References for Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook
© 2025 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
NOVEMBER 3-9
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD SONG OF SOLOMON 1-2
A Story of Unfailing Love
w15 1/15 30 ¶9-10
Is Unfailing Love Possible?
9 The marriage arrangement is not a mere contract or a formal agreement empty of love and affection. In fact, love is a hallmark of a Christian marriage. But what type of love is this? Is it love governed by Bible principles? (1 John 4:8) Does it involve natural affection—the kind that family members have toward one another? Does this love consist of warm and tender attachment as found between true friends? (John 11:3) Is it romantic love? (Prov. 5:15-20) Actually, the true and abiding love between marriage mates includes all of them. Love is best sensed when it is expressed. How vital that marriage mates not allow the activities of daily life to rob them of exchanging expressions of affection! Such expressions can contribute much to the security and happiness experienced within a marriage. In those cultures where marriages are often arranged and the man and woman hardly know each other before the wedding day, their being conscious of the need to express love verbally to each other will help love to grow and the marriage to flourish.
10 Expressions of affection between marriage mates have another positive effect. King Solomon offered to make for the Shulammite girl “gold ornaments studded with silver.” He showered her with praise, saying that she was “as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sunlight.” (Song of Sol. 1:9-11; 6:10) But the young woman remained loyal to her beloved shepherd. What strengthened and comforted her during their separation? She tells us. (Read Song of Solomon 1:2, 3.) It was the memory of the shepherd’s “expressions of affection.” For her, they proved to be “better than wine” that makes the heart rejoice, and his name was as soothing as “fragrant oil poured out” on the head. (Ps. 23:5; 104:15) Yes, the pleasant memory of love that has been expressed can enhance the enduring quality of love. How important it is that marriage mates express their affection for each other often!
Spiritual Gems
w15 1/15 31 ¶11
Is Unfailing Love Possible?
11 The Song of Solomon also provides lessons for unmarried Christians, especially for those looking for a mate. The young woman felt no love for Solomon. Putting the daughters of Jerusalem under oath, she said: “Do not try to awaken or arouse love in me until it feels inclined.” (Song of Sol. 2:7; 3:5) Why? Because it is simply not proper to develop a romantic attachment for just anyone who comes along. A Christian desiring to marry, then, is wise to wait patiently for the one he or she can truly love.
NOVEMBER 10-16
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD SONG OF SOLOMON 3-5
The Importance of Inner Beauty
w15 1/15 30 ¶8
Is Unfailing Love Possible?
8 Not all expressions of affection made in the song draw attention to physical beauty. Consider what the shepherd says about the young woman’s speech. (Read Song of Solomon 4:7, 11.) Her lips are said to “drip with comb honey.” Why? Because comb honey is sweeter and more flavorful than honey that has been exposed to air. “Honey and milk are under [her] tongue,” meaning that like honey and milk, her speech is pleasant and good. Clearly, when the shepherd says to the girl, “you are altogether beautiful, . . . there is no blemish in you,” he has more than her physical beauty in mind.
w00 11/1 11 ¶17
A Godly View of Moral Cleanness
17 A third integrity keeper was a Shulammite maiden. Young and beautiful, she attracted the affections of not only a shepherd boy but also the wealthy king of Israel, Solomon. Throughout the beautiful story told in the Song of Solomon, the Shulammite remained chaste, thus earning the respect of those around her. Solomon, though rejected by her, was inspired to record her story. The shepherd she loved also respected her chaste conduct. At one point he mused that the Shulammite was like “a garden barred in.” (Song of Solomon 4:12) In ancient Israel, beautiful gardens contained a delightful variety of vegetables, fragrant flowers, and stately trees. Such gardens were typically enclosed by a hedge or a wall and could be entered only through a locked gate. (Isaiah 5:5) To the shepherd, the Shulammite’s moral purity and loveliness were like such a garden of rare beauty. She was completely chaste. Her tender affections would be available only to her future husband.
g04 12/22 9 ¶2-5
The Kind of Beauty That Matters Most
Can inner beauty attract others? Georgina, who has been married for nearly ten years, says: “Throughout the years, I have been drawn to my husband because of his honesty and sincerity toward me. The most important thing in his life is to please God. This has contributed to his being considerate and loving. He takes me into account in his decisions and makes me feel appreciated. I know that he really loves me.”
Daniel, who was married in 1987, says: “My wife is beautiful to me. Not only am I physically attracted to her but her personality makes me love her even more. She always thinks about other people and takes an interest in making them feel good. She has valuable Christian qualities. This has made it pleasant for me to be with her.”
In this superficial world, we need to see past the surface. We need to see that achieving the “ideal” look is difficult—if not impossible—and of very limited value. Yet, developing desirable qualities that contribute to true inner beauty is possible. The Bible says: “Charm may be false, and prettiness may be vain; but the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself.” In contrast, the Scriptures warn: “As a gold nose ring in the snout of a pig, so is a woman that is pretty but that is turning away from sensibleness.”—Proverbs 11:22; 31:30.
God’s Word helps us to value “the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.” (1 Peter 3:4) Truly, such inner beauty is far more important than physical beauty. And it is within the reach of all.
Spiritual Gems
w15 1/15 5¶11
The Song of Solomon also provides lessons for unmarried Christians, especially for those looking for a mate. The young woman felt no love for Solomon. Putting the daughters of Jerusalem under oath, she said: “Do not try to awaken or arouse love in me until it feels inclined.” (Song of Sol. 2:7; 3:5) Why? Because it is simply not proper to develop a romantic attachment for just anyone who comes along. A Christian desiring to marry, then, is wise to wait patiently for the one he or she can truly love.
NOVEMBER 17-23
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD SONG OF SOLOMON 6-8
Be a Wall, Not a Door
it “Song of Solomon, The” ¶11
Song of Solomon, The
Apparently Solomon then allowed the Shulammite to return to her home. Seeing her approaching, her brothers asked: “Who is this woman coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her dear one?” (Ca 8:5a) The brothers of the Shulammite had not realized that their sister had such constancy in love. In earlier years one brother had said concerning her: “We have a little sister that does not have any breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for?” (8:8) Another brother replied: “If she should be a wall, we shall build upon her a battlement of silver; but if she should be a door, we shall block her up with a cedar plank.” (8:9) However, since the Shulammite had successfully resisted all enticements, being satisfied with her own vineyard and remaining loyal in her affection for her lover (8:6, 7, 11, 12), she could properly say: “I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. In this case I have become in his eyes like her that is finding peace.”—8:10.
yp 188 ¶2
What About Sex Before Marriage?
Staying chaste, however, does more than help a youth avoid dire consequences. The Bible tells of a young maiden who remained chaste despite intense love for her boyfriend. As a result, she could proudly say: “I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers.” She was no ‘swinging door’ that easily ‘opened up’ under immoral pressure. Morally, she stood like the unscalable wall of a fortress with inaccessible towers! She deserved to be called “the pure one” and could say of her prospective husband, “I have become in his eyes like her that is finding peace.” Her own peace of mind contributed to the contentment between the two of them.—Song of Solomon 6:9, 10; 8:9, 10.
yp2 33
Role Model—The Shulammite
The young Shulammite woman knows she needs to keep a clear head in matters of romance. “I have put you under oath,” she tells her companions, “that you try not to awaken or arouse love in me until it feels inclined.” The Shulammite knows that feelings can quickly overpower reason. She realizes, for instance, that others could pressure her to yield to the advances of someone who isn’t right for her. Even her own feelings could cloud good judgment. So the Shulammite remains like “a wall.”—Song of Solomon 8:4, 10.
Is your view of love as mature as that of the Shulammite? Can you listen to your head and not just your heart? (Proverbs 2:10, 11) Sometimes others might try to pressure you into a relationship before you’re ready for it. You might even bring such pressure upon yourself. For example, when you see a boy and girl walking hand in hand, do you feel desperate to have the same kind of relationship? Would you settle for someone who doesn’t share your Bible-based beliefs? The Shulammite girl was mature when it came to matters of romance. You can be too!
NOVEMBER 24-30
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD ISAIAH 1-2
Hope for Those “Weighed Down With Error”
ip-1 14 ¶8
A Father and His Rebellious Sons
8 Isaiah continues his message with strong words for the nation of Judah: “Woe to the sinful nation, the people heavy with error, an evildoing seed, ruinous sons! They have left Jehovah, they have treated the Holy One of Israel with disrespect, they have turned backwards.” (Isaiah 1:4) Wicked deeds can accumulate to the extent that they become like a crushing weight. In Abraham’s day Jehovah described the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah as “very heavy.” (Genesis 18:20) Something similar is now evident in the people of Judah, for Isaiah says that they are “heavy with error.” In addition, he calls them “an evildoing seed, ruinous sons.” Yes, the Judeans are like delinquent children. They have “turned backwards,” or as the New Revised Standard Version puts it, they are “utterly estranged” from their Father.
DECEMBER 1-7
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD ISAIAH 3-5
Jehovah Had a Right to Expect More
ip-1 73-74 ¶3-5
Woe to the Unfaithful Vineyard!
3 Whether Isaiah literally sings this parable to his listeners or not, it surely captures their attention. Most are probably familiar with the work of planting a vineyard, and Isaiah’s description is vivid and realistic. Like vine growers today, the vineyard owner plants, not grape seeds, but a “choice,” or rich, “red vine”—a cutting or shoot from another vine. Appropriately, he plants this vineyard “on a fruitful hillside,” a place where a vineyard will thrive.
4 It takes hard work to make a vineyard produce. Isaiah describes the owner’s ‘digging the land and ridding it of stones’—tedious, exhausting work! He likely uses the larger stones “to build a tower.” In ancient times such towers served as stations for watchmen who guarded the crops against thieves and animals. Also, he builds a stone wall to line the vineyard terraces. (Isaiah 5:5) This was commonly done to prevent the washing away of vital topsoil.
5 Having worked so hard to protect his vineyard, the owner has every right to expect that it will bear fruit. In anticipation of this, he hews out a winepress. But does the hoped-for harvest materialize? No, the vineyard produces wild grapes.
ip-1 76 ¶8-9
Woe to the Unfaithful Vineyard!
8 Isaiah calls Jehovah, the owner of the vineyard, “my loved one.” (Isaiah 5:1) Isaiah can speak of God in such an intimate way only because he has a close relationship with Him. (Compare Job 29:4; Psalm 25:14.) However, the prophet’s love for God pales in comparison with the love God has shown for his “vineyard”—the nation that he ‘planted.’—Compare Exodus 15:17; Psalm 80:8, 9.
9 Jehovah “planted” his nation in the land of Canaan and gave them his laws and regulations, which served as a wall to protect them from being corrupted by other nations. (Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 147:19, 20; Ephesians 2:14) Furthermore, Jehovah gave them judges, priests, and prophets to instruct them. (2 Kings 17:13; Malachi 2:7; Acts 13:20) When Israel was threatened by military aggression, Jehovah raised up deliverers. (Hebrews 11:32, 33) With reason, Jehovah asks: “What is there yet to do for my vineyard that I have not already done in it?”
w06 6/15 18 ¶1
“Take Care of This Vine”!
Isaiah likened “the house of Israel” to a vineyard that gradually produced “wild grapes,” or “putrid (rotten) berries.” (Isaiah 5:2, 7; footnote) Wild grapes are much smaller than cultivated grapes and have very little flesh, the seeds occupying practically the entire grape. Wild grapes are worthless for making wine and for eating—an apt symbol of the apostate nation whose fruitage was lawbreaking rather than righteousness. This worthless fruitage was not the fault of the vine’s Cultivator. Jehovah had done everything he could to make the nation fruitful. “What is there yet to do for my vineyard that I have not already done in it?” he asked.—Isaiah 5:4.
w06 6/15 18 ¶2
“Take Care of This Vine”!
Since the vine of Israel had proved unproductive, Jehovah warned them that he would break down the protective wall he had built around his people. He would no longer prune his figurative vine or hoe its soil. The spring rains on which the crop depended would not come, and thorns and weeds would overrun the vineyard.—Isaiah 5:5, 6.
DECEMBER 8-14
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD ISAIAH 6-8
“Here I Am! Send Me!”
ip-1 95 ¶15-16
Jehovah God Is in His Holy Temple
15 Jehovah now outlines what Isaiah is to say and what the response will be: “Go, and you must say to this people, ‘Hear again and again, O men, but do not understand; and see again and again, but do not get any knowledge.’ Make the heart of this people unreceptive, and make their very ears unresponsive, and paste their very eyes together, that they may not see with their eyes and with their ears they may not hear, and that their own heart may not understand and that they may not actually turn back and get healing for themselves.” (Isaiah 6:9, 10) Does this mean that Isaiah is to be blunt and tactless and repel the Jews, keeping them at odds with Jehovah? Absolutely not! These are Isaiah’s own people for whom he feels an affinity. But Jehovah’s words indicate how the people will respond to his message, no matter how faithfully Isaiah fulfills his task.
16 The fault lies with the people. Isaiah will speak to them “again and again,” but they will not accept the message or gain understanding. The majority will be stubborn and unresponsive, as if totally blind and deaf. By going to them repeatedly, Isaiah will let “this people” show that they do not want to understand. They will prove that they are shutting their minds and hearts to Isaiah’s message—God’s message—to them. How true this is of people today! So many of them refuse to listen to Jehovah’s Witnesses as they preach the good news of the incoming Kingdom of God.
ip-1 99 ¶23
Jehovah God Is in His Holy Temple
23 In quoting from Isaiah, Jesus was showing that the prophecy had a fulfillment in his day. The people as a whole had a heart attitude like that of the Jews in Isaiah’s day. They made themselves blind and deaf to his message and likewise met with destruction. (Matthew 23:35-38; 24:1, 2) This occurred when the Roman forces under General Titus came against Jerusalem in 70 C.E. and demolished the city and its temple. Yet, some had listened to Jesus and had become his disciples. Jesus pronounced these “happy.” (Matthew 13:16-23, 51) He had informed them that when they saw “Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies,” they should “begin fleeing to the mountains.” (Luke 21:20-22) Thus the “holy seed” that had exercised faith and that had been formed into a spiritual nation, “the Israel of God,” was saved.—Galatians 6:16.
DECEMBER 15-21
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD ISAIAH 9-10
“A Great Light” Prophesied
ip-1 126-128 ¶18-19
The Promise of a Prince of Peace
18 Those who responded to the light had much reason for rejoicing. Isaiah continued: “You have made the nation populous; for it you have made the rejoicing great. They have rejoiced before you as with the rejoicing in the harvesttime, as those who are joyful when they divide up the spoil.” (Isaiah 9:3) As a result of the preaching activity of Jesus and his followers, honesthearted ones came forward, showing themselves desirous of worshiping Jehovah with spirit and truth. (John 4:24) In less than four years, multitudes embraced Christianity. Three thousand were baptized on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E. Shortly afterward, “the number of the men became about five thousand.” (Acts 2:41; 4:4) As the disciples zealously reflected the light, “the number of the disciples kept multiplying in Jerusalem very much; and a great crowd of priests began to be obedient to the faith.”—Acts 6:7.
19 Like those who rejoice in a bounteous harvest or who delight over the division of valuable spoil after a great military victory, Jesus’ followers rejoiced over the increase. (Acts 2:46, 47) In time, Jehovah caused the light to shine among the nations. (Acts 14:27) So people of all races rejoiced that the way of approach to Jehovah had been opened to them.—Acts 13:48.
ip-1 128-129 ¶20-21
The Promise of a Prince of Peace
20 The effects of the activity of the Messiah are permanent, as we see from Isaiah’s next words: “The yoke of their load and the rod upon their shoulders, the staff of the one driving them to work, you have shattered to pieces as in the day of Midian.” (Isaiah 9:4) Centuries before Isaiah’s day, the Midianites conspired with the Moabites to lure Israel into sin. (Numbers 25:1-9, 14-18; 31:15, 16) Later, Midianites terrorized the Israelites by raiding and plundering their villages and farms for seven years. (Judges 6:1-6) But then Jehovah, through his servant Gideon, routed Midian’s armies. After that “day of Midian,” there is no evidence that Jehovah’s people ever again suffered at the hands of the Midianites. (Judges 6:7-16; 8:28) In the near future, Jesus Christ, the greater Gideon, will deliver a deathblow to modern-day enemies of Jehovah’s people. (Revelation 17:14; 19:11-21) Then, “as in the day of Midian,” a complete and lasting victory will be gained, not by human prowess, but by Jehovah’s power. (Judges 7:2-22) God’s people will never again suffer under the yoke of oppression!
21 Displays of divine power are not a glorification of warfare. The resurrected Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and by annihilating his enemies, he will usher in eternal peace. Isaiah now speaks of military paraphernalia as being totally destroyed by fire: “Every boot of the one tramping with tremors and the mantle rolled in blood have even come to be for burning as food for fire.” (Isaiah 9:5) The tremors caused by the tramping of the boots of marching soldiers will never again be felt. The bloody uniforms of combat-hardened warriors will no longer be seen. War will be no more!—Psalm 46:9.
DECEMBER 22-28
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD ISAIAH 11-13
What Would the Messiah Be Like?
ip-1 159 ¶4-5
Salvation and Rejoicing Under the Messiah’s Reign
4 Centuries before Isaiah’s time, other Hebrew Bible writers pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the true Leader, whom Jehovah would send to Israel. (Genesis 49:10; Deuteronomy 18:18; Psalm 118:22, 26) Now through Isaiah, Jehovah adds further details. Isaiah writes: “There must go forth a twig out of the stump of Jesse; and out of his roots a sprout will be fruitful.” (Isaiah 11:1; compare Psalm 132:11.) “Twig” and “sprout” both indicate that the Messiah will be the descendant of Jesse through his son David, who was anointed with oil as king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:13; Jeremiah 23:5; Revelation 22:16) When the true Messiah arrives, this “sprout,” from the house of David, is to produce good fruit.
5 The promised Messiah is Jesus. The gospel writer Matthew alluded to the words of Isaiah 11:1 when he said that Jesus’ being called “a Nazarene” fulfilled the words of the prophets. Because he was brought up in the town of Nazareth, Jesus was called a Nazarene, a name apparently related to the Hebrew word used in Isaiah 11:1 for “sprout.”—Matthew 2:23, footnote; Luke 2:39, 40.
DECEMBER 29–JANUARY 4
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD ISAIAH 14-16
Enemies of God’s People Do Not Escape Punishment
ip-1 189 ¶1
Jehovah’s Counsel Against the Nations
JEHOVAH can use the nations to discipline his people for their wickedness. Even so, he does not excuse those nations for their unnecessary cruelty, their pride, and their animosity toward true worship. Thus, long in advance he inspires Isaiah to record “the pronouncement against Babylon.” (Isaiah 13:1) However, Babylon is a future threat. In Isaiah’s day, Assyria is oppressing God’s covenant people. Assyria destroys the northern kingdom of Israel and devastates much of Judah. But Assyria’s triumph is limited. Isaiah writes: “Jehovah of armies has sworn, saying: ‘Surely just as I have figured, so it must occur . . . in order to break the Assyrian in my land and that I may tread him down on my own mountains; and that his yoke may actually depart from upon them and that his very load may depart from upon their shoulder.’” (Isaiah 14:24, 25) Not long after Isaiah utters this prophecy, the Assyrian threat is removed from Judah.
ip-1 194 ¶12
Jehovah’s Counsel Against the Nations
12 When will this prophecy be fulfilled? Soon. “This is the word that Jehovah spoke concerning Moab formerly. And now Jehovah has spoken, saying: ‘Within three years, according to the years of a hired laborer, the glory of Moab must also be disgraced with much commotion of every sort, and those who remain over will be a trifling few, not mighty.’” (Isaiah 16:13, 14) In harmony with this, there is archaeological evidence that during the eighth century B.C.E., Moab suffered grievously and many of its sites were depopulated. Tiglath-pileser III mentioned Salamanu of Moab among the rulers who paid tribute to him. Sennacherib received tribute from Kammusunadbi, king of Moab. Assyrian monarchs Esar-haddon and Ashurbanipal referred to Moabite Kings Musuri and Kamashaltu as being their subjects. Centuries ago, the Moabites ceased to exist as a people. Ruins of cities thought to be Moabite have been found, but little physical evidence of this once-powerful enemy of Israel has thus far been unearthed.