years, I have the spiritual strength to give back, in some small measure, what Jehovah asks of those he has blessed with his truths.

Some inquire how I have been able to endure the hard work of the past nearly five decades. The answer must come in the matter of motive and dedication. It was a matter of pleasing either myself or of pleasing Jehovah, as far as I was concerned. I felt that Jehovah had given me the truth in the first place, so he had the right to ask back certain things of me. If I accepted the truth, then I should be willing to give back what he asks. So my motive in life after dedication was to please Jehovah first, and I have tried to do this.

What has helped very much, too, is that I have reflected continually on Jehovah’s promises and have had complete faith in his Word that he would straighten out all of man’s affairs in his due time. With this full confidence I could endure in the work regardless of what was required, because I knew full well that in the end Jehovah would make everything work out for the best interests of his servants, including me. Yes, with a willing spirit, putting God and his requirements first, anyone can give back humbly what God asks of him.—Mic. 6:8.

Questions From Readers

● At 1 Corinthians 10:8 the apostle Paul said that 23,000 Israelites fell in one day for committing fornication. However, the figure given at Numbers 25:9 is 24,000. Were these two different incidents?—K. S., U.S.A.

Both texts apparently apply to the same incident. To the Corinthian Christians, who lived in a notoriously licentious city, the apostle Paul appropriately wrote at 1 Corinthians 10:8: “Neither let us practice fornication, as some of them [the Israelites in the wilderness] committed fornication, only to fall, twenty-three thousand of them in one day.” Evidently Paul was referring to the incident recorded in Numbers, chapter 25. At that time the Israelites suffered a scourge from Jehovah for having immoral relations with the daughters of Moab and for engaging in the false worship of the Baal of Peor. Numbers 25:9 reported the result, stating: “And those who died from the scourge amounted to twenty-four thousand.”

It is possible that the number of those slain was between 23,000 and 24,000, allowing for either round figure to be satisfactorily given as a total. However, it is to be noted that in Numbers special mention is made of the fact that the judges of Israel killed the head men who had an attachment with the Baal of Peor. (Num. 25:4, 5) There may well have been a thousand of those head ones who died at the hands of the judges. But the 23,000 persons apparently were direct victims of the scourge from Jehovah. The resulting total would be 24,000, the figure given at Numbers 25:9. Of course, in general all 24,000 experienced God’s scourge in that they all died under his decree of judgment. (Deut. 4:3) Since Paul wrote under divine inspiration, there is no reason to conclude that he erred in giving the number of those who fell because of their wrongdoing in the incident involving the Baal of Peor.

● Who was the father of Zerubbabel? The Bible seems to indicate both Pedaiah and Shealtiel.—J.B., U.S.A.

Pedaiah was the fleshly father of Zerubbabel. This is indicated by 1 Chronicles 3:17-19, which states: “And the sons of Jeconiah [Jehoiachin] as prisoner [in Babylon] were Shealtiel his son and Malchiram and Pedaiah . . . And the sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei.” However, Zerubbabel is called the son of Shealtiel elsewhere in the Bible, as at Ezra 3:2, 8 and in the genealogies of Jesus Christ at Matthew 1:12 and Luke 3:27. Why is this so?

According to First Chronicles, chapter three, Pedaiah was Zerubbabel’s father, whereas Shealtiel was his uncle, his father’s brother. Yet, for some reason that is not disclosed in the Bible, Zerubbabel was reckoned as the son of Shealtiel. Evidently Zerubbabel was considered to be his legal son and heir. It is, of course, possible that Shealtiel died childless and that his brother, Pedaiah, complied with the law of levirate marriage, marrying his brother’s widow. (Deut. 25:5-10) The first son of such a union would be viewed as Shealtiel’s legal heir. On the other hand, perhaps, because of Pedaiah’s death, Shealtiel came to have custody of Zerubbabel, raising him as his son. However, the Scriptures themselves are silent on the matter.

Regardless of the undisclosed circumstances, the Bible shows that Zerubbabel was literally the son of Pedaiah. (1 Chron. 3:19) But, since the Scriptures also call him the son of Shealtiel, it was fittingly stated on page 160 of the book “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s Kingdom Rules!: “In fact, Jehoiachin had sons at Babylon, Shealtiel, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah. Of these sons Shealtiel was reckoned as the father of Zerubbabel, who became governor of Judah under Persia and who rebuilt the temple at restored Jerusalem.”

Announcements

FIELD MINISTRY

How many people are there in the world who, if there is a choice, are willing to die rather than compromise on what they believe? Not many. But those who have firm faith in God’s promise of a resurrection are thus strengthened to faithfulness. Jehovah’s witnesses have such faith, and during April they will continue to call at the homes of people everywhere endeavoring to aid others to gain faith in God and his Word. As an aid in this work, they will be offering a year’s subscription for this magazine, The Watchtower, along with three Scriptural booklets, for $1.

MEMORIAL OF CHRIST’S DEATH

Where will you be on the evening of April 5? That depends on what the date means to you. To Christians who take seriously the instructions of the Lord Jesus to commemorate his death, that date is most important. This year April 5, after sundown, corresponds to Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar, and that is the date that Jesus Christ died on behalf of mankind. So at Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s witnesses around the earth large numbers of persons will be gathered for the Memorial of Christ’s death on that evening. After a Bible discourse, the Memorial emblems, the bread and the wine, will be passed, following the example Jesus himself set on the last night he was with his disciples before his death. You are invited to attend this important meeting. If you do not know where the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s witnesses is located, write the publishers of this magazine for information.

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“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

May 1: Completing the Work of Making Disciples. Page 201.

May 8: Finding Happiness in Making Disciples. Page 208.