TREASURES OF THE BIBLE, Week of July 17 to 23, 2023, Disobeying only causes pain”, Prepared Speech.

TREASURES OF THE BIBLE, July 17-23-2023, Disobeying only causes pain”, Prepared Speech. 

“Disobeying only causes pain” (10 min.)

This world is impregnated with the spirit of Independence and disobedience. The first who demonstrated it was Satan the devil and then he infected the first perfect human beings who also decided to disobey Jehovah's laws.

And throughout the history of humanity, the human being has reflected this same spirit of disobedience inherited by our first parents Adam and Eve, but also pushed by Satan the devil who directs everything in this world.

How important is it to obey the creator of the universe? On a certain occasion Jehovah commanded King Saul to say: "Obeying is better than a sacrifice." Because Jehovah is already the owner of all the material things we possess. So giving him something material is really not a big deal because he belongs to him, but obedience is something that depends on us.

Therefore, obeying is better than something material, which is Jehovah's possession. And it is that our obedience or disobedience does affect Jehovah in the way he feels and to continue demonstrating his love towards us. But disobedience will affect us either momentarily or permanently, which is why we are going to see in this section of treasures from the Bible: "Disobeying only causes pain." 

And for this we will use the example of the Israelites and in the time of Ezra. Let us remember that he had to return with the Jewish people with those who were willing to make this trip and undertake the task of rebuilding the temple, and of course the worship of Jehovah. It is interesting that as soon as he began this work, he found out something that was extremely worrying. Let's see what it is, here in Ezra 9:1,2.

LET'S READ EZRA 9:1,2.

And, as soon as all these things were done, the princes approached me and said: “The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the neighboring lands nor from their detestable practices. They have not separated themselves from the practices of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, or the Amorites. 2 Because they and their sons have married women from those towns. So they, the holy offspring, have mixed with the peoples of those lands. What's more, princes and subordinate rulers have been the first to commit this infidelity."

It is interesting that the first thing they tell Ezra is to notify them that the Israelites had married women from other nations. Why was this so worrying that it caught their attention and was the first thing they told Ezra? 

Because the restored nation of Israel was commanded to guard the duration of Jehovah until the arrival of the Messiah. That is why we see that in verse 2 he makes the point that they are the holy offspring. And it is that they had to remain clean as a lineage, as offspring until the arrival of the messiah so as not to hinder that pure worship.

However, by marrying other inhabitants of the country they were creating a serious threat to the true religion because they were going to mix it up, and of course the arrival of the Messiah was in danger with this situation. And of course Pure Worship could possibly disappear from Earth.  

If we compare in our days. Jehovah has clearly told us that the best thing we Christians can do is make friends and get married with people who worship Jehovah. So that? for the same reason that Israel was told to worship Jehovah to remain clean and pure.

And it is that when a Christian begins to court another person who is not a believer, sometimes he tries to minimize the situation or make excuses that things are not going to be as complicated as they think. For example, there are people who begin to study the Bible and think that with that they are already good candidates to be the spouse of a true Christian. However, this is not the case, because Jehovah has given very clear rules and disobeying them will cause a lot of pain.

The situation was very worrying in Israel, the same is happening now the same strategy is used by Satan the devil to mix Pure Worship. Now, as Christians one must recognize that ignoring Jehovah's clear commandments brings its consequences.

But you also don't just have to admit it, you have to act. If we see in Ezra 9: 10,12, what Ezra did to beg Jehovah for his forgiveness, but he will ask the people for concrete actions to clean up pure worship. The verses go like this:

LET'S READ EZRA 9:1,2.

And after all this, what can we say, our God? We have left your commandments, 11 which you gave us through your servants the prophets. You told us: 'The land that you are going to enter to conquer it is impure because the people of those lands are impure. They have detestable practices and have filled the earth from one end to the other with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not marry your daughters to their sons, nor accept their daughters for your sons.b And never seek their peace or prosperity.c Thus you will become strong, eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.'

These words of Ezra are a recount of what each Israelite had to comply with so that everything works very well. Today we also have very clear instructions to marry only among Christians to stay together in the worship of Jehovah.

But sometimes we disobey believing that Jehovah's words are not applicable to us. What happens in those cases when you disobey? It causes pain, and what kind of situations is it created? Going back to Ezra, but this time Chapter 10:10 and 11,44. Let's see the consequences that the Israelites had to go through. 

LET'S READ EZRA 10:10,11,44.

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them: “You have been unfaithful in marrying foreign women, and thus you have increased the guilt of Israel. 11 Now confess your sin to Jehovah, the God of his ancestors, and obey him. Separate yourselves from the peoples of this land and also from those foreign wives.”

44 All of them had married foreign women, and they sent them and their children away.

If we see in the photograph that we have in our Activity Guide, a sister who, seeing her painting, her photograph with other sisters, may even be a pioneer and now the consequences of having disobeyed Jehovah, we can see everything that is around her, there are a baby there at the foot of her right where the bottle is, there is a person who is her partner and the habits she has of drinking and smoking seem to have been crying, she regrets her decisions, she recognizes that disobeying Jehovah only causes pain but it is done.

Everyone must make very serious decisions regarding these points. If we obey we will avoid all this as consequences. Therefore, if we obey Jehovah we will save ourselves many disappointments and in the future of course we will enjoy beautiful eternal blessings under the Kingdom of God.