6. (a) Who today are like the Reʹchabites? (b) Who has proved to be the antitype of disobedient Israel?

⁶ There are people today who are like the Reʹchabites. These are the Lord’s “other sheep.” Whether they will drink wine is not at issue today. (Compare 1 Timothy 5:23.) This is a personal matter as long as they do not become heavy drinkers or perhaps drunkards. (Proverbs 23:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) But godly obedience is vital. In contrast to Christendom, which is the antitypical apostate Israel, the modern-day Reʹchabite class show by their actions that they know the value of godly obedience. How will this benefit them?

7. (a) What encouraging promise did Jehovah make to the Reʹchabites? (b) What hope does that hold out for the modern-day Reʹchabite class?

⁷ For their devotion, Jehovah gave the Reʹchabites a promise that has powerful prophetic significance for our day, saying: “For the reason that you have obeyed the commandment of Jehonadab your forefather and continue keeping all his commandments and doing according to all that he commanded you, therefore this is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, has said: ‘There will not be cut off from Jonadab the son of Reʹchab a man to stand before me always.’” (Jeremiah 35:18, 19) They were among the survivors of Jerusalem’s destruction in 607 B.C.E. And the class foreshadowed by them will survive the coming destruction of Christendom and all the rest of the world that independently goes its own way, refusing to acknowledge Jehovah’s sovereignty.

11. (a) In what ways were the “other sheep” pictured by Naaman? (b) What important lessons must all of us learn?

¹¹ Do you perhaps see some of Naaman’s traits in yourself? As is true of other non-Israelites who exercised faith, Naaman is used in the Scriptures to picture the “other sheep” who join in true worship. All of these, being born in sin, were once spiritually diseased. They all have had to seek the help of Jehovah’s anointed servant class and then act obediently on what this “slave” has taught them from God’s Word. (Matthew 24:45) Some at one time did not appreciate all the Scriptural counsel given them​—such as the need to attend congregation meetings regularly, the importance of separateness from the world or of Christian water baptism. They may have held back from dedication and water baptism because their heart resisted the need to ‘disown self’ in order to be a follower of Christ. In some cases they criticized the manner in which counsel was given to them by responsible ones in the congregation. But in time all who would truly be the Lord’s “other sheep” need to learn the importance of humility and loving obedience.​—James 4:6; Matthew 16:24.

COMMANDS THAT BENEFIT US

12, 13. (a) Why does obedience to Jehovah’s commands benefit us? (b) How can this be illustrated?

¹² As we get to know Jehovah and his ways, we come to appreciate how true are the words that he spoke to his servants in times past: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments!” (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Jehovah’s earnest desire is for his people to avoid calamity and to enjoy life by paying attention to his commandments. He knows how we are made and what will bring us genuine happiness. He warns us against conduct that could degrade us or damage our relations with others.

¹³ Those who have heeded his warning against fornication and adultery have been spared the emotional turmoil, disease and illegitimate births that these produce. (1 Corinthians 6:18; Hebrews 13:4) By applying counsel such as that at 2 Corinthians 7:1, they have kept free from addiction to tobacco and other drugs, which damage one’s health and can result in an early death. His command to ‘abstain from blood’ has helped his servants to strengthen their reliance on him as the One upon whom all their prospects for future life depend, and at the same time it has safeguarded them against fearful diseases that can be spread by blood transfusions.​—Acts 15:28, 29.

14. How are we benefited by seeking first the Kingdom instead of involving ourselves unnecessarily with the world?

¹⁴ As long as we are in the world, there is a certain amount of necessary contact with it. But Jehovah warns us not to pin our hopes on it, not to be a part of it. He knows what the future holds for the world. How foolish it would be to spend one’s life building up what God is going to tear down! Worse yet, those who do so will find that they share the fate of the world to which they have devoted their lives. How beneficial, therefore, the counsel given by God’s Son: Seek God’s Kingdom! Put it first in your life!​—1 John 2:17; Matthew 6:33.

15. (a) To be among those who will regain what Adam lost, what must we learn to do? (b) How will Jehovah speak to us during the Millennium?

¹⁵ With full awareness of what we need, Jehovah is preparing his people for life in his righteous new system of things. Disobedience on the part of Adam led to human imperfection, loss of eternal life and expulsion from Paradise. Surely if we are to be among those who are blessed with what Adam lost, we must give evidence that we pay attention when God speaks. And how will he speak to us during the Millennium to come, while mankind is being brought to perfection? Through the Messianic Kingdom. Will that government also have visible earthly representatives? Yes. The King will have in his service “princes in all the earth.” (Psalm 45:16; compare Isaiah 32:1, 2.) By loving obedience to these princes, mankind will demonstrate subjection to their heavenly King.

16. Why is obedience to the elders a protection now, and how is it good preparation for life in God’s New Order?

¹⁶ In preparation for that time, Jehovah now provides training through his visible theocratic organization. Within the congregations he has raised up spiritually older men, or elders. They provide needed supervision for congregation meetings and take the lead in the preaching of the Kingdom message. They help all who want to serve Jehovah to learn how to apply Bible principles in their lives and they lovingly warn against snares that could damage one’s relationship with God. Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide also have become aware that heeding the elders’ directions has often resulted in preservation of life during storms, earthquakes and outbreaks of armed violence. The congregation does not belong to the elders; it is God’s. The elders do not claim to be inspired. But, as the Scriptures show, God uses them to take the lead, and obedience to them demonstrates respect for the arrangement that Jehovah is using to prepare his servants for survival into his New Order.​—Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17.

17. What should motivate us to be obedient?

¹⁷ However, it is not simply a desire to be among the survivors of the coming world destruction that motivates to such obedience. There is much more. What? Appreciation for life and all the provisions that God has made to sustain it. Gratitude for his gifts that enrich our lives​—the ability to reason, to appreciate beauty and spiritual values, the capacity to know and worship our Creator. Also, awareness of the great love on God’s own part that moved him to give his own Son to lay down his life in sacrifice so that we could have the opportunity to live forever.

18. When we come to know God well, how do we view obedience to him and his organization?

¹⁸ For those who have come to know God well, obedience is not an unpleasant duty. An accurate understanding of his purposes and requirements, along with experiencing the good results from applying these, leaves no doubt in their minds that doing things in God’s way is the only reasonable and sensible course. They recognize it to be a protection. It is also a way to show their love for God. They find great pleasure in obeying him.​—1 John 5:3; Psalm 119:129.