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Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2014 1:08:06 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2014 1:08:33 GMT -5
Mar 315. What does Exodus 3: 7-10 teach us about Jehovah? [w09 3/1 p. 15 par. 3-6][/u]“because he cares” for them.—1 Peter 5:7. God’s compassion gives us reason for hope. With his help, we imperfect humans can attain a measure of holiness and become acceptable to him. (1 Peter 1:15, 16) One Christian woman who has struggled with depression and discouragement found comfort in the account about Moses’ experience at the thornbush. She says: “If Jehovah can make even the dirt holy, then maybe there is a little hope for me. This thought has helped me profoundly.”"[/ul] Mar 316. How did Jehovah live up to one aspect of the meaning of his name in the days of Moses? (Ex 3: 14, 15) [w13 3/15 p. 25-26 pars. 5-6][/u] (Ex. 12:12) Then Jehovah opened up the Red Sea, led Israel through it, and drowned Pharaoh and his military force. (Ps. 136:13-15) In the “great and fear-inspiring wilderness,” Jehovah proved to be a Preserver of life as he provided food and water for his people, perhaps numbering from two to three million or more! He even caused their garments and their sandals not to wear out. (Deut. 1:19; 29:5) Yes, nothing can stop Jehovah from proving true to his incomparable name. He later stated to Isaiah: “I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.”—Isa. 43:11."[/ul] April 77. According to Exodus 7:1, how was Moses made "Like God to Pharoah"? [w04 3/15 p. 25 par. 7][/b][/color][/url] [/center]
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Post by Admin on Apr 1, 2014 21:54:20 GMT -5
April 148. Despite witnessing Jehovah's saving power that delivered them from Egypt, what attitutde did the Israelites later display, and what lesson can we learn ? (Ex. 14: 30, 31) [w12 3/15 p. 26,27 par. 8-10][/u]. About what? Food! They became dissatisfied with what Jehovah supplied and complained: “ How we remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers and the watermelons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic! But now our soul is dried away. Our eyes are on nothing at all except the manna.” (Num. 11:5, 6) Yes, their viewpoint had become distorted—so much so that they even wanted to return to the land of their slavery! (Num. 14:2-4) The Israelites looked at the things behind and lost Jehovah’s favor.—Num. 11:10. 10 What is the lesson for us today? When faced with difficulties and problems, let us not fixate on what may appear to have been positive things in the past—perhaps even before we came to a knowledge of the truth. Although it is not wrong to meditate on the lessons we have learned from past experiences or to savor cherished memories, we need to maintain a balanced, realistic view of the past. Otherwise, we could accentuate our dissatisfaction with our present circumstances and be tempted to return to our former way of life.—Read 2 Peter 2:20-22. "[/ul] April 289. Why does the expression "carry you on wings of eagles" appropriately express how Jehovah lovingly dealt with the Young nation of Israel? (Ex. 19: 4) [w96 6/15 p. 10 par. 5 - p. 11 par. 2][/b] One of the most dangerous periods of an eagle’s life is when it learns to fly. Not a few eagles die in the attempt. The fledgling Israelite nation was also in danger when it departed from Egypt. Thus the words of Jehovah to the Israelites were most fitting: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, that I might carry you on wings of eagles and bring you to myself.” (Exodus 19:4) There are reports of eagles briefly carrying a young bird on its back so that the young one would not crash in its initial attempts to fly. G. R. Driver, commenting in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly on such reports, said: “The [Biblical] picture then is not a mere flight of fancy but is based on actual fact.” Eagles are exemplary parents in other ways too. Not only do they provide the nestling with regular meals but the mother bird also carefully chops up the meat the male eagle brings to the nest so that the eaglet can swallow it. As their nests are usually built on cliffs or in tall trees, the young birds are exposed to the elements. (Job 39:27, 28) The scorching sun, common to Bible lands, could cause the death of the young bird were it not for the care of its parents. The adult eagle spreads out its wings, sometimes for hours at a time, in order to shade its tender nestling. Thus it is very appropriate that the wings of an eagle are used in the Scriptures as a symbol of divine protection. Deuteronomy 32:9-12 describes how Jehovah protected the Israelites during their wilderness trek: “For Jehovah’s share is his people; Jacob is the allotment that he inherits. He came to find him in a wilderness land, and in an empty, howling desert. He began to encircle him, to take care of him, to safeguard him as the pupil of his eye. Just as an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its fledglings, spreads out its wings, takes them, carries them on its pinions, Jehovah alone kept leading him.” Jehovah will give us the same loving protection if we trust in him."[/ul] April 2810. How is it that Jehovah brings "punishment for the error of fathers" upon future generations? (Ex. 20:5) [w04 3/15 p. 27 par. 1]
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Post by Admin on May 17, 2014 11:20:02 GMT -5
May 051. Why is the principle recorded at Exodus 23:2 so important when chosing Entertainment and recreation ? (Ex. 14: 30, 31) [w11 7/15 p. 10-11 pars. 3-7][/b] " You must not follow after the crowd to do evil, and you must not pervert justice by giving testimony to go along with the crowd.") Without doubt, it is all too easy for imperfect humans to bow to peer pressure, perverting justice. However, is the principle about not following the crowd restricted to judicial matters? Not at all. 4 In truth, the pressure to “follow after the crowd” can affect us at almost any time. It may arise suddenly, and it can be very difficult to resist. Think, for example, of the peer pressure that Joshua and Caleb once faced. They were part of a group of 12 men who went into the Promised Land to spy it out. Upon their return, ten of those men gave a very negative and discouraging report. They even claimed that some of the land’s inhabitants were giants descended from the Nephilim, the offspring of rebel angels and women. (Gen. 6:4) Now, that claim was absurd. Those wicked hybrids had been wiped out in the Deluge many centuries earlier, leaving not a single descendant behind. But even the most baseless ideas can exert power over those weak in faith. The negative reports from those ten spies quickly spread fear and panic among the people. Before long, most were sure that it would be a mistake to enter the Promised Land as Jehovah had directed. In that volatile situation, what did Joshua and Caleb do?—Num. 13:25-33. 5 They did not go following after the crowd. Although the crowd hated to hear it, those two men told the truth and stuck to it—even when threatened with death by stoning! Where did they get the courage? No doubt, a good part of it came from their faith. People with faith see clearly the difference between the baseless claims of men and the sacred promises of Jehovah God. Both men later expressed how they felt about Jehovah’s record in fulfilling his every promise. (Read Joshua 14:6, 8; 23:2, 14.) Joshua and Caleb were attached to their faithful God, and they could not imagine hurting him for the sake of following a faithless crowd. So they stood firm, setting a sterling example for us today.—Num. 14:1-10. 6 Do you ever feel pressured to follow after the crowd? People who are alienated from Jehovah and who scoff at his moral standards certainly form a vast crowd today. When it comes to entertainment and recreation, that crowd often promote baseless ideas. They may insist that the immorality, violence, and spiritism so prevalent in television programs, movies, and video games are harmless. (2 Tim. 3:1-5) When you choose entertainment and recreation for yourself or your family, do you allow the lax consciences of others to influence your decisions and to mold your conscience? Would that not, in effect, amount to following after the crowd? 7 Jehovah has given us a precious gift to help us make decisions—our “perceptive powers.” However, these powers need to be trained “through use.” (Heb. 5:14) Following the crowd would not train our perceptive powers; nor, on the other hand, would a host of rigid rules in matters of conscience. That is why, for example, Jehovah’s people are not given a list of films, books, and Internet sites to avoid. Because this world changes so fast, such a list would be outdated soon after it was made. (1 Cor. 7:31) Worse, it would deprive us of the vital work of weighing Bible principles carefully and prayerfully and then making decisions on the basis of those principles.—Eph. 5:10. "[/ul] May 192. How serious was the command requiring priests to wash before offering sacrifices to Jehovah, and how does it serve as a strong reminder for God's servants today ? (Ex. 30: 18-20) [w96 7/1 p. 9 par. 9][/u]if they want their worship to be acceptable to God. (2 Corinthians 7:1) In time the wood for the fire on the altar and the water for the basin were supplied by non-Israelite temple slaves.—Joshua 9:27."[/ul] 3. Why was Aaron not punished for making the golden calf? (Ex. 32: 1-8, 25-35) [w04 3/15 p. 27 par. 4][/u]. Later, he apparently joined fellow Levites in taking a stand for God and against those who resisted Moses. After the guilty were slain, Moses reminded the people that they had sinned greatly, indicating that others besides Aaron also received Jehovah’s mercy."[/ul] May 264. How does the Christian view of courtship and marriage relate to God's forbidding Israelites to marry people who worshipped other gods? (Ex. 14: 30, 31) [w89 11/1 p. 20-21 pars. 11-13][/u]. No matter how clean-cut some worldly people may appear to be, they do not have a Bible-trained, Christian conscience. They have not spent years studying God’s Word, ‘making their mind over’ and ‘stripping off the old personality.’ (Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:9) Hence, the Christian who yokes himself to an unbeliever often exposes himself to much heartache and grief. Some face repeated pressure to share in perverted sex practices or to celebrate worldly holidays. And some even complain of loneliness. As one sister wrote: “The loneliness you feel when you are married to someone who doesn’t love Jehovah is the worst loneliness imaginable. You see, you have no one to share the truth with, which is the most important thing in your life.” "[/ul] May 265. Why is the experience of Bezalel and Oholiab particularly encouraging to us? (Ex. 35: 30-35) [w10 9/15 p. 10 par. 13]
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Post by Admin on Jun 4, 2014 7:22:07 GMT -5
June 026. "The holy sign of dedication" on the turban worn by Israel's high priest provided what reminder, and what does this sign teach us about dedication? (Ex. 39: 30) [w01 2/1 p. 14 pars. 2-3][/u] “because the sign of dedication, the anointing oil of his God, [was] upon him.”—Exodus 29:6; 39:30; Leviticus 21:12. 3 We can see in this context that dedication is a serious matter. It implies voluntary identification as a servant of God, and it requires clean conduct. Therefore, we can appreciate why the apostle Peter quoted Jehovah as saying: “You must be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15, 16) As dedicated Christians, we bear a heavy responsibility to live up to our dedication, being faithful to the end. But what is involved in Christian dedication?—Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 24:13. "[/ul]
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Post by Admin on Jun 8, 2014 7:15:51 GMT -5
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