Study of the Watchtower, Jehovah helps us to fulfill our ministry, Week of January 2 to 8, 2023, Comments and Practical Answers.

Study of the Watchtower, 2-8-January 2023, Jehovah helps us to fulfill our ministry, Comments and Answers.

“They will surely know that there was a prophet among them” (EZEQ. 2:5).

1. What do we Christians know, and of what are we convinced?

We know that some people oppose our preaching today, and that opposition is likely to intensify in the future as predicted in Daniel 11:44 and 2 Timothy 3:12 and Revelation 16:21. However, we are convinced that Jehovah will help us just as he helped his faithful servants and prophets in ancient times.

And why do we say that Jehovah is going to help us because we have the experience that, according to the Bible, he has helped many ancient servants and he has also helped because he has even given them an assignment.

And also we are living the last days and second letter to Timothy 3:12 the final part says that those of us who want to live with pious devotion will be persecuted, therefore it is very likely that in the time of the end the opposition from the world will intensify Therefore it is very important to pay attention to this study of the watchtower because it will help us to see how Jehovah will help us.

2. (a) How did Jehovah describe the Jews to whom Ezekiel would have to preach? (Ezekiel 2:3-6). 

He described them as rebellious, defiant, and stubborn at heart, because they were as evil as thorns and as dangerous as scorpions. Hence Jehovah warned Ezekiel not to be afraid.

The truth is that we do think and compare with humans, the fact that it was Jehovah who said those adjectives shows us that it is a very difficult task for Ezequiel because Jehovah does not exaggerate humans, perhaps yes, but the truth is that taking into account which is the dramatic text of the article, the fact that Jehovah told him this but at the same time that he was not afraid is a guarantee that this mission could be fulfilled and we will also see that it is for us.

2. b) What will we see in this article?

Ezekiel was able to fulfill his mission, firstly because it was Jehovah who sent him, secondly because the holy spirit gave him strength and thirdly because he fed on the word of God. That is why in this article we will see how these three factors helped Ezequiel and also help us today.

OPTIONAL ANSWER

Three factors that helped Ezequiel to fulfill his mission and that will also help us, such as the fact that Jehovah will send him and that the holy spirit give him strength and also that he feed on his word. 

JEHOVAH SENT EZEKIEL

3. What words should have encouraged Ezekiel, and how did Jehovah confirm his support?

Jehovah told Ezekiel "I send you" these words must have encouraged him greatly, since he had used similar words when he chose Moses and Isaiah. In addition, Jehovah confirmed to Ezekiel several times that he had chosen him for this commission as shown in the biblical texts of Ezekiel 14: 2 and Ezekiel 6:1, and very surely his father who was a priest would have taught him that Jehovah always confirms his prophets. He will give you all his support.

Verse 4 of Ezekiel 2 he said I send you, of course these words sounded like something Ezekiel because since he had studied the scriptures a lot he knew that Jehovah had said very similar words to other prophets such as Moses to Isaiah that he mentions in Exodus 3: 10 and in Isaiah 6:8, of course Ezekiel knew how this had ended. The tasks that Jehovah had commanded Moses and Isaiah were very difficult, but Jehovah helped them a lot and he knew that in the same way that he helped them he would also help him .

And another source of encouragement that the paragraph mentions that I love is that he was the son of a prophet, so he had another confirmation from his own father, for example the story of Jeremiah knew what Jeremiah 1:8 expresses, that beautiful expression does not let yourself be intimidated because I am with you.

And as Jeremiah mentions, the prophet Ezekiel could have thought of Jeremiah because he went through very complicated situations because they put him in a well that was full of mud, so that was a very hard test so thinking about these things could give him encouragement.

Another thing that Jehovah also did and he perceived is the confirmation, it was not something that he will hear on one occasion but he told him twice I send you and we have several appointments where he says I received the word of Jehovah, that is what Jehovah did with prophets in the past confirm that support and in his case he also perceived it. 

4. What comforting words should have encouraged Ezekiel?

Jehovah told Ezekiel that the house of Israel would refuse to listen to him, because they did not want to listen to him, so these words must have comforted Ezekiel, since the rejection he would receive was not due to him being a bad prophet. In addition, Jehovah confirmed to him that when his condemnation messages were fulfilled, those Jews would know that there was a prophet among them.

From the words that Ezekiel mentions when he tells him that it was not him they were rejecting but that Jehovah himself was rejecting him, then it is seen that he gained strength because in reality people would also have to know over time when what would happen he was telling him that a prophet had been in their midst.

And this encouraged Ezekiel because the fact that people didn't listen to her is not because they did a bad job because she did a bad job or her work was good for something it made sense because at some point the Jews would realize that there had been a prophet among them.

JEHOVAH SENDS US

5. Why does Isaiah 44:8 encourage us?

He encourages us firstly because he lets us know that it is Jehovah who has sent us and gives us the immense honor of being his witnesses, secondly because he tells us not to be afraid. So, just like in the case of Ezekiel, Jehovah sends us and gives us all his support.

Yes, because we know that he encourages us because we have the honor of being his witnesses and at the same time that he tells us that we are his witnesses he tells us not to be terrified, we can be a little afraid but in any case we know that since Jehovah is the one who He sends the same thing that sent Ezekiel and supported him and helped him do the work in the only way that he could do it for us too, we know that we will be able to do it because we have Jehovah's help.

And Isaiah 44:8 also assures us that we can count on Jehovah's support because here he tells us that Jehovah is the only true God and he is a rock for us, a safe and firm place, that is why we are not afraid and fear does not paralyze us. but we go ahead and preach.

6. (a) How does Jehovah confirm his support for us?

He confirms his support for us with promises like the one found in Isaiah 43:2. There he tells us that we are his witnesses, that when we cross the waters he will be with us, that when we cross the rivers they will not cover us and that when we go through the fire we will not burn. This means that even when we encounter obstacles like Rivers or face tests like fire, Jehovah will help us to continue preaching.

Jehovah tells us in Isaiah 43:2 when you cross the waters I will be with you and when you cross the rivers these will not cover you when you pass through the fire you will not burn and the flames do not call you scorch, so we learn that even though we are going to find obstacles that are like rivers or tests like fire with the help of Jehovah we can move on.

And according to Isaiah 41:13 when we are in these obstacles someone grabs our right hand and tells us and it is as if they were pulling us and also tells us do not be afraid I will help you.

6. b) What comforts and encourages us?

It comforts and encourages us to know that Jehovah is happy with our work and that he will reward each of us according to what we do in his work. So we must not get discouraged or think that we are bad witnesses when they reject us or do not listen to the message we are preaching.

The same thing happens to us as to Ezekiel: many people reject our message, but we know that this rejection does not mean that we are doing it wrong, and above all, we know that as long as we continue to preach faithfully, Jehovah is happy with us.

In accordance with the words of the apostle Paul, he mentions that Jehovah rewards each one of their work and the experience that ends the paragraph of this sister mentions that through the years that she has been a pioneer she has always been blessed by Jehovah and blessed by her efforts, so what a good example we find in sisters and the experience of Christian people who do the will of Jehovah.  

And something that encourages us is also knowing that we are Christ's helpers, that is, as First Corinthians 4:1 and 2 says, it is an enormous privilege and that Jehovah expects us to be faithful as stewards, so if we fulfill our commission Jehovah will help us to keep going despite the trials.

ILLUSTRATION

We see that Ezekiel faced different opposition than we sometimes do, but we see that among those six faces that he sees there is a friendly face of someone who does listen and is willing to accept Jehovah and his prophet.

You see faces similar to those of Ezequiel's time, people who make fun of indifferent people, people who even respond abruptly to our preaching, but in the center you can see this woman who we will see later in another photograph, who does seem to have responded to the message that this family or this sister are preaching.

And how nice it is to see in these illustrations that Jehovah does not reward the amount because the majority will not listen to us the same as Ezequiel, what Jehovah values ​​is our efforts Ezekiel did it and this family and we do it for Jehovah.

THE HOLY SPIRIT GAVE STRENGTH TO EZEKIEL

7. How must Ezekiel feel every time he thought about the vision he received? (See cover drawing.)

Every time Ezekiel thought about the vision of Jehovah's heavenly chariot and how his Holy Spirit acted on powerful spirit beings, he was impressed and became more and more convinced that he could fulfill his ministry with the help of Jehovah's holy spirit.

Yes, that's why this impressive vision was what he did was convince him that he could fulfill his ministry with the help of Jehovah's holy spirit.

ILLUSTRATION

The vision that the prophet received of the immensity of the celestial chariot from the celestial part of his organization and it is all convinced him even more that everything is under control because the chariot of Jehovah as the wheels move in all directions the eyes make Nothing escapes Jehovah from everything and Ezekiel remembers this vision and also remembering the work that Jehovah had entrusted to him surely strengthened him to know that surely that mission with Jehovah's help could be accomplished. 

The illustration makes us imagine very well what Ezequiel could feel, because we see the size of the car in comparison with Ezequiel, the powerful light from heaven, as well as the strength of the holy spirit that moves even the trees, surely Ezequiel was very impressed.

8, 9. (a) What command did Jehovah give Ezekiel?

Jehovah ordered Ezekiel: "Son of man, stand up so that I can talk to you", that order and the spirit of God gave him the strength he needed to get up, it was as if the holy spirit entered Ezekiel and made him stand up subsequently and throughout his ministry Jehovah's holy spirit continued to guide Ezekiel.

Well, through his spirit, Ezequiel would have the necessary strength so that his tenacity and persistence were stronger than the indifference of the people, in fact, Jehovah told him that it is true that the royalists could be like flint, which is a very resistant stone, very strong, even more than steel, but Ezekiel would make like a diamond that can scratch flint, so Ezekiel may be sure that he would be no softer than the Israelites.

8, 9. (b) What else did Jehovah do to strengthen Ezekiel?

Jehovah gave Ezekiel the strength he needed to preach to the hard-headed and stubborn-hearted Jews in his territory. In Ezekiel 3:8,9 Jehovah tells Ezekiel that he has made his face and forehead as hard as a diamond and flint so that he will not feel afraid and so that he will not be discouraged or terrified by the stubbornness of these Jews, because he would strengthen him, after meditating on this for a week Ezekiel was ready to start preaching.

Well, through his spirit, Ezequiel would have the necessary strength so that his tenacity and persistence were stronger than the indifference of the people, in fact, Jehovah told him that it is true that the royalists could be like flint, which is a very resistant stone, very strong, even more than steel, but Ezekiel would make like a diamond that can scratch flint, so Ezekiel may be sure that he would be no softer than the Israelites.

If we see that he guided him by his assignment, he says go to the plain, go to the city, he was guiding him on where he should go but also on what he had to say, he saw the hand, for example, in Ezekiel 33:22 it says that the hand of Jehovah came upon me and he opened my mouth and says that so my mouth was open and I was never dumb again, so Jehovah even guided him in the way and the way he had to give his message.

And we also see a very nice attitude on the part of Jehovah because he allowed him 7 days because he was stunned after receiving all this message saying assimilate it understand it and then when you are ready go, he did not tell him go down immediately run and go do it, we are clear about the attitude as beautiful as Jehovah treated him. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US STRENGTH

10. What help do we need to fulfill our ministry, and why?

To fulfill our ministry we need Jehovah to give us his holy spirit and his approval, since every time we preach we face Satan, for which we need to show Satan that his threats do not scare us and that he is not too powerful a rival for us. and that he will not be able to stop the preaching either.

Although sometimes we do not realize when we preach we are in a constant fight against Satan, I really like how the paragraph that says that every time we preach is a defeat for Satan is expressed, so we see that thanks to Jehovah giving us his holy spirit Well, we can overcome that fight and we can remain happy as Matthew 5 mentions.

ILLUSTRATION

Well, we see how this sister is fulfilling her ministry and behind us we see the celestial car how it is working through the holy spirit of Jehovah and that same spirit is the one that gives us the strength to be able to preach, we see how this sister is continuing with the interest that this young woman had in the first photograph that we saw by her face that she was receptive and also how she is using the tools that Jehovah has given her in the new brochure to start Bible courses and thus allows this spirit of Jehovah to help her.

We can compare ourselves with Ezekiel and at that moment he was paralyzed and fell to the ground before the manifestation of the power of Jehovah, but at the command of Jehovah he got up and followed with the help of the Holy Spirit to face the work that lay ahead, Today we may also be paralyzed in preaching, but we know that the message is from God and we also rise up with the help of the Holy Spirit to bring that message to people.

We see that during the pandemic the holy spirit must have had a lot of work through letters, calls can reach people and how many have been baptized, we have heard experiences that seem like the angels were there guiding people who have contacted old friends and who have begun to study, so without a doubt the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us strength to reach the deserving ones. 

11. How will the holy spirit help us, and what must we do to continue receiving it?

The Holy Spirit will help us overcome any obstacle that comes our way in the Ministry, but to continue receiving it we must insistently ask for it in prayer with the assurance that Jehovah will listen to us, in this way we will be following the advice that Jesus Christ left us in Luke 11: 9.

If the text of 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse from 7 to 9 makes this clear when speaking of our ministry as the treasure that we carry helps us the holy spirit or as it says here the power that goes beyond what is normal that helps us to overcome any obstacle or difficulty that is placed in front of us.

And for that, how it is pointed out, we should ask for it insistently, that assistance is an express recognition that we are incompetent to address all this without the help of Jehovah and without a doubt this will not give the assurance that Jehovah will listen to us and help us.

And this expression of Jesus of keep asking keep looking keep playing indicates that we continually have to be aware that we need that holy spirit and we have to ask for it, it is not about saying look give me Holy Spirit for so many occasions in which I have to preach not but that every time we understand that we need that strength and constantly ask for it. 

EZEKIEL FED ON THE WORDS OF GOD

12. According to Ezekiel 2:9-3:3, where did the scroll come from, and what message did it contain?

The scroll came from the Throne of Jehovah and possibly God used one of his four Angels of the vision to deliver it to Ezekiel, this scroll contained the words of Jehovah, which consisted of an extensive message of condemnation that Ezekiel had to announce to the exiled Rebels .

The scroll came from Jehovah's throne. God probably used one of the four angels Ezekiel had seen to deliver the scroll to him.

Well, the message contained an extensive message of condemnation and also from Ezekiel he had to announce to the rebellious exiles that this message was written on the front and back of the roll.

And also that he was sweet as honey of course that he represented this, that it was something nice to represent Jehovah, he was grateful that Jehovah had chosen him to preach those messages. 

13. What did Jehovah tell Ezekiel to do with the scroll, and why was it sweet?

Jehovah told Ezekiel to eat the scroll and he will fill his stomach with it and Ezekiel was obedient and ate it whole because he had to fully assimilate the message that he had to announce, this scroll was sweet to Ezekiel because he had the honor of representing Jehovah and being his prophet to him was something very sweet and pleasant as honey.

14. What helped Ezequiel to be ready to fulfill his mission?

What helped Ezekiel to be ready to fulfill his mission was to listen and accept in his heart all the words that Jehovah told him, it also helped him to remember everything that was written in the scroll and meditate on it, in this way he fed his faith and was very clear about the message he had to preach.

In Ezekiel 3:10 Jehovah tells Ezekiel to listen from the heart to all the words that he said to him, when we make the truth our own and explain it with our own words it is a much more convincing truth because we are putting our feelings, it is how it is has read in the Psalm are acceptable words reflections of the heart that also reach the hearts of other people.

Yes, this was a help to Ezekiel because Jehovah did not say to remind him but asked him to meditate on them so that they would reach his heart and this was a great help to him because it fed Ezekiel and made him worthy to fulfill his assignment. 

WE FEED ON THE WORDS OF GOD

15. What must we accept in our hearts so as not to abandon our ministry?

In order not to abandon our ministry, we need to accept in our hearts everything that Jehovah tells us through the Bible, because in this way we feed our faith.

Well, we must forgive ourselves and accept everything that Jehovah tells us, that is, when we feed on his word we must allow it to influence our thoughts, feelings and motives. 

16. What are we to do with God's Word, and how do we do it?

We must study the word of God and meditate on it as Ezekiel's vision teaches us, since Jehovah wants us to fill our stomachs with his word so that we assimilate his message, we will achieve this only if we first pray to prepare our hearts, to receive the thoughts of God, then we read a portion of the Bible and then meditate on what we read carefully.

Well when our body is nourished when we have to digest food, then in the same way our faith is also nourished when we study the word of God and meditate on it.

We have to pray to prepare our hearts after reading a portion of the Bible and finally meditating, pausing and meditating on what we have read.

17. Why is it so important that we meditate on what we read in the Bible?

It is important because this will give us strength to announce the message of the kingdom now and in the near future the harsh message of condemnation that we may have to proclaim, another important reason is that when we meditate on the precious qualities of Jehovah our friendship with him becomes more strong and we enjoy something very sweet and pleasant such as inner peace and satisfaction.

And it is that although to look for God we must read the Bible, we will only find him if we dedicate time to meditate on it, meditating on his personality and his qualities will make us know Jehovah better and we will be stronger and stronger and that as a result will give inner peace and satisfaction.

Yes, as Psalm 119:103 says, which was also something like what happened to Ezekiel, how sweet are your words for my palate more than honey for my mouth, so when we get to know Jehovah and his character more widely, it seems sweeter to us . 

DECIDED TO MOVE ON

18. What will the people of the territory have to recognize, and why?

When the time comes, the people of the territory will have to recognize that the message we preached came from God. And this is so because when the time comes for Jehovah to execute his sentence, they will not be able to tell you that no one preached to him or that Jehovah did not take them into account.

They will have to recognize that the message reached all of them at the time and they were warned of what Jehovah was going to bring here to earth and this warning message they did not listen to.

19. Where will we get the strength to fulfill our ministry?

Just like Ezekiel, to fulfill our ministry we will draw strength from our conviction that it is Jehovah who has sent us, from the strength that the holy spirit will give us and from feeding on the word of God, these three factors will help us fulfill our mission. ministry and endure to the end.

Yes, well, we will have the same strength as Ezequiel because we have the three factors that also strengthened him, which is that we know that Jehovah is the one who has sent us, that there is the holy spirit that gives us that strength and, like Ezekiel, we feed on His word the Bible.

HOW DO THESE THREE FACTORS HELP US FULFILL OUR MINISTRY?

Jehovah is the one who sends us.

Sometimes when we preach, we encounter obstacles that are like rivers and face trials that are like fire. But, with Jehovah's help, we continue to preach. 

The same thing happens to us as to Ezekiel: most people reject the message. We keep in mind that this rejection does not mean that we are bad witnesses of God.

Well, it is an immense honor to be his witnesses and how Jehovah is the one who sends us to preach because he promises to give us his full support, so we should not be afraid of our opponents because he has promised to help us and will reward our efforts and above all he values ​​our fidelity. 

The holy spirit gives us strength.

When we participate in the ministry, we show that their threats do not scare us. Every time we preach it is a defeat for Satan. So the fact that we can preach despite opposition shows that the holy spirit is giving us strength and that we have Jehovah's approval.

The holy spirit can help us overcome any obstacle that comes our way in our ministry.

Well let's see that the Holy Spirit is the most powerful force in the universe that Jehovah and Jesus tell us that if we ask him constantly, he will give it to us and we can be convinced that it will help us overcome any test that may be presented to us. in our ministry.

And personally, the lessons that I take from this study are the image of Ezekiel's chariot, the tiny proportion of the prophet, I imagine myself being the prophet and now reflect, no matter what comes before us, we have the spirit of Jehovah. 

We feed on the words of God.

In order not to abandon our ministry, we too must continue to feed on the words of God. We need to accept in our hearts everything that Jehovah tells us.

Yes, by feeding on the word of God that we have available, we are gaining strength to be able to preach now in the softer preaching that he is giving and it prepares us for later, and how do we do it? As I said at the beginning, we pray to Jehovah to prepare our hearts. , we read a portion of the Bible that we are receiving the words of Jehovah and we must dedicate more time and meditate because meditation will be what makes us that food reach our hearts. 

Our faith is also nourished when we study the Word of God and meditate on it.

When we feed on the word of God, we gain the Strength we need to announce the Kingdom message now and in the near future the harsh message of condemnation that we may have to proclaim.