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"Oh How Great His Goodness Is!" (Pt 2) Goodness With Everlasting Benefits Jesus said: Matthew 4:4 “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth". Indeed, Jehovah's spiritual provisions can do us even more good than can the physical kind, for they lead to everlasting life. Jehovah has used His restorative power during these last days to bring into being a spiritual paradise and a key feature of paradise is the abundance of spiritual food. You too can be a part of paradise. In one of the Bible's great restoration prophecies, the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a restored and glorified temple. From that temple flowed a stream of water, widening and deepening as it went until it became a "double-size torrent". On its banks flourished a crop of trees that provided food and healing and the river even brought life and productivity to the salty, lifeless Dead Sea! Ezekiel 47:1-12 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and there I saw water flowing eastward from under the threshold of the temple, for the front of the temple was facing east. The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He then led me out by way of the north gate and took me outside and around to the outer gate that is facing east, and I saw water trickling from the right side. When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off 1,000 cubits and had me pass through the water; the water was ankle deep. Then he measured off another 1,000 and had me pass through the water, and it was up to the knees. He measured off another 1,000 and had me pass through, and the water was up to the hips. When he measured off another 1,000, it was a torrent that I was unable to walk across, for the water was so deep that one had to swim, a torrent of water that could not be crossed on foot. He asked me: “Have you seen this, of man?” Then he had me walk and return to the bank of the stream. When I returned, I saw that on the bank of the stream were very many trees on both sides. Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region and continues down through the Arabah and enters the sea. When it enters the sea, the water there will be healed. Swarms of living creatures will be able to live wherever the waters flow. There will be an abundance of fish, because this water will flow there. The seawater will be healed, and everything will live wherever the stream goes. “Fishermen will stand beside it from Engedi clear to Eneglaim, where there will be a drying yard for dragnets. There will be an abundance of many kinds of fish, like the fish of the Great Sea. “It will have swampy places and marshy places, and these will not be healed. They will be abandoned to salt. “All sorts of trees for food will grow on both banks of the stream. Their leaves will not wither; nor will their fruitage fail. Each month they will bear new fruit, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruitage will serve as food and their leaves for healing. But, what did all that mean? The vision meant that Jehovah would restore His arrangement for pure worship, as pictured by the temple Ezekiel saw. Like that visionary river, God's provisions for life would flow out to His people in ever-greater abundance. Since the restoration of pure worship in 1919, Jehovah has blessed His people with life-giving provisions. How? Well, Bibles, Bible literature, Meetings and Conventions have all served to bring vital truths to millions. By such means Jehovah has taught people about the most important of His provisions for life - Christ's ransom sacrifice, which brings a clean standing before Jehovah and the hope of everlasting life to all those who truly love and fear God and there can be no greater example of Jehovah's goodness than the ransom. Of all the millions of spirit creatures to choose from, Jehovah selected His beloved, only-begotten to die in our behalf. Hence, throughout these last days, while the world has suffered a spiritual famine, Jehovah's people have enjoyed a spiritual feast. Isaiah 65:13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Look! My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. Look! My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. Look! My servants will rejoice, but you will suffer shame. Ezekiel's visionary river does not stop flowing when this old system of things meets its end. On the contrary, it will flow even more abundantly during Christ's Millennial Reign. Then, by means of the Messianic Kingdom, Jehovah will apply the full value of Jesus' sacrifice, gradually lifting faithful mankind to perfection. How we will then exult over Jehovah's goodness! Additional Facets of Jehovah's Goodness Jehovah's goodness involves more than generosity. God told Moses: Exodus 33:19 But he said: “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will declare before you the name of Jehovah; and I will favor the one whom I favor, and I will show mercy to the one to whom I show mercy Later the account says: Exodus 34:6 Jehovah was passing before him and declaring: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth So Jehovah's qualities embraces a number of fine qualities. "Gracious" This quality tells us about Jehovah's manner of dealing with His creatures. Instead of being brusque, cold or tyrannical, as is often true of the powerful of this world under satan, Jehovah is gentel and kind. For example, Jehovah said to Abram: Genesis 13:14 Jehovah said to A′bram, after Lot had separated from him: “Raise your eyes, please, and look from the place where you are, to the north and south, east and west, Many translations omit the word "please" but Bible scholars note that the wording in the original Hebrew includes a word particle that changes the statement from a command to a polite request. There are other, similar instances. Genesis 31:12 And he continued, ‘Raise your eyes, please, and see that all the he-goats mating with the flock are striped, speckled, and spotty, for I have seen all that La′ban is doing to you Ezekiel 8:5 He then said to me: “ of man, please raise your eyes toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the gate of the altar, was this symbol of jealousy in the entryway. Imagine, the Sovereign of the universe says "please" to mere humans! In a world where harshness, pushiness and rudeness are so common, is it not refreshing to contemplate the graciousness of our God, Jehovah? "Abundant in....truth" Dishonesty has become the way of the world today but the Bible reminds us: Numbers 23:19 God is not a mere man who tells lies, Nor a of man who changes his mind. When he says something, will he not do it? When he speaks, will he not carry it out? In fact, the Bible also tells us: Titus 1:2 and is based on a hope of the everlasting life that God, who cannot lie, promised long ago God is far too good for that. Thus, Jehovah's promises are completely reliable: His words, always sure of fulfillment. Jehovah is even called: Psalm 31:15 Into your hand I entrust my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Jehovah, the God of truth. Not only does He refrain from telling falsehoods but He dispenses an abundance of truth. He is not closed, guarded or secretive; rather, He generously enlightens His faithful servants from His boundless store of wisdom. For good reason, the Bible associates truth with light. Psalm 43:3 Send out your light and your truth. May these lead me; May they guide me to your holy mountain and to your grand tabernacle Jehovah sheds an abundance of spiritual light upon those willing to be taught, or enlightened, by Him. 2Corinthians 4:6 For God is the one who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate them with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ. 1John 1:5 This is the message that we heard from him and are announcing to you: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him He even teaches His faithful ones how to live by the truths He dispenses so that they may go on "walking in the truth". 3John 3 For I rejoiced very much when brothers came and bore witness about the truth you hold, as you go on walking in the truth Become Radiant Over the Goodness of Jehovah When satan tempted Eve in the garden of Eden, he began by subtly undermining her trust in Jehovah's goodness. Jehovah had told Adam: Genesis 2:16+17 Jehovah God also gave this command to the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will certainly die Of the thousands of trees that must have graced that garden, only one was placed off-limits by Jehovah. Genesis 2:9 Thus Jehovah God made to grow out of the ground every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food and also the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. Yet, notice how satan worded his first question to Eve: Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden? He twisted Jehovah's words to make Eve think that Jehovah was holding back something good. Sadly, the tactic worked and Eve, like so many men and women after her, began to doubt the goodness of God, who had given her everything, absolute. We know the depth of sorrow and misery brought on by such doubts. So let us take to heart the words of Jeremiah: Jeremiah 31:12 They will come and shout joyfully on the height of Zion and become radiant over the goodness of Jehovah, over the grain and the new wine and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd. They will become like a well-watered garden, and they will never languish again.” Jehovah's goodness should indeed make us radiant with joy. We need never doubt the motives of our God, who is so full of goodness. We may trust in Him completely, for He wants nothing but good for those who love Him. Further, when we get an opportunity to talk to others about God's goodness, we are delighted. Regarding Jehovah's people: Psalm 145: 7 They will bubble over as they recall your abundant goodness, and they will shout joyfully because of your righteousness Every day that we live, we benefit in some way from Jehovah's goodness. Why not make it a practice each day to thank Jehovah for His goodness, being as specific as possible? Thinking about that quality, thanking Jehovah for it daily, and telling others aobut it will help us to imitate our good God and His loving , Jesus (who never ceased in His ministry). As we seek ways to do good, as Jehovah does, we will draw ever closer to Him. The aged apostle John wrote: 3John 11 Beloved one, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good. The one who does good originates with God. The one who does bad has not seen God ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Questions For Meditation 1 Kings 8:54-61,66 How does Solomon express appreciation for Jehovah's goodness, and with what effect on the Israelites? Psalm 119:66,68 How might our prayers reflect a desire to imitate Jehovah's goodness? Luke 6:32-38 What can help to motivate us to imitate Jehovah's spirit of generosity? Romans 12:2, 9, 17-21 How can we demonstrate goodness in our day-to-day life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I sure hope you enjoy this study. Yours, Katidid. |
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