DAILY TEXT, Today Tuesday, November 12, 2024, How could I do such a bad thing and actually sin against God? (Gen. 39:9).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

How could I do something so wrong and actually sin against God? (Gen. 39:9)

Why did Joseph know that God considers adultery “such a bad thing”? Consider that the Law of Moses was still about 200 years away from being written. It clearly stated, “You shall not commit adultery.” (Ex. 20:14) But Joseph knew enough about Jehovah to understand how he feels about sexual immorality. For example, he surely knew that God created marriage for one man and one woman. And he had likely heard that Jehovah had to intervene twice to protect the honor of his great-grandmother Sarah when two kings tried to sleep with her. (Gen. 2:24; 12:14-20; 20:2-7) Thinking about all this, Joseph was able to see what is right and what is wrong from God’s point of view. Because he loved Jehovah so much, he also loved his righteous standards and was determined to uphold them. w22.08 26 §1-2.

WHAT IS GOD'S JUSTICE?

What way of being does not reflect the justice of God?

When Jesus was on earth, religious leaders considered themselves righteous and upright. But Jesus strongly condemned them because they were harsh toward others and set their own standards of right and wrong. (Eccl. 7:16; Luke 16:15) Today, there are people who are just like them. By their own standards, they do nothing wrong. They often think they are superior to others and are very critical. This attitude greatly displeases Jehovah and has nothing to do with his righteousness.

According to the Bible, what does it mean to be righteous? Give some examples.

Justice is a precious quality. Simply put, it means doing what is right from God’s point of view. In the Bible, the words translated “justice” convey the idea of ​​living by the highest standard available—Jehovah’s. For example, Jehovah commanded that merchants were to use “an exact and just weight.”—Deut. 25:15. Therefore, a Christian who wants to be righteous in God’s eyes will be honest in all his or her dealings. Furthermore, a person who loves Jehovah’s justice hates to see others treated unfairly. And to please God in all things, he or she always takes God into account in his or her decisions.—Col. 1:10.

Why can we trust Jehovah’s standards of right and wrong? —Isaiah 55:8, 9.

The Bible describes Jehovah as “the dwelling place of righteousness.” This means that true righteousness comes from him. (Jer. 50:7) As our Creator, he alone has the right to set the standards of right and wrong. And because he is perfect, his standards are far above ours, which are limited by imperfection and sin. (Prov. 14:12; read Isaiah 55:8, 9) But can we live up to his standards of righteousness? Yes, because we were created “in his image.” (Gen. 1:27) And we love to do so. Our love for our Father compels us to imitate him as closely as possible. (Eph. 5:1)

Why is it necessary to have established standards? Give some examples.

When we faithfully follow Jehovah’s standards of right and wrong, we do well in life. Let’s see why. For example, what if every bank decided the value of coins or every construction company had its own system of measurement? It would be chaos. And if every doctor or nurse in a hospital cared for patients in his or her own way, some patients might die. Clearly, following established standards protects us. And so it is with God’s standards—they are for our good.

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