Watchtower Study, Jehovah Wants Everyone to Repent, Week 14 - October 20, 2024, Comments and Answers.

Watchtower Study, Jehovah Wants Everyone to Repent, October 14-20, 2024, Comments and Answers.

“Jehovah […] does not desire that any should be destroyed, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

1. What does a repentant person do?

The person who is sorry begins to hate the bad thing he did, stops acting that way and is determined not to repeat that mistake.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

When a person is repentant, he begins to reject the bad things he has done and to continually try not to repeat them. Second, he tries to confess his sins to God through prayer, and third, he seeks his forgiveness to restore the friendship he had with him.

Yes, and also in the entry repentance it says that one also feels regret for what one has done, and that is why one strives to change one's attitude and way of acting so as not to do what one has done again.

And as he rightly says, true repentance is a change of behavior. It is not only hating what is bad, but also not repeating, either in your mind or in your heart, the act that you did before.

And what the glossary shows under the topic of repentance, the text of Matthew 3:8, and that text emphasizes that this repentance must have a tangible fruit, which means that the repentant person must show with his actions that he has changed.

2. Why do all human beings need to learn about repentance? (Nehemiah 8:9-11).

All human beings have to learn about repentance because we all sin daily, since as descendants of Adam and Eve, we are subject to sin and death, and although we all fight against sin, Jehovah is merciful and wants us to be happy, in addition, repentance helps us to feel happy and to receive God's forgiveness, which is fundamental for our relationship with Him.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

As we read in Romans 3:23, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And so have we, and in baptism we have all confirmed that we are sinners and need Jehovah's forgiveness.

In the text we see that Jehovah does not want us to spend all day thinking about how bad we feel because we have sinned against him, but rather, with his mercy, he wants us to be happy and as the paragraph says, he does not want us to feel bad, he does not want us to feel excessively sad, but rather that we serve him with joy.

It is important that we understand this balanced point, because we could have been like the Jews who were so sad and were not willing to enjoy the festive day, a day for Jehovah. We must consider our imperfection in a balanced way, in this way we can enjoy and give the maximum service to Jehovah.

Yes, and an example that we have here of seeking that balance is, for example, the apostle Paul. In Romans 7:21-24, although he recognized there that sometimes he wanted to do what was right, but he made mistakes, it is also true that sometimes the apostle Paul felt bad. In fact, in verse 24 he says how unhappy I am, but he did not go so far as to steal the happiness in his service to Jehovah and that is the balance, not feeling that regret, helps us counteract and fight against the tendency to sin, but without robbing us of the happiness of serving Jehovah.

And if we think about it, it's a really nice idea, right? It's normal that when we do something wrong, when we sin, we feel sad. But what Jehovah tells us is good. I understand that you may be in that situation and may have those feelings, but if you repent, I will forgive you. Therefore, don't be sad, but on the contrary, be happy, because Jehovah is precisely so merciful that even if we sin, he gives us the steps so that we can be happy.

3. What will we see in this article?

In this article, we will look at what Jehovah taught Israel about repentance, how he helped people repent, and what Jesus’ followers learned about this important topic.

WHAT JEHOVAH TAUGHT ISRAEL ABOUT REPENTANCE

4. What did Jehovah teach Israel about repentance?

Jehovah taught Israel about repentance through a covenant He made with them, in which He promised them protection and blessings as long as they obeyed His laws. If they rebelled and committed sins, such as worshiping other gods, they could repent and return to Him. The Law assured them that if they repented, Jehovah would bring them back and bless them again.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

When Jehovah chose Israel as his people, he made a covenant with them and through this covenant if they obeyed, they would have blessings and his protection. He also told them that this covenant would not be difficult to fulfill. But if at any time they broke it, they would also pay the consequences. For example, he speaks of committing idolatry, they would be taken to other nations and dispersed, but this would not be the end if they turned from that way of acting, then they would again have his approval.

In other words they could repent and if they did Jehovah would bring them back and bless them again.

Here and from the text mentioned in Deuteronomy 30:11,16, we are seeing that Jehovah was not demanding something from them that they could not give, but that those commandments that he was asking for were commandments that would protect them, and that if they did them, things would go well for them in life. So we see that Jehovah makes it easy for us; he is a merciful God who wants us to repent and turn back.

5. How did Jehovah show that he had not given up on his people? (2 Kings 17:13, 14)

Jehovah used prophets to help his people recognize their sins and seek repentance, showing that he had never given up on them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Because time after time Jehovah, as we have read, sent prophets to them so that they could repent and realize that their evil ways were going, and that they would turn to Jehovah and return again to obey his commandments.

Well, we also see that Jehovah's people did bad things, but they suffered punishment for doing so, but Jehovah says that he did not give up on them, but rather he sent the prophets time and time again to guide them to the good path of Jehovah.

It shows us that we have a very tender, loving, merciful God, who, although he knows that we are sinners and that we sin, is always waiting for us to repent and wait for us, because he wants us to be there and to live forever.

And what is more, something that He shows us is that He does not give up on people who fail, who commit sins, but that He is the first to take the step to look for those sheep who are lost, and He will do the same with us if it ever happens to us.

6. How did Jehovah use prophets to teach his people the importance of repentance? (See also image.)

Jehovah used prophets to teach his people the importance of repentance by sending them messages of warning and correction. For example, Jeremiah urged Israel to acknowledge their guilt and return to Jehovah, assuring them that he would not look upon them with anger if they repented. Joel also called on the people to return to Jehovah with all their hearts, while Isaiah called on them to cleanse themselves of their wrongdoings.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Ezekiel, for his part, emphasized that Jehovah does not delight in the death of the wicked, but prefers that they repent and live. All these messages showed that Jehovah had not given up on his people and that there was always an opportunity for repentance and reconciliation.

Time and again what he did was to send prophets to warn his people, and here we have, for example, first of all, the example of Jeremiah, there he is telling them to become rebellious, Israel, I will not look upon you with anger, I will not be resentful forever, just acknowledge your guilt. So they only had to acknowledge their guilt and change their attitude, Jehovah would receive them and logically continue to bless them.

When we look at these examples and the many prophets that Jehovah sent time and time again to warn and correct his people, it is very encouraging, as it shows us one of his most outstanding qualities, his love, and that is that Jehovah wants everyone to come to repentance. As he said through the prophet Ezekiel, he does not take any pleasure in anyone's death, so he is always willing to give his people the help and discipline necessary for them to come to repentance.

Also, if we look at the image, it is not only something that Jehovah said at a specific moment, because they had done something wrong, but for example from Joel who already told them to return with all their heart, to Ezekiel, since he prefers that people turn around and follow their ways. Some 230 years had passed, and so on also with the brothers with the Christians and it shows us that he does not change, that he continues wanting us to repent and that it is his heart's desire.

The end of the paragraph says that Jehovah feels very happy when people repent, because he wants us all to live forever, and that he does not sit idly by, he is not going to wait for the person to decide to return, he takes the first step and offers help to do so.

Jehovah did not wait passively, but actively sent his prophets to turn them from their evil ways, even though at times the prophets persecuted them and even killed them.

Yes, it is true, we always know that Jehovah is attentive, aware of when we have committed sin or someone has committed sin, but the point is that he waits for the person to decide, and say I have committed sin, I recognize it, I want to return to Jehovah, then Jehovah will be waiting for us with open hands.

This is a great demonstration of the love that Jehovah has for humanity, and that is why he is not happy when a wicked man dies, but when a wicked man repents and returns to the right path.

And something super nice is that Jehovah not only wanted his servants to repent, but he showed them that he did not spare, because all these prophets were in the Kingdom of Judah, in the Kingdom of Israel, he simply wanted them to return, he did not care what it entailed.

ILLUSTRATION

Pictures of prophets whom Jehovah sent to correct his people: 1. Joel: about 820 B.C.E. 2. Hosea: after 745 B.C.E. 3. Isaiah: after 732 B.C.E. 4. Ezekiel: about 591 B.C.E. 5. Jeremiah: 580 B.C.E. Jehovah used many prophets to help his people repent of their sins. (See paragraphs 6 and 7.)

7. What did Jehovah teach his people through the example of Hosea and his wife?

Jehovah taught his people through the example of Hosea and his wife, Gomer, that he had not given up on them despite their sins. Hosea was instructed by Jehovah to love Gomer, who had committed adultery and left him for other men. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

This act symbolized Jehovah's unconditional love for Israel, who often turned away from Him by worshiping other gods. Through this story, Jehovah showed that even though his people committed serious sins, there was always an opportunity for forgiveness and reconciliation, reflecting his desire to restore his relationship with them.

Because Gomer was committing adultery and left Hosea, and even though she was still sinning, Jehovah told Hosea to be the one to take the initiative to forgive her and to reconcile with her. In this way, he taught his people that he was not giving up on them, that even though they were committing terrible sins, he still loved them and that his purpose was for them to repent and change their lifestyles.

And the note that comes in the paragraph is mentioning that the case of Hosea and Gomer was something special that does not mean that the victim of adultery has to obligatorily forgive the one who has sinned, but that she has the freedom to be able to leave him as Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:32.

This example shows us what He has done for Israel, because by representing it in the life of Hosea and Gomer, what He does is that they see what Hosea was willing to do, which was to recover a woman who was still living with other men and bring her back home and love her. Then Jehovah does the same, even if we are sinning, Jehovah is wanting us to return to Him, to repent and to produce those fruits of repentance.

And here we also see that this text also teaches us that the one who examines our hearts and tries to help us repent is Jehovah, not because he knows us.

HOW JEHOVAH HELPS SINNERS TO REPENT

8. What did Jehovah do to help Cain repent? (Genesis 4:3-7; see also image).

Jehovah helped Cain repent by speaking lovingly and reasoning with him. After Cain offered a sacrifice that was not accepted, he felt angry and disappointed. Jehovah came to him and assured him that he could regain Jehovah's approval if he did what was right. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

He also warned him about the danger of his misconduct, urging him to master his negative emotions. However, despite Jehovah's intervention, Cain did not listen or allow Him to help him repent, leading to tragic consequences.

Well, as we just read, Jehovah tries to reason with him, he tries to make him see that when he tells him that sin will continue to lurk at the door, because it wants to dominate you, because he was not able to see it. And the only thing he had to do, as Jehovah tells him, is to stop being so angry and disappointed, to change and to do what was right.

If we see that although Cain did not listen to what Jehovah was warning him so that he could repent, although Jehovah received an answer that he later did not accept, what Jehovah had told him, but because of that he has not paid it to others, but he wants more people to repent and it is not only because of what happened to Cain.

Of course it is, although many say that Freud is the father of psychoanalysis, Jehovah knows more than all humans, and he told him, if you are going to do good, because your face falls, he saw that there was sin lurking and he told him if you do not master it in the end and indeed, despite Jehovah's loving warning, then Cain was caught in sin.

I really like what the paragraph says when it mentions that Cain is that not only did he not listen to Jehovah, he did not even let him help him to repent, because we see how Jehovah, from the beginning, from Cain, not only with him, with the people of Israel, and with us, has taught his servants and all humans to know how to repent, to know what they have to do to have his approval again, we see how kind and good Jehovah is.

He might have thought that he had no reason to forgive him, but Cain's wickedness was so great that he had so much hatred in his mind that he could not accept Jehovah's advice. So we might think that from then on there was practically no reason for us not to repent. However, we see that Jehovah has given us all the opportunity.

And of course Jehovah could have thought that if the first three humans have failed me, then I will not help anyone again, but he did not do that.

In fact, Jehovah spoke to him before he committed that serious sin, and paid attention to his attitude, that is, he simply told him: "Be aware of the attitude you have; if you continue to feed it, you will not be able to handle it; change your attitude and things will go better for you, and I will bless you." That was the advice that Jehovah gave him before he committed the murder of his brother.

ILLUSTRATION

And in the image we can see Cain who is ready to kill his brother, he has a club in his hand, but we see that he turns around and it is precisely to hear the voice of Jehovah, Jehovah reasoned with him in a loving way, and assured him that he could recover his friendship, that he could recover his approval. Unfortunately he did not do so, but Jehovah warned him of his bad behavior.

Cain, club in hand, is on his way to kill Abel. He turns to hear the voice of Jehovah speaking to him from heaven. Jehovah reasoned with Cain in a loving way. He assured him that he could regain Jehovah's approval and warned him of the danger of his misbehavior. (See paragraph 8.)

9. How did Jehovah help David to repent?

Jehovah helped David repent by sending the prophet Nathan to speak to him, even though David had shown no signs of repentance. Nathan used a parable to reach David's heart, allowing him to acknowledge his sin against Jehovah. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Realizing the gravity of his actions, David sincerely repented, which is reflected in the psalm he wrote, where he expresses his deep remorse.

As we know, David screwed up big time, and in fact, as Leviticus says, he should have died, but Jehovah, being so good, intervened before David repented, and that is the beauty of Jehovah, the love he has for us. Jehovah sent Nathan and Nathan used a comparison that made David's light bulb go on and he said, Well, yes, I have sinned and thanks to that, he repented.

And we also see that apart from helping David, in this sense, he wrote a very emotional Psalm that demonstrates this, such as Psalm 51, and we see how I have been of benefit, because he says that this Psalm has comforted many people who have sinned and has motivated them to repent. So we also rejoice in how Jehovah will help David to repent and the benefit that we receive as well.

And in those two cases we see what we were reading in paragraph 7 and Proverbs 17:3, that Jehovah examines hearts, how he saw the difference between the heart of Cain and the heart of David. In David's case, Jehovah was even willing to send him specific prophets to tell him, because he knew what was in David's heart and that the moment he realized what he had done he would repent. That is impressive about our God Jehovah, who knows what we feel that no one else feels but us because he knows it.

And David was very sorry for his sin, as reflected in Psalm 51, which we can all read. They are very moving words, because there he pleads with Jehovah that he not only admits his sins, but that he is also sorry for them.

10. How does it make you feel to know that Jehovah is patient with us and forgives us?

Knowing that Jehovah is patient with us and forgives us fills me with comfort and hope. His willingness to help us repent and his desire for us all to reach reconciliation reflects his love and mercy. This motivates me to remain faithful and to seek his forgiveness when I make mistakes, knowing that there is always an opportunity to return to him.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

I am very grateful to think that Jehovah forgives us and also to be able to show that same mercy to other Brothers.

Well, as it has been commented, not only do we feel happy and grateful, but it also gives us hope. In what sense? It is possible that we have a relative who has abandoned Jehovah and we can have feelings of pain thinking about when he will approach him, if that day will come when he can return to his people, knowing that Jehovah is a forgiving God who is very attentive, as we have seen in the previous paragraphs that even before the repentant sinner returns, he is already thinking about how to solve the matter, that has to give us the necessary peace of mind of knowing that we always count on his help, he is a good God and we must always keep hope.

Maybe before knowing the truth, one thought that if you did something bad, you would go to the priest and he would tell you, “If you continue like this, you will go to hell. My God, what awaits me if I don’t change.” When one comes to know the truth, that attitude changes, because one sees that Jehovah is not the one who punishes someone who does something wrong and does not repent, not with hell, but rather the opposite, he is loving and affectionate and helps you and gives you the opportunity to repent of your steps and your bad actions. And that helps you to get to know and want to get to know Jehovah more, and that, over time, frees us from a burden that perhaps one had in the past.

It is also very reassuring for me to know that Jehovah does not fight against us when we sin, he fights with us. So we will always win the fight.

Yes, in the Psalm mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph it says that no one bad can stay at his side and that he hates all those who behave evilly, that is, Jehovah does not tolerate sin, but as has been said, he gives us the opportunity that even if we make mistakes and sin, he gives us the opportunity to repent and thus be able to be at his side.

In paragraph 9, I encouraged us to read The Watchtower of November 15, 2012, and it said that God is all-powerful and knows the true attitude and methods that lead someone to sin. So you know that we have a God who sees the whole picture and always has the door open for us to return to Him, and that makes me feel very fortunate.

As it says here, even the worst sinners there can be, and we must also try to do the same as Jehovah, and always hate what is bad, and thus, perhaps, we will have less tendency to sin. And if we fail Jehovah in something, we will really be among these worst sinners. If it were so, we are not lost either.

What Jesus' followers learned about repentance

11, 12. What parable did Jesus tell to show that his Father is always willing to forgive? (See image.)

Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son to show that his Father is always ready to forgive. In this story, a young man decides to abandon his family and lead a wild life, but after a while, he realizes his mistake and returns home. His father, seeing him from afar, runs to embrace him and welcomes him with love, celebrating his return. This parable illustrates Jehovah's mercy and desire to forgive those who repent and return to Him.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The parable of the lost son and this son had left home, but after a while he regains his senses and returns. It is interesting how Jehovah's mercy is demonstrated in the father of this son, that while his son was still far away, his father managed to see him, he was deeply moved and ran to meet him, not only that he hugged him and kissed him tenderly, and although the son thought he would get home and be a hired hand of the Father, the father had many other things, he was willing to forgive him and accept him back into the family. Jehovah through this parable shows us that this is a small sample of what Jehovah does in a great way, of how if we commit some sin, we truly repent, Jehovah is willing to show his mercy and forgive us in a great way.

This parable moves us, it touches us, because what we read shows that he not only forgives, but how he does it, he expresses deep feelings as the paragraph said, he is wishing for that to happen, that the person repents so he can embrace him. If we put ourselves in the shoes of any parent, for example in this case with human feelings and we can describe it, we can say that we are really overcome with emotions because of this fact, that our son repents and comes back to us again, he says that he was wishing for that to happen and now we think about Jehovah and how he is looking at us and seeing that we have sinned, that we are sinners, we have repented, and now he is not only limited to fulfilling something that he said that I will forgive if you repent but how he does it with that feeling and that desire and that desire to do it.

And we might think that it's good that this is a story that Jesus told when he was here and that it's just a story but we know that it's not, that this story is based on foundations. Jehovah spent thousands of years with Jesus, he spent thousands of years with his father and he saw how Jehovah time and time again had that attitude, had that desire to forgive, had that initiative, had all these qualities that we can see in this in this parable, therefore it teaches us in such a beautiful and merciful way how Jehovah can act with us in case we commit a sin.

The son did show a good attitude because he said that he no longer deserved to be called his son, but nevertheless his father forgave him and he did it because if we also look at what position he is in with respect to his brother, well maybe it is not fair that he then made him that offering that they made him, but of course Jehovah overcame that, that problem, not the attitude that the son had was good and then he rewarded him.

And seeing the image leads us to meditate on whether a human being does this or not, what would be the great love of Jehovah for us, who is our creator?

ILLUSTRATION

In the image we see a lot of feeling, we see that the son is seen to be repentant and humbly bows before the father and the father has his arms open, so we can reflect that the father is Jehovah who is always with his arms open when someone sins and is humble and repents from the heart, so a very, very tender image that teaches us a lot.

The lost son in Jesus' parable bows down before his father, who runs to embrace him. In Jesus' parable, the father runs to embrace his son, who was lost but has returned home. (See paragraphs 11 and 12.)

13, 14. What did the apostle Peter learn about repentance, and what did he teach on this topic? (See also image.)

The apostle Peter learned about repentance through his own experiences with Jesus, who was always willing to forgive him, even after he denied him three times. This personal experience allowed him to understand the importance of repentance and forgiveness. Peter taught others that they must repent and change their way of thinking, abandoning the evil way and beginning to do what pleases God.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

And in his speech, he emphasized that Jehovah is patient and desires for all to come to repentance, assuring that sins can be erased if forgiveness is sincerely sought.

Peter made a very, very serious mistake, which was denying Jesus Christ, three times, and of course this was something that affected him deeply, but nevertheless, as mentioned in the paragraph and we can read the note, Jesus Christ showed him that he forgave him because he appeared to him individually and with that, with that visit, he showed him that he knew he was repentant and that from then on he would once again have his favor and in addition, he was later given many privileges within the congregation.

Furthermore, Jesus showed him that God's love for him and his own was much greater than Peter's heart, not for that reason when he said to him: After resurrecting, eh, Tell the disciples and Peter, that is, as if telling Peter that I count on you.

I really like what paragraph 14 says, which says that he experienced firsthand what it was like to repent and be forgiven and he was able to teach others. He went through this same example and then gave a good speech about repenting, because he had lived it and he knew what it was like.

In Acts 3:19 it says that the result of repenting and turning around was that Jehovah was bringing times of relief and without a doubt Peter surely did not experience times of relief in his flesh when Jesus showed him that He had forgiven him and that he was going to take the lead in preaching. So that is what we have to do, turn around and we will see how we feel that relief that Jehovah gives us.

And how beautiful are the words of 2 Peter 3:9. True, Jehovah says that he is patient because he does not want us to be destroyed but to come to repentance. So how beautiful it is that our best friend Jehovah is patient with us. Even if we commit serious sins, he is willing to forgive us.

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. The apostle Peter cries inconsolably. 2. The resurrected Jesus comforts Peter. The apostle Peter was repentant, so Jesus forgave him and confirmed his love for him. (See paragraphs 13 and 14.)

15, 16. (a) How did Paul learn about forgiveness? (1 Timothy 1:12-15)

Paul learned about forgiveness by reflecting on his own experience of repentance and the mercy he received from Jehovah. Despite having cruelly persecuted Christ's followers, he was forgiven and became a chosen instrument of Jesus. 

In 1 Timothy 1:12-15, Paul expresses his gratitude for the kindness and mercy God has shown him, highlighting that his transformation is an example of divine forgiveness.

15,  16 ). b) What will we see in the next article?

In the following article, we will discuss how Paul handled a problem of sexual immorality in the Corinthian congregation, which will teach us about Jehovah's love and discipline, as well as the importance of showing mercy.

And the way he handled the problem teaches us a lot about Jehovah's love and discipline and the importance of showing mercy.

HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?

What did Jehovah teach the Israelites about repentance?

Jehovah taught the Israelites that although they could rebel and disobey His laws, they always had the opportunity to repent and return to Him. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

He assured them that His commandments were not too difficult to follow and that if they strayed, they could regain His approval by listening to His voice and returning to their way.

As we have seen, if they obeyed his laws as Deuteronomy 30:11 says, laws that were not difficult at all, but rather reasonable, then they could count on his protection, but if they rebelled against him they would lose his approval and suffer the consequences, and even so, if that happened and they later came to repent, they could return to Jehovah and count on his blessing again.

Furthermore, he also gave the example of the prophet Hosea and his wife, comparing himself to him and to Israel, as he loved Israel deeply. And even if they were doing bad things, he loved them and hoped that they would turn around and forgive them.

How has Jehovah helped sinners to repent?

Jehovah has helped sinners to repent in various ways, including sending prophets and messengers to remind them of his love and urge them to return to their sins. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

For example, through prophets such as Jeremiah, Joel and Isaiah, Jehovah offered them warnings and opportunities to recognize their sins and seek repentance.

Yes, it is very interesting that Jehovah is always the one who takes the lead, not by giving us his hand, but he always helps us in different ways. We have the example of Cain, for example, who tried to help him by reasoning with love and telling him that he could regain his approval. David used a prophet to do so. He even made him make a comparison to reach his heart, so he can use many ways to reach sinners.

What did Jesus' followers learn about repentance?

Jesus' followers learned that repentance involves a genuine change in thinking and acting. Jesus taught that those who repent must turn around, abandoning the evil path and beginning to follow the path that pleases God. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Furthermore, they were shown that Jehovah is patient and desires all to come to repentance, which highlights the importance of divine forgiveness, even for those who have committed serious sins.

That Jehovah is always willing to forgive If true We repent And set the example of the son in the parable not as he bowed to his father and he humbled himself and was willing for his father to forgive him.

And Paul's example makes it clear to us that even if the people around us or we ourselves think that it is impossible for us to repent and commit a serious sin, for Jehovah and Jesus nothing is limited or impossible.