Reference for Life and How we dey Preach—Meeting Book
MAY 1-7
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | JEREMIAH 32-34
“A Sign That Israel Would Be Restored”
it-1 105 ¶2
Anathoth
Jeremiah was from Anathoth but became a ‘prophet without honor’ among his own people, as they threatened his life for speaking Jehovah’s message of truth. (Jer 1:1; 11:21-23; 29:27) As a result, Jehovah foretold calamity for the city, and this came in due time when Babylon overran the land. (Jer 11:21-23) Prior to Jerusalem’s fall, Jeremiah exercised his legal rights to purchase his cousin’s tract of land at Anathoth as a sign that there would be a restoration from exile. (Jer 32:7-9) Among the first group of those returning from exile with Zerubbabel were 128 men of Anathoth; and Anathoth is included among the towns that were resettled, thus fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy.—Ezr 2:23; Ne 7:27; 11:32.
w07 3/15 11 ¶3
Highlights From the Book of Jeremiah
32:10-15—What was the purpose of making two deeds of the same transaction? The deed left open was for consultation. The sealed deed served as a backup to verify the accuracy of the open one if needed. By following reasonable legal procedures even when dealing with a relative and fellow believer, Jeremiah set an example for us.
jr 152 ¶22-23
“Was Not That a Case of Knowing Me?”
22 When someone offends you by thoughtless words and actions, will you imitate Jehovah? Regarding the ancient Jews, God said that he would “purify” those whom he forgave. (Read Jeremiah 33:8.) He is able to purify, or cleanse, in the sense of putting behind him the error of repentant ones, giving the person a new start in His service. Granted, gaining God’s forgiveness does not mean that the person is purified of inherited imperfection so that he is now perfect, sinless. Still, there is a lesson for us in what God said about purifying humans. We can strive to put behind us the error, or offense, of the other person, which figuratively amounts to purifying the view of that person that we have in our heart. How so?
23 Imagine that you received an heirloom bowl or vase as a gift. If it became soiled or stained, would your immediate response be to throw it away? Not likely. You would probably put forth effort to clean it carefully, removing any spots or dirt and perhaps eliminating the stain. You want to behold its beauty, the way it gleams in the sunlight. In like fashion, you can work hard to get rid of any lingering rancor or feelings of annoyance toward a brother or a sister who offended you. Fight the tendency to dwell on the painful words or acts. As you succeed in putting them behind you, you purify the image and memories you have in your heart of the one whom you have forgiven. With your heart cleansed of negative thoughts toward that one, you are more open to enjoy again the close friendship that had seemed lost for good.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
jr 173 ¶10
You Can Benefit From the New Covenant
10 Jeremiah depicted the coming One, the Messiah, as the “sprout” for David. That is fitting. Even while Jeremiah was serving as a prophet, David’s royal family tree was cut down. However, the stump was not dead. In time, Jesus was born in the line of King David. He could be called “Jehovah Is Our Righteousness,” highlighting God’s deep concern for that quality. (Read Jeremiah 23:5, 6.) Jehovah allowed his only-begotten Son to experience suffering on earth and to die. Then Jehovah—in harmony with justice—could apply the value of the ransom sacrifice of the “sprout” for David as a basis for forgiveness. (Jer. 33:15) This opened the way for some humans to be declared “righteous for life” and anointed with holy spirit, becoming parties to the new covenant. As further evidence of God’s concern for righteousness, others who are not directly in that covenant can and do benefit from it, as we will see.—Rom. 5:18.
w07 3/15 11 ¶4
Highlights From the Book of Jeremiah
33:23, 24—What are “the two families” spoken of here? One is the royal family through the line of King David, and the other, the priestly family of the descendants of Aaron. With the destruction of Jerusalem and Jehovah’s temple, it appeared that Jehovah had rejected these two families and would no longer have a kingdom over the earth or have his worship revived.
MAY 8-14
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | JEREMIAH 35-38
“Ebed-melech—An Example of Bravery and Kindness”
it-2 1228 ¶3
Zedekiah
Indicating that Zedekiah was a very weak ruler is the fact that, when the princes later requested that Jeremiah be put to death for allegedly weakening the morale of the besieged people, Zedekiah said: “Look! He is in your hands. For there is nothing at all in which the king himself can prevail against you.” However, afterward Zedekiah granted Ebed-melech’s request to rescue Jeremiah and directed that Ebed-melech take along 30 men to assist in this. Later Zedekiah again had a private audience with Jeremiah. He assured the prophet that he would neither kill him nor deliver him into the hands of those seeking his death. But Zedekiah feared reprisals from the Jews who had fallen away to the Chaldeans and, therefore, did not heed Jeremiah’s inspired advice to surrender to the princes of Babylon. In further display of his fear, the king requested that Jeremiah not reveal the subject of their private discussion to the suspicious princes.—Jer 38:1-28.
w12 5/1 31 ¶2-3
The Rewarder of All Who Serve Him
Who was Ebed-melech? Evidently he was an officer in the court of King Zedekiah of Judah. Ebed-melech was a contemporary of Jeremiah, whom God sent to warn unfaithful Judah of its coming destruction. Though surrounded by godless princes, Ebed-melech was God-fearing and had great respect for Jeremiah. Ebed-melech’s godly qualities were put to the test when evil princes falsely accused Jeremiah of sedition and threw him into a miry cistern, leaving him to die. (Jeremiah 38:4-6) What would Ebed-melech do?
Ebed-melech acted bravely and decisively, pushing aside any fear of reprisal from the princes. He publicly approached Zedekiah and protested the unjust treatment of Jeremiah. Perhaps pointing at the perpetrators, he told the king: “These men have done bad . . . to Jeremiah.” (Jeremiah 38:9) Ebed-melech prevailed and, at Zedekiah’s direction, took 30 men to go and rescue Jeremiah.
w12 5/1 31 ¶4
The Rewarder of All Who Serve Him
Ebed-melech now showed another desirable trait: kindness. He took “worn-out rags and worn-out pieces of cloth and let them down to Jeremiah . . . by means of the ropes.” Why the rags and cloth? So that Jeremiah could cushion his armpits, easing any chafing as he was being pulled up from the muddy deep.—Jeremiah 38:11-13.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
it-2 759
Rechabites
Jehovah was pleased with the respectful obedience they showed. Their unswerving obedience to an earthly father stood in contrast to the disobedience of the Judeans to their Creator. (Jer 35:12-16) God gave the Rechabites the rewarding promise: “There will not be cut off from Jonadab the son of Rechab a man to stand before me always.”—Jer 35:19.
w98 1/15 18 ¶16-17
Keep On Walking With God
16 Lovingly, Jehovah tells us about the relief that will be experienced under the Messianic Kingdom. (Psalm 72:1-4, 16; Isaiah 25:7, 8) He also helps us to cope with the pressures of life now by giving us counsel on how to keep our priorities straight. (Matthew 4:4; 6:25-34) By means of the record of how he helped his servants in times past, Jehovah reassures us. (Jeremiah 37:21; James 5:11) He fortifies us with the knowledge that, regardless of any adversity that comes upon us, his love for his loyal servants remains constant. (Romans 8:35-39) To those who put their trust in Jehovah, he declares: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.”—Hebrews 13:5.
17 Strengthened by this knowledge, true Christians keep on walking with God instead of turning aside to worldly ways. A common worldly philosophy among the poor in many lands is that taking from someone who has more so that you can feed your family is not stealing. But those who walk by faith reject that view. They value God’s approval above all else and look to him to reward their honest conduct. (Proverbs 30:8, 9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 13:18) A widow in India found that willingness to work coupled with resourcefulness helped her to cope. Instead of being resentful over her lot in life, she was aware that if she put God’s Kingdom and his righteousness first in her life, Jehovah would bless her efforts to obtain the necessities for herself and her son. (Matthew 6:33, 34) Many thousands around the earth demonstrate that, regardless of the adversity they may experience, Jehovah is their refuge and stronghold. (Psalm 91:2) Is that true of you?
w95 8/1 5 ¶5-6
Better Times Ahead
Later, when the king of Babylon laid siege to apostate Jerusalem, people had to “eat bread by weight and in anxious care.” (Ezekiel 4:16) The situation became so desperate that some women ate the flesh of their own children. (Lamentations 2:20) Yet, even though the prophet Jeremiah was in custody because of his preaching, Jehovah saw to it that “there was a giving of a round loaf of bread to [Jeremiah] daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread was exhausted from the city.”—Jeremiah 37:21.
Did Jehovah forget Jeremiah when the supply of bread became exhausted? Apparently not, for when the city fell to the Babylonians, Jeremiah was given ‘a food allowance and a present and let go.’—Jeremiah 40:5, 6; see also Psalm 37:25.
MAY 15-21
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | JEREMIAH 39-43
“Jehovah Will Render to Each One According to His Works”
it-2 1228 ¶4
Zedekiah
Fall of Jerusalem. Finally (607 B.C.E.), “in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month,” Jerusalem was broken through. By night Zedekiah and the men of war took to flight. Overtaken in the desert plains of Jericho, Zedekiah was taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. Zedekiah’s sons were slaughtered before his eyes. As Zedekiah was only about 32 years of age at the time, the boys could not have been very old. After witnessing the death of his sons, Zedekiah was blinded, bound with copper fetters, and taken to Babylon, where he died in the house of custody.—2Ki 25:2-7; Jer 39:2-7; 44:30; 52:6-11; compare Jer 24:8-10; Eze 12:11-16; 21:25-27.
w12 5/1 31 ¶5
The Rewarder of All Who Serve Him
Jehovah saw what Ebed-melech did. Did He appreciate it? Through Jeremiah, God told Ebed-melech that Judah’s destruction was imminent. Then God gave Ebed-melech what one scholar calls “a quintuple guarantee of salvation.” Jehovah said: “I will deliver you . . . You will not be given into the hand of the men . . . I shall without fail furnish you an escape . . . By the sword you will not fall . . . You will certainly come to have your soul as a spoil.” Why did Jehovah promise to keep Ebed-melech safe? Jehovah told him: “Because you have trusted in me.” (Jeremiah 39:16-18) Jehovah knew that Ebed-melech had acted not only because of his concern for Jeremiah but also because of his trust and faith in God.
it-2 482
Nebuzaradan
Nebuzaradan, under orders from Nebuchadnezzar, released Jeremiah and spoke to him kindly, letting him choose what he would do, offering to look after him and granting him some supplies. Nebuzaradan was also spokesman for the king of Babylon in appointing Gedaliah governor over those remaining. (2Ki 25:22; Jer 39:11-14; 40:1-7; 41:10) About five years later, 602 B.C.E., Nebuzaradan took other Jews into exile, apparently those who had fled to surrounding territories.—Jer 52:30.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
w03 5/1 10 ¶10
Do You Ask, “Where Is Jehovah?”
10 After Jerusalem had been destroyed and the Babylonian army had departed with the Jewish exiles, Johanan prepared to take into Egypt the small group of Jews that remained in Judah. Their plans were made, but before leaving they asked Jeremiah to pray in their behalf and seek direction from Jehovah. However, when they did not get the answer they wanted, they went right ahead and did what they had planned. (Jeremiah 41:16–43:7) Do you see in these events lessons that can benefit you so that when you seek Jehovah’s face, he will let himself be found by you?
it-1 463 ¶4
Chronology
Jerusalem came under final siege in Zedekiah’s 9th year (609 B.C.E.), and the city fell in his 11th year (607 B.C.E.), corresponding to Nebuchadnezzar’s 19th year of actual rule (counting from his accession year in 625 B.C.E.). (2Ki 25:1-8) In the fifth month of that year (the month of Ab, corresponding to parts of July and August) the city was set afire, the walls were pulled down, and the majority of the people were led off into exile. However, “some of the lowly people of the land” were allowed to remain, and these did so until the assassination of Gedaliah, Nebuchadnezzar’s appointee, whereupon they fled into Egypt, finally leaving Judah completely desolate. (2Ki 25:9-12, 22-26) This was in the seventh month, Ethanim (or Tishri, corresponding to parts of September and October). Hence the count of the 70 years of desolation must have begun about October 1, 607 B.C.E., ending in 537 B.C.E. By the seventh month of this latter year the first repatriated Jews arrived back in Judah, 70 years from the start of the full desolation of the land.—2Ch 36:21-23; Ezr 3:1.
MAY 22-28
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | JEREMIAH 44-48
“Stop ‘Seeking Great Things for Yourself’”
jr 104-105 ¶4-6
Avoid “Seeking Great Things for Yourself”
4 As to what Baruch’s concerns were, one possibility had to do with fame and prestige. Although Baruch served as a penman for Jeremiah, he might not have been just a personal secretary to Jeremiah. At Jeremiah 36:32, Baruch is referred to as “the secretary.” Archaeological evidence suggests that he held the position of a high royal official. In fact, the same title is used for “Elishama the secretary,” who was named among Judah’s princes. This suggests that Baruch too had access to “the dining room of the secretary” in “the house of the king” as one of Elishama’s colleagues. (Jer. 36:11, 12, 14) Baruch, then, must have been an educated official in the royal household. Seraiah, his brother, held the position of quartermaster to King Zedekiah and accompanied the king on an important mission to Babylon. (Read Jeremiah 51:59.) As quartermaster, Seraiah was likely in charge of supplies and lodging for the king when he was traveling, indeed a high-ranking position.
5 You can understand that a person accustomed to an elevated station might grow weary of recording denunciatory messages against Judah, one after another. In fact, supporting God’s prophet might have put at risk Baruch’s position and career. And think of the consequences if Jehovah tore down what he had built up, as we read at Jeremiah 45:4. The “great things” that Baruch had in mind—whether the gaining of additional honor in the royal court or material prosperity—might prove to be in vain. If Baruch was seeking a secure position in the doomed Jewish system of that time, God had reason to restrain him from that inclination.
6 On the other hand, Baruch’s “great things” might have included material prosperity. The nations around Judah relied heavily on possessions and wealth. Moab trusted in her ‘works and treasures.’ Ammon did likewise. And Jehovah had Jeremiah describe Babylon as “abundant in treasures.” (Jer. 48:1, 7; 49:1, 4; 51:1, 13) But the fact is, God condemned those nations.
jr 103 ¶2
Avoid “Seeking Great Things for Yourself”
2 “Woe, now, to me,” moaned Baruch, “for Jehovah has added grief to my pain! I have grown weary because of my sighing.” You have likely had occasion to make utterances of weariness, whether doing so audibly or just in your heart. Whichever way Baruch did it, Jehovah was listening. The Examiner of human hearts knew what caused Baruch’s troubled state, and through Jeremiah, God kindly corrected Baruch. (Read Jeremiah 45:1-5.) You might wonder, though, why Baruch was feeling so weary. Was it the assignment he had received or perhaps the circumstances in which he had to perform it? His feelings really bubbled up from the heart. You see, Baruch was “seeking great things.” What were they? What assurance did Jehovah give him if he accepted God’s counsel and direction? And what can we learn from Baruch’s experience?
Seek the Kingdom, Not Things
6 Consider the man Baruch, the prophet Jeremiah’s secretary. As Jerusalem was nearing its foretold destruction, Baruch began “seeking great things” for himself—pursuits that had no lasting value. However, the only thing he should have hoped for was to receive what Jehovah promised him: “I will let you escape with your life.” (Jer. 45:1-5; ftn.) God certainly was not going to preserve anyone’s material possessions in a city that was going to be destroyed. (Jer. 20:5) As we near the end of this system of things, now is not the time to amass more and more material things for ourselves. We should not expect that any of our possessions, regardless of how treasured or valuable they may be, will survive with us through the great tribulation.—Prov. 11:4, ftn.; Matt. 24:21, 22; Luke 12:15.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
it-1 430
Chemosh
The prophet Jeremiah, in foretelling calamity for Moab, indicated that her principal god Chemosh as well as his priests and princes would go into exile. The Moabites would become ashamed of their god because of his impotence, just as the Israelites of the ten-tribe kingdom had become ashamed of Bethel, likely because of its association with calf worship.—Jer 48:7, 13, 46.
it-2 422 ¶2
Moab
The accurate fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Moab cannot be denied. Centuries ago the Moabites ceased to exist as a people. (Jer 48:42) Today what are considered to have been such Moabite cities as Nebo, Heshbon, Aroer, Beth-gamul, and Baal-meon are represented by ruins. Many other places are now unknown.
MAY 29–JUNE 4
BETTER THINGS WEY DEY INSIDE BIBLE | JEREMIAH 49-50
“Jehovah Blesses Humility and Punishes Arrogance”
it-1 54
Adversary
When God’s people were unfaithful he allowed their adversaries to plunder and defeat them. (Ps 89:42; La 1:5, 7, 10, 17; 2:17; 4:12) The enemy, however, drew wrong conclusions from these victories, taking credit for themselves and praising their gods or feeling that they would not be called to account for the way they treated Jehovah’s people. (De 32:27; Jer 50:7) Jehovah was therefore obliged to humble these proud and boasting adversaries (Isa 1:24; 26:11; 59:18; Na 1:2); and this he did for his holy name’s sake.—Isa 64:2; Eze 36:21-24.
jr 161 ¶15
“Jehovah Has Done What He Had in Mind”
15 Jeremiah also prophesied about the end of Egypt’s conqueror, Babylon itself. A century before it occurred, Jeremiah accurately predicted the sudden fall of Babylon. How? God’s prophet foretold that her protective waters would be “dried up,” and her mighty men would not fight. (Jer. 50:38; 51:30) These prophecies were fulfilled in detail when the Medes and the Persians diverted the Euphrates River, waded across its bed, and then entered the city, taking the Babylonians by surprise. You would likely consider equally significant the declaration that the city would become an uninhabited wasteland. (Jer. 50:39; 51:26) To this day, the desolate condition of once-mighty Babylon testifies to the accuracy of divine prophecy.
w98 4/1 20 ¶20
A Book From God
20 Isaiah never lived to see Babylon become uninhabited. But true to prophecy, Babylon eventually became mere “piles of stones.” (Jeremiah 51:37) According to Hebrew scholar Jerome (born in the fourth century C.E.), by his day Babylon was a hunting ground in which “beasts of every type” roamed, and it remains desolate to this day. Any restoration of Babylon as a tourist attraction might lure visitors, but Babylon’s “progeny and posterity” are gone forever, as Isaiah foretold.—Isaiah 14:22.
Better Things Wey Dey Inside Bible—Find Am Well
it-1 94 ¶6
Ammonites
It appears likely that, following the deporting of the people of the northern kingdom of Israel by Tiglath-pileser III and one of his successors (2Ki 15:29; 17:6), the Ammonites began occupying the territory of the tribe of Gad, for which they had unsuccessfully fought against Jephthah. (Compare Ps 83:4-8.) Thus, in Jehovah’s prophetic message through Jeremiah, the Ammonites are rebuked for seizing the Gadites’ inheritance and are warned of a coming desolation upon Ammon and its god Malcam (Milcom). (Jer 49:1-5) The Ammonites went yet further by sending marauder bands to harass Judah under King Jehoiakim during the closing years of the Judean kingdom.—2Ki 24:2, 3.
jr 163 ¶18
“Jehovah Has Done What He Had in Mind”
18 Another prophecy was also fulfilled in the first century C.E. God foretold through Jeremiah that Edom was among the nations that would suffer from the Babylonian invasion. (Jer. 25:15-17, 21; 27:1-7) But the divine word went beyond that. Edom would become like Sodom and Gomorrah. You know what that meant—uninhabited for all time, ceasing to exist. (Jer. 49:7-10, 17, 18) That is exactly what happened. Where do you think the names Edom and Edomites can be found today? On any modern maps? No. They are mainly found in books of ancient and Bible history or on maps reflecting that time. Flavius Josephus recounts that the Edomites were forced to accept Judaism in the second century B.C.E. Thereafter, with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., they ceased to exist as a distinct people.
ip-2 351 ¶6
Jehovah Makes a Beautiful Name for Himself
6 Why, though, is Jehovah returning from a battle in Edom? The Edomites, perpetuators of an animosity that began with their forefather, Esau, are age-old enemies of God’s covenant people. (Genesis 25:24-34; Numbers 20:14-21) The depth of Edom’s hatred for Judah became particularly evident during the desolation of Jerusalem when the Edomites cheered on the Babylonian soldiers. (Psalm 137:7) Jehovah takes such animosity as an offense against him personally. No wonder that he determined to unleash his sword of vengeance against Edom!—Isaiah 34:5-15; Jeremiah 49:7-22.