Watchtower Study, Week of November 13 to 19, 2023, Young man, what do you want your life to be like?, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, November 13-19, 2023, Young man, what do you want your life to be like?, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response.

Dark Yellow: Additional Response.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

“Discernment will protect you” (PROV. 2:11).

1. What did Jehoash, Uzziah and Josiah face?

CAN YOU IMAGINE what it would be like to be king of God's people as a child or teenager? How would you use all that power and authority? The Bible speaks of some kings of Judah who took the throne when they were very young. For example, Jehoash was only 7 years old, Uzziah was 16, and Josiah was 8. What a great responsibility! Although their situation was very complicated, they all had the help they needed to overcome difficulties and use their lives well.

2. Why is it good to study the stories of Jehoash, Uzziah and Josiah?

2 It is true that we are neither kings nor queens, but these three biblical characters teach us very important lessons. We can learn a lot from their good and bad decisions. Their stories show us the importance of choosing friends well, always being humble, and constantly seeking Jehovah.

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS WELL

3. What did Jehoash do thanks to Jehoiada's influence?

3 Make good decisions like Jehoash. When Jehoash was little, his father died and the high priest Jehoiada raised him as his own son and taught him much about Jehovah. Jehoash was wise because he listened to the advice that Jehoiada gave him, and thanks to his good influence he decided to serve God and help the people to do the same. He also organized repairs to the temple (2 Chron. 24:1, 2, 4, 13, 14).

4. How does treasuring Jehovah's commandments help us? (Proverbs 2:1, 10-12).

4 If your parents or someone else is teaching you to love Jehovah and follow his rules, they are giving you a wonderful gift. (Read Proverbs 2:1, 10-12.) Parents can teach their children in many ways. Look at what the father of a sister named Katia did to help her make good decisions. Every day he took the opportunity to discuss the daily text with his daughter on the way to school. She remembers: “Those conversations helped me face the difficult situations that arose during the day.” On the other hand, your parents may set Bible-based rules for you, and you may feel like they are limiting your freedom too much. What might help you accept His guidance? A sister named Anastasia says that her parents not only set rules for her, but also took time to explain why they set them for her. She says, “That helped me understand that the rules were not to control me, but to show me her love and protect me.”

5. What effect can your decisions have on your parents and Jehovah? (Proverbs 22:6; 23:15, 24, 25).

5 If you follow the biblical advice that your parents give you, they will feel very happy. And above all, you will make Jehovah happy, and your friendship with him can last forever. (Read Proverbs 22:6; 23:15, 24, 25.) Don't you think these are good reasons to follow the example of young Jehoash?

6. Who did Jehoash listen to, and what was the result of this decision? (2 Chronicles 24:17, 18).

6 Learn from Jehoash's bad decisions. After Jehoiada's death, Jehoash chose bad friends (read 2 Chronicles 24:17, 18). He decided to listen to the advice of the princes of Judah who did not love Jehovah. Shouldn't he have paid attention to them? (Prov. 1:10). But he acted badly and let himself be carried away by these bad friends. And, when his cousin Zechariah tried to correct him, he ordered his execution (2 Chron. 24:20, 21; Matt. 23:35). How awful! Jehoash was a fool. He had started life well, but sadly ended up being an apostate and a murderer. Later, his own servants killed him (2 Chron. 24:22-25). How different his life would have been if he had continued to listen to Jehovah and those who loved God! What lesson does his story teach you?

7. Which friends should you choose? (See also the image).

7 We can draw a valuable lesson from the bad decision that Jehoash made: we must choose friends who will be a positive influence on us, that is, friends who love Jehovah and who want to gladden his heart. And, of course, we can have friends of all ages. Remember that Jehoash was much younger than Jehoiada. Think about your friends and ask yourself: “Do they help me have more faith in Jehovah?” Do you encourage me to follow his rules? Do you like to talk about Jehovah and what you study in the Bible? Do they respect his rules? Do they dare to correct me when I'm wrong, or do they just tell me what I want to hear? (Prov. 27:5, 6, 17). To be honest, if your friends don't love Jehovah, you don't need them in your life. But, if your friends love Jehovah, take good care of those friendships. Those are good for you! (Prov. 13:20).

ILLUSTRATION

A mature sister gives advice to a younger sister about the clothes they see displayed in a store. One mannequin is wearing a miniskirt, and another is wearing a long skirt. If we keep in mind the example of Jehoash, we will listen to the advice of good friends. (See paragraphs 3 and 7).

8. What should you keep in mind if you use social networks?

8 Social networks can be very useful to stay in touch with family and friends. But, to impress others, many post photos and videos of what they have bought or what they have done. If you use networks, you could ask yourself: “Do I want to impress others? What would I like to achieve: encourage others, or receive a lot of praise? Do I let other people negatively influence the way I think, speak and act?” Brother Nathan Knorr, who was a member of the Governing Body, once gave this advice: “Do not try to please men, for in the end you will please no one. Please Jehovah and you will please all those who love him.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ALWAYS BEING HUMBLE

9. What did Uzziah do with Jehovah's help? (2 Chronicles 26:1-5).

9 Make good decisions like Uzziah. As a young man, King Uzziah was humble and learned to “fear the true God.” He lived 68 years, and for most of his life Jehovah blessed him (read 2 Chronicles 26:1-5). Uzziah defeated many enemy nations and ensured that Jerusalem was well protected (2 Chron. 26:6-15). He sure felt very happy about everything he was accomplishing with Jehovah's help (Eccl. 3:12, 13).

10. How did Uzziah end?

10 Learn from Uzziah's bad decisions. King Uzziah was used to giving orders. And maybe that made him think that he could do whatever he wanted. One day, he entered the temple of Jehovah and dared to burn incense on the altar, something that kings could not do (2 Chron. 26:16-18). The high priest Azariah corrected him, and Uzziah was furious. Sadly, Uzziah spoiled his record of faithful service, and Jehovah punished him with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:19-21). How different his life would have been if he had remained humble!

11. What does a humble person do? (See also the images).

11 When Uzziah became a powerful king, he forgot that all his achievements came from Jehovah. What is the lesson? We must not forget that the good things that happen in our lives and in our service to Jehovah come from him. Instead of boasting about our achievements, we should give all the credit to Jehovah (1 Cor. 4:7).  We have to be humble and admit that we are imperfect and need others to correct us. A brother who is over 60 years old wrote: “I have learned not to give too much importance to myself. When someone corrects me because I have made mistakes that reflect immaturity, I strive to improve and move forward.” If we are always humble and fear Jehovah, it will go well with us in life (Prov. 22:4).

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. A sister prays before stepping onto the platform at a circuit assembly. 2. A brother interviews his sister and another sister. 3. At the end of the program, they congratulate the first sister, and she gives all the credit to Jehovah. Instead of boasting about our achievements, we should give all the credit to Jehovah. (See paragraph 11).

DON'T STOP SEEKING JEHOVAH

12. When Josiah was young, what did he do to seek Jehovah? (2 Chronicles 34:1-3).

12 Make good decisions like Josiah. Josiah began seeking Jehovah when he was a teenager. He wanted to know his God better and do his will. But for Josiah, being king was not easy; At that time most people worshiped false gods. So he had to be very brave to defend the true religion. And he did it very well! He was not even 20 years old when he began to remove from the country everything that had to do with the worship of false gods (read 2 Chronicles 34: 1-3).

13. What effect will dedicating yourself to Jehovah have on your life?

13 Even if you are very young, you can be like Josiah. As? Seeking Jehovah and learning more and more of his precious qualities. That will motivate you to dedicate yourself to it. And what effect will dedication have on your life? Luke, who was baptized at 14, said: “From now on, serving Jehovah will be the first thing in my life, and I will strive to make him happy” (Mark 12:30). You will receive many blessings if he decides to do the same.

14. How do some young people imitate King Josiah?

14 What situations might young people who serve Jehovah face? Johan, who was baptized at 12, says his classmates pressure him to smoke e-cigarettes or vape. What does he do to not give in to pressure? Think about the effects that vaping could have on your health and your friendship with Jehovah. A young woman who was baptized at 14 and named Rachel tells what she does to overcome the difficulties that arise in the place where she studies: “I always try to relate what I see with something spiritual. Sometimes what we learn in history class reminds me of a story or prophecy from the Bible. And other times a conversation reminds me of a biblical text that I can share with someone.” Your problems may be different than King Josiah's, but you can be as wise and as loyal as he was. If you learn to overcome difficulties now, you will be better prepared to do so in the future.

15. What helped Josiah to serve Jehovah faithfully? (2 Chronicles 34:14, 18-21).

15 When King Josiah was 26 years old, he began the renovation of the temple. During the works, they found “the book of the Law of Jehovah, which had been given through Moses.” When the king heard what the book said, he immediately made changes to obey Jehovah's Law (read 2 Chronicles 34:14, 18-21). Would you like to get into the habit of reading the Bible? If you're already working towards it, are you enjoying it? Do you do anything to keep from forgetting the verses that are helpful to you? Luke, mentioned in paragraph 13, has a notebook in which he writes down interesting things he finds. Do you think doing something like this would also help you remember the texts or ideas you liked? The more you know the Bible and the more you love it, the more you will want to serve Jehovah. And the same thing will happen to you as it did to King Josiah: the Word of God will motivate you to do the right thing.

16. Why did Josiah make a serious mistake, and what is the lesson?

16 Learn from Josiah's bad decisions. When Josiah was about 39 years old, he made a mistake that cost him his life. Instead of asking Jehovah for guidance, he trusted in himself (2 Chron. 35:20-25). What is the lesson ? That no matter how old we are or how long we have been studying the Bible, we must continue seeking Jehovah. And, to seek Jehovah, we must always ask for his guidance, study his Word, and listen to the advice of mature Christians. If we do this, we will be less likely to make big mistakes and more likely to have a happy life (James 1:25).

YOUNG MAN, YOU CAN DO WELL IN LIFE

17. What do the stories of three kings of Judah teach us?

17 Young people have a world of beautiful opportunities ahead of them. The stories of Jehoash, Uzziah, and Josiah show that children and adolescents can make good decisions and live lives that make Jehovah happy. It is true that they made mistakes and suffered the consequences. But, if you copy the good things they did and try not to make the same mistakes, you can do well in life.

18. What biblical examples show that we can do well in life? (See also the image).

18 The Bible tells of other young people who came close to Jehovah, won his approval, and did well in life, such as David. When he was young, he decided to be a friend of Jehovah and eventually became a loyal king. It is true that he made some mistakes, but God considered him a faithful servant (1 Kings 3:6; 9:4, 5; 14:8). If you study the life of David, his example will help you serve Jehovah faithfully. Another option is to do a study project to get to know Mark or Timothy better. The two decided to serve Jehovah when they were young and built a record of faithful service. Thanks to that decision, they made Jehovah happy and did well in life.

ILLUSTRATION

David spins the sling hard, preparing to throw a stone at Goliath in the middle of the battlefield. When he was young, David approached Jehovah. Thus he got his approval and did well in life. (See paragraph 18).

19. What can your life be like?

19 What do you want your life to be like in the future? In part it will depend on what you do now. If you trust in Jehovah and not in your own way of seeing things, he will help you make good decisions.​—Prov. 20:24. You can have a wonderful and happy life. And don't forget that Jehovah greatly values ​​everything you do for him. It is worth serving our heavenly Father, who loves us so much. There is no better life!

WHAT LESSONS DO WE DRAW FROM THE LIFE OF THESE KINGS?

Jehoash

The lesson we can draw from King Jehoash is the importance of listening to the advice of mature brothers who love Jehovah. And we must also be careful when choosing our friends, since we want our friends to help us cultivate more faith in Jehovah, to help us love his rules, to like to talk about Jehovah and what they study in the Bible.

Uzziah

The lesson we can draw from King Uzziah is that we must not forget that everything we possess both in our lives and our services to Jehovah come from Him. For this reason, we must always be humble and accept the advice of other brothers, that will help us. It will help us mature and strive to be better in our service to Jehovah.

Josiah

The lesson we can draw from King Josiah is that we must have the habit of reading the Bible and looking for verses that apply to our lives. We must also apply what we learn from the word of God in our daily lives. And we must also be very careful not to stop trusting in Jehovah, regardless of how long we have been serving him.