all heed this advice?

3, 4. (a) What did Paul state about some Christians in Corinth and in Judea? (b) What appears to be the case with some Christians today?

³ In his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul complained that he was unable to speak to them “as to spiritual men,” but that he needed to speak to them “as to babes in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:1) Similarly, he wrote, likely to Christians living in Judea: “Concerning him we have much to say and hard to be explained, since you have become dull in your hearing. For, indeed, although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God; and you have become such as need milk, not solid food. For everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”​—Hebrews 5:11-13.

⁴ Today, likewise, it would appear that some, when once they have acquired sufficient knowledge to dedicate themselves to Jehovah, with the hope of living forever in Paradise on earth, do not develop serious, long-term study habits. They may feel that they know enough to “get along,” spiritually speaking. They do not go beyond the “milk” stage. Paul states frankly that such ones remain “unacquainted with the word of righteousness,” that is, they are unaccustomed to using “the word of righteousness” to test things out. Paul adds: “But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong.”​—Hebrews 5:14.

“Solid Food” Needed for Growth

5, 6. (a) What is true of some who have been in the truth for years, and why is this abnormal? (b) What did Paul say to such ones, and so what should they do?

⁵ How many years have you been a dedicated servant of Jehovah? Reflect on your spiritual growth over those years. Are you able to explain from the Bible only the basic truths, “the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God”? A few who have been in the Christian way for 10 or 20 years are still at the “milk” stage. What would people think of a child 10 years old, or of a young man or woman aged 20, who was still being bottle-fed on milk? Would this not be an anomaly? Would not such a milk diet stunt the person’s growth? The individual might survive, but he or she would not grow into a strong and healthy adult. The same is true spiritually.

⁶ Why are some who have been Christians for years not spiritually strong enough to take an active part in helping the normal “babes,” those who have just taken their stand for Jehovah? These who have not advanced have for years received of the time and attention of Christian elders and other mature ones. Still, as Paul says, they themselves “ought to be teachers in view of the time.” To become teachers, they must progress beyond the “milk” diet and get used to eating “solid food.” How can they do this?​—Hebrews 5:12.

7. According to Hebrews 5:14, for whom is “solid food” appropriate, and how does a Christian become one of such?

⁷ Paul says that “solid food belongs to mature people,” and he defines such as “those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” In other words, those who make a habit of using whatever knowledge of God’s Word they have to distinguish both right and wrong will gradually train their perceptive powers and will attain Christian maturity. They will become accustomed to using “the word of righteousness” to test things out and thus distinguish between what is wholesome and what is hurtful morally, spiritually, and even physically. By applying what they learn, they will no longer be “unacquainted with the word of righteousness.” They will become “mature people,” those to whom “solid food belongs.”​—Hebrews 5:13, 14.

Develop Good “Eating” Habits

8. How could a Christian limit himself to a “milk” diet, but how can he change his spiritual “eating” habits?

⁸ Sick people who have been put on a milk diet over a long period of time have to accustom their body to taking in solid food once more. Similarly, those who have developed the habit of “pecking” at the spiritual food served by “the faithful and discreet slave,” leaving on the side of their plate, as it were, those choice morsels that require a little more “chewing” (thought and research), will need to put forth an effort to develop good spiritual “eating” habits. They will need to ‘arouse their clear thinking faculties’ and ‘exert themselves vigorously.’​—Matthew 24:45; 2 Peter 3:1, 2; Luke 13:24.

9. What can help someone who has lost his appetite?

⁹ Three things can help a person who has been sick to recover his appetite for solid, nourishing food: (1) proper motivation, that is, the desire to get well and strong again, (2) appetizing food served at regular intervals, and (3) sufficient fresh air and exercise. How could these points help someone who has lost his appetite for the deeper things of God’s Word?

10. What proper motivation should move us to increase our knowledge of God’s Word?

¹⁰ Any person who has dedicated his life to Jehovah should have strong motivation for increasing his knowledge of God’s Word. Our love for Jehovah moves us to become better acquainted with his wonderful qualities, his will, and his purposes. This requires deep study and meditation. (Psalm 1:1, 2; 119:97) Moreover, our hope to live forever in God’s Paradise earth depends upon our continually ‘taking in knowledge of the only true God and of his Son, Jesus Christ.’ (John 17:3) But our desire for everlasting life should not be our primary motive for studying the Scriptures. That was the mistake some faithless Jews made. Our “searching the Scriptures” must be done primarily out of love for God and with the desire to do his will.​—John 5:39-42; Psalm 143:10.

11. How are we served appetizing food at regular times?

¹¹ The abundance of appetizing spiritual food served regularly and “at the proper time” by “the faithful and discreet slave” should move all of us to show our appreciation by taking full advantage of the good things provided. (Matthew 24:45) We should develop good spiritual “eating” habits by setting aside sufficient time to read and study all the fine material published in the Watch Tower Society’s books and magazines. Spiritual food is served at regular times at the five weekly meetings organized in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the world. Are you present at all these meetings and well prepared to assimilate the food served?

12. (a) What is another way in which a Christian can build up his spiritual appetite? (b) So, what questions may we ask ourselves?

¹² Love for God as well as love for neighbor should move us to study His Word. (Luke 10:27) A person who has lost his physical appetite can benefit from fresh air and exercise. So, too, the Christian who wants to build up an appetite for “solid food” can be helped by getting out in the preaching work and using his knowledge to spread “this good news of the kingdom” and to “make disciples of people of all the nations.” (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) Remember, Paul said to those who had “become such as need milk,” or spiritual babes, that they “ought to be teachers in view of the time.” (Hebrews 5:12) Where do you stand, in view of the time you have been a true Christian? If you are a brother, have you advanced to the stage where you can be useful as a “teacher” in the field, and perhaps also as an elder in the congregation? If you are a Christian sister, are you able to conduct upbuilding Bible studies in the homes of people who show interest in God’s truth or perhaps to help your Christian sisters in the witnessing work?

Make Study a Pleasure

13. What is the difference between reading and studying?

¹³ It has been said that reading is a pleasure whereas studying is work. There is some truth in that. Much upbuilding reading can be done for pleasurable relaxation. What could be more enjoyable than an hour or two spent in a comfortable position reading a report from the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses or an issue of the Awake! magazine? Study, however, means work. A dictionary states: “Study implies sustained purposeful concentration with such careful attention to details as is likely to reveal the possibilities, applications, variations, or relations of the thing studied.” Yes, study requires effort. But just as any work well done can be satisfying and remunerative, study can be pleasurable and spiritually rewarding. It is in our interest to make it so. How?

14. What may you need to do to make your personal study more pleasurable and beneficial?

¹⁴ For study to be enjoyable and really beneficial, it is necessary to devote sufficient time to it. Since “study implies sustained purposeful concentration” and “careful attention to details,” how often can you honestly say that you have studied your Watchtower or the publication used for your Congregation Book Study? Would it not be more accurate to say that oftentimes you skim through the study material and quickly underline the answers to the questions, without really getting down to the details and the reasons for the explanations given? If this is the case with you, probably the first step you should take to improve your spiritual “eating” habits is to ‘buy out the opportune time’ for study. (Ephesians 5:15-17) This may mean making drastic transfers of time from other less essential activities. But you may be surprised how enjoyable study can become when you have the time to do the material justice rather than having to rush through it.

15. What else is indispensable for study to be both enjoyable and spiritually beneficial?

¹⁵ Not unrelated to the time factor is the matter of prayer. Jehovah’s blessing is essential for study to be spiritually beneficial. We need to pray to him, in the name of Jesus, asking him to open up our minds and hearts and to make them really receptive to the truths to be studied. How often have you had to sit down hurriedly to prepare for a meeting, only to realize later that you forgot to ask Jehovah for his blessing and for wisdom to apply in your daily life the things learned? Why deprive yourself of Jehovah’s help when it is there for the asking?​—James 1:5-7.

Digging Deeper

16. In line with the theme text for this study, what must we do to find knowledge, discernment, and understanding?

¹⁶ Proverbs 2:4, 5 states: ‘If as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, you will find the very knowledge of God.’ The context of that passage speaks of the need to seek out Jehovah’s “sayings,” “commandments,” “wisdom,” “discernment,” and “understanding.” Searching for treasures requires effort and perseverance. It calls for much digging. It is not different when searching for “the very knowledge of God,” for “discernment,” and for “understanding.” This also requires much digging, or penetrating below the surface. Do not feel that it is sufficient to skim over the surface of God’s Word.

17. What do the Scriptures say about Jehovah’s thoughts, and so for what should we be thankful?

¹⁷ A psalmist exclaimed: “How great your works are, O Jehovah! Very deep your thoughts are.” (Psalm 92:5) The apostle Paul wrote admiringly: “O the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!” (Romans 11:33) In another letter, he spoke of “the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10) True, as Paul explains, God reveals such deep things “through his spirit,” which active force acts powerfully upon the anointed Christians appointed by Christ Jesus to provide spiritual food. We should be truly thankful for the spiritual digging that the “slave” class does to make clearer and clearer for us “the hidden depths of God’s purposes.”​—1 Corinthians 2:10, Today’s English Version.

18. How can each Christian dig deeper into God’s Word, and what special digging tools have been provided?

¹⁸ But that does not relieve each individual Christian of the responsibility to dig deeper into God’s Word, for the purpose of getting the full depth of the thoughts explained. This involves looking up the scriptures cited. It means reading the footnotes in Watchtower articles, some of which refer the reader to an older publication that provides a fuller explanation of a certain passage or prophecy. It requires digging deeper, putting forth effort to locate that older publication and then studying the pages referred to. It consists of making full use of specialized Bible study aids that the “slave” class has made available over the years, such as indexes, concordances, Aid to Bible Understanding, and “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial.” Yes, Christians have been provided with excellent digging tools, the latest of which is the new English-language Reference Bible, which, in time, will be available in a number of other languages. Let us use these digging tools to good advantage.

Study With a Purpose

19. What word of caution is vital about knowledge?

¹⁹ The purpose of our digging deeper into God’s Word is not to make us feel superior to our brothers or to make a show of our knowledge. This is often the case with worldly people. In principle, what Paul wrote is true here: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1) Love will move us humbly to use our knowledge in the preaching and disciple-making work and in contributing discreetly to the spiritual value of Christian meetings.

20. What exhortations does Paul give in this connection?

²⁰ Let us “no longer be babes,” but “grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13-15) “Let us press on to maturity.” (Hebrews 6:1) Let us be mature people, able to assimilate “solid food” that will make us spiritually strong and useful within the Christian congregation. However, this involves more than taking in knowledge by study. It requires feeding upon Jehovah’s utterances or published expressions with appreciation, which we will consider in the following article.​—Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 56:8; 66:2.

Sustaining Ourselves on the Fulfillment of Jehovah’s Utterances

“Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”​—MATTHEW 4:4.

1. How is Jehovah the Great Food Provider, but what statement did Jesus make about man’s needs?

JEHOVAH is the Great Food Provider. He presented himself as such to man in the very first chapter of the Bible. (Genesis 1:29, 30) Much later, the psalmist David gratefully said to Jehovah: “To you the eyes of all look hopefully, and you are giving them their food in its season. You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15, 16) Yes, Jehovah has provided an abundance of food for both man and animal. There is a difference though. Whereas animals require only physical food, Jesus showed that man needs more than physical bread, or food. He ‘must live also on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.’​—Matthew 4:4.

2. What should we know concerning the meaning of Jesus’ words at Matthew 4:4?

² Jesus made this statement in reply to Satan, who had tried to tempt Him into miraculously converting stones to bread. The Devil did not press the point but quickly moved on to another temptation. Judging by the erroneous way he then applied Psalm 91:11, 12, maybe Satan did not even understand what Jesus meant in His reply to the first temptation. (Matthew 4:3-7) But we servants of Jehovah are very interested in what Jesus said. We who enjoy digging deeper into the Bible so as to get the maximum spiritual benefit can ask: Did Jesus mean that in order to lead a full life, man must study and perhaps memorize “every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth”? Or what did he mean?

Jehovah’s Utterances

3, 4. What twofold meaning do the Greek and Hebrew words for “utterance” have? Illustrate.

³ In rebutting Satan, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 according to the Greek Septuagint version of this Hebrew scripture. The Greek word translated “utterance” (rheʹma) has a twofold meaning. It is sometimes translated “word,” “expression,” or “utterance.” But, like its Hebrew equivalent (da·varʹ), it can also mean “thing.”

⁴ In Luke 1:37 we read: “With God no declaration [rheʹma] will be an impossibility.” Luke 2:15 reads: “The shepherds began saying to one another: ‘Let us by all means go clear to Bethlehem and see this thing [rheʹma] that has taken place, which Jehovah has made known to us.’” So, particularly as used in connection with Jehovah, this Greek word can imply a “word,” a “declaration,” or an “utterance” of God. Or it can imply a “thing,” whether that refers to an “event,” or “action” described, the result of what is said, the word fulfilled.

5. What is the meaning of Luke 1:37?

⁵ Thus understood, Luke 1:37 does not mean that God can say just anything. That could be true of a man, even if what he said was unlikely to occur or was meaningless. But regarding God’s statements, the import of Luke 1:37 is that no word or declaration of Jehovah can go unfulfilled. The declaration that the angel had made to Mary was thus bound to come to pass. The thought behind the Hebrew and the Greek words used for Jehovah’s “word,” “utterance,” “expression,” or “declaration” is beautifully expressed in the book of Isaiah. Jehovah states: “For just as the pouring rain descends, and the snow, from the heavens and does not return to that place, unless it actually saturates the earth and makes it produce and sprout, and seed is actually given to the sower and bread to the eater, so my word [Hebrew, da·varʹ; Greek, rheʹma] that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. It will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.”​—Isaiah 55:10, 11.

“Not on Bread Alone”

6, 7. What was the historical and geographic context of Deuteronomy 8:2, 3?

⁶ Now, coming back to the point, what did Jesus mean when, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, he said that “man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth”? (Matthew 4:4) Was he saying that the godly man is sustained just by utterances, words, or declarations? Would head knowledge of such divine expressions be sufficient? Let us examine the historical context of the words Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy.

⁷ The Bible study aid “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial” informs us, on page 36: “The book of Deuteronomy contains a dynamic message for Jehovah’s people. After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, the sons of Israel now stood on the threshold of the Land of Promise.” The year was 1473 B.C.E. The place? The plains of Moab. In his second discourse to the assembled Israelites, Moses declared: “You must remember all the way that Jehovah your God made you walk these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, to put you to the test so as to know what was in your heart, as to whether you would keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you and let you go hungry and fed you with the manna, which neither you had known nor your fathers had known; in order to make you know that not by bread alone does man live but by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth does man live.”​—Deuteronomy 8:2, 3.

8. What had been the situation of the Israelites, and why had Jehovah allowed this?

⁸ Just imagine! Several million Israelites​—old and young, men, women, and children—​had been walking for 40 long years in “the great and fear-inspiring wilderness, with poisonous serpents and scorpions and with thirsty ground that [had] no water.” (Deuteronomy 8:15) They had needed water to drink and food to eat. Jehovah had, at times, allowed them to be thirsty and hungry. Why? So as to impress upon their minds that “not by bread alone does man live but by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth.”

9. How had the Israelites’ needs been filled by Jehovah’s utterances?

⁹ What was the connection between the Israelites’ needs and the expressions, or utterances, coming forth from Jehovah’s mouth? Well, what tangible things had come to pass among the Israelites as a result of Jehovah’s utterances? Moses wrote: “Your mantle did not wear out upon you, nor did your foot become swollen these forty years. . . . [Jehovah] brought forth water for you out of the flinty rock; [and he] fed you with manna in the wilderness.” (Deuteronomy 8:4, 15, 16) The connection is this: The Israelites would have received none of these things if Jehovah had not commanded them to take place. Thus, the Israelites had literally lived “by every expression [or, command] of Jehovah’s mouth.”

Sustained by Jehovah’s Utterances

10, 11. In what other ways were the Israelites able to be sustained by Jehovah’s utterances?

¹⁰ Besides depending on Jehovah for such material benefits as food, water, and clothing, how else were the Israelites able to be sustained by Jehovah’s utterances? There were spiritual benefits too. Moses told the Israelites that Jehovah had caused them to go through these experiences in the desert ‘in order to humble them, to put them to the test so as to know what was in their heart, as to whether they would keep his commandments or not.’ He added: “You well know with your own heart that just as a man corrects his son, Jehovah your God was correcting you . . . so as to do you good in your afterdays.”​—Deuteronomy 8:2, 5, 16.

¹¹ Yes, if the Israelites had taken full advantage of their experiences in the wilderness, they would have learned to ‘live by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth,’ not only by learning to obey his written commandments but actually by experiencing the results of Jehovah’s utterances in their life as a nation and in their individual lives. They had been given ample opportunity to “taste and see that Jehovah is good.” (Psalm 34:8) These enriching experiences in connection with Jehovah’s words​—both uttered and fulfilled—​should have sustained them spiritually.

12, 13. How did Joshua familiarize himself with Jehovah’s utterances, and to what did he testify?

¹² Joshua, who succeeded Moses as leader of Israel, informed himself of Jehovah’s utterances by filling his mind with them. His faith was strengthened by observing their fulfillment. After Moses’ death, Jehovah made this utterance to Joshua: “This book of the law should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an undertone read in it day and night, in order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely.”​—Joshua 1:8.

¹³ Toward the end of his life, after having faithfully obeyed Jehovah’s word and observed its fulfillment upon Jehovah’s people, Joshua was able to testify: “So Jehovah gave Israel all the land that he had sworn to give to their forefathers, and they proceeded to take possession of it and to dwell in it. Furthermore, Jehovah gave them rest all around, according to everything that he had sworn to their forefathers, and not one of all their enemies stood before them. All their enemies Jehovah gave into their hand. Not a promise [Hebrew, da·varʹ; Greek, rheʹma] failed out of all the good promise that Jehovah had made to the house of Israel; it all came true.” (Joshua 21:43-45) Joshua truly lived and was sustained, not on literal bread alone, “but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”​—Matthew 4:4.

Living Today by Jehovah’s Utterances

14. (a) By digging deeper into Matthew 4:4, how can we better understand what Jesus meant? (b) What strengthened appreciative Israelites?

¹⁴ Having dug a little deeper into the above words quoted by Jesus in reply to the Devil’s temptation, we are better able to understand what Jesus meant. The historical and geographic context of Moses’ account, quoted from by Jesus, shows that the utterances of Jehovah by which godly men and women must live are not just words learned by rote. For those Israelites, “every expression of Jehovah’s mouth” was linked with the manna, the water, and the clothing that did not wear out. Yes, the utterances included their fulfillment, the wonderful things Jehovah did for his people. It was their experiencing these things, in fulfillment of Jehovah’s utterances, that strengthened the appreciative Israelites.

15. How can Jehovah’s utterances nourish us?

¹⁵ Similarly today, what nourishes Jehovah’s people is not simply reading and studying Jehovah’s utterances, as necessary as this is. It is experiencing, collectively and individually, the wonderful way in which Jehovah deals with us and acts on our behalf. The more we are conscious of Jehovah’s dealings with us, the more such fulfilled utterances will nourish us, strengthening our faith, our spirituality.

16. (a) With what did a psalmist concern himself? (b) How should we do likewise, and how will this help us?

¹⁶ A psalmist wrote: “I shall remember the practices of Jah; for I will remember your marvelous doing of long ago. And I shall certainly meditate on all your activity, and with your dealings I will concern myself.” (Psalm 77:11, 12) If we concern ourselves with Jehovah’s practices, doings, activities, and dealings on behalf of his people, realizing that they are a tangible expression of his utterances, these divine providences will be like spiritual bread for us. They will draw us into a closer personal relationship with Jehovah. We will be like Jesus. He refused to turn stones into loaves of bread at the Devil’s bidding. Likewise we will take care not to allow material things or undue concern about material needs to cause us to fall into the Devil’s trap and abandon Jehovah’s worship.

17. In what way was Jesus a wonderful example?

¹⁷ Jesus stated: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34) He was a wonderful example, showing us in a practical way that “man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”​—Matthew 4:4.

Awaiting Further Instructions

18. What divine utterance is now being fulfilled?

¹⁸ Jehovah, through his Son, has stated that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth” before the end comes. (Matthew 24:14) That divine utterance is in course of fulfillment as a result of the worldwide preaching work of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Are you ‘living’ on that utterance from Jehovah’s mouth by having a full share in the preaching work and thus receiving spiritual sustenance because you are doing his will?

19, 20. What other divine utterances will shortly cause exciting events?

¹⁹ Other utterances of Jehovah are due to cause exciting events in the near future. “The ten horns” and “the wild beast” will turn against “the harlot,” Babylon the Great. Yes, the destruction of that world empire of false religion by antireligious elements within the United Nations will be an outstanding action resulting from the carrying out of one of Jehovah’s utterances.​—Revelation 17:16, 17.

²⁰ Another remarkable divine utterance will come to pass when Jehovah symbolically puts “hooks” in the jaws of Gog, or Satan, challenging him and his “military force” to attack His people on earth. (Ezekiel 38:2-4, 8-12) Yet another divine utterance will bring the destruction of Gog’s hordes. (Ezekiel 39:1-6)a This will mean “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon. (Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21) How thrilling it will be for Jehovah’s faithful people to observe the fulfillment of these divine utterances and, in the midst of the fray, to hear figuratively this further utterance: “Stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah in your behalf.”​—2 Chronicles 20:17.

21. The carrying out of Jehovah’s utterances will bring about what developments?

²¹ Then, carrying out another divine utterance, Christ will bind Satan and his demons and hurl them into the abyss for “a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:1-3) That thousand years will allow for the fulfillment of other utterances of Jehovah, including the resurrection of the dead and “the curing of the nations,” obedient mankind. (Revelation 20:11-15; 22:1, 2) During this thousand-year judgment period, Jehovah evidently will give additional instructions, unknown to us at present, as new “scrolls” are opened. (Revelation 20:12) How marvelous it will be for the survivors of the “great tribulation” and for the resurrected dead to gain instruction and guidance from these further instructions as set forth on these unrolled “scrolls” of Jehovah and to carry them out delightfully!

22. What are we encouraged to do now?

²² With such a wonderful prospect before us, let us take full advantage of the opportunity we now have to acquaint ourselves with Jehovah’s utterances and do deep personal study of his Word and participate in the preaching work with an ever-increasing consciousness of Jehovah’s actions on our behalf.