Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2021
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
There is a time to keep quiet (Eccl. 3: 1, 7).
If we don't control what we say, we can do a lot of damage. For example, if we meet someone who lives in a place where the work of the Witnesses is prohibited, are we tempted to ask them to tell us how our work is carried out there? Without a doubt, our motives for doing so are good. We love our brothers and sisters and we are interested in how they are doing. Also, we want to be specific when we pray for them. But situations like this are "time to be quiet." Pressuring someone who handles confidential information is a lack of love towards that person and towards the brothers who trust that he will not say anything. Of course, we do not want to make things more difficult for the brothers who live in places where our work is prohibited. Secondly, no brother who lives in one of those places would reveal details about how it is preached or how other activities are carried out. w20.03 21 pars. 11, 12
What did Jehovah think of three of the men who came to see Job, and why?
The biblical book of Job teaches us a lot about when to speak and what to say. After Job suffered several unfortunate misfortunes, four men came to comfort and advise him. They spent a long time without saying anything. But what three of them said - Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar - makes it clear that they did not take advantage of that time to think about how to help Job. On the contrary, they were thinking about how to prove that he had done something wrong. Some of their claims were true, but much of what they said about Job and Jehovah was untrue and unkind. Furthermore, they judged Job harshly (Job 32: 1-3). How did Jehovah react? He was very indignant with those three men. He called them fools and made them ask Job to pray for them (Job 42: 7-9).
What lessons does the bad example of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar teach us?
The bad example of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar teaches us several lessons. First, that we should not judge our brothers (Matt. 7: 1-5). Rather, we must listen to them carefully before we speak. Only then will we understand what is happening to them (1 Pet. 3: 8). Second, that when we speak we must make sure that our words are kind and true (Eph. 4:25). And third, that Jehovah cares very much about what we say to each other.
What do we learn from Elihú's example?
The fourth man to visit Job was Elihu, a relative of Abraham. As Job and the other men spoke, Elihu listened. Apparently, he paid close attention to what they said, giving Job compassionate but clear advice that would help him change his mind. --Job 33: 1, 6, 17. The most important thing for Elihu was to seek Jehovah's honor, not his own or anyone else's. --Job 32:21, 22; 37:23, 24. His example teaches us that there is a time to be quiet and listen (James 1:19). We also learn that our primary concern in counseling should be to honor Jehovah and not ourselves.
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