Comments You Will Not Hear at the 12-05-10 WT Study (OCTOBER 15, 2010, pages 3-7)(MIND OF JEHOVAH/CHRIST)
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“ W HO H AS C OME TO K NOW
THE M IND OF J EHOVAH ? ”
“ ‘Who has come to know the mind of Jehovah, that he may instruct him?’
But we do have the mind of Christ.” —1 COR. 2:16.
OPENING COMMENTS
Who has come to know the mind of the WTS/GB/FDS that he may instruct them?
START OF ARTICLE
1, 2. (a) What difficulty do many people experience?
(b) What do we need to remember about our
thinking and that of Jehovah?
H AVE you ever found it difficult to understand
another person’s way of thinking? Perhaps you
recently got married, and you feel that you
have no way of fully understanding how
your spouse thinks. Indeed, men and women
think and even speak differently. Why,
in some cultures, men and women
actually speak different dialects
of the same language! Additionally,
differences in culture and language can result
in different patterns of thinking and behavior.
However, the more you get to know
others, the more opportunity you have to
start to understand their way of thinking.
COMMENTS
Do all men think and speak the same?
Do all women think and speak the same?
Do men and women speak different dialects because they cannot understand the other or because their community imposes the difference?
Don’t all people think and speak differently from each other, each a unique entity?
2 We should not, therefore, be surprised
that our thinking is far different from that of
Jehovah. Through his prophet Isaiah, Jehovah
told the Israelites: “The thoughts of you
people are not my thoughts, nor are my
ways your ways.” Then, illustrating this fact,
Jehovah went on to say: “For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so my ways are
higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.”—Isa. 55:8, 9.
COMMENTS
Is the comparison the same? Humans compared to humans; not humans to gods?
OT__Weren’t the Israelites far from obeying the laws of God in Isaiah’s time?
Could humans at any time understand God’s thoughts?
3. What are two ways in which we can endeavor to
attain “intimacy with Jehovah”?
3 Does this mean, though, that we should
not even try to understand Jehovah’s way of
thinking? No. Although we can never fully
understand all of Jehovah’s thoughts, still
the Bible encourages us to gain “intimacy
with Jehovah.” (Read Psalm 25:14; Proverbs
3:32.) One way we can draw closer to Jehovah
is by showing regard for and paying attention
to his activities as recorded in his
Word, the Bible. (Ps. 28:5) Another way is by
getting to know “the mind of Christ,” who
is “the image of the invisible God.” (1 Cor.
2:16; Col. 1:15) By taking time to study Bible
accounts and to meditate on them, we can
begin to understand Jehovah’s qualities and
his way of thinking.
COMMENTS
Intimacy with Jesus?
Can any humans draw close to God without being closely associated with the WTS per the WTS?
How often does the WTS highlight Christ as compared to God? Look at the topics of the kingdom songs or study articles.
How often does the WTS feature OT as compared to NT accounts…how can anyone get to know Jesus through the OT accounts?
Beware of a Wrong Tendency
4, 5. (a) What wrong tendency do we need to
avoid? Explain. (b) The Israelites fell into what
wrong way of thinking?
4 As we meditate on Jehovah’s activities,
we need to avoid the tendency to judge God
by human standards. This tendency is alluded
to in Jehovah’s words as recorded at
Psalm 50:21: “You imagined that I would
positively become like you.” It is as one Bible
scholar stated over 175 years ago: “Men
are apt to judge of God by themselves, and
to suppose him restricted by such laws
as they deem proper for their own observance.”
COMMENTS
What human standards are they alluding to? Weren’t humans made in God’s image?
Who is this “one Bible scholar”? Charles Simeon…why no mention of his name and background? This is not the first time the WTS quotes him in their pubs and talks.
http://www.churchsociety.org/issues_new/history/simeon/iss_history_simeon_warren-context.asp
5 We need to be careful not to shape our
concept of Jehovah so as to conform it to
our own standards and desires. Why is this
important? Well, as we study the Scriptures,
some of Jehovah’s actions may seem to be
not quite right from our limited, imperfect
viewpoint. The ancient Israelites fell into
that way of thinking and drew a wrong conclusion
concerning Jehovah’s dealings with
them. Notice what Jehovah said to them:
“You people will certainly say: ‘The way of
Jehovah is not adjusted right.’ Hear, please,
O house of Israel. Is not my own way adjusted
right? Are not the ways of you people not
adjusted right?”—Ezek.18:25.
COMMENTS
Are they highlighting our standards with God’s or with the WTS?
What actions are the alluding to? Killing all men, women, and children during the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Armageddon?
Why no examples of how and when the Israelites “drew a wrong conclusion”?
Has the WTS drawn wrong conclusions about “God’s thinking” and brought harm to humans: organ transplants, scream when raped, etc.?
Was David the only adulterer and murderer of his time that was repentant so not put to death?
6. What lesson did Job learn, and how can we benefit
from his experience?
6 A key to avoiding the trap of judging
Jehovah by our own standards is to recognize
that our viewpoint is limited and
at times seriously flawed. Job needed to
learn this lesson. During his time of suffering,
Job struggled with despair and became
somewhat self-centered. He lost sight of the
bigger issues. But Jehovah lovingly helped
him to broaden his viewpoint. By asking
Job over 70 different questions, none of
which Job could answer, Jehovah emphasized
the limitations of Job’s understanding.
Job reacted in a humble way, adjusting
his viewpoint.—Read Job 42:1-6.
COMMENTS
OT__Job
Somewhat self-centered?! Here his so-called good friends were saying it was because of Job’s sins that all ten of his children died.
Did Job even know what the bigger issue was? Had anyone told him about the little drama in heaven between God and Satan?
At least jws have the illusion of knowing what is going on.
Gaining “the Mind of Christ”
7. Why are we helped to understand Jehovah’s
thinking if we examine Jesus’ activities?
7 Jesus perfectly imitated his Father in
everything he said and did. (John 14:9)
Therefore, examining Jesus’ activities helps
us to understand Jehovah’s way of thinking.
(Rom. 15:5; Phil. 2:5) Let us, then, examine
two Gospel accounts.
COMMENTS
How often does the WTS examine Jesus’ activities? Look carefully at how God is the focus of almost all their songs, all their articles. Why even though Jesus said at Acts 1:8 that his followers would be witnesses of him (not God) and the NT has only references to “witnesses of Jesus” the WTS was arrogant enough to re-name themselves Jehovah’s witnesses. (Rev. 17:6; 18:24).
8, 9. As recorded at John 6:1-5, what situation led
Jesus to ask Philip a question, and why did Jesus
do so?
8 Imagine the scene. It was just before the
Passover of 32 C.E. Jesus’ apostles had recently
returned from a remarkable preaching
tour throughout Galilee. Since they
were tired from all this activity, Jesus took
them to an isolated place on the north-
east shore of the Sea of Galilee. However,
thousands followed them there. After Jesus
healed this multitude and taught them
many things, a logistical problem arose.
How could all these people get something
to eat in such an isolated location? Realizing
the need, Jesus asked Philip, who was
from that area: “Where shall we buy loaves
for these to eat?”—John 6:1-5.
COMMENTS
Jesus was perfect and would have seen ahead this problem; why didn’t he sidestep it?
9 Why did Jesus ask Philip this question?
Was Jesus worried about what to do? No.
What really was his thinking? The apostle
John, who also was there, explains: “[Jesus]
was saying this to test him, for he himself
knew what he was about to do.” (John 6:6)
Jesus here tested the spiritual progress of his
disciples. By asking this question, he got
their attention and gave them an opportunity
to express their faith in what he could
do. But they missed this opportunity and
showed how limited their viewpoint really
was. (Read John 6:7-9.) Jesus then went on to
show that he could do something they had
not even imagined. He miraculously fed
those thousands of hungry people.—John 6:
10-13.
COMMENTS
So is the WTS demonstrating that they know what Jesus was thinking?
Is the WTS comparing themselves to Jesus when the rank and file jw have no faith in them?
Is the WTS going to perform miracles to test us?
10-12. (a) Why may Jesus not have granted the
Greek woman’s request immediately? Explain.
(b)What will we now consider?
10 This account may help us to understand
Jesus’ thinking on another occasion.
Shortly after feeding this large group of people,
Jesus and his apostles traveled north,
beyond the borders of Israel, to the vicinity
of Tyre and Sidon. While there, they met a
Greek woman who begged Jesus to heal her
daughter. At first, Jesus ignored the woman.
But when she kept on insisting, Jesus said to
her: “First let the children be satisfied, for it
is not right to take the bread of the children
and throw it to the little dogs.”—Mark 7:
24-27.
COMMENTS
Greek woman…not an Israelite, a Gentile whom Israelites were not to associate with.
So does asking numerous times prove you really want something…or does it make you a pest?
11 Why did Jesus at first refuse to help this
woman? Was Jesus testing her, as he did
Philip, to see how she would react, giving
her an opportunity to display her faith? His
tone of voice, although not revealed in the
written text, did not discourage her. His use
of the term “little dogs” softened the comparison.
So perhaps Jesus was acting like a
parent who intends to grant a child’s request
but withholds any outward sign of
that intent in order to test out the child’s
seriousness. Whatever the case, once the
woman expressed her faith, Jesus willingly
granted her request.—Read Mark 7:28-30.
COMMENTS
So the WTS can interpret what is not in the Bible, a tone of voice….PERHAPS Jesus was acting….more mind reading?
Did all have to express faith for Jesus to grant their request?
Lk.17:11-19 Jesus healed all 10 but only one obeyed showing that he was the only one to possess true saving faith.
Jn.11 Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead; certainly it wasn’t Lazarus’ faith, he was dead, neither did anyone else believe it could occur then. It was done so they could believe. (also Lk 8:54).
Lk.8:26-39 The demoniac of Gadarene was healed without asking before he was capable of expressing his faith.
Lk.2:50-51 Jn.18:10 When Peter cut of the ear of Malchus, Jesus healed him without any faith present.
The Bible records Jesus doing more miracles without anyone exercising faith then with their faith. He fed the 5,000 when they could not believe. (Lk.9:13-14 Mt.14:17) even after they had seen his provision they disbelieved again for the feeding of the 4,000 (Mt.15:33).
12 These two Gospel accounts give us precious
insight into “the mind of Christ.” Let
us now see how these accounts can help us
to understand better Jehovah’s own mind.
COMMENTS
God’s mind or the organization’s?
Jehovah’s Dealings With Moses
13. How does gaining insight into Jesus’ way of
thinking help us?
13 Gaining insight into Jesus’ way of
thinking helps us in understanding passages
in the Scriptures that may be difficult
to grasp. For example, consider Jehovah’s
words to Moses after the Israelites had made
a golden calf to worship. God said: “I have
looked at this people and here it is a stiff necked
people. So now let me be, that my
anger may blaze against them and I may ex-
terminate them, and let me make you into a
great nation.”—Ex. 32:9,10.
COMMENTS
OT___Now why would God say that unless he had an alternate way to keep his promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah that the Messiah would come through their bloodline. After all, Moses was a Levite, Levi being one of the sons of Jacob that God passed over for the Messianic line. Wouldn’t have Moses known that?
14. How did Moses react to Jehovah’s words?
14 The account goes on to say: “Moses proceeded
to soften the face of Jehovah his
God and to say: ‘Why, O Jehovah, should
your anger blaze against your people whom
you brought out of the land of Egypt with
great power and with a strong hand? Why
should the Egyptians say, “With evil intent
he brought them out in order to kill them
among the mountains and to exterminate
them from the surface of the ground”? Turn
from your burning anger and feel regret over
the evil against your people. Remember
Abraham, Isaac and Israel your servants, to
whom you swore by yourself, in that you
said to them, “I shall multiply your seed like
the stars of the heavens, and all this land
that I have designated I shall give to your
seed, that they may indeed take possession
of it to time indefinite.” ’And Jehovah began
to feel regret over the evil that he had spoken
of doing to his people.”—Ex. 32:11-14.*
*A similar account appears at Numbers 14:11-20.
COMMENTS
Was God being honest with Moses or was he testing—tricking him?
15, 16. (a) What opportunity opened up to Moses
because of what Jehovah said? (b) In what sense did
Jehovah “feel regret”?
15 Did Moses really need to correct Jehovah’s
thinking? By no means! Although
Picture: What do we learn about Jehovah’s thinking from the way
he dealt with Moses and with Abraham?
Jehovah expressed what he was inclined to
do, this was not his final judgment. In effect,
Jehovah was here testing Moses, just as
Jesus later did Philip and the Greek woman.
Moses was given an opportunity to express
his view.* Jehovah had appointed Moses as
mediator between Israel and Himself, and
Jehovah respected His appointment of Moses
to that role. Would Moses succumb to
frustration? Would he take this opportunity
to encourage Jehovah to forget about Israel
and to make a mighty nation from Moses’
own descendants?
*According to some scholars, the Hebrew idiom rendered
“let me be” at Exodus 32:10 could be taken as an
invitation, a suggestion that Moses would be allowed to
intercede, or ‘stand in the gap,’ between Jehovah and
the nation. (Ps. 106:23; Ezek. 22:30) Be that as it may,
Moses obviously felt comfortable expressing his opinion
freely to Jehovah.
----------
Some scholars—who?
COMMENTS
What does that mean “inclined to do” “not his final judgment.” If God killed everyone from the tribe of Judah, how could he keep his promise? Was God lying to Moses in that God had no intention of destroying the national and making Moses’ family into a new nation?
Moses felt “comfortable expressing his opinion freely to Jehovah.”
Do jws feel comfortable expressing their opinion freely to the WTS (organization)?
16 Moses’ response revealed his faith and
trust in Jehovah’s justice. His reaction
showed, not selfish interest, but concern
over Jehovah’s name. He did not want it to
be defamed. Moses thereby showed that he
understood “the mind of Jehovah” concerning
this matter. (1 Cor. 2:16) What was
the outcome? Because Jehovah was not
firmly committed to a certain course of action,
the inspired record says that he “began
to feel regret.” In Hebrew, this expression
can simply mean that Jehovah did not bring
about the calamity he stated that he was inclined
to bring upon the whole nation.
COMMENTS
Trust in God’s justice—the same God who would later let David live because he was a repentant murderer and adulterer, but without any mention of any other Israelite then being afforded the same forgiveness.
Where does the WTS get the definition for “began to feel regret”?
Jehovah’s Dealings With Abraham
17. How did Jehovah show great patience in dealing
with Abraham’s concerns?
17 Another example of how Jehovah allows
his servants an opportunity to express
their faith and trust involves Abraham’s request
concerning Sodom. In that account,
Jehovah showed great patience by letting
Abraham make a series of eight inquiries.
At one point, Abraham makes this impassioned
appeal: “It is unthinkable of you that
you are acting in this manner to put to
death the righteous man with the wicked
one so that it has to occur with the righteous
man as it does with the wicked! It is
unthinkable of you. Is the Judge of all the
earth not going to do what is right?”—Gen.
18:22-33.
COMMENTS
OT___Abraham’s request…Sodom
Abraham got God down to 10 MEN…what about women and children? Were all the women and children’s lives dependent on the actions of 10 men? Did Abraham realize that this was an eternal destruction that there was no resurrection from? Did he realize that Lot would never see his wife again?
Abraham was asking this because he knew Lot and his family lived in Sodom and Gomorrah…Abraham was not concerned about the others, was he?
Does this mean then that the rank and file jw can question disfellowshipping decisions by the elders?
18. What do we learn from the way that Jehovah
dealt with Abraham?
18 From this account, what do we learn
about Jehovah’s thinking? Did Jehovah
need Abraham to reason with him in order
to make the right decision? No. Of course,
Jehovah could have simply stated in the beginning
the reasons for his decision. But by
means of these questions, Jehovah gave
Abraham time to come to grips with the decision
and to understand His thinking. It
also allowed Abraham to understand the
depth of Jehovah’s compassion and justice.
Yes, Jehovah dealt with Abraham as a friend.
—Isa. 41:8; Jas. 2:23.
COMMENTS
While God did not need Abraham to reason with him, he did (God to human)…Does the WTS let other humans (imperfect human to imperfect human) reason with them on their decisions?
Abraham was his friend…not a son…only the anointed are considered sons.
Lessons for Us
19. How can we imitate Job?
19 What have we learned about “the mind
of Jehovah”? We need to allow God’s Word
to mold our understanding of Jehovah’s
mind. We should never impose our limitations
on Jehovah and judge him by our standards
and thinking. Job stated: “[God] is
not a man like me that I should answer
him, that we should come together in judgment.”
(Job 9:32) Like Job, when we start to
understand the mind of Jehovah, we cannot
help but exclaim: “Look! These are the
fringes of his ways, and what a whisper of a
matter has been heard of him! But of his
mighty thunder who can show an understanding?”—
Job 26:14.
COMMENTS
Mold our mind to God’s or the WTS? Is questioning God the same as questioning the WTS? Are they saying that the rank and file jw cannot understand the WTS and should just accept their teachings without understanding?
20. What should we do if we come across a passage
of Scripture that is difficult for us to understand?
20 As we read the Scriptures, what should
we do if we come across a passage that is difficult
to understand, especially with regard
to Jehovah’s thinking? If after researching
the matter we still do not have a clear answer,
we can view this as a test of our trust in
Jehovah. Remember, at times certain statements
allow us an opportunity to express
our faith in Jehovah’s qualities. Let us humbly
acknowledge that we do not understand
everything that he does. (Eccl. 11:5)We will
thus be prompted to agree with these words
of the apostle Paul: “O the depth of God’s
riches and wisdom and knowledge! How
unsearchable his judgments are and past
tracing out his ways are! For ‘who has come
to know Jehovah’s mind, or who has become
his counselor?’ Or, ‘Who has first given
to him, so that it must be repaid to him?’
Because from him and by him and for him
are all things. To him be the glory forever.
Amen.”—Rom.11:33-36.
COMMENTS
What passage are they talking about, example please? Researching where, in the Bible or WTS publications? What does the WTS do when they don’t understand…they still give an answer saying, “apparently,” “probably,” “evidently,” etc.
Do You Remember?
· ? What will help us to avoid the tendency
· to judge Jehovah by our own
· standards?
· ? How can understanding Jesus’ actions
· help us to gain “intimacy with
· Jehovah”?
· ? What lessons did you learn from
· Jehovah’s conversations with Moses
· and with Abraham?
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Sorry this is late….lot’s of medical issues for both of us besides the holidays and family issues. December 12 was, “Keep on Seeking First His Righteousness.” Will try to post today and have the 19 th up on the 18 th .
Love, Blondie