21 Mid-Week Meeting File 05-26-14

8/12/2019 21 Mid-Week Meeting File 05-26-14

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WEEK STARTING MAY 26Song 60 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:cl chap. 7 8 18-22, box on p. 75 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:Bible reading: Exodus 34-37 (10 min.)No. 1: Exodus 34:1-16 (4 min. or less)No. 2: Why Moral Restraint Was Not RemovedWhen the Ten Commandments Came to anEnd rs p. 349 8 1-2 (5 min.)No. 3: AbrahamAbundant Blessings ShouldNot Make a Man of God Proud it -1 p. 318 6p. 32 8 1 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:Song 32

10 min: Start a Bible Study on the First Satur-day. Discussion. Invite audience to relate expe-riences they had starting a Bible study on therst Saturday of the month. Demonstrate howa study may be started on the rst Saturday inJune, using the sample presentation on page 4.Encourage all to have a share.

10 min: Enduring Persecution Leads to a FineWitness. (Luke 21:12, 13) Discussion based onthe 2013 Yearbook, page 124, paragraph 1; andpage 128, paragraphs 1-2. Invite audience tocomment on the lessons learned.10 min: Question Box. Discussion by an elder.Invite adults to comment on how they benetedfrom being taught deeper Bible truths by their parents.Song 88 and Prayer

What mustchildren learn inorder togrow tospiritual maturity?

Christian parents do much to bring theirchildren up in the discipline and instruc-tion of Jehovah. (Eph. 6:4; ftn.) For exam-ple, parents have found it benecial to con-sider the daily text with their children eachmorning. During family worship and onother occasions, families may watch and

discuss a video together, talk about specif-ic material from Young People Ask articles,reenact a Bible account, or have practicesessions. However, in order for children topress on to maturity, they must also betaught deeper Bible truths.Heb. 6:1.

Consider what we teach those we meet inour territory. On the initial call or on a sub-sequent visit, we generally endeavor to starta Bible study using What Does the Bible Really Teach? After completing that publi-cation, we use Keep Yourselves in Gods Love. Why? The Bible Teach book givesstudents a basic knowledge of the Scrip-tures. The Gods Love book teaches themhow to apply Bible principles in every-day life. Consideration of both publica-tions helps new ones to become rootedin Christ and stabilized in the faith. (Col.

2:6, 7) Would this material not also benetour children? They too need to be taughtabout the ransom, the Kingdom, and thecondition of the dead. Children also needto know why God permits suffering andhow to identify the last days of this systemof things. They must be convinced that Je-hovahs Witnesses have the truth. Youngones also need to understand Bible princi-ples and how to train their powers of dis-cernment. (Heb. 5:14) Of course, parentsmust consider the age and comprehen-sion level of their children. However, many children have the ability to begin learn-ing deeper Bible truths even when they arequite young.Luke 2:42, 46, 47.

To help parents, study guides that arebased on the Bible Teach book will appearon jw.org. Families can nd these on ourWeb site by looking under BIBLE TEACH-INGS TEENAGERS. In the future, addi-tional study guides will be prepared basedon the Gods Love book. Of course, theprinted version of these books can also beused. Parents can determine whether they will use this material during a portion of their Family Worship evening, when con-ducting a separate study with one of theirchildren, or when training a child to do hisown personal study.

QUESTION BOX


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1. There was a reason why God brought the truth to you

And called you from the darkness to the light.Within your heart, he saw

the yearning you then had To search for him and practice what is right.

You promised him in prayer to do his will;He helped you then, and he will help you still.

(CHORUS )With Jesus blood He bought you,

to God you now belong.So he wi l l make you f i rm,

and he will make you strong. Hell guide you and protect you,

as he has all along.Yes, he will make you firm,

and he will make you strong.

2. God gave his own beloved Son in your behalf;On this account, He wants you to succeed.

If He did not withhold the gift of His dear Son, Then never doubt Hell give the strength you need.

He wont forget the faith and love youve shown;He will not fail to care for all His own.

(Chorus )

60 He Will Make You Strong (1 Peter 5:10)

(See also Rom. 8:32; 14:8, 9; Heb. 6:10; 1 Pet. 2:9.)


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Gods judgments. After all, Jehovah knows how to deliv-er people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve un-righteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off.

(Revelation 7:14; 2 Peter 2:9) In the meantime, we can al-ways be certain of two things. First, Jehovah will never al-low his loyal servants to be effaced from the earth. Sec-ond, he will reward integrity keepers with everlasting lifein his righteous new worldif necessary, by means of aresurrection. For those who die, there is no safer place tobe than in Gods memory.John 5:28, 29.

17 Even now, Jehovah safeguards us through his livingword, which has the motivating power to heal heartsand reform lives. (Hebrews 4:12) By applying its princi-ples, we can in some respects be protected from physicalharm. I, Jehovah, am . . . teaching you to benet your-self, says Isaiah 48:17. Without question, living in har-mony with Gods Word can improve our health and ex-tend our life. For example, because we apply the Biblescounsel to abstain from fornication and to cleanse our-selves of delement, we avoid the unclean practices andhurtful habits that wreak havoc in the lives of many un-godly ones. (Acts 15:29; 2 Corinthians 7:1) How thankfulwe are for the protection of Gods Word!

Jehovah Protects Us Spiritually 18 Most important, Jehovah provides spiritual protection.

Our loving God protects us from spiritual harm by equip-ping us with what we need in order to endure trials and tosafeguard our relationship with him. Jehovah thus worksto preserve our life, not just for a few short years but foreternity. Consider some of Gods provisions that can pro-tect us spiritually.

DRAW CLOSE TO JEHOVAH74


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19 Jehovah is the Hearer of prayer. (Psalm 65:2) Whenlifes pressures seem overwhelming, pouring out ourheart to him can bring us much relief. (Philippians 4:6, 7)He may not miraculously remove our trials, but in re-

sponse to our heartfelt prayers, he can grant us the wis-dom to deal with them. (James 1:5, 6) More than that, Jehovah gives holy spirit to those asking him. (Luke11:13) That powerful spirit can make us equal to any trialor problem we may face. It can infuse us with powerbeyond what is normal to endure until Jehovah removesall painful problems in the new world so near at hand.

2 Corinthians 4:7.20 At times, Jehovahs protective power may be expressed

through our fellow worshipers. Jehovah has drawn hispeople into a worldwide association of brothers. (1 Pe-ter 2:17; John 6:44) In the warmth of that brotherhood,we see living testimony to the power of Gods holy spir-it to inuence people for good. That spirit produces in

19 How can Jehovahs spirit make us equal to any trial we may face?

Questions for MeditationPsalm 23:1-6 As the Great Shepherd, how does Jehovah pro-

tect and care for his sheeplike people?Psalm 91:1-16 How does Jehovah protect us from spiritual ca-lamity, and what must we do to come under his protection?

Daniel 6:16-22, 25-27 How did Jehovah teach an ancient kingabout His protective power, and what can we learn from thisexample?

Matthew 10:16-22, 28-31 What opposition can we expect, butwhy should we not fear opposers?

75PROTECTIVE POWERGOD IS FOR US A REFUGE


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us fruitagebeautiful, precious qualities including love,kindness, and goodness. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Hence,when we are in distress and a fellow believer is moved to

offer helpful counsel or share much-needed words of en-couragement, we can thank Jehovah for such expressionsof his protective care.

21 Jehovah provides something else to protect us: timely spiritual food. To help us draw strength from his Word, Je-hovah has commissioned the faithful and discreet slaveto dispense spiritual food. That faithful slave uses printed

publications, including the journals The Watchtower and Awake!, as well as meetings, assemblies, and conventionsto provide us with food at the proper timewhat weneed, when we need it. (Matthew 24:45) Have you everheard something at a Christian meetingin a comment,in a talk, or even in a prayerthat provided just the need-ed strength and encouragement? Has your life ever been

touched by a specic article published in one of our jour-nals? Remember, Jehovah makes all such provisions in or-der to protect us spiritually.

22 Jehovah is certainly a shield to all those taking ref-uge in him. (Psalm 18:30) We understand that he doesnot use his power to protect us from all calamity now. Hedoes, however, always use his protective power to ensure

the outworking of his purpose. In the long run, his doingso is in the best interests of his people. If we draw close tohim and remain in his love, Jehovah will give us an eter-nity of perfect life. With that prospect in mind, we may indeed view any suffering in this system as momentary and light.2 Corinthians 4:17.

21. (a) What timely spiritual food does Jehovah provide throughthe faithful and discreet slave? (b) How have you personally ben-eted from Jehovahs provisions to protect us spiritually?

DRAW CLOSE TO JEHOVAH76


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self 1 will go with you, a and I willgive you rest. b 15 Then Mosessaid to him: If you yourself are 1

not going along, do not lead usup from here. 16 How will it beknown that I have found favor inyour eyes, I and your people? Isit not by your going along withus, c so that I and your peoplewill be distinguished from everyother people on the face of theearth? d

17 Jehovah went on to say toMoses: I will also do this thingthat you request, because youhave found favor in my eyes andI know you by name. 18 Thenhe said: Please show me yourglory. 19 But he said: I willmake all my goodness pass be-fore your face, and I will de-clare before you the name of Jehovah; e and I will favor theone whom I favor, and I will showmercy to the one to whom I showmercy. f 20 But he added: You

cannot see my face, for no mancan see me and live.21 Jehovah said further:

Here is a place near me. Stationyourself on the rock. 22 Whenmy glory is passing by, I willplace you in a crevice of therock, and I will shield you withmy hand until I have passed by.23 After that I will take my handaway, and you will see my back.But my face may not be seen. g

34 Then Jehovah said to Mo-ses: Carve out for your-self two tablets of stone like therst ones, h and I will write on thetablets the words that appearedon the rst tablets, i which youshattered. j 2 Get ready for themorning, as you will go up in themorning to Mount Si nai and sta-tion yourself before me there onthe top of the mountain. k 3 But

where on the mountain. Not eventhe ocks or herds should grazein front of that mountain. a

4 So Moses carved out twotablets of stone like the rstones and got up early in themorning and went up Mount Si -nai, just as Jehovah had com-manded him, and he took thetwo tablets of stone in his hand.5 Then Jehovah came down b inthe cloud and stationed him-self with him there and declaredthe name of Jehovah. c 6 Jeho-vah was passing before himand declaring: Jehovah, Jeho-

vah, a God merciful d and com-passionate, 1 e slow to anger f andabundant in loyal love 2 g andtruth, 3 h 7 showing loyal love tothousands, i pardoning error andtransgression and sin, j but hewill by no means leave the guiltyunpunished, k bringing punish-ment for the error of fathersupon sons and upon grandsons,upon the third generation andupon the fourth generation. l

8 Moses hurried to bow lowto the earth and prostrate him-self. 9 Then he said: If, now,I have found favor in your eyes,O Jehovah, then please, Jeho-vah, go along with us in ourmidst, m although we are an ob-stinate 1 people, n and forgive ourerror and our sin, o and take us

as your own possession. 10 Inturn he said: Here I am makinga covenant: Before all your peo-ple, I will do wonderful thingsthat have never been done 1 in allthe earth or among all the na-tions, p and all the people amongwhom you live will see the workof Jehovah, for it is an awe-inspiring thing that I am doingwith you. q

11 Pay attention to what I amcommanding you today. r Here I

CHAP. 33

a Ex 13:21Ex 40:34Jos 1:5, 17Isa 63:9

b Jos 21:44Jos 23:1

c Nu 14:13, 14d De 4:34

2Sa 7:23Ps 147:20

e Ex 3:13Ex 6:3Ex 34:6

f Ro 9:15g Joh 1:18

CHAP. 34

h De 10:1i De 9:10 j Ex 32:19

De 9:17k Ex 19:20

Ex 24:12

Second Col.

a Ex 19:12, 13b Ac 7:38c Ex 6:3

Ex 33:19d Lu 6:36e Ex 22:27

2Ch 30:9Ne 9:17Ps 86:15Joe 2:13

f Nu 14:182Pe 3:9

g Jer 31:3La 3:22Mic 7:18

h Ps 31:5Ro 2:2

i Da 9:4

j Ps 103:12Isa 55:7Eph 4:321Jo 1:9

k De 32:35Jos 24:19Ro 2:52Pe 2:4Jude 14, 15

l Ex 20:5De 30:191Sa 15:2

m Ex 33:14n Ex 32:9

Ex 33:3o Nu 14:19

159 EXODUS 33:1534:11


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am driving out from beforeyou the Am orites, the Ca naan-ites, the Hit tites, the Per iz-zites, the Hi vites, and the Jeb -usites. a 12 Be careful that you

do not make a covenant withthe inhabitants of the land towhich you are going, b or it mayprove to be a snare amongyou. c 13 But you are to pulldown their altars, you are toshatter their sacred pillars, andtheir sacred poles 1 you are tocut down. d 14 You must notbow down to another god, e forJehovah is known for 1 requir-ing exclusive devotion. 2 Yes, heis a God who requires exclusivedevotion. f 15 Be careful not tomake a covenant with the inhab-itants of the land, because whenthey prostitute themselves totheir gods and sacrice to theirgods, g someone will invite youand you will eat from his sac-rice. h 16 Then you will sure-

ly take some of their daughtersfor your sons, i and their daugh-ters will prostitute themselves totheir gods and cause your sonsto prostitute themselves to theirgods. j

17 You must not make godsof cast metal. k

18 You are to observe theFestival of Unleavened Bread. l You will eat unleavened bread, just as I have commanded you;do this for seven days at theappointed time in the month of A bib, 1 m because it was in themonth of A bib that you cameout of Egypt.

19 Every rstborn male 1 ismine, n including all your live-stock, whether the rst male bullor sheep. o 20 The rstling of adonkey you are to redeem with a

sheep. But if you do not redeemit, then you must break its neck.You are to redeem every rst-born of your sons. a No one mayappear before me empty-handed.

21 Six days you are to work,but on the seventh day you will

rest. 1 b Even during plowing timeand in harvest, you will rest.

22 And you will celebrateyour Festival of Weeks with therst ripe fruits of the wheat har-vest, and the Festival of Ingath-ering 1 at the turn of the year. c

23 Three times a year, allyour men 1 are to appear be-fore the true Lord, Jehovah,the God of Israel. d 24 For I willdrive the nations away from be-fore you, e and I will enlarge yourterritory, and nobody will desireyour land while you are going upto see the face of Jehovah yourGod three times a year.

25 You must not offer theblood of my sacrice along with

anything leavened. f The sacriceof the festival of the Passovershould not be kept overnight un-til the morning. g

26 The best of the rst ripefruits of your soil you are tobring to the house of Jehovahyour God. h

You must not boil a younggoat in its mothers milk. i

27 Jehovah went on to say toMoses: You are to write downthese words, j because in accor-dance with these words, I ammaking a covenant with youand with Israel. k 28 And he re-mained there with Jehovah 40days and 40 nights. He ate nobread and drank no water. l AndHe wrote on the tablets thewords of the covenant, the TenCommandments. 1 m

CHAP. 34

a Ex 3:8Ex 33:2De 7:1

b De 7:2

c Ex 23:32, 33

d Ex 23:24De 12:3

e Ex 20:31Co 10:141Jo 5:21

f Jos 24:19

g 1Co 10:20

h Nu 25:22Co 6:14

i Ezr 9:2

j De 7:4De 31:16Jg 2:17Jg 8:331Ki 11:2Ne 13:26Ps 106:28

k Ex 32:8Le 19:4

l Le 23:6

m Ex 23:15

n Ex 13:2Lu 2:23

o Ex 22:30

Second Col.

a Ex 13:15Nu 18:15, 16

b De 5:12

c Ex 23:16Le 23:34

d De 16:16

e Ex 34:11

f Ex 23:18

g Ex 12:10Nu 9:12

h Nu 18:8, 12De 26:2Pr 3:9

i Ex 23:19De 14:21

j Ex 24:4De 31:9, 11

EXODUS 34:12-28 160


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29 Moses then came downfrom Mount Si nai, and the twotablets of the Testimony were inhis hand. a When he came downfrom the mountain, Moses didnot know that the skin of hisface was emitting rays becausehe had been speaking with God.30 When Aaron and all the Is-raelites saw Moses, they noticedthat the skin of his face emittedrays and they were afraid to gonear him. b

31 But Moses called to them,so Aaron and all the chief-tains of the assembly came tohim, and Moses spoke withthem. 32 After that all the Is-rael ites came near to him,and he gave them all the com-mands that Jehovah had givenhim on Mount Si nai. c 33 WhenMoses would nish speakingwith them, he would put a veilover his face. d 34 But whenMoses would go in before Je-

hovah to speak with him, hewould take off the veil un-til he went out. e Then he wentout and revealed to the Israelitesthe commands he had received. f 35 And the Israelites saw thatthe skin of Moses face emit-ted rays; then Moses put the veilback over his face until he wentin to speak with God. 1 g

35Moses later gathered theentire assembly of the Is-

raelites together and said tothem: These are the things thatJehovah has commanded to bedone: h 2 Work may be done forsix days, but the seventh day willbecome something holy to you, asabbath of complete rest to Je-hovah. i Anybody doing work onit will be put to death. j 3 You

must not light a re in any of your dwelling places on the Sab-

This is what Jehovah has com-manded, 5 Take up a contri-bution for Jehovah from amongyourselves. a Let everyone with awilling heart b bring a contribu-tion for Jehovah: gold, silver,copper, 6 blue thread, purplewool, scarlet material, ne lin-en, goat hair, c 7 ram skins dyedred, sealskins, acacia wood,8 oil for the lamps, balsam forthe anointing oil and for the per-fumed incense, d 9 onyx stones,and other stones for setting inthe eph od e and the breastpiece. f

10 Let all who are skilled 1 g

among you come and makeeverything that Jehovah hascommanded, 11 namely, thetabernacle with its tent and itscovering, its clasps and its panelframes, its bars, its pillars, andits socket pedestals; 12 theArk h and its poles, i the cover, j and the curtain k for the screen;13 the table l and its poles andall its utensils and the show-bread; m 14 the lampstand n forlight and its utensils and itslamps and the oil for light-ing; o 15 the altar of incense pand its poles; the anointing oiland the perfumed incense; q thescreen 1 for the tabernacles en-trance; 16 the altar of burnt of-fering r and its copper grating, itspoles and all its utensils; the ba-

sin and its stand;s

17 the hang-ing curtains of the courtyard, t its pillars and its socket pedes-tals; the screen 1 of the entranceto the courtyard; 18 the tentpins of the tabernacle and thetent pins of the courtyard andtheir cords; u 19 the nely wo-ven garments v for ministering inthe sanctuary, the holy garmentsfor Aaron w the priest, and thegarments of his sons for servingas priests.

CHAP. 34

a Ex 32:15

b 2Co 3:7

c Ex 24:3De 1:3

d 2Co 3:13e 2Co 3:16

f De 27:10

g 2Co 3:7, 13

CHAP. 35

h Ex 34:32

i Ex 20:9, 10Le 23:3

j Ex 31:14, 15Nu 15:32, 35

Second Col.

a Ex 25:2-7Ex 35:29

b 2Co 8:122Co 9:7

c Ex 26:7Ex 36:8

d Ex 25:3, 6

e Ex 28:9Ex 39:14

f Ex 28:15

g Ex 31:6Ex 36:1

h Ex 25:10

i Ex 25:13

j Ex 25:17

k Ex 26:31

l Ex 25:23

m Ex 25:30Le 24:5, 6

n Ex 25:31

o Ex 27:20

p Ex 30:1Ex 37:25Ex 40:5

q Ex 30:34, 35

r Ex 27:1

s Ex 30:18Ex 38:8

t Ex 27:9

161 EXODUS 34:2935:20


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before Moses. 21 Then every-one whose heart impelled him aand everyone whose spirit incit-ed him came and brought theircontribution for Jehovah tobe used for the tent of meet-ing, for all its service, andfor the holy garments. 22 Theykept coming, the men along withthe women, each with a willingheart, bringing brooches, ear-rings, rings, and other jewelry,as well as all sorts of articlesof gold. They all presented theirofferings 1 of gold to Jehovah. b23 And all who had blue thread,purple wool, scarlet material,ne linen, goat hair, ram skinsdyed red, and sealskins broughtthem. 24 All those contribut-ing silver and copper broughtJehovahs contribution, and allwho had acacia wood for anypart of the work brought it.

25 All the skilled women c spun with their hands, and

they brought what they hadspun: blue thread, purple wool,scarlet material, and ne lin-en. 26 And all the skilled wom-en whose hearts impelled themspun the goat hair.

27 And the chieftains broughtonyx stones and other stones tobe set in the eph od and thebreastpiece, d 28 and the bal-sam and the oil for lighting andfor the anointing oil e and for theperfumed incense. f 29 All themen and women whose heartsincited them brought somethingfor the work that Jehovah,through Moses, had commandedto be done; the Israelites broughtit as a voluntary offering to Je-hovah. g

30 Then Moses said to the Is-

raelites: See, Jehovah has cho-sen Bez alel the son of U ri the

understanding, and knowledgeof every sort of craftsmanship32 for making artistic designs,for working with gold, silver,and copper, 33 for cutting andsetting stones, and for makingall kinds of artistic wood prod-ucts. 34 And he has put it intohis heart to teach, he and Oho li-ab a the son of Ahis amach of thetribe of Dan. 35 He has lledthem with skill 1 b to do all thework of a craftsman, an embroi-derer, and a weaver using bluethread, purple wool, scarlet ma-terial, and ne linen, and of aloom worker. These men will doevery sort of work and prepareevery sort of design.

36 Bez alel will work alongwith Oho liab and everyskilled man 1 to whom Jehovahhas given wisdom and under-standing so as to know how todo all the work of the holy ser-vice just as Jehovah has com-

manded.c

2 Moses then called Bez aleland Oho liab and every skilledman into whose heart Jeho-vah had put wisdom, d everyonewhose heart impelled him to vol-unteer to do the work. e 3 Thenthey took from Moses all thecontribution f that the Israeliteshad brought for the work of the holy service. However, thesecontinued to bring him volun-tary offerings, morning aftermorning.

4 Then after they started theholy work, all the skilled work-ers were coming, one after an-other, 5 and they were tellingMoses: The people are bring-ing much more than what is re-quired for the work that Jeho-vah has commanded to be done.6 So Moses commanded that an

CHAP. 35

a Ex 25:2Ex 36:22Co 8:122Co 9:7

b Ex 38:24

c Ex 28:3Ex 31:6Ex 36:8

d Ex 28:15, 28Ex 39:15, 21

e Ex 30:23-25

f Ex 30:34, 35

g Ex 36:52Co 9:7

h Ex 31:2-6

Second Col.

a Ex 36:1

b Ex 31:3

CHAP. 36

c Ex 25:9Ex 31:6

d Ex 28:3Ex 35:10

e Ex 35:21, 26

EXODUS 35:2136:6 162


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women, do not bring any moregoods for the holy contribution.With that the people were re-strained from bringing in any-thing else. 7 The goods wereenough for all the work to bedone, and more than enough.

8 So all the skilled workers amade the tabernacle b of ten tentcloths of ne twisted linen, bluethread, purple wool, and scar-let material; he 1 made them withcherubs embroidered on them. c 9 Each tent cloth was 28 cubits 1

long and 4 cubits wide. All thetent cloths were the same size.10 Then he joined ve of thetent cloths together, and the oth-er ve tent cloths he joined to-gether. 11 After that he madeloops of blue thread on the edgeof the one tent cloth where itwould join. He did the same onthe edge of the outermost tentcloth at the corresponding placewhere i t would join. 12 He

made 50 loops on the one tentcloth and 50 loops on the oth-er edge of the tent cloth at theplace where it would join so thatthe loops would be opposite oneanother. 13 Finally, he made 50gold clasps and joined the tentcloths together with the clasps,so that the tabernacle becameone unit.

14 Then he made tent clothsof goat hair for the tent overthe tabernacle. He made 11 tentcloths. d 15 Each tent cloth was30 cubits long and 4 cubits wide.The 11 tent cloths were the samesize. 16 Then he joined ve of the tent cloths together, and he joined the other six tent clothstogether. 17 Next he made 50loops along the edge of theoutermost tent cloth where it joined, and he made 50 loops

er tent cloth that joined withit. 18 And he made 50 copperclasps for joining the tent togeth-er to become one unit.

19 He made a covering for

the tent out of ram skins dyedred and a covering out of seal-skins to go over that. a

20 Then he made out of aca-cia wood b the tabernacles pan-el frames, which stood upright. c 21 Each panel frame was ten cu-bits high and one and a half cu-bits wide. 22 Each panel framehad two tenons 1 joined to eachother. That is how he made allthe panel frames of the taberna-cle. 23 Thus he made the pan-el frames for the south side of the tabernacle, 20 panel frames,facing south. 24 Then he made40 socket pedestals of silver togo under the 20 panel frames,two socket pedestals beneathone panel frame for its two ten-ons and two socket pedestals un-

der each following panel framefor its two tenons. d 25 For theother side of the tabernacle, thenorthern side, he made 20 pan-el frames 26 and their 40 sock-et pedestals of silver, two socketpedestals beneath the one panelframe and two socket pedestalsbeneath each of the other panelframes.

27 For the rear section of thetabernacle to the west, he madesix panel frames. e 28 He madetwo panel frames as cornerposts of the tabernacle at thetwo rear corners. 29 The postswere doubled from the bottom tothe top, up to the rst ring. Thatis what he did with the two cor-ner posts. 30 So they amount-ed to eight panel frames along

with their 16 socket pedestals of silver, two socket pedestals un-

CHAP. 36

a Ex 31:6

b Ex 25:9Ex 39:32Heb 9:9

c Ex 26:1-6

d Ex 26:7-11

Second Col.

a Ex 26:14

b Ex 25:10, 23Ex 27:1Ex 30:5Ex 36:36

c Ex 26:15-18

d Ex 26:19-21

163 EXODUS 36:7-31


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frames of the one side of the tab-ernacle a 32 and ve bars forthe panel frames of the otherside of the tabernacle and vefor the panel frames of the tab-

ernacle for the rear section tothe west. 33 Then he made themiddle bar to extend along themiddle of the panel frames fromone end to the other. 34 Heoverlaid the panel frames withgold, and he made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, andhe overlaid the bars with gold. b

35 Then he made a curtain c of blue thread, purple wool,scarlet material, and ne twistedlinen. He made it with cherubs d embroidered on it. e 36 Then hemade for it four acacia pillarsand overlaid them with gold,along with hooks of gold, andcast four socket pedestals of sil-ver for them. 37 Next he madea screen 1 for the entrance of the tent out of blue thread, pur-ple wool, scarlet material, andne twisted linen woven togeth-er, f 38 as well as its ve pil-lars and their hooks. He overlaidtheir tops and their connectors 1

with gold, but their ve socketpedestals were of copper.

37 Bez alel g then made theArk h of acacia wood. Itwas two and a half cubits 1 longand a cubit and a half wide anda cubit and a half high. i 2 Heoverlaid it with pure gold insideand outside and made a border 1

of gold around it. j 3 After thathe cast four rings of gold for it,for above its four feet, with tworings on its one side and tworings on its other side. 4 Henext made poles of acacia woodand overlaid them with gold. k 5 Then he put the poles through

the rings on the sides of the Arkfor carrying the Ark. a

6 He made the cover of puregold. b It was two and a half cu-bits long and a cubit and a

half wide.c 7

He then made twocherubs d of hammered gold onboth ends of the cover. e 8 Onecherub was on one end, and theother cherub on the other end.He made the cherubs on bothends of the cover. 9 The twocherubs spread out their wingsupward, overshadowing the cov-er with their wings. f They werefacing each other, and theirfaces were turned toward thecover. g

10 He then made the table of acacia wood. h It was two cubitslong, a cubit wide, and a cu-bit and a half high. i 11 And heoverlaid it with pure gold andmade a border 1 of gold aroundit. 12 Next he made a rim thewidth of a handbreadth 2 to go

around it and a border1

of goldto go around the rim. 13 Fur-ther, he cast four rings of goldfor it and placed the rings on thefour corners where the four legswere attached. 14 The ringswere near the rim, as holdersfor the poles used for carryingthe table. 15 Then he made thepoles of acacia wood and over-laid them with gold for carry-ing the table. 16 After that hemade out of pure gold the uten-sils that went on the tableitsdishes, its cups, its bowls, andits pitchers from which drink of-ferings would be poured. j

17 Then he made the lamp-stand k of pure gold. He madethe lampstand of hammeredwork. Its base, its stem, its cups,its knobs, and its blossomswere one piece. l 18 Six branch-

CHAP. 36

a Ex 26:26-28

b Ex 26:29

c Ex 40:21Heb 10:19, 20

d Ge 3:24

e Ex 26:31, 32

f Ex 26:36, 37

CHAP. 37

g Ex 31:2-5Ex 38:22

h Ex 40:3Nu 10:33

i Ex 25:10-15

j Heb 9:4

k 2Ch 5:9

Second Col.

a Jos 3:8

b Le 16:2, 141Ch 28:11

c Ex 25:17-20

d Ge 3:24

e Ex 40:20

f Heb 9:5

g 1Sa 4:4Ps 80:1

h Ex 40:4

i Ex 25:23-28

j Ex 25:29

EXODUS 36:3237:18 164


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lampstand from its one sideand three branches from its oth-er side. 19 Three cups shapedlike almond owers were on theone set of branches, with knobs

and blossoms alternating, andthree cups shaped like almondowers were on the other set of branches, with knobs and blos-soms alternating. This was donefor the six branches extendingout from the stem of the lamp-stand. 20 And on the stem of the lampstand were four cupsshaped like almond owers, withknobs and blossoms alternat-ing. 21 There was a knob un-der the rst two branches thatextended out of the stem anda knob under the next twobranches and a knob under thenext two branches, for the sixbranches extending out from thestem of the lampstand. 22 Theknobs and the branches and thewhole lampstand were made to

be one piece of pure, hammeredgold. 23 Then he made its sev-en lamps a and its snuffers 1 andits re holders out of pure gold.24 He made it, along with all itsutensils, from a talent 1 of puregold.

25 He now made the altar of incense b out of acacia wood. Itwas square, a cubit long, a cu-bit wide, and two cubits high.Its horns were one piece withit. c 26 He overlaid it with puregold, its top surface and itssides all around and its horns,and he made a border 1 of gold around it. 27 He made tworings of gold for it below itsborder 1 on two opposite sidesto hold the poles used for car-rying it. 28 After that he madethe poles of acacia wood andoverlaid them with gold. 29 He

oil a and the pure, perfumed in-cense, b skillfully blended. 1

38 He made the altar of burnt offering out of aca-cia wood. It was square, ve cu-

bits1

long, ve cubits wide, andthree cubits high. c 2 Then hemade its horns on its four cor-ners. Its horns were one piecewith it. Next he overlaid it withcopper. d 3 After that he madeall the utensils of the altar, thecans, the shovels, the bowls, theforks, and the re holders. Allits utensils he made of copper.4 He also made a grating for thealtar, a network of copper, un-der its rim, down toward itscenter. 5 He cast four rings onthe four corners near the grat-ing of copper, as holders for thepoles. 6 After that he made thepoles of acacia wood and over-laid them with copper. 7 He in-serted the poles into the rings onthe sides of the altar for carry-

ing it. He made the altar in theform of a hollow chest of planks.8 Then he made the basin of

copper e and its copper stand; heused the mirrors 1 of the womenwho were organized to serve atthe entrance of the tent of meet-ing.

9 Then he made the court-yard. f For the south side of

the courtyard, facing south, hemade the hanging curtains of ne twisted linen, for 100 cu-bits. g 10 There were 20 pil-lars and 20 socket pedestalsof copper, and the hooks of the pillars and their connec-tors 1 were of silver. 11 Also,for the north side, there were100 cubits of hanging cur-tains. Their 20 pillars and their

37:29 1 Or like the work of an oint-

CHAP. 37

a Nu 8:2

b Ex 30:7Ex 40:5Ps 141:2Re 8:3

c Ex 30:1-5

Second Col.

a Ex 30:25, 33Ex 40:9

b Ex 30:34, 35Ps 141:2

CHAP. 38

c Ex 27:1-8Ex 40:10

d 2Ch 1:5

e Ex 30:18Le 8:111Ki 7:23

f Ex 40:8

165 EXODUS 37:1938:11


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SABBATH 349

of Israel could not gaze intently at the face of Moses on the occasionwhen it was delivered to them. What is this describing? Exodus 34:1,28-30 shows that it is the giving of the Ten Commandments; these werethe commandments engraved on stone. Obviously these are included in

what the scripture here says was to be done away with.) Does doing away with the M osaic Law, including the TenCommandments, imply the taking away of all moral r estraint?

Not at all; many of the moral standards set out in the TenCommandments were restated in the inspired books of the ChristianGreek Scriptures. (There was, however, no restating of the sabbathlaw.) But no matter how good a law is, as long as sinful inclinationsdominate a persons desires, there will be lawlessness. However,regarding the new covenant, which has replaced the Law covenant,He brews 8:10 states: For this is the covenant that I shall covenantwith the house of Israel after those days, says Jehovah. I will putmy laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them. And Iwill become their God, and they themselves will become my

people. How much more effective such laws are than thoseengraved on stone tablets!

Rom. 6:15- 17: Shall we commit a sin because we are notunder law but under undeserved kindness? Never may that happen!Do you not know that if you keep presenting yourselves to anyoneas slaves to obey him, you are slaves of him because you obey him,either of sin with death in view or of obedience with righteousness

in view? But thanks to God that you were the slaves of sin but you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to whichyou were handed over. (See also Galatians 5:18 -24.)

Of what significance to Christians is theweekly Sabbath?

There is a sabbath resting that Christians share in every day Hebrews 4:4- 11 says: In one place [Ge nesis 2:2] he [God] has


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31

Time passed T ey ad now been in C naan forbout ten years, yet Sara continued barren. S eerefore proposed to substitute er Egyptian

maidservant Hagar so t at s e mig t ave aild by er. Abra am consented. And so in

932 B.C E., w en Abra a was 86 years old,s mael was born. (Ge 16 3, 15, 16) More timeassed n 1919 B .E , w en Abra am was9 years old, as a sign or seal to testi to t epecial covenant relationship existing between

h mself and Abra am, Je ova co anded t atll t e males of Abra am's ouse old be circum

sed At t e same time Je ova c anged isame from Abram to Abra am, "because a fat erf a crowd of nations will make you. " (Ge 17 5,-27 ; Ro 4 11 ) Soon a ter, t ree materialized nels, w om ra am received ospitably in t eame of Je ova , promised t at Sara erself

would conceive and give birt to a son, yes, w t ine coming year! Ge 18 1 1 5.nd w at n eventful year it proved to be

odom and Gomorra were destroyed Abra am'sep ew and is two daug ters barely escaped. Aamine d ove Abra am and is w fe to Gerar, onlyo ave t e king of t at P i istine city take Sor is arem. Je ova intervened; Sara waseleased; and at t e appointed ti e, 1918 B C. E.,saac, t e long-pro ised eir, was born w en

Abra am was 100 years old and Sara was 90

Ge 18 16 21 7) Five years later, w en saac s9-year-old alf brot er s ael poked fun atim, Abra am was compelled to dismiss s aelnd is mot er Hagar. t was t en, in 1913 B. .E.,at t e 400 years of a iction upon Abra am'sspring began Ge 21 8 21 ; 15 13; Ga 4 29The supreme test of Abra am' fait came

bout 20 years later. According to Jew s tradion, saac was now 25 years old (Jew sh Antiqui-ies, by F. Josep us, , 227 [xiii, 2]) In obedience toe ova 's instructions Abra am took saac andraveled N from Beer-s eba at t e Negeb to Mount

Moria , situated directly N of Salem. T ere euilt an altar and prepared to o er up saac, t ero sed seed, as a burnt sacri ce And indeed

Abra am "as good as o ered up saac," for " eeckoned t at God was able to ra se im up evenrom t e dead." On y at t e last moment dide ova intervene and provide a ram as a substute for saac on t e sacri cial a tar t was, t ereore, this implicit fait backed up by completebedience t at moved Je ova to reinforce isovenant wit Abra am wit a swo oat ,

special legal guarantee. Ge 22 1- 18; Heb13-18; 11 17-19

W en Sa a died at Hebron in 1881 B.C.E. at t e

ABRAHAM

c ase a burial plot, for indeed e was on y an alienresident owning no land in Canaan. So e boug ta eld wit its cave at Mac pela near Ma refrom t e so s of Het (Ge 23 1-20; see PU . )Three years later, w en saac reac ed t e age of40, Abra a sent h s oldest servant, likely Eliezer,

back to Mesopotamia in order to nd a suitablew fe, one w o was also a true wors iper of Je ova , for is son Rebeka , w o was t e grandnieceof Abra am, proved to be Je ova s c oice. Ge24 1-67.

"Fu t ermore, Abra a again took a wife," Ketura , and t erea er fat ered six additional sons,so t at from bra am sprang not only t e sraelites, shmaelites, and Edom tes but also Medanites, Midi tes, and ot ers (Ge 25 1 , 2; C 132, 34) T us it was t at Je ova s prop etic utterance was ul led in Abra am "A fat er of acrowd of nations will make you " (Ge 17: 5) Finaly, at t e good old age of 175, Abra am died, in1843 B .E., and was buried by is sons saac andsh ael in t e cave of Mac pela (Ge 25 7-10)

Prior to is deat Abra am gave gifts to t e sonsof s secondary w ves and sent t em away, sot at saac would be t e sole eir of "everyt ing e

ad " Ge 25 5, 6.Patriarchal Head and Prophet. Abr am

was a ve wealt y man t great ocks anderds, muc s lver and gold, and a very largeouse old numbering many undreds of serva ts.

(Ge 12:5, 16; 13 2, 6, 7; 17 23, 27; 20 14; 24For t is reason t e kings of Canaan consideredhim a power ul "c ieftain" and one wit w omcovenants of peace s ould be made. ( Ge 23:6;14 13 ; 21 : 22, 23) Yet at no time did Abra amallow mate alism to blind is v sion of Je ovaand His prom ses or cause im to become proud,

ig -minded, or sel s . Ge 13 9; 14 21-23The rst occurrence of t e word "prop et" in

t e Hebrew Scriptures refers to Abra am, t oug

ot ers like Enoc prop esied before im (Ge 20:7;Jude 14) T e st identi ed in t e Scriptures as a"Hebrew" is Abra am (Ge 14 13 ) Abra am, likeAbel, Enoc , and Noa , was a man of fait ( Heb11 4-9) But t e rst occurrence of t e express on"put fait in Je ova " is in reference to Abra am.

Ge 15 6.ndeed, t is man of unusual fait wa ked w t

God, received co munications from im bymeans of visions and dreams, and entertained isangelic messengers. (Ge 12 : 1-3, 7 ; 15 : 1 8, 12-21 ;18 1-15 ; 22 : 11 12, 15-18) He was well acquai tewit t e na e of God even t oug Je ova adnot at t at time revealed t e full s gni can of


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ABRAM

built altars and o e ed up sac i ces in the name ofand to the praise and g ory of h s God Jehovah

Ge 12 8; 13 4, 18 21 3 3 24 40; 48 15.As pat iarcha head, Abraham a owed no idola

t y o ungod iness n his ho seho d b t constantlyta ght al his sons and servants to "keep Jehovah's

way to do ighteousness and judg ent." (Ge 18:19 Ever ma e member of Ab aham's househo dwas bo nd y ehovah's law to subm t to c cumc s on The Egypt an slave gi Haga ca led onJehovah's name in prayer. A d Abraham's o destservant in a ve y heart-touch ng p ayer to ehovah demonst ated his own faith in Abraham sGod saac too, in his ea y manhood, p oved hisfaith and h s obedience to ehovah by a ow nghimself to be bo nd hand and foot and p aced atopthe a tar for sac ce. Ge 17 10 14, 3 27; 16: 1324: -56

H stor c ty Jesus a d his disciples efe edto Ab aham more than 70 ti es n their conve sations and wr tings n his i lustration of the r chman and aza us, Jesus efer ed to Abraham in asym olic sense (Lu 16 19-31 ) When his opponentsboasted that they we e the o sp ing of Abraham,Jesus was quick to point out thei hypocrisy, saying " f you are Ab aham's child e , do the worksof Ab aham " (Joh 8 31-58; Mt 3:9, 10) No, as theapostle Paul said, it is not lesh y descent thatcounts, but, rather, faith ike that of Abraham that

enables one to be dec ared righteous (Ro 9 6 8;4 1- 12 ) a a so denti ed he t e seed of Abraham as Ch ist, a ong w th those who belong toChrist as "heirs with refe ence to a promise " (Ga3: 16, 29) He a so speaks of Abraham's kindnessand hospita ty to strange s, and in h s long ist inHebrews chapter 11 of i ust ious witnesses of

ehovah, Pau does not overlook Abraham It isPaul who po nts o t that Abraham's two women,Sarah and Hagar, gured n a sy bo c dramathat invo ved ehovah's two covena ts (Ga4 22-3 1 Heb 1 1 :8) The Bi e w ite ames addsthat Abraham backed up his faith by ghteousworks and, the efo e, was known as "Jehovah'sfriend." as :21-23.

A chaeological discoveries have a so con rmedmatters elated in the Biblica histo y of Ab aham:The geog aphic locations of many p aces and customs of that pe od of t me, such as the purchaseof the eld from the H ttites, the choice of E iezeas heir, and the treatment of Haga .

ABRAM. See AR .

ABRONAH ( o/nah). The site of one of theenca pme ts of the Israel tes on their wilde ness

32

and Ezion-geber and has een ident ed withe oasis Ain De yeh ( En Av ona), whic14.5 km (9 i) NNE of Ezion gebe . Nu34, 3 5

ABSALOM (Ab/sa om) [Fathe that is, GPeace . The th rd of s x sons born to DaviHebron His mothe was Maacah the daughte

a mai the king of Gesh r ( 2Sa 3 3-5 ) Abfathe ed three sons and one da ghte . ( Sa 14He is evidently ca led Abishalom at 1 Kings 10 See 2Ch 11 20, 21

Physical eauty ran st on in Absalom's famy He was nat onally praised fo his o tstan

bea ty his l uriant grow h of hair, doubtmade heavier by the use of oil or ointmentweighed so e 200 shekels ( 3 kg 5 ban ua ly cut. His sister Ta ar was a so eaut

and his daughter, named fo her aunt, was "mosbeautifu in appearance " (2Sa 14 : 25-27 Rather tha being of ene t, however, this beautycont ibuted to some ugly events that caused immense g ief to Absa om's father, David, as welto others, and p oduced g eat tu moil for nation.

Murder of Am o . The beauty of Absalomsister Ta ar ca sed his olde half brothe Am oto ecome infatuated with her Feigning i lnA on contrived to have a ar sent to h s ate s to cook for him and then he fo c b y vhe Amnon's e ot c ove tu ned to contemphate and he had Tama put o t nto the st eRipping apa he st iped gown that had disguished he as a v rgin daughte of the king, awith ashes on he head, Tama was met by Absalom He quickly sized p the situation and voim ediate s spicion of Amnon, indicating a p ia e ness to his ha f brother's passionate deA sa om instructed his siste to raise no accu

ion, however, and took her to his homereside. 2Sa 13 1 -20

Acco ding to John itto, Absalo 's ta icharge of Ta ar, rather than her father's doing so,was in ha ony w th the Easte n custo , wheby, in a polygamous family, c ldren of the sammother a e the more close y knit togethe and tda ghte s "come unde the special ca e a d ptect on of their b other, who, . in a thatthei safety and honor, is ore ooked to than thfathe himse f "(Da y Bible I us rat ons, SamSau and David, 1857, p. 384) Much ea ier

evi and Simeon, two of Dinah's fu l b othe s, took it upon themselves to avenge their sisterdishonor. Ge 34 25.

Hea ing of his daughter's hum iatio , D


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1. Nations are troubled as never before.People are fearful of what lies in store.

Firm and unmovable we need to be,Serving our God faithfully.

(CHORUS )

Steadfast we all need to be; Far from this world we keep free,

As we feed on Gods truth

and keep integrity.2. Snares of this world and temptations abound.

We can resist if our thinking is sound.If we hold fast to what God says is true,

Safely hell carry us through.(Chorus )

32 Be Steadfast, Unmovable!(1 Corinthians 15:58)


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k m 1 4 0 5 - E

U s

1 4 0 1 2 3

WEEK STARTING JUNE 2Song 134 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:cl chap. 8 8 1-8 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:Bible reading: Exodus 38-40 (10 min.)

No. 1: Exodus 40:20-38 (4 min. or less)No. 2: What the Sabbath Means to Christiansrs p. 349; updated: w11 7/15 p. 28 8 16 -17(5 min.)No. 3: AbrahamThe Historicity of Abrahamin the Christian Greek Scriptures it -1 p. 32 8 2-3(5 min.)

Q ServiceMeeting:Song 11510 min: Offer the Magazines During June. Dis-cussion. Start by demonstrating how the maga-zines may be offered, using the two sample pre-sentations on this page. Then analyze the samplepresentations from beginning to end. Con-clude by briey encouraging all to become well-acquainted with the magazines and to share en-thusiastically in offering them.10 min: Local needs.10 min: How Did We Do? Discussion. Invitepublishers to comment on how they benetedby applying points from the article ImprovingOur Skills in the MinistryPreparing Our Open-ing Words. Ask the audience to relate good ex-periences.

Song 44 and Prayer

Literature offer for May and June: What Doesthe Bible Really Teach? or one of the followingtracts: How Do You View the Bible?, How Do YouView the Future?, What Is the Key to Happy Fami-ly Life?, Who Really Controls the World?, or Will Suffering Ever End? July: Feature one of the fol-lowing 32-page brochures: Good News From God!,

Listen to God, or Listen to God and Live Forever. August: Special campaign distribution of thetract to advertise the jw.org Web site. Beneciaries of a government program knownas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)may apply to serve as temporary Bethel fami-ly members or temporary volunteers. When an-swering questions regarding citizenship on theapplication, these individuals should identify themselves as DACA beneciaries.

As a reminder, each year the elders should re- view with the congregat ion pertinent pointsfrom the January 6, 2012, letter regarding disasterpreparedness and response.

Announcements

To Start Bible Studies on the FirstSaturday in June

We are making brief visits to discuss thisintriguing question. [Show the rst ques-tion on the back of the June 1 Watchtower. ]Whats your opinion? Allow for response.Consider together the material under therst question and at least one of the citedscriptures. Offer the magazines, and arrangeto discuss the next question.

34567 6 June 1Smoking kills about 6,000,000 people a year. Do you think anything can be done

to slow down this epidemic? [Allow for re-sponse.] Many people have been helped toquit or to avoid smoking altogether by con-sidering Gods view of the matter. For exam-ple, this Bible verse has caused some to thinkabout how smoking affects others. [Read1 Corinthians 10:24.] This magazine explainshow considering Gods view of smoking canmotivate a person to quit.

!"#$ JuneSocial networks have made it possible for

people to have more so-called friends thanever before. What would you say is the mostimportant quality of a true friend? [Allow forresponse.] Heres an example of the practi-cal advice on friendship that is found in theBible. [Read James 1:19.] This magazine out-lines four guiding principles that can help usbe the kind of person others would want tohave as a friend.

Sample Presentations

4

Field Service HighlightsAs of February 1, 2014, the United States branchoffice began to oversee the territory and congrega-tions in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. What uni-ty among the more than 1.2 million publishers inthe United States branch territory! This includes the50 U.S. states, the Bahamas, Ber-muda, the British and U.S. VirginIslands, Puerto Rico, and the Turksand Caicos Islands.Ps. 133:1.


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my defense. He agreed. I quickly said a silent prayer and then explained the Bibles position on false re-ligious traditions, military service, and nationalisticceremonies. When I nished, the chairman rose anddeclared that Burmas law allowed all religions to worship freely. We were released and allowed to con-tinue preaching, much to the clergys disappoint-ment.

Later, in Mongpaw, a small village near the Chinaborder, an enraged mob of Baptists burned down aKingdom Hall. When their vile act failed to intim-idate the local Witnesses, the mob burned downthe home of a special pioneer and began terrorizing brothers and sisters in their homes. The brothersappealed to the area ruler, but he backed the Bap-tists. Finally, however, the government intervenedand granted the brothers permission to build a new

Kingdom Hallnot on the original site at the edge of the village, but right in the center of the village!Further south, in Leiktho, a remote mountain vil-

lage in Kayin State, bordering the Golden Trian-gle, Gregory Sarilo encountered stiff opposition fromthe Catholic Church. The village priest ordered hisock to destroy my vegetable garden, relates Grego-

ry. Then they gave me gifts of food, but a friend warned me that the food was poisoned. One day, thepriests henchmen asked me which road I wouldtake the following day. That day I walked on a differ-ent road and thus avoided their efforts to ambushand kill me. When I reported these attempts on my life, the authorities sternly ordered the priest andhis followers to leave me alone. Jehovah protectedme from those hunting for my soul Ps 35:4


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officials appealed to the regional authorities. But the regional authorities were well-aware that Jeho- vahs Witnesses are politically neutral. The broth-ers were readily exempted from the election pro-cess.

When 23 Witness children in Khampat, a town onthe Burma-India border, refused to bow to the na-tional ag, the local headmistress expelled themfrom school. She then summoned two elders toappear before a large group of officials, including the town magistrate and the military commander.As we explained the Scriptural reasons for our position, some of the officials were clearly hos-tile, says Paul Khai Khan Thang, one of the el-ders. Then we showed them a copy of a govern-ment decree stating that Jehovahs Witnesses arepermitted to stand quietly and respectfully dur-ing ag ceremonies. The officials were stunned. When they recovered, the military commander or-dered the headmistress to reinstate the expelledstudents. The headmistress also distributed copiesof the decree to each school department.

Today, officials at the highest levels of the Myan-mar government are familiar with the political neu-trality of Jehovahs Witnesses. By standing rm for Bible principles, Jehovahs servants have given ane witness, just as Jesus Christ foretold.Luke21:13.Military Personnel Become Christians

Throughout Myanmars turbulent modern histo-ry, many of its citizens have served in the military or fought as insurgents. Like the rst-century Ro-man army officer Cornelius some of them are de


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3

WEEK STARTING MAY 26Song 60 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:cl chap. 7 8 18-22, box on p. 75 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:Bible reading: Exodus 34-37 (10 min.)No. 1: Exodus 34:1-16 (4 min. or less)No. 2: Why Moral Restraint Was Not RemovedWhen the Ten Commandments Came to anEnd rs p. 349 8 1-2 (5 min.)No. 3: AbrahamAbundant Blessings ShouldNot Make a Man of God Proud it -1 p. 318 6p. 32 8 1 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:Song 32

10 min: Start a Bible Study on the First Satur-day. Discussion. Invite audience to relate expe-riences they had starting a Bible study on therst Saturday of the month. Demonstrate howa study may be started on the rst Saturday inJune, using the sample presentation on page 4.Encourage all to have a share.

10 min: Enduring Persecution Leads to a FineWitness. (Luke 21:12, 13) Discussion based onthe 2013 Yearbook, page 124, paragraph 1; andpage 128, paragraphs 1-2. Invite audience tocomment on the lessons learned.10 min: Question Box. Discussion by an elder.Invite adults to comment on how they benetedfrom being taught deeper Bible truths by their parents.Song 88 and Prayer

What mustchildren learn inorder togrow tospiritual maturity?

Christian parents do much to bring theirchildren up in the discipline and instruc-tion of Jehovah. (Eph. 6:4; ftn.) For exam-ple, parents have found it benecial to con-sider the daily text with their children eachmorning. During family worship and onother occasions, families may watch and

discuss a video together, talk about specif-ic material from Young People Ask articles,reenact a Bible account, or have practicesessions. However, in order for children topress on to maturity, they must also betaught deeper Bible truths.Heb. 6:1.

Consider what we teach those we meet inour territory. On the initial call or on a sub-sequent visit, we generally endeavor to starta Bible study using What Does the Bible Really Teach? After completing that publi-cation, we use Keep Yourselves in Gods Love. Why? The Bible Teach book givesstudents a basic knowledge of the Scrip-tures. The Gods Love book teaches themhow to apply Bible principles in every-day life. Consideration of both publica-tions helps new ones to become rootedin Christ and stabilized in the faith. (Col.

2:6, 7) Would this material not also benetour children? They too need to be taughtabout the ransom, the Kingdom, and thecondition of the dead. Children also needto know why God permits suffering andhow to identify the last days of this systemof things. They must be convinced that Je-hovahs Witnesses have the truth. Youngones also need to understand Bible princi-ples and how to train their powers of dis-cernment. (Heb. 5:14) Of course, parentsmust consider the age and comprehen-sion level of their children. However, many children have the ability to begin learn-ing deeper Bible truths even when they arequite young.Luke 2:42, 46, 47.

To help parents, study guides that arebased on the Bible Teach book will appearon jw.org. Families can nd these on ourWeb site by looking under BIBLE TEACH-INGS TEENAGERS. In the future, addi-tional study guides will be prepared basedon the Gods Love book. Of course, theprinted version of these books can also beused. Parents can determine whether they will use this material during a portion of their Family Worship evening, when con-ducting a separate study with one of theirchildren, or when training a child to do hisown personal study.

QUESTION BOX


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1. When a man becomes a father And a woman has a child of her own,

They share a trust, they must remember, That is not theirs, not theirs alone.

The gift they share is from Jehovah;Of life and love he is the one true Source.

To parents he gives sure direction That they may follow the wisest course.

(CHORUS ) A sacred trust you have been given;

A precious life is in your hands.You can bestow the greatest favor; Instruct your child in Gods commands.

2. All the words God has commanded

They must always prove to be on your heart. These words youll speak to sons and daughters;

This is your trust, this is your part. To them youll speak along your roadway,

When you rise up and when you are at rest.In years to come, may they remember, May they be faithful, may they be blessed.

(Chorus )

88 Children Are a Trust From God (Psalm 127:3-5)

(See also Deut 6:6 7; Eph 6:4; 1 Tim 4:16 )

21 Mid-Week Meeting File 05-26-14

Documents

Transcript of 21 Mid-Week Meeting File 05-26-14