remainders were completely disposed of). It is notable also that no leaven was in the cakes.—Lev. 8:31, 32; Ex. 29:31-34.

COMPLETION OF THE INSTALLATION

The installation took seven days, before the end of which the priesthood could not officiate in the fullest sense. On each of the six days succeeding their investiture and ordination through the mediator Moses, sacrifices were to be offered as follows: a young ram in the morning, with a grain offering and a drink offering of wine, and a like sacrifice in the evening, as burnt offerings. During the entire seven days, day and night, the newly ordained priests had to man posts of duty at the entrance of the tent of meeting, keeping “the obligatory watch of Jehovah,” that they might not die.—Lev. 8:33-36; Ex. 29:35-42.

On the eighth day, fully equipped and installed in office, the priesthood officiated (without Moses’ assistance) for the first time, performing an atonement service for the nation of Israel, especially in need of cleansing, not only because of their natural sinfulness, but also because of their recent disobedience in connection with the golden calf, which had brought Jehovah’s displeasure. (Lev. 9:1-7; Ex. 32:1-10) At the conclusion of this first service by the newly installed priesthood, Jehovah manifested his approval and confirmation of them in office by sending miraculous fire out from the pillar of cloud above the tabernacle, devouring the remainder of the sacrifice on the altar.—Lev. 9:23, 24.

The Bible gives no record of an installation ceremony for the successors of Aaron. Evidently the one installation service was sufficient to place the Aaronic house and all its male offspring in their priestly office once and for all, to continue to time indefinite, down until the installation in office of the true and everlasting high priest Jesus Christ.—Heb. 7:12, 17; 9:11, 12; see HIGH PRIEST; PRIEST.

INSTRUCTION

[From a form of the Hebrew ya·rahʹ, to instruct or teach; Gr., pai·deuʹo, to instruct, correct, chastise, discipline; ka·te·kheʹo, to teach orally, inform, instruct].

Jehovah is the Source of instruction. (Isa. 2:3; Mic. 4:2) The Bible is his written instruction Book. (Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 15:4) Jesus Christ is “the way and the truth and the life,” instructing those who approach the Father through him.—John 14:6.

What might be called the “book of divine creation” also instructs, when properly studied. (Ps. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:20; 10:18) Job told his companions they could get instruction by going to the animal creation. (Job 12:7, 8) But such instruction from the physical creation in itself cannot give the wisdom of God unless the searcher has the fear of Jehovah, which is ‘the beginning of knowledge and wisdom,’ and accompanies his study of created things with a consideration of God’s Word.—Job 28:13-28; Prov. 1:7; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 30:5; Isa. 8:20.

Instruction, to benefit one fully, includes correction, chastisement, discipline, as the Hebrew and Greek words imply. Discipline is not always easy to take, but, when one responds to such instruction, it will yield “peaceable fruit, namely, righteousness.” (Heb. 12:7-11) The instruction of a loving teacher will include training through example. But if hire is the chief incentive of the instructor, as was the case with the priests of Micah’s day, there will be neither example nor proper training. (Mic. 3:11) And the most unreliable source of all is instruction sought at the feet of idols, or from spiritists, magicians, fortune-tellers and the like, for one is thereby seeking instruction from God’s enemies the demons. (Hab. 2:19; 1 Cor. 10:20; Isa. 8:19; 2:6; Rev. 22:15) The Scriptures warn against turning to such sources of instruction as well as to worldly philosophy.—Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:20.

The Bible indicates that, during Christ’s 1,000-year reign, scrolls of instruction will be opened up for the judgment of mankind.—Rev. 20:12; see EDUCATION.

INTEGRITY

The Hebrew terms relating to integrity (tom, tum·mahʹ, tam, ta·mimʹ) have the root meaning of that which is “complete” or “whole.” (Compare Leviticus 25:30; Joshua 10:13; Proverbs 1:12.) Ta·mimʹ is used several times to refer to physical completeness or soundness and freedom from impairment, for example, regarding sacrificial animals. (Ex. 12:5; 29:1; Lev. 3:6) But more frequently these terms describe moral soundness and completeness, one’s being blameless and faultless.

When applied to God, ta·mimʹ may properly be translated “perfect,” as in describing Jehovah’s activity and works, his way, knowledge and law. (Deut. 32:4; Job 36:4; 37:16; Ps. 18:30; 19:7) All these divine qualities and expressions manifest such unmatchable completeness and fullness, are so sound and free from defect or fault, that they clearly identify their Source as the one true God.—Rom. 1:20; see PERFECTION.

SIGNIFICANCE OF HUMAN INTEGRITY

In a few cases the Hebrew tom conveys simply the idea of honest motive, innocence as to wrong intention. (Compare Genesis 20:5, 6; 2 Samuel 15:11) But mainly these related Hebrew terms describe unswerving devotion to righteousness. While the English word “integrity” is commonly applied to an ‘uncompromising adherence to some moral or ethical code,’ the Biblical usage and examples present unbreakable devotion to a person, Jehovah God, and to his expressed will and purpose—rather than to a mere code—as the course of vital importance.

Involved in the supreme issue

The first human pair were given the opportunity to manifest integrity in Eden. The restriction regarding the tree of knowledge put to the test their devotion to their Creator. Under the pressure of outside influence from God’s adversary and his appeal to selfishness, they gave way to disobedience. Their shame, their reluctance to face their Creator and their lack of candor in responding to his questions all gave evidence of their lack of integrity. (Compare Psalm 119:1, 80.) Obviously, however, they were not the first to break integrity, since the spirit creature who led them into a rebellious course had already done so.—Gen. 3:1-19; compare his course with the dirge pronounced against the king of Tyre at Ezekiel 28:12-15; see SATAN.

Satan’s rebellion, visibly initiated in Eden, produced an issue of universal importance—that of the rightfulness of God’s sovereignty over all his creatures, his right to require full obedience of them. Since the issue was not one of superiority of power but, rather, a moral issue, it could not be settled merely by the exercise of power, as by God’s immediately crushing Satan and the human pair out of existence. This fact is an aid to understanding why wickedness and its author, Satan, have been allowed to continue so long. (See WICKEDNESS.) Since God’s adversary first drew upon humans for support and endorsement of his rebel course (the earliest evidence for any siding with Satan on the part of spirit sons of God not appearing until sometime prior to the Flood; Gen. 6:1-5; compare 2 Peter 2:4, 5), this made the question of man’s integrity to God’s sovereign will an essential part of the overall issue (though Jehovah’s sovereignty is not itself dependent on the integrity of his creatures). Proof of this is seen in the case of Job.

Job

Job, who evidently lived in the period between the death of Joseph and the time of Moses (see JOB), is described as a man who had “proved to be blameless [Heb., tam] and upright, and fearing God and turning aside from bad.” (Job 1:1) That human integrity forms part of the issue between Jehovah God and Satan is clear from God’s questioning his adversary about Job when Satan appeared during an angelic assembly in the courts of heaven. Satan imputed false motive to Job’s worship of God, alleging that Job served not out of pure devotion but for selfish benefits. He thereby placed in question Job’s integrity to God. Permitted to divest Job of his vast possessions and even of his children, Satan failed to crack Job’s integrity. (1:6–2:3) He then claimed that Job was selfishly willing to endure the loss of possessions and children as long as he could save his own skin. (2:4, 5) Thereafter stricken with a painful, consuming disease, subjected to dissuasion from his own wife and to disparaging criticism and slurs from companions who misrepresented God’s standards and purposes (2:6-13; 22:1, 5-11), Job’s response was: “Until I expire I shall not take away my integrity from myself! On my justness I have laid hold, and I shall not let it go; my heart will not taunt me for any of my days.” (27:5, 6) His maintaining integrity demonstrated that God’s adversary was a liar.

Satan’s challenging statements in Job’s case show he held the position that all persons could be drawn away from God’s side, that none served out of a purely unselfish motive. Thus humans, as well as God’s spirit sons, have the remarkable privilege of contributing to the vindication and sanctification of God’s name and demonstrating their support of Jehovah’s sovereignty, doing so by a course of integrity. The ones “blameless in their way are a pleasure” to Jehovah.—Prov. 11:20; contrast this with the false view advanced by Eliphaz at Job 22:1-3.

Basis for divine judgment

God’s favorable judgment is dependent on the creature’s integrity-keeping course. (Ps. 18:23-25) As King David wrote: “Jehovah himself will pass sentence on the peoples. Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity in me. Please, may the badness of wicked ones come to an end, and may you establish the righteous one.” (Ps. 7:8, 9; compare Proverbs 2:21, 22.) Suffering Job expressed the confidence that “[Jehovah] will weigh me in accurate scales and God will get to know my integrity.” (Job 31:6) Job thereafter lists about a dozen examples from actual life that, if true of him, would have demonstrated a lack of integrity.—Vss. 7-40.

Possible for imperfect humans

Since all men are imperfect and unable to measure up perfectly to God’s standards, it is evident that their integrity does not mean perfection of action or speech. Rather, the Scriptures show it means wholeness of completeness of heart devotion. David, through weakness, committed several serious wrongs, but he, nevertheless, ‘walked with integrity of heart’ (1 Ki. 9:4), for he accepted reproof and corrected his way. He thereby proved that his heart still retained genuine love for Jehovah God. (Ps. 26:1-3, 6, 8, 11) As David later told his son Solomon: “Know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts Jehovah is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts he is discerning.” Solomon’s heart, however, did not “prove to be complete with Jehovah his God like the heart of David his father.”—1 Chron. 28:9; 1 Ki. 11:4; the word “complete” in these two texts is from another Hebrew term, sha·lemʹ, as at Proverbs 11:1; 1 Kings 15:14.

Integrity is therefore not restricted to any one aspect of human conduct; it does not apply just to matters obviously “religious.” For God’s servant it is a way of life in which the individual ‘walks,’ constantly searching to know Jehovah’s will. (Ps. 119:1-3) David shepherded the nation of Israel “according to the integrity of his heart,” both in matters directly relating to Jehovah’s worship and in his conduct of governmental affairs. He also desired those around him and those acting as his ministers likewise to be persons of integrity, “walking in a faultless way.” (Ps. 78:72; 101:2-7) One ‘proves himself faultless’ before God over a period of time, as did Noah, Abraham and others.—Gen. 6:9; 17:1; 2 Sam. 22:24.

Integrity requires uncompromising loyalty to God and adherence to righteousness, not merely under favorable conditions or circumstances, but under all conditions and at all times. After stressing that only the integrity-keeper, “speaking the truth in his heart,” is acceptable to Jehovah, the psalmist says of such a one that “he has sworn to what is bad for himself, and yet he does not alter,” that is, even if something he has solemnly agreed to turns out to be apparently against his personal interests, he still stays true to his agreement. (Ps. 15:1-5; contrast Romans 1:31, 1 Timothy 1:10.) Integrity, then, is most evident when the individual’s devotion is under test and he is pressured to abandon his righteous course. Though made a laughingstock by opposers (Job 12:4; compare Jeremiah 20:7), or the object of their bitter speech (Ps. 64:3, 4), hatred and violent persecution (Prov. 29:10; Amos 5:10), in sickness or distressful adversity, one must ‘hold fast his integrity’ as did Job, no matter what the cost.—Job 2:3.

Such an integrity-keeping course is possible, not by the individual’s personal moral strength, but only through deep faith and trust in Jehovah and his saving power. (Ps. 25:21) God’s promise is that he will be a “shield” and “stronghold,” guarding the way of those walking in integrity. (Prov. 2:6-8; 10:29; Ps. 41:12) Their constant concern for gaining Jehovah’s approval brings stability to their lives, enabling them to follow a straight course to their goal. (Ps. 26:1-3; Prov. 11:5; 28:18) Though, as Job perplexedly observed, the blameless may suffer due to the rule of the wicked and may die along with the wicked, Jehovah assures that he is aware of the life of the faultless one and guarantees that such one’s inheritance will continue, his future will be peaceful and he will come into the possession of good. (Job 9:20-22; Ps. 37:18, 19, 37; 84:11; Prov. 28:10) As in Job’s case, it is being a man of integrity, rather than one’s wealth, that makes one a person of genuine worth, meriting respect. (Prov. 19:1; 28:6) Children privileged to have such a parent are to be counted happy (Prov. 20:7), receiving a splendid legacy in their father’s life example, enjoying a share in his good name and the respect he gained.

In addition to Job and David, the Hebrew Scriptures are replete with examples of men of integrity. Abraham showed unswerving loyalty to God in his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. (Gen. 22:1-12) Daniel and his three companions provide sterling illustrations of integrity under test, in youth and in later life. (Dan. 1:8-17; 3:13-23; 6:4-23) At Hebrews chapter 11, the apostle Paul lists a long line of men of pre-Christian times who through faith displayed integrity under a wide variety of difficult circumstances.—Note particularly verses 33-38.

INTEGRITY IN THE CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES

Whereas no exact word for “integrity” appears in the Christian Greek Scriptures, the idea pervades this entire portion of the Bible. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, gave the finest example of integrity and of supreme trust in his heavenly Father’s strength and care. He thereby was “made perfect” for his position as God’s high priest, as well as the anointed king of the heavenly kingdom, one greater than David’s. (Heb. 5:7-9; 4:15; 7:26-28; Acts 2:34, 35) Integrity is embraced in the commandment Jesus singled out as the greatest of all—loving Jehovah God with one’s whole heart, mind, soul and strength. (Matt. 22:36-38) His injunction that “you must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48) also stressed a completeness of one’s devotion to righteousness. (The Greek terms for perfection convey the idea of that which has been ‘brought to completion’