Reference for Life and How we dey Preach—Meeting Book
NOVEMBER 6-12
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | AMOS 1-9
“Search for Jehovah, and Keep Living”
w04 11/15 24 ¶20
Search for Jehovah, the Examiner of Hearts
20 It must not have been easy for anyone living in Israel in those days to remain faithful to Jehovah. It is difficult to swim against the current, so to speak, as Christians today, young and old, well know. Yet, love for God and a desire to please him did motivate some Israelites to practice true worship. Jehovah extended to them the warm invitation recorded at Amos 5:4: “Search for me, and keep living.” Today, God similarly shows mercy to those who repent and search for him by taking in accurate knowledge of his Word and then doing his will. It is not easy to pursue this course, but doing so leads to everlasting life.—John 17:3.
jd 90-91 ¶16-17
Serve Jehovah According to His High Standards
16 The first man, Adam, made a foolish choice as to whose standards of good and bad were best. Will we choose more wisely? Amos admonished us to have strong feelings about this, urging: “Hate what is bad, and love what is good.” (Amos 5:15) William Rainey Harper, late professor of Semitic languages and literatures at the University of Chicago, noted about this verse: “The standard of good and evil, in [Amos’] mind, is conformity with Yahweh’s will.” This is a central concept that we can learn from the 12 prophets. Are we willing to accept Jehovah’s standards of good and bad? Those high standards are revealed to us in the Bible and explained by mature, experienced Christians who make up “the faithful and discreet slave.”—Matthew 24:45-47.
17 Our hating what is bad helps us to refrain from things that displease God. For example, a man may be aware of the dangers of Internet pornography and try to turn away from viewing it. Yet, how does ‘the man he is inside’ feel about the content of pornographic Web sites? (Ephesians 3:16) By applying the divine exhortation found at Amos 5:15, he will find it easier to cultivate hatred for what is bad. He may thus be victorious in his spiritual struggle.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
w07 10/1 14 ¶8
Highlights From the Books of Joel and Amos
2:12. We should not discourage hardworking pioneers, traveling overseers, missionaries, or members of the Bethel family by urging them to give up their full-time service for a so-called normal way of life. On the contrary, we should encourage them to keep up their good work.
w07 10/1 14 ¶6
Highlights From the Books of Joel and Amos
8:1, 2—What did “a basket of summer fruit” signify? It signified that the day of Jehovah was near. Summer fruit is picked toward the end of the harvest season, that is, toward the end of the agricultural year. When Jehovah caused Amos to see “a basket of summer fruit,” it meant that the end was near for Israel. Therefore, God told Amos: “The end has come to my people Israel. I shall no more do any further excusing of them.”
NOVEMBER 13-19
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | OBADIAH 1–JONAH 4
“Learn From Your Mistakes”
ia 114 ¶22-23
He Learned From His Mistakes
22 What about Jonah? Did he learn to show his gratitude to Jehovah through obedience? He did. After three days and three nights, the fish brought Jonah right to the shore and “vomited out Jonah onto the dry land.” (Jonah 2:10) Imagine—after all that, Jonah did not even have to swim ashore! Of course, he did have to find his way from that beach, wherever it was. Before long, though, his spirit of gratitude was put to the test. Jonah 3:1, 2, says: “Then the word of Jehovah occurred to Jonah the second time, saying: ‘Get up, go to Nineveh the great city, and proclaim to her the proclamation that I am speaking to you.’ ” What would Jonah do?
23 Jonah did not hesitate. We read: “At that, Jonah got up and went to Nineveh in accord with the word of Jehovah.” (Jonah 3:3) Yes, he obeyed. Clearly, he had learned from his mistakes. In this too we need to imitate Jonah’s faith. We all sin; we all make mistakes. (Rom. 3:23) But do we give up, or do we learn from our mistakes and turn to a course of obedient service to God?
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
w07 11/1 13 ¶5
Highlights From the Books of Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah
vs 10—How was Edom “cut off to time indefinite”? As foretold, the nation of Edom, with a government and people in a specific region of the earth, became extinct. Babylonian King Nabonidus conquered Edom about the middle of the sixth century B.C.E. By the fourth century B.C.E., Edom’s territory was inhabited by the Nabataeans, and the Edomites had to take up residence in the southern part of Judea, the area of the Negeb that later came to be known as Idumea. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 C.E., the Edomites ceased to exist.
jd 112 ¶4-5
Dealing With Others as God Desires
4 You can find a lesson in God’s condemnation of Edom, a land near Israel: “You ought not to watch the sight in the day of your brother, in the day of his misfortune; and you ought not to rejoice at the sons of Judah in the day of their perishing.” (Obadiah 12) The Tyrians may have been “brothers” as to commercial activities, but the Edomites were in a real sense “brothers” to Israel, for they had descended from Esau, Jacob’s twin. Even Jehovah called the Edomites Israel’s “brothers.” (Deuteronomy 2:1-4) Hence, it was truly hateful of the Edomites to rejoice when the Jews met calamity at the hands of the Babylonians.—Ezekiel 25:12-14.
5 Clearly, God did not approve of how the Edomites dealt with their Jewish brothers. We might ask, though, ‘How would God evaluate the way I deal with my brothers?’ One area of concern is how we view and treat a brother when things have not gone smoothly. For example, imagine that a Christian offended you or had a problem with one of your relatives. If you have “a cause for complaint,” will you harbor resentment, not putting the matter behind you or not attempting to settle it? (Colossians 3:13; Joshua 22:9-30; Matthew 5:23, 24) Doing so could affect your actions toward the brother; you might act coolly, avoiding his company or speaking negatively about him. Extending the example, imagine that this brother later erred, perhaps even needing counsel or correction from the congregation elders. (Galatians 6:1) Would you reflect the Edomites’ spirit and rejoice over the brother’s difficulty? How would God want you to act?
NOVEMBER 20-26
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | MICAH 1-7
“What Does Jehovah Require of Us?”
w08 5/15 6 ¶20
How Should We Treat Others?
20 From God’s standpoint, our relationship with our brothers is an important part of true worship. Animal sacrifices were meaningless to Jehovah if those offering them did not treat their fellow man properly. (Mic. 6:6-8) Hence, Jesus urged his disciples to “be about settling matters quickly.” (Matt. 5:25) Along similar lines, Paul wrote: “Be wrathful, and yet do not sin; let the sun not set with you in a provoked state, neither allow place for the Devil.” (Eph. 4:26, 27) If we do become justifiably angry, we should act to settle matters quickly so that we do not remain in a provoked state and thus allow the Devil to take advantage of us.—Luke 17:3, 4.
w12 11/1 22 ¶4-7
“What Is Jehovah Asking Back From You?”
“Exercise justice.” The Hebrew word for “justice,” according to one reference work, “involves right and fair relationships in the community.” God asks us to treat others according to what is right and fair by his standards. We exercise justice by being impartial, upright, and honest in our dealings with others. (Leviticus 19:15; Isaiah 1:17; Hebrews 13:18) When we act justly toward others, they may be moved to act justly toward us in return.—Matthew 7:12.
“To love kindness.” God asks us not merely to show kindness but to love it. The Hebrew word rendered “kindness” (cheʹsedh) may also be rendered “loving-kindness” or “loyal love.” Says one Bible scholar: “Love, mercy, and kindness are inadequate translations of [cheʹsedh]; it is no one of these virtues, but all of them together.” If we love kindness, we show it willingly; we find pleasure in helping those in need. As a result, we experience the happiness that comes from giving.—Acts 20:35.
“To be modest in walking with your God.” In the Bible, the phrase “to walk” means “to follow a certain course of action.” We walk with God by following the life course he has outlined in the Bible. We need “to be modest” in pursuing such a course. How so? When we are modest before God, we realistically evaluate our position before him and recognize our limitations. Therefore, “to walk modestly with” means to have a realistic view of what he requires and of what we can give.
Thankfully, Jehovah never requires more than we can give. He is pleased with our best efforts to serve him. (Colossians 3:23) He understands our limitations. (Psalm 103:14) When we, with due modesty, learn to accept them as well, we can find joy in walking with him. Why not learn how you can begin walking with God? Such a course brings rich blessings from him.—Proverbs 10:22.
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w07 11/1 15 ¶6
Highlights From the Books of Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah
2:12—When was the prophecy about ‘collecting the remaining ones of Israel’ fulfilled? Its first fulfillment was in 537 B.C.E. when a Jewish remnant returned to their homeland from Babylonian exile. In modern times, the prophecy finds its fulfillment in “the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16) Since 1919, anointed Christians have been collected together “like a flock in the pen.” Being joined by the “great crowd” of “other sheep,” especially since 1935, they have become “noisy with men.” (Revelation 7:9; John 10:16) Together, they zealously promote true worship.
w03 8/15 24 ¶20
What Does Jehovah Expect of Us?
20 Experiencing Jehovah’s blessing moves us to imitate Micah’s spirit. He declares: “I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation.” (Micah 7:7) How do these words relate to our walking modestly with God? Having a waiting attitude, or patience, helps us to avoid feeling disappointed that Jehovah’s day has not yet come. (Proverbs 13:12) Frankly, we all long for the end of this wicked world. However, every week thousands of people are just beginning to walk with God. Knowing that gives us a reason for showing a waiting attitude. One longtime Witness said in this connection: “Looking back over 55 years in the preaching work, I am convinced that I have not lost anything by waiting on Jehovah. On the contrary, I have been spared many heartaches.” Have you had a similar experience?
NOVEMBER 27–DECEMBER 3
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | NAHUM 1–HABAKKUK 3
“Remain Spiritually Alert and Active”
w07 11/15 10 ¶3-5
Highlights From the Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
2:1. Like Habakkuk, we should remain spiritually alert and active. We should also be ready to adjust our thinking in line with any “reproof,” or correction, we may receive.
2:3; 3:16. As we wait in faith for the coming of Jehovah’s day, let us not lose the sense of urgency.
2:4. To survive the coming day of Jehovah’s judgment, we must endure in faithfulness.—Hebrews 10:36-38.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
w07 11/15 9 ¶2
Highlights From the Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
2:6—What “gates of the rivers” were opened? These gates referred to the opening made in the walls of Nineveh by the waters of the Tigris River. In 632 B.C.E. when the joint forces of the Babylonians and the Medes came up against Nineveh, she did not feel particularly threatened. Secure behind her high walls, she considered herself to be an impenetrable city. However, heavy rains caused the Tigris to overflow. According to historian Diodorus, this “both inundated a portion of the city and broke down the walls for a distance.” The river gates were thus opened, and as foretold, Nineveh was taken as quickly as fire devours dry stubble.—Nahum 1:8-10.
w07 11/15 10 ¶10
Highlights From the Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
3:17-19. Even though hardship may befall us before and during Armageddon, we can be confident that Jehovah will supply us with “vital energy” as we joyfully continue serving him.