use our unrighteous riches in such a way after our dedication as to turn God and Christ into our enemies. Judas Iscariot, the unfaithful one of Jesus’ original twelve apostles, did that. We want to prove ourselves “faithful in connection with the unrighteous riches,” and that is by using what material riches we now own, not to enrich this world or its slaves of Mammon (Riches), but to serve the interests of God’s kingdom. We shall use them to see to it that the good news of God’s established kingdom is more widely preached, in all the inhabited earth, for the purpose of a final witness to all the nations before their complete end comes. Since the dedication of ourselves and of our all to our Greatest Friend, Jehovah God, we really only hold in trust what material wealth we possess in the midst of this world. Hence we must prove faithful in using such earthly riches just as we must do in using all the priceless spiritual wealth that God has given us through Christ. Then after Armageddon God and Christ will take us into everlasting dwellings, because we used practical wisdom toward them as Friends.

MAKING WISDOM SUCCEED

10. What illustration did Solomon use concerning the making of wisdom succeed, and to what degree of advantage are we taught to use practical wisdom successfully?

¹⁰ As the royal congregator of Jehovah’s people, wise King Solomon wrote: “If an iron tool has become blunt and someone has not whetted its edge, then he will exert his own vital energies. And the making of wisdom succeed means advantage.” (Eccl. 10:10) How true this saying! If a man has a work to perform that needs a sharp-edged tool, then it is to his advantage to have the tool he uses sharp in its cutting edge. If the tool has become blunt and he does not discern the bluntness and sharpen up the edge, then when he works with the still-blunt tool he will have to work harder. He will have to expend more of his own physical energy and time, and the job done will not be as neat when it is finally completed with much labor, sweat and extra effort. This spells inefficiency and a waste. It is not practical wisdom on the tool worker’s part. Likewise with practical wisdom on the part of God’s sons of light. They must make it succeed. That is, they must use practical wisdom to success or in such a way that it results in success. If they do this, then their practical wisdom when put to use will be an advantage to them. The way that the unrighteous steward applied his practical wisdom was only to his immediate and temporary advantage. The way we sons of light are taught to use practical wisdom that comes from God is to our eternal advantage.

11. (a) Why is it not sensible to make things hard for us? (b) Why was Timothy told to handle the word of the truth aright?

¹¹ There is no sense in making things hard for us and vexing ourselves with unsatisfactory results or workmanship. In that regard the Christian overseer Timothy was given the following instructions concerning the flock of God’s people in his charge: “Keep reminding them of these things, charging them before God as witness, not to fight about words, a thing of no usefulness at all because it overturns those listening. Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright. But shun empty speeches that violate what is holy; for [such speeches] will advance to more and more ungodliness, and their word will spread like gangrene.” (2 Tim. 2:14-17) The “word of the truth,” the Holy Scriptures, is the tool with which we are authorized and commanded to work, not words or teachings outside God’s Word that provoke a fight about the meaning, a fight that brings no useful outcome but really harms those listening to the dispute. The speeches of this world that are profane because of violating what is holy to God are just empty sayings that have no real content, no real solidness, and they lead people into ungodliness and cause cankerlike corruption that eats away until death ensues. It is not practical wisdom to handle and deal with such words, teachings, and empty, profane speeches or sayings.

12. (a) What tool, then, should we use, and how do we handle it aright? (b) How do we keep it sharp for our use, and with what benefit?

¹² Use the tool that accomplishes God’s work, namely, his holy Word. When handling it, be sure that it is handled aright, not only so that God’s Word is made to harmonize with itself but also that it is handled with the right motive in one’s heart and for the right purpose. Our motive should be love to God and his dear sheep. Our purpose should be to exalt God and gather together all his sheep into the one fold under his Right Shepherd, Jesus Christ. This work requires also preaching God’s “word of the truth.” We should be careful to see that our tool is sharp-edged, keen. God’s Word actually is that in itself; but we have to keep our understanding of it sharp and our ability to preach and teach it keen, incisive, piercing, penetrating, not dull, blunt, unconvincing, and so needing extra time and effort to get at the point and drive it home. Due to failure to use it, our instrument or tool will seem to get like that. The pressing need for the ingathering and the upbuilding of the sheep now before Armageddon requires of us to do our utmost in handling the Word of the truth aright. We must prepare ourselves in advance to the highest degree of sharpness. This will really save effort while we are at work and will get the best results.

13. Why will we workmen then have nothing of which to be ashamed?

¹³ In that case we shall make practical wisdom succeed. We will be using practical wisdom to success, and this will be to our everlasting advantage. As workmen we shall have nothing of which to be ashamed and shall show ourselves approved to God.

THE PRACTICAL FOUNDATION

14. How do Christendom’s religionists not handle the Word of the truth aright, and why does not the name taken make one’s course right?

¹⁴ In this space age Christendom is full of religionists who do many things in the name of the Lord Jesus. However, they do not handle the Word of the truth aright. They make themselves a part of this world; they constitute themselves friends of this world, and then undertake to do many things in harmony with the purposes of this world, so as to keep on good terms with it, never running into conflict with it. Then to these works that they have undertaken according to this world’s standards and aims they attach the name of Christ. They call such works Christian and claim that Christ set an example for them to do such works. For instance, did not Christ and his apostles perform works of healing? And so why should they not become medical missionaries? However, the name in which one presumes to do the work is not what makes the work right. Besides the name, the work’s product must be right.

15. In proof of this, what did Jesus say, and hence why do lawless workers act without practical wisdom?

¹⁵ Said Jesus: “Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men. Not everyone saying to me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day: ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you at all. Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:20-23) Jesus Christ always did the will of his Father who is in the heavens. He never worked at any lawlessness toward God. His name is not to be associated with what is not God’s will, lawlessness. To apply Jesus’ name to lawlessness is wrong, no matter whether such lawlessness may seem to accomplish wonderful works. Jesus has no familiarity with workers of lawlessness who hypocritically use his name to misrepresent their works and make a deceptive impression. Consequently such lawless workers act without practical wisdom.

16. How does chapter eight of the Proverbs show that Jesus Christ is associated with heavenly, practical wisdom?

¹⁶ Jesus Christ is associated with heavenly wisdom and practical wisdom. He has always displayed these successful qualities. As God’s firstborn Son in the heavens before his becoming a perfect man on earth he is personified in chapter eight of King Solomon’s Proverbs. There he is represented as divine wisdom personified. As such, he says: “I, wisdom, I have resided with shrewdness and I find even the knowledge of thinking abilities. The fear of Jehovah means the hating of bad. Self-exaltation and pride and the bad way and the perverse mouth I have hated. I have counsel and practical wisdom. I—understanding; I have mightiness.”—Prov. 8:12-14.

17. How did making practical wisdom succeed work advantageously to Jesus, and what illustration did he give against falling into the trap of lawlessness?

¹⁷ Making practical wisdom succeed when he was on earth meant advantage to Jesus to gaining everlasting heavenly glory. Hear, now, his words of practical wisdom to us who do not want to fall into the trap of lawlessness: “Therefore everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them will be likened to a discreet man [a man of practical wisdom], who built his house upon the rock-mass. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded upon the rock-mass. Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”—Matt. 7:24-27.

18. On what does the foolish Christian build, and with what final result?

¹⁸ Both the foolish Christian and the discreet Christian hear Jesus’ sayings, just as the foolish virgin class and the discreet virgin class do. (Matt. 25:1-13) But the foolish Christian does not take heed to Jesus’ sayings and put them in practice. He is careless, thoughtless, shortsighted and disobedient. Hence his religious structure he builds upon disobedience to the sayings of Jesus as a basis. Disobedience as a basis supplies the builder no foundation. It is like the sand. In the great flood of judgment at Armageddon the religious structure of the foolishly disobedient Christian will cave in. Its collapse will be great. It will mean everlasting destruction for the one who inhabits it.

19. (a) What kind of person is the successful Christian? (b) On what does he build, and of what advantage will this be to him?

¹⁹ The successful Christian is a person of heavenly practical wisdom, a person discreet, thoughtful, exercising forethought and working for something permanent, enduring, proof against destructive forces. He is obedient to authoritative sayings. His Christian structure he founds upon obedience to the sayings of God’s wise Son as a basis. Obedience to these sayings serves as a rock-mass for a foundation, a rock-mass the roots of which go down deep so that it cannot be washed away or be undermined or toppled over. Amid the storm of divine judgment at Armageddon the Christian structure in which this discreet disciple dwells during this space age will not be destroyed. He will dwell forever, because he will have shown practical wisdom in harmony with the perfect will of God. His making practical wisdom succeed, his using practical wisdom to success, will be to his everlasting advantage in Jehovah’s endless new world.

Part 26—“Your Will Be Done on Earth”

As foretold in the eleventh chapter of Daniel’s prophecy, Alexander the Great, after establishing the Grecian or Macedonian Empire (the fifth world power in Bible history), died at Babylon in 323 B.C. For a time his empire was broken up into four Hellenic empires, ruled by generals of Alexander the Great. General Seleucus Nicator secured Babylon, Media, Syria, Persia and the provinces eastward to the Indus River, and the line of royal rulers from him through his son Antíochus I came to be known as the “king of the north” because of ruling from Syria north of Jerusalem. General Ptolemy Lagus secured Egypt, Libya, Arabia, Palestine and Coele-Syria, and the line of royal rulers from him came to be known as the “king of the south” because of ruling from Egypt to the south of Jerusalem. Because of rivalry and lust for territory war raged between the “king of the north” and the “king of the south.” In 217 B.C. Antíochus 111 as king of the north found himself ranged in battle against Ptolemy IV of Egypt as king of the south, in fulfillment of Daniel 11:10, JP.

30. Where did the king of the south meet him for a Fight, and what was given into his hand?

³⁰ Jehovah’s angel showed that the tide of battle would turn, saying: “And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his hand.” (Dan. 11:11, JP) Embittered, the king of the south, Ptolemy IV Philopator (or Tryphon), moved north with 70,000 troops against the advancing enemy. At the coastal city of Raphia, about twenty miles southwest of Gaza and not far north of Egypt’s border, they met. Syrian King Antíochus III had raised a “great multitude” 60,000 strong, but it was given into the hand of the king of the south.

31. How was a multitude carried away at that battle, what were the terms of the peace treaty signed, but why did the king of the south not prevail but have his heart lifted up?

³¹ “And the multitude shall be carried away, and his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.” (Dan. 11:12, JP) The king of the south, Ptolemy IV, carried 10,000 enemy Syrian troops and 300 horsemen to their death and took 5,000 more as prisoners, a big loss for the king of the north. The two kings now signed a peace treaty, and Antíochus III was obliged to give up Phoenicia, including Tyre and Ptolemais, and Coele-Syria, that he had conquered. But he still held on to his Syrian seaport of Seleucia. This peace was to his advantage, for the king of the south did not follow up his victory, to “prevail.” He turned to a life of dissipation in Egypt and left no successor to take up an aggressive lead against Syria, only his five-year-old son, Ptolemy V, as successor to Egypt’s throne. This was many years before his Syrian opponent, Antíochus III, himself died. Jehovah’s angel had foretold: “He shall not prevail.” Over this victory his heart did get “lifted up,” but specially