Watchtower Study, Be Bold Like Zadok, Week 9-15 September 2024, Comments and Answers.

Watchtower Study, Be Bold Like Zadok, September 9-15, 2024, Commentary and Answers.

“Zadok, a young man of valor and strength” (1 CHRON. 12:28).

1, 2. Who was Zadok? (1 Chronicles 12:22, 26-28).

Zadok was an important priest in David's time, described as a strong and courageous man, also considered a seer, which underlines his ability to discern Jehovah's will and give good advice. His loyalty and courage distinguished him during critical moments in Israel's history.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

He was a priest who worked near or next to the high priest Abiathar and Jehovah had given him a very important ability which was to understand his will and a lot of wisdom and that made people approach him to seek advice.

And we see that we can learn a lot from this bravery because he is not a character that stands out much in the Bible but Jehovah made sure that we knew who he was and that it would be recounted in the Bible so let's see what we can learn from him.

If someone who is not familiar with the Bible may be shocked by a word that is applied to roaster when it says that he was a seer, we know that in the world this is more or less equivalent to being a witch, but according to the book insight the connotation that it has for us and is the word of Jehovah is different, he was a man who we could say in quotation marks that saw more than others because Jehovah had endowed him with special insight to discern what his will is and then in this way others went in search of him to seek advice when making decisions.

And if we want to frame it in the time of history, it is the moment in which David becomes King of Israel and we see how he is supporting him as we will see in the watchtower during his reign as well.

Yes, it is clear that he was a man who did not stand out among the people there in the town because you undoubtedly saw that Jehovah did notice him even though he was not someone outstanding in that group and then the fact that he says that the people came to him trustworthy in people.

3. a) Why do we have to be brave? 

In today's world, Jehovah's servants face increasing challenges due to pressures from Satan and his system. Being courageous is essential to stand up for our beliefs, remain neutral, and preach the Kingdom message, despite personal risks such as abuse or imprisonment.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

In First Peter 5:8 it says that Satan is like a roaring lion trying to devour someone and the fact is that this system has less and less time left so Satan is more furious and while Jehovah provides the solution to these problems, we need to be brave to endure everything that Satan brings us.

And the comparison he makes in First Peter 5:8 is very good, comparing him to a roaring beast, because this is an animal that has no mercy on its victims, and Satan acts exactly like that; he will not have any mercy on us and all his effort will be to separate us from Jehovah, so it is very important that we be brave and determined or we will not fail him.

Yes, from what has been said we have to do what Psalm 31:24 says where it tells us to be brave and to make our hearts strong, all of us who hope in Jehovah because as has already been said if we serve Jehovah we will still have it more difficult than others. 

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

Let's look at 3 ways we can imitate Zadok's courage.

SUPPORT THE KINGDOM OF GOD

4. Why do we need courage to support God’s Kingdom? (See also image.)

Well, we need courage to preach the kingdom of God and to be able to continue to fulfill its standards in this evil world of Satan.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

It takes courage to support God’s Kingdom because in a world filled with wickedness and division, it is difficult to obey Jehovah’s standards, preach the good news, and maintain neutrality. In addition, many of us face challenges such as financial hardship, physical abuse, or even imprisonment for refusing to participate in political or military activities. All of this shows that supporting the Kingdom involves great risks, so great courage is needed.

We also need courage to remain neutral. We are in a system that is increasingly divided, where people tend to align themselves with political or ideological positions, so for us to be neutral and make them see that, like Jesus, we are not part of this world, is difficult and requires a lot of courage.

If the screen gives us a reflection not in the votes of the countries, then there may be people who induce us to say, look, so-and-so is doing better than Margarito, what do you think, what do you want? Then we have to be careful, because even the young listen, but they have made their decision, they are not going to support any political party.

Yes, and as we are seeing, it is a quality that a Christian must have because Revelation 21:8 says, but for the cowards and those without faith, the lake of fire and sulfur awaits them, so in this sense we must be brave and have courage to reflect in our lives what is expected of every Christian.

And as Thessalonians 2:2 says that if we have that courage it is because Jehovah gives it to us, not because of our own strength, so we have to constantly ask Jehovah for that courage so that we can defend both the preaching and be good Christians.

We also see today that many brothers who have been witnesses have many problems, such as economic, physical abuse and also for refusing to comply with the norms of this world, so as the paragraph says, they need a lot of courage to take Jehovah's side.

Well there it is quoted from Philippians and the apostle Paul speaking of the experiences they had suffered in Philippi says we take courage and we need this same thing to continue preaching the good news sometimes there is territory where it is dangerous to try to contact people in their homes but courage is also needed when preaching in a territory where few people are willing to listen to us if it were not for courage we would feel discouraged and would stop visiting them or we would do so less frequently.

ILLUSTRATION

The two people on the extreme sides are not calmly talking about a political issue, but rather they are having a somewhat heated discussion. The one on the left is pointing at the screen with those results, and in that situation not taking sides when two people are bordering on aggressiveness can be delicate, and depending on the country, not taking sides has even led to some brothers being sent to prison.

If we think that one of the two colleagues could be the boss and the other could be the boss's best friend, then the influence there in our work could be terrible, then the pressure to be neutral can sometimes be very strong, but our determination to be loyal to Jehovah is what will allow us to remain neutral.

A brother is resting at his workplace next to two colleagues, who are expressing opinions very strongly. One of the two is pointing to a television where the results of a poll about two political candidates are being shown. What will you do when others take sides on political issues? (See paragraph 4.)

5. Why did Zadok have to be brave to support David?

Zadok had to show courage in supporting David in the midst of tensions and dangers. He was prepared for war and willing to follow David into any battle, despite having no experience as a warrior. His willingness to risk his life for David and for God's people was an act of great bravery.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

What we learn from Zadok in this case is that we too have to face difficulties as Zadok did, especially as we will see in this article in a way in which we are put to the test, something new in this case as we have seen, this brother, this faithful servant of Jehovah, was a Levite, he had no military experience and what he did, well he supported the one who was the chosen representative, because in this case David, therefore that tells us that we too have to be ready to change our minds and be brave when things get difficult.

Well, because although he probably did not have much experience as a warrior, he was surrounded by men who did. In First Chronicles 12:38 it says that all the men who were with them were men of war who stood in battle line and all had the same mission: to defend David, to make him king and to defend the people of Israel, and he, despite his lack of experience, had a lot of courage.

Yes, if we put ourselves in Zadok's place, a person with little experience in the field of war, it would be normal to feel fear, however we know that being brave does not mean not being afraid but acting despite being afraid, that is why we know that Zadok was more than brave.

6. What example of courage did David give to Zadok? (Psalm 138:3)

If we read in the psalm, David attributed his courage and strength to Jehovah, so he set an excellent example for Zadok.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

David inspired Zadok by showing courage in leading Israel on military campaigns, trusting in Jehovah and seeking his help in times of persecution. His faith and courage influenced Zadok to also be courageous in his support of David and God's people.

King David gave him many examples, especially how he led his people in military campaigns and when he had problems and knew that his enemies were persecuting them, he sought help from Jehovah. This caught Zadok's attention a lot. Apart from that, they had the priest Jehoiada and his son Benaya who were very religious and brave warriors.

And we know that David faced a lot of dangers throughout his life and without a doubt he was a brave man but he was not brave because he was like that but he was brave because he fully trusted in Jehovah he had proven it many times when enemies pursued him when fierce animals pursued him he always trusted in Jehovah and that made him, as Jehovah does not fail, become a brave person because Zadok who was very close to David at all times knew how Jehovah had acted with him and how he was going to do it with himself.

Yes, the topic we are considering is be brave like Zadok, in other words, the article is directed towards us so that we imitate him and here we extract two very important lessons, Zadok because he was brave because he did what David trusted in Jehovah, he went to him and he also let himself be affected by the good example of other servants of Jehovah who were also brave and that can also serve as a guide for us to be able to demonstrate that necessary courage in certain situations.

He learned to be brave not only from David but from the rest of the men who surrounded him. In First Chronicles 11 verse 1 it says that all the Israelites gathered around David and said, "Here we are." In other words, it is not only that he surrounded himself with one brave person but that he surrounded himself with many brave people and that gave him that bravery.

Because as we have always said, the heart is the center of motivation, therefore when we are in difficult situations as you say and Jehovah, we trust in him and he gives us his help as he did in the case of David, so we can get ahead and motivate ourselves to give glory and honor to Jehovah. 

7. a) Who gives us an example of courage today? 

One of them and the most important is our Lord Jesus Christ who did not want to have anything to do with Satan's political system because he always trusted in Jehovah to gain strength.

We have the example of many servants of Jehovah who have supported his kingdom. We also have the greatest example, which is Jesus Christ himself, who never wanted to have anything to do with Satan's political system. As has been mentioned, if we look for experiences on jw.org, we find many experiences of young people today who have refused to join the army or participate in political activities, which is giving us a great example of putting the interests of the kingdom first.

Today, Jehovah's servants who support his Kingdom despite worldly pressures give us a great example of courage. Young people who refuse to participate in political or military activities demonstrate their loyalty to Jehovah. The example of Jesus Christ, who kept his distance from Satan's political system, also inspires us to be courageous in our faith.

And about the example of Jesus we know that he had opportunities to get involved in the political life of his time because the devil offered him all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worshiping him only once and he could have deceived himself thinking that well maybe he could help people or make the whole world aware of the kingdom or even on another occasion as John 6:14 and 15 says they also wanted to make him King however Jesus rejected all these opportunities to remain neutral.

7. b) What does the video teach you about Brother Nsilu?

It teaches us that no matter the pressure or threats, we must remain loyal to Jehovah and not diminish our efforts in his service, even in the midst of opposition.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

His coworkers pressured him to take part in the elections and he also had financial problems, but he never failed in spiritual activities such as preaching, praying, and meetings or his personal study. As a result, Jehovah blessed him greatly for being neutral and for not abandoning his spiritual tasks.

When I saw it, I was also impressed by how brave he had to be in that environment because he felt alone, everyone else judged him, criticized him, he even says that for a year he couldn't send his children to school because he didn't have the means to do so, but the loyalty he showed and the bravery helped him so that at the end of the video you see the whole family together worshiping Jehovah.

Also as the brother says from experience, when Jehovah allows situations to occur in which we must show neutrality despite very difficult circumstances, this can also give a great testimony in favor of the Kingdom of God.

We see at work how she had to be humble to accept it because it is in an office where her brother is seen, as they declared at work, and he was sweeping up what hurts her, so he also had integrity and was humble in this sense.

And the truth is that for him it was not easy at all because his own job was at stake and even the economic situation of his family as he says there being able to remain neutral. They even lowered his rank and evidently he was barely able to pay for basic needs, however we see how he commented that prayer, personal study and meetings were what helped him to move forward, so he is a great example for us because we can do the same as him, we do not know when we will find ourselves in a situation like him.

Yes, and the brother also pointed out in the video that with our endurance, our courage, what we do is also bear witness. We never know when, but Jehovah allows it because we also bear witness and praise Jehovah, so that is also important.

HELP THE BROTHERS

8. In what situation do the elders have to be brave to help their brothers?

Elders must be courageous when assisting brothers in crisis situations, such as during wars or natural disasters. Making difficult decisions to ensure the safety and well-being of the congregation requires both courage and prudence.

For example, when a war breaks out, the elders know that their brothers need encouragement and material and spiritual nourishment. That is why, even though it is dangerous, their love for their brothers and sisters helps them do it. John 15:12 and 13 says that no one has greater love than he who gives his life for his friends, and that is what the elders are willing to do when helping their brothers in difficult circumstances.

The text of Second Corinthians 8:4 says that the brothers insistently asked them to help them, to grant them the honor of giving kindly to participate in the relief efforts, that is, they wanted to do it with all their heart, it was not out of obligation and because they were not paid anything at all, but rather they considered participating willingly to be an honor.

Even the paragraph specifies that type of help may be that we need encouragement, that we need support or even that spiritual food is brought to us in some way, even if food, material food or material things, when a war breaks out, all type of peace of tranquility is totally disrupted but we know that we have the faithful elders to be able to help us.

9. According to 2 Samuel 15:27-29, what did David tell Zadok to do? (See also image.)

He says that not only did he put his life in danger, he also says that it was his son with him, meaning that this man showed a lot of courage because he knew that his life was at stake.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

David asked Zadok to return to Jerusalem with other priests to act as spies. He needed them to stay in the city to inform him about the plans of his son Absalom, who was trying to take the kingdom from him. This mission was dangerous, because if Absalom discovered that they were spying, their lives would be at risk.

Although the main idea along with Absalom's rebellion that the Levites along with him took the ark to accompany David's escape, we see how David realized that someone had to stay in Jerusalem to be an intermediary and to transmit the information to him, then he told Saddam that the other priests should stay as spies even though it was a very risky mission.

ILLUSTRATION

With decision without hesitation here she speaks well of both David and Sadora because Sadora had seen the example of David himself, how brave he was in the face of his enemies, so now he was being asked by a warrior of that time with experience around who could have trusted him with this dangerous mission, but he was not found and because she fully trusted that he would undoubtedly fulfill that commission.

Without a doubt it would not be the most pleasant thing to see everyone leave and now David tells him that he has to stay in the middle of that revolt that was arising because it was not the most appealing thing, however you can see Zadok's face there as it does not reflect fear or worry but on the contrary, because he trusted in Jehovah, he was brave and so he knew that since Jehovah would help him, he could carry out that task.

But courage was needed because since Zadok was described as a person who was violent and selfish, he could also think, "My God, if they find out, what will they do to us?" In other words, they needed to have courage.

King David speaks with Zadok as David's servants leave Jerusalem. David has given Zadok a dangerous mission. (See paragraph 9.)

10. How did Zadok and those with him protect David?

In the plan that David thought of to be able to escape on one side, Usai became a trusted name for Absalom and suggested a strategy so that David could escape and thus not be caught and then Usai told him that the plan had gone well and then they told David that yes, everything was going ahead as planned because Jehovah was helping them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Zadok and his team acted as spies in Jerusalem, informing David of Absalom's plans. Hushai, another friend of David, gained Absalom's trust and suggested a strategy that gave David time to prepare for the attack, helping to save his life.

In the story of second Samuel we can see that Absalom planned that same night to attack David and he was tired, there were few of them, perhaps he would have lost his life, but thanks to this plan they were able to have time to cross the Jordan, get away from Absalom's territories and in this way all those who went with David and him were able to save themselves.

Well, Usai gained Absalom's trust and suggested a military strategy to give David time to prepare for an attack. If we have to think about what this entailed, if Absalom had discovered it by this point, he would surely have killed him on the spot, since it required a lot of trust in Jehovah for him to dare to do that. So after this, he told Zadok and Abiatach his plan and they sent the message to David, and as it says, with the help of Jehovah, if not, this would not have been able to come to fruition.

11. How can we be brave like Zadok if we are asked to help our brothers?

One of them is that we have to follow the instructions since it is important to be obedient and do what the branch tells us.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We can be courageous like Zadok by helping brothers in difficult situations, obeying the instructions of the elders, acting prudently, and trusting in Jehovah. This means making careful decisions to protect the unity and safety of the congregation.

Yes, doing this will always contribute to the unity of the congregation and even though we do not see it, we know the great role that the elders play in regularly reviewing the instructions in case a disaster occurs.

Proverbs 22:3 says that the prudent see the danger and hide it; we must act with courage, but prudent means not taking risks and having common sense when doing things, which will avoid us from danger.

Yes, Jehovah also cares about everyone and wants us to be safe, so we have to help each other when we need it.

Just as Zadok trusted in Jehovah to carry out such a dangerous task, we will also need to trust in Jehovah when the time comes to meet the needs of our brothers.

Regarding the first point of following the instructions, we also have the example of Zadok, as mentioned in paragraph 10, there was a plan, but if each one had thought about it, I believe that if we had done this better, things would not have turned out this way. In other words, there we see an example of how important it is to follow these instructions in our case of the branch or the governing body.

It is very important, as Hebrews 13:17 says, that we be obedient and submissive, thus making the task of the elders much easier, and they must also regularly review the instructions to be well aware of how to act if a disaster or bad situation occurs.

What we must always do is trust in Jehovah because he cares about all of us and in fact there are countries that are even at war and yet Jehovah is supporting them and taking care of them and making the rest of us also turn to them, meaning that trust in Jehovah is the main thing. 

12, 13. What does the example of Viktor and Vitali teach you? (See also the image.)

The example of Viktor and Vitali shows the importance of courage and prudence when helping brothers in dangerous situations. Despite the risks, they continued to bring food and water to the brothers in Ukraine. They both prayed to Jehovah for courage and acted with caution, strengthening their faith as they saw the cooperation between the brothers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Being brave does not mean doing things without thinking, but rather doing them with prudence. These brothers not only asked Jehovah for courage, they also asked him for wisdom and modesty. As we can see in the image, they are seen watching where they go, perhaps so as not to go into places where they should not, or that were not permitted by the governments.

Yes, we see that to do that they had to be very brave because they risked their own lives. He says that it was to take food to their brothers, some of whom had stored it and donated it so that they could take it to them. But he says that on one occasion, while loading the vehicle they were driving, a missile fell about 20 meters away and did not explode, but at that moment they asked Jehovah for courage.

If it teaches me that courage comes from Jehovah because it is very beautiful in the case of the two how they express themselves, I spent the whole day praying to Jehovah, I spent the whole way praying to Jehovah, so when we feel that we do not have much courage, it encourages me a lot because if we pray to Jehovah, Jehovah will give us courage.

It makes me think that there are people who are very brave, the truth is that we recognize the worth and value that they show, but the key is that we do it for love of Jehovah and love of our brothers, so how beautiful it is that Jehovah, who has the situation completely under his control, sees that there are his servants who rely on him through prayer and courageous activity to demonstrate in this way the faith and love that they have for him.

What strikes me when describing the situation is how they were not the only ones who were prepared and followed instructions. Victor mentioned that a brother donated food that he had already stored as recommended by the governing body in case other situations occur, and then Vitaly also mentioned how he was strengthened by seeing other brothers working together clearing the road, collecting provisions and loading them into the vehicle. In other words, it was not only the bravery of those two elders but also all the instructions that the rest of the brothers followed.

Something that teaches me too is that they did not ask for this burden to be taken away from them, the first brother says that he asked Jehovah to give him courage to continue helping the brothers and the second brother said that he asked him for something very curious: wisdom and modesty in such complicated moments and this teaches me that perhaps sometimes we do not have to focus so much on the problem that takes that problem away from us but rather that He gives us what is necessary, the wisdom that gives us that quality that stands out at that moment to be able to bear that test and pass it as He wishes, being faithful and doing the best we can.

Of course, and we learn a lesson too, because even at the time when the missile fell, he says that the brother was praying because he would be afraid. Who wouldn't be afraid knowing that a missile was about to fall on top of them and explode? In order to continue providing the help that the brothers needed, he needed to recharge his courage in some way because they had felt the danger nearby, so without a doubt they constantly supported him by praying to Jehovah.

Yes, they demonstrated it because they did not stop asking Jehovah for wisdom and modesty and then another good thing they did was that they only traveled through places authorized by the government, this is also a way of praising Jehovah that we obey the laws of the government.

Yes, this is seen in action since much of the food that these brothers were distributing was donated by other brothers and they in turn felt the affection and love but they also felt that they were given food, lodging and other necessary things, so without a doubt it is a task of all of us, we can all help each other and without a doubt Jehovah will bless that.

ILLUSTRATION

Two brothers drive a van through a war zone. Behind them is fire, smoke and debris. In dangerous situations, be brave but careful when helping your brothers. (See paragraphs 12 and 13.)

REMAIN LOYAL TO JEHOVAH

14. How do we feel when someone we love leaves Jehovah?

When someone we love leaves Jehovah, we feel deep pain and sadness, as it is very difficult to see a loved one walk away from the faith.

When we love that person very much or we have a very close relationship with him or her, it can be one of the things that hurts us the most in life. In fact, Proverb 24:10 describes pain in a way that we may even lack strength, meaning that on our own we may not be able to bear it. That is why what we are going to see in the following paragraphs is so important: relying on Jehovah.

He himself describes how he felt when the Israelites turned away from him again and again, he says how many times he expressed his feelings, so Jehovah understands how we feel when we see that a brother or a family member leaves the truth.

Well, it is a very, very painful moment and if it is a family member or a very close friend, then we will feel even more pain, as Proverbs 24:10 says. If you become discouraged in difficult times, you will lack strength. Therefore, remembering Zadok's example of loyalty in those moments will help us a lot.

Well, we learn that he understands the pain that we feel. In Psalm 78 it says how many times his people hurt his feelings, and in the study guide it is mentioned that another translation says that they filled God with sadness, so he knows perfectly how we feel when someone we love abandons us.

15. Why did Zadok have to be brave to remain loyal to Jehovah? (1 Kings 1:5-8)

Zadok had to be brave when he saw that his friend Abiathar decided to support Adonijah, which was a betrayal of David and Jehovah. Despite having worked with Abiathar for more than 40 years, Zadok remained loyal to Jehovah.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Because his friend Abiathar decided to support Adonijah and since Abiathar was being disloyal to David and also to Jehovah, we put ourselves in his shoes because he spent more than 40 years working side by side as a priest, he also collaborated with the care of the Ark of the true God of forgiveness and they had supported David and lived many things together.

Of course we are not talking about a friend that he had just met but about a person who, as we have seen previously, had been involved in something that could have been dangerous, helping David and suddenly, after spending 40 years together, he decides to make a bad decision. Without a doubt, that had to hurt Zadok a lot; he had to have shown a lot of courage.

Because at the end of David's reign his son Adonijah also tried to take the throne from him even though Jehovah wanted Solomon to be the next King, however Zadok remained faithful to Jehovah but his friend Abiathar did not support Adonijah, so with this decision he was being disloyal not only to David but also to Jehovah, so he had to be brave because his friend with whom he had served Jehovah side by side as a priest for more than 40 years was now disloyal and he had to be brave to continue being faithful to Jehovah.

Yes, as is being said, he not only had to be brave but also overcome his own feelings. The biblical story says that they were friends, they were priests, they had served together, they had certainly lived through many experiences, many circumstances, they had been on David's side for many years and now Zadok found himself with that circumstance in which a person very close to him was doing something that was not appropriate. Therefore, he was not only brave but also loyal and was willing to overcome even his own internal conflicts with respect to what a friend was to him.

16. What encouraged Zadok to remain loyal to Jehovah?

Without a doubt, having faithful people at one's side, like him, Jehovah always takes care of that, not that through fellow brothers we receive the encouragement and strength that we need, in this case he had Nathan and Venaya on his side, whom David used to anoint his son Solomon as king, then the example and loyalty of these faithful companions who undoubtedly came from Jehovah was what helped Zadok remain loyal as well.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Zadok was encouraged by the faithfulness of other servants of Jehovah, such as Nathan, and by David's trust in him. This gave him strength to remain loyal to Jehovah despite Abiathar's betrayal.

For example, one of the two characters who accompanied him with David's confidence was Nathan, who is mentioned here. If we remember, he also had to make a decision against what his own father had done, which was to turn his back on Jehovah. He was his father, so his feelings surely were very deep, but he remained firm in doing what Jehovah expected of him, so having him now as a companion would surely be a source of encouragement for him, also an example.

Well, when Solomon was named king, as the first book of kings 2:35 says, Zadok was put in Abiathar's place and also Venaiah in Joab's place, meaning that it can be said that they were rewarded for their loyalty and bravery.

17. How can you imitate Zadok if someone you love abandons Jehovah?

One of the things we can do is make our position very clear. Joshua 24:15 at the beginning of the verse says now if it does not seem right to you to serve Jehovah, choose today whom you will serve and at the end it says but those of my house and I will serve Jehovah, we do not intend to force anyone to do anything but it is very important that we make our position clear.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We can imitate Zadok by remaining steadfast in our loyalty to Jehovah, praying for strength, and surrounding ourselves with other faithful servants. Even when the situation hurts, we must be courageous and continue to trust in Jehovah.

What would we do in a situation like this? Well, here we are given the key to fill ourselves with courage, brother, ask Jehovah to give it to us, because it is something that He cannot provide and above all to be by the side of our brothers who will also be in a difficult moment or will have gone through that moment. They are the best who can give us encouragement, show that encouragement that comes from Jehovah, in addition to that which comes with the advice of our elders, our lifelong companions, and so in this way we will pass these challenges with good marks.

Although the situation is obviously very painful, we must be brave and trust in Jehovah.

Yes, just as it says in 2 Samuel 22:26, ​​he will treat the unthinkable man in an impeccable manner, so if we are loyal to Jehovah, he will treat us in the same way. 

18. What does the example of Marco and Sidse teach you?

Yes we have seen in the previous paragraph that Jehovah is always loyal, right? And in this experience we see that he demonstrates it by listening to what we need to hear. This mother who felt guilty because her daughters had left the truth heard exactly what she needed. Not a sister she had not seen for a long time, so it was noticeable that it came from Jehovah, who told her that it was not her fault. Then we see that Jehovah will always give us or listen to what we need.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Marco and Sidse's example teaches us that although seeing loved ones abandon the faith is painful, we can find strength in Jehovah. Despite their sadness, they trust that Jehovah gives them support and strength in difficult times.

See how Jehovah used one in favor of the other when the wife felt bad because the husband was the one who encouraged her and when it was the other way around because it was she who encouraged the husband, so this teaches us that Jehovah is very aware of our feelings.

It also teaches us that before, in the case of David, he influenced Zadok in such a way that this good influence made him be brave and positive. We also see now how there are brothers who can be of encouragement and strength and stimulation. The point is that it teaches me that when there are brothers who try to give me that strength, then I should try to receive it as such and also that I can also give a little bit of strength, so that we are learning that Jehovah uses wonderful brothers within the congregation who what they do is strengthen and unify the congregation and thus always be strong, yes, with joy, to serve Jehovah.

Well, we can imitate him if we show what our position is and if we demonstrate that for us Jehovah comes first, so if we need help to have that courage and be faithful, we can ask him for strength through prayer and also seek support and surround ourselves with brothers who love and put Jehovah first.

And Jehovah, seeing our loyalty, will surely do what is said in 2 Samuel 22:26, ​​which shows loyalty, so even though it is not difficult, if we invite Zadok and stay close to Jehovah and are loyal, he will always reward us.

19. What decision have you made?

Our determination is to be courageous like Zadok and to trust in Jehovah in difficult times. This means not only maintaining loyalty to God, but also turning to Him for strength and courage when we face difficult situations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Trust in Jehovah when I face situations in which I have to be brave and I am helped by the words of Second Timothy 1:7 which say that Jehovah did not give us a spirit of cowardice but of power, love and good judgment and those three qualities give us courage to be loyal to Jehovah.

And the words of First Peter 5:10 also say that if we have suffered for a time, for example in the situations we have discussed, he says that if we remain faithful and have the purpose of continuing to serve, he will always make us even firmer and stronger to be able to endure and always be solid in faith.

HOW CAN WE IMITATE ZADOK'S COURAGE IN THESE WAYS?

By supporting the Kingdom of God.

We can imitate Zadok's courage in supporting God's Kingdom by being obedient to Jehovah's standards, preaching the good news with determination, remaining neutral in political and social conflicts, no matter what happens we must have the firm determination to be loyal to Jehovah.

Well, we will imitate Zadok's courage in supporting God's kingdom and obeying Jehovah's standards if we also preach the good news of the kingdom with determination and if we remain neutral in both political and social conflicts in this way, then we will achieve that determination that Zadok had and we will be loyal to Jehovah.

By helping the brothers.

By following the instructions of Jehovah and the elders, acting courageously but prudently, and trusting that Jehovah will protect us as we care for the needs of our brothers. This means being obedient and using common sense in difficult situations, thus ensuring the unity and safety of all.

Well, we can imitate his courage by following the instructions, acting with courage, balance and prudence and above all trusting in Jehovah.

By remaining loyal to Jehovah.

By standing firm in our faith, even when we face external pressures or when loved ones turn away from the truth. This means making decisions based on Bible principles, praying for strength, and surrounding ourselves with other faithful servants who support us. In doing so, we demonstrate our loyalty to Jehovah and trust in his guidance and protection in difficult times.

Well, we learned by making our position clear, perhaps lovingly but firmly, and at the same time not isolating ourselves and turning to Jehovah in prayer.

But when there are people very close to us, family members or close friends, who do not do things the way Jehovah wants, we must demonstrate our loyalty to Jehovah and that requires a lot of courage.

And let us stay close to those who are faithful to Jehovah.