Study From The Watchtower, Week of July 24-30, 2023, Keep Walking the “Way of Holiness”, Underlined Answers.

Study From The Watchtower, 24-30-July-2023, Keep Walking the “Way of Holiness”, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Answer.

Dark Yellow: Additional Answer.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

"There will be a path there, yea, a path called the Path of Holiness" (IS. 35:8).

1, 2. What important decision did the Jews living in Babylon have to make? (Ezra 1:2-4).

 IT WAS OFFICIAL! Jews who had been held captive for about 70 years in Babylon were allowed to leave and return to their land, Israel (see Ezra 1:2-4). Only Jehovah could accomplish such a thing. Because? Because the Babylonians were not used to freeing their captives (Is. 14:4, 17). But Babylon was defeated, and the new government announced that the Jews could leave the country. So all the Jews, especially the heads of their families, had a choice to make: leave Babylon or stay there. But for some this decision may not have been easy. Let's see why.

2 Some were too old to make such a long and difficult journey. And since most of the Jews were born in Babylon, that was the only home they knew. For them, Israel was just the land of their ancestors. On the other hand, it seems that some Jews had become rich in Babylon. That is why it may not have been easy for them to leave their comfortable homes or their businesses and settle in an unknown land.

3. What blessing awaited the Jews when they returned to Israel?

3 For faithful Jews, the benefits of returning to Israel far outweighed any sacrifices they had to make. The greatest blessing was related to his worship. In Babylon there were more than 50 pagan temples, but there were no temples for Jehovah. Since there was no altar or organized priesthood, the Israelites could not offer the sacrifices established by the Law of Moses. Furthermore, those who respected Jehovah and his standards were only a handful compared to all those who worshiped false gods. Thus, the thousands of God-fearing Jews longed to return to their land and restore pure worship.

4. What did Jehovah promise the Jews?

4 The journey from Babylon to Israel would take about four months, and it would not be easy. But Jehovah promised that he would see to it that the way was clear of obstacles. Isaiah wrote: “Clear the way of Jehovah! Make for our God a straight path through the desert. […] The uneven terrain must be leveled and the uneven terrain turned into plain” (Is. 40:3, 4). Can you imagine? It would be much easier for Jews to go on a straight road and on level ground than to have to go up and down mountains and valleys. It would also be faster and more enjoyable.

5. What was the symbolic path between Babylon and Israel called?

5 Many roads have names, others just a number. And the symbolic path that Isaiah spoke of? Well, it also has a name. The Bible says, “There will be a path there, yes, a path called the Path of Holiness. The unclean shall not travel through it” (Is. 35:8). What did these words mean to the Israelites? And for us?

THE “WAY OF HOLINESS” IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT

6. Why was this path said to be holy?

6 The “Way of Holiness”. Isn't that a nice name for a road? Why was this path said to be holy? Because in Israel no one would be allowed to be unclean, that is, no Jew who insisted on leading an immoral life, practicing idolatry or committing other serious sins. The returning Jews would have to become “a holy people” to their God (Deut. 7:6). Did that mean that those who came out of Babylon were doing everything right? No. They would have to make changes to please Jehovah.

7. What changes did some Jews have to make? Give an example.

7 As mentioned earlier, most of the Jews were born in Babylonia, and many seem to have been influenced by the Babylonians' way of thinking and moral values. Decades after the first group of Jews returned to Israel, Ezra learned that some of them had married women from other nations (Ex. 34:15, 16; Ezra 9:1, 2). Later, the governor Nehemiah was very surprised to see that the children of these Jews could not speak Hebrew (Deut. 6:6, 7; Neh. 13:23, 24). How would they learn to love and worship Jehovah if they did not even understand the primary language in which God's Word was written? (Ezra 10:3, 44).So these Jews had big changes to make, but it would be much easier for them to make them living in Israel, where pure worship was slowly being restored (Neh. 8:8, 9).

8. What relationship does the “Way of Holiness” have with us? (See cover image.)

8 Some may think: “That which happened to the Jews is very interesting. But is it related to us today? Of course. We too are, in a sense, walking the “Way of Holiness”. This path now allows us to worship Jehovah in the spiritual paradise. Also, in the future it will allow us to enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom. Therefore, both the anointed and the "other sheep" must remain in him (John 10:16).  Since 1919, millions of men, women, and children have come out of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, and have begun to walk this symbolic path. Surely you are one of them. Although this path was opened about 100 years ago, it began to be prepared hundreds of years before.

ILLUSTRATION

Various brothers and sisters use different methods to preach the good news from 1919 to the present day. Beginning in 1919, millions of men, women, and children have left Babylon the Great and have begun to walk the “Way of Holiness.” (See paragraph 8).

THE WAY IS PREPARED

9. According to Isaiah 57:14, how was the “Way of Holiness” prepared?

9 In the case of the Jews who returned from Babylon, Jehovah made sure that obstacles were removed from the path.—Read Isaiah 57:14. Did He do the same in the "Way of Holiness" of modern times? Yes. Hundreds of years before 1919, Jehovah began using devoted men to clear the way (compare Isaiah 40:3). So to speak, they did “works” or spiritual works along the way so that later good-hearted people could leave Babylon the Great and enter the spiritual paradise, where pure worship had been restored. Let's look at some of the work that was done to prepare the way.

10, 11. What was accomplished by the printing and translation of the Bible? (See also image).

10 Printing. Until the middle of the fifteenth century, the Bible was copied by hand. This work took a long time, which is why copies of the Bible were few and expensive. But when the movable type printing press was invented, the Bible could be more easily produced and distributed.

11 Translation. For centuries, the Bible was mainly available in Latin, a language understood only by people who had studied the most. But, thanks to advances in printing, God-fearing men strove to translate the Bible into the languages ​​spoken by common people. In this way, those who read the Word of God could compare what they heard in churches with what the Bible teaches.

ILLUSTRATION

One of the first printing presses and a Bible translator. For many centuries, devout men helped clear the way for the people to leave Babylon the Great. (See paragraphs 10 and 11).

12, 13. Give an example that shows how some false religious ideas were exposed in the nineteenth century.

12 Helps to study the Bible. There were people who carefully studied the Bible and learned a lot from reading it. They did not keep what they learned to themselves, and that angered many religious ministers. For example, in the nineteenth century, good-hearted men began to publish tracts and pamphlets that exposed false ideas taught by the churches.

13 Back in 1835, a God-fearing man named Henry Grew published a pamphlet about what happens when you die. Unlike what most churches taught, he explained from the Bible that immortality is a gift from God and we are not born with it. In 1837, a religious minister named George Storrs came across the pamphlet while he was traveling by train. When he read it, he realized that he had learned a very important truth, so he decided to share it with others. In 1842, he delivered a series of speeches with the intriguing title “Are the Wicked Immortal?” What George Storrs wrote greatly influenced a young man named Charles Taze Russell.

14. How did Brother Russell and his companions take advantage of the work done by others? (See also image).

14 How did Brother Russell and his companions benefit from the work others had done on this spiritual path? By then, dictionaries, Bible concordances, and different Bible translations were already available. So they could consult all these works when they studied. They also benefited from research done by Henry Grew, George Storrs, and others. For his part, Russell and his companions did a great job in the "Way of Holiness", as they published many books and treatises on Biblical subjects.

ILLUSTRATION

Brother Russell and other Bible students consult various aids to understanding the Bible and discuss what they have discovered. Devoted men helped clear the way for the people to leave Babylon the Great. (See paragraphs 12 to 14).

15. What important things happened in 1919?

15 In 1919, Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, ceased to control God's people. That year the “faithful and prudent slave” appeared on the scene, just in time for good-hearted people to start walking the “Way of Holiness” (Matt. 24:45-47). Thanks to the work others had done to prepare the way, those who began to travel along it were able to learn more about Jehovah and his purposes.—Prov. 4:18. They were also able to make the necessary changes to please God.Of course, he didn't expect them to make all the changes at once. Rather, he has been purifying the people of him over the years (see the box “Jehovah Purifies the People of Him Little by Little”). Can we imagine how happy we will be when the day comes when we can please God in everything? (Col 1:10).

THE “WAY OF HOLINESS” IS STILL OPEN

16. What maintenance work has been done on the "Camino de la Santidad" since 1919? (Isaiah 48:17; 60:17).

16 For a road to remain in good condition, it needs maintenance. Since 1919 maintenance work has been done on the “Way of Holiness” so that more people can leave Babylon the Great. The newly appointed faithful and prudent slave set to work. In 1921 he published The Harp of God, a book designed to help people learn Biblical truths. Nearly 6 million copies were distributed in 36 languages, and many learned the truth from this publication. And recently the study manual Enjoy life came out, which is being very useful for giving Bible courses.During the last days, Jehovah has used his organization to continue giving us spiritual food, which helps us to continue on the “Way of Holiness” (read Isaiah 48:17; 60:17).

17, 18. Where does the “Way of Holiness” lead?

17 So to speak, when someone agrees to study the Bible, the opportunity to walk the "Way of Holiness" opens up. Some only go a short distance because they decide to give it up. Instead, others are determined to keep walking until they reach their destination. But what is that destination?

18 For those who have the heavenly hope, the “Way of Holiness” leads to the “paradise of God” in heaven (Rev. 2:7). And, for those who hope to live on Earth, the path leads to the end of Christ's Thousand Year Reign, when all people will be perfect. If you are walking through it, don't look back, keep going until you complete your journey to the new world. We wish everyone “Have a good trip!”.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

What was the "Way of Holiness" in the case of the Jews, and what did it imply for them?

The path to holiness implied leaving behind the life of captivity and exile, with all its difficulties and challenges, and returning to the land that had been promised by God to his people. For the Jews, this return represented an opportunity to restore their national and religious identity, rebuild the Temple, and live according to divine laws and commandments.

How was the “Way of Holiness” of modern times prepared, and when was it opened?

The path to modern-day holiness was opened in 1919, when Jesus Christ selected a group of anointed Christians to be the faithful and discreet slave. Since then, maintenance work has been done on the road so that more people can get out of Babylon the Great.

Another important point is that hundreds of years before 1919, Jehovah began to use devoted men to clear the way. So to speak, they did works or spiritual works along the way so that later good-hearted people could leave Babylon the great and enter the spiritual paradise, where pure worship had been restored.

Who walks the "Way of Holiness" today, and what is their final destination?

Today, both the Anointed and the other sheep walk the path of holiness. Both groups have the opportunity to worship Jehovah in the spiritual paradise and enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom, and the final destination of the Anointed is God's paradise in heaven, while the final destination of the other sheep is to live in a just and peaceful new world here on earth.