Watchtower Study, Week of July 21-27, 2025, Seek Jehovah's Comfort, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, July 21-27, 2025, Seek Jehovah's Comfort, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Celeste: Additional Points

“Praise be to [...] the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 COR. 1:3).

1. What was life like for the exiled Jews in Babylon?

Think for a moment about the Jews who were exiled in Babylon. How must they have felt? They had seen the destruction of Jerusalem, their birthplace. And because of their sins and those of their ancestors, they had been taken prisoner to a foreign land. (2 Chron. 36:15, 16, 20, 21). It's true that in Babylon they had a certain degree of freedom and could lead a relatively normal life (Jer. 29:4-7). But their situation wasn't easy, and it certainly wasn't the life they would have chosen to lead. In fact, one of them expressed their feelings this way: “We sat by the rivers of Babylon; we wept when we remembered Zion” (Ps. 137:1). Clearly, the exiles needed comfort, but who could provide it?

2, 3. (a) What did Jehovah do for the exiled Jews? (b) What will we discuss in this article?

2 Jehovah is “the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). He loves all who come to him and wants to comfort them. Jehovah knew that some exiles would accept his discipline and return to worship him properly. (Isa. 59:20) That's why, more than 100 years before they were taken to Babylon, he had Isaiah write the book that bears his name. Why? The prophet himself wrote: "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God." (Is. 40:1). So Jehovah used the prophetic book of Isaiah to offer the comfort that the exiled Jews would need.

3 We too need comfort from time to time. In this article, we will examine three ways in which Jehovah comforted the exiled Jews: 1) He promised to forgive those who repented, 2) He gave his servants hope, and 3) He helped them not to be afraid. In each of the three points we will see that today Jehovah does the same to comfort us.

JEHOVAH IS MERCIFUL AND FORGIVES US

4. How did Jehovah show his mercy? (Isaiah 55:7)

4 Jehovah is “the Father of tender mercies” (2 Cor. 1:3). And he proved it by promising to forgive the exiles who repented. (Read Isaiah 55:7.) He said, “I will be gracious to you with everlasting lovingkindness” (Isa. 54:8). How would He do this? Although the Jews as a whole would have to suffer the consequences of their disobedience, Jehovah promised them that they would not remain in Babylon forever. The time would come when their exile would end. (Is. 40:2). Surely that promise was of great comfort to the repentant Jews.

5. Why can we be even more certain than the Jews that Jehovah is merciful?

5 What do we learn? Jehovah is willing to forgive us generously. The exiled Jews knew this, but we today can be much more certain. Why? Because we know all that Jehovah has done to forgive us. Centuries after Isaiah spoke about Jehovah's forgiveness, our heavenly Father sent his Son to earth to give his life for all repentant sinners. His sacrifice serves as the basis for our sins to be "blotted out" and completely disappear. (Num. 3:19; Is. 1:18; Eph. 1:7). How merciful is our God!

6. Why is it good for us to meditate on Jehovah's mercy? (See also the pictures.)

6 The words Jehovah inspired in Isaiah 55:7 can be of great comfort to us if we have made a mistake in the past and still feel deeply guilty even though we have repented. There are those who struggle with these feelings, especially if they are still suffering the consequences of what they did. But if we have confessed our sin and stopped committing it, we can be sure that Jehovah has forgiven us. And when he forgives us, he chooses to remember our sin no more.(compare with Jeremiah 31:34). If Jehovah doesn't mind what we did, let's not let him. Jehovah minds what we do now, not the mistakes we made in the past. (Ezek. 33:14-16). And let us remember that very soon the Father of tender mercies will make the consequences of our mistakes disappear forever.

ILLUSTRATION

A brother walks smiling. Images contrast things he used to do with things he does now. Mistakes he made in the past: 1. Playing violent video games. 2. Drinking excessively and smoking. 3. Viewing inappropriate content on his computer. What he's doing now: 1. Cleaning the Kingdom Hall. 2. Talking to an older sister. 3. Preaching.

Jehovah doesn't consider the mistakes we made in the past, but what we are doing now. (See paragraph 6.)

7. What will make it easier for us to take the step of confessing a sin?

7 And what should we do if we feel guilty because we have committed a serious sin and have not confessed it? The Bible encourages us to ask the elders for help (James 5:14, 15). Of course, it may not be easy to tell them what we did. But let's remember that Jehovah has appointed these faithful men to help us. So if we are repentant and keep in mind that both Jehovah and the elders will treat us with love and mercy, it will be easier for us to take that step. Let's see how Jehovah showed mercy and comforted a brother named Arthur, who felt very guilty about something he had done. He recounts: “I spent about a year viewing pornography. But one day I heard a talk about the conscience, and I confessed it to my wife and the elders. A great weight was lifted, but I still felt very bad about what I had done. The elders lovingly assured me that Jehovah had not rejected me and that he disciplines us because he loves us. Their words touched my heart and helped me overcome negative thoughts.” Today, Arthur is a regular pioneer and ministerial servant. How comforting it is to know that if we repent, Jehovah forgives us!

JEHOVAH GIVES US HOPE

8. (a) What hope did Jehovah give the exiles? (b) According to Isaiah 40:29–31, what effect would hope have on repentant Jews?

8 Babylon was a world power known for never letting its prisoners go free. So, from a human point of view, it seemed that the exiled Jews had no chance of returning home (Isa. 14:17). But Jehovah gave his servants hope: He promised to free them. And nothing and no one could stop him! (Isa. 44:26; 55:12). To Jehovah, Babylon was nothing but a layer of dust. (Isa. 40:15) One breath, and goodbye to dust! This hope would give great comfort to the exiles, and not only that, for Isaiah wrote: “Those who put their hope in the Lord will regain their strength.” (read Isaiah 40:29-31). Their hope would give them so much strength that they could soar “as if on eagle’s wings.”

9. What powerful reason did the exiles have to trust in Jehovah and his promises?

9 The exiles had a very powerful reason to trust in Jehovah and his promises. What was it? Let us think of all the prophecies of Jehovah that they had seen fulfilled. For example, they knew that Assyria had conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, and had taken its inhabitants prisoner (Isa. 8:4). They had seen the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and take its inhabitants into exile (Isa. 39:5-7). And they knew that the king of Babylon had blinded King Zedekiah and taken him to Babylon (Jer. 39:7; Ezek. 12:12, 13). Everything Jehovah had predicted had come true (Isa. 42:9; 46:10). This surely convinced them that Jehovah would also fulfill his promise to deliver them.

10. What will help us keep our hope clear in mind during these last days?

10 What do we learn? If we are discouraged, hope can be a source of comfort that helps us regain our strength. It is true that we live in very complicated times and that we have very powerful enemies, but we must not be discouraged. Jehovah has given us the wonderful hope of living forever in true peace and security. We must keep that promise very clear in our minds and hearts. Otherwise, it could become blurred, as if we were looking at a beautiful landscape through a dirty window. What will help us “clean the window,” that is, keep hope crystal clear in our minds? Let's regularly take time to imagine how beautiful our life will be in the New World. Let's read articles, watch videos, and listen to songs that speak of our hope. And let's tell Jehovah which promises excite us most.

11. How does a sister who suffers from chronic health problems regain her strength?

11 Let's look at the example of a sister named Joy, who suffers from chronic health problems. She shares how hope has comforted and strengthened her: “When I feel like I can’t take it anymore, I pour my heart out to Jehovah, confident that he understands. And Jehovah has responded by giving me ‘power beyond what is normal.’” (2 Cor. 4:7). She also often imagines herself in the new world, where “no inhabitant will say: ‘I am sick’” (Is. 33:24). If we too tell Jehovah everything we feel and focus on our hope, we can regain our strength.

12. What powerful reason do we have to trust in Jehovah and his promises? (See also the pictures.)

12 Like the exiled Jews, we too have a very powerful reason to trust in Jehovah and his promises. Let's think about all the prophecies that are being fulfilled before our eyes. For example, there is a world power that is "partly strong and partly fragile." (Dan. 2:42, 43). We also hear that “earthquakes are occurring in one place after another,” and we are preaching in “all nations.” (Matt. 24:7, 14). Seeing the fulfillment of these prophecies and many others comforts us and strengthens our faith that all of Jehovah’s other promises will also come true.

ILLUSTRATION

A sister reads some Bible prophecies and meditates on them. Series of images: 1. A couple preaches with their cart and talks to a man. 2. A father and son observe the damage caused by a natural disaster. 3. A stone strikes the feet of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, described in Daniel chapter 2. 4. A group of happy people in Paradise.

The prophecies we are seeing fulfilled today give us a powerful reason to trust Jehovah's promises. (See paragraph 12.)

JEHOVAH HELPS US NOT TO BE AFRAID

13. (a) What difficulties would the Jews face as their deliverance drew near? (b) According to Isaiah 41:10–13, how did Jehovah comfort the exiled Jews?

13 Jehovah comforted the exiles by giving them a beautiful hope, but at the same time he knew that very difficult times would come when their liberation drew near. He had predicted that by then a powerful king would conquer the surrounding nations and then attack Babylon itself. (Is. 41:2-5) Did the Jews have reason to be afraid? Long before this happened, Jehovah had already written down these words that would comfort them: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be distressed, for I am your God.” (Read Isaiah 41:10-13.) Why did he say, “I am your God”? Obviously, it wasn’t to remind them to worship him, but so they wouldn’t forget that he would be with them to help them (Ps. 118:6).

14. What else did Jehovah do to help the exiled Jews not to be afraid?

14 Jehovah did another thing to help the exiles not to be afraid: He reminded them that his knowledge and power are infinite. He asked them to look at the sky and told them that he not only created the stars, but that he knows the name of each and every one of them. (Is. 40:25-28). So he must also know the names of each of his servants. And if he had the power to create the stars, it's clear he also has the power to help his people. In reality, the exiled Jews had no reason to be afraid.

15. What did Jehovah do to help the exiled Jews be prepared?

15 Jehovah also instructed his servants to be prepared. In an earlier chapter of the book of Isaiah, he told the nation: “Go into your inner chambers and close the doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the fury has passed.” (Isa. 26:20). This verse may have had its first fulfillment when King Cyrus conquered Babylon. According to the Greek historian Xenophon, when Cyrus entered Babylon, he gave his soldiers the order to kill anyone they caught outside [their houses] (Cyropaedia, translated by Ana Vegas Sansalvador). How frightened the inhabitants of Babylon must have been! However, it is possible that the exiled Jews saved their lives by obeying Jehovah's instructions.

16. Why shouldn't we be afraid when we think about the Great Tribulation? (See also the image.)

16 What do we learn? The greatest tribulation in human history is soon to come. When it begins, people will generally feel confused and terrified. But we won't, because we know that Jehovah is our God. We will look ahead with confidence, knowing that our "deliverance is drawing near." (Luc. 21:28). And we will continue to trust in Jehovah even when a coalition of nations attacks us. Jehovah will protect us with his angels and give us instructions that will save our lives. How will He deliver these instructions to us? We don't know yet. He will likely give them to us through our congregations. These may be the "inner chambers" where we find safety. If we want to be prepared, we must stay close to our brothers, willingly obey the instructions of the organization, and be convinced that it is Jehovah who directs it. (Heb. 10:24, 25; 13:17).

ILLUSTRATION

During the Great Tribulation, several brothers read the Bible together in a room at night. They look out the window, and one of them points to heaven.

Thinking that Jehovah is powerful and can save us will help us avoid fear during the Great Tribulation. (See paragraph 16.)

17. What can you do to seek the comfort that Jehovah gives us?

17 Although life was not easy for the Jews living in exile in Babylon, Jehovah gave them the comfort they needed. And he will do the same for us. So, no matter what happens in the future, continue to seek the comfort Jehovah gives us. Remember that he is merciful. Strive to keep hope alive in your mind. And don't forget that Jehovah is your God, so you have nothing to fear.

HOW DO THE FOLLOWING VERSES COMFORT YOU?

Isaiah 55:7

It can be a great comfort if we made a mistake in the past and still feel deeply guilty, even though we have repented, especially if we are still suffering the consequences of what we did. But if we have confessed our sin and stopped committing it, we can be confident that Jehovah, "the Father of tender mercies," has forgiven us. (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Isaiah 40:29-31

If we are discouraged, hope can be a source of comfort that helps us regain our strength. It is true that we live in very difficult times and that we have very powerful enemies, but we must not become discouraged. Jehovah has given us the wonderful hope of living forever in true peace and security.

Isaiah 41:10-13

Jehovah comforted the exiles by giving them a beautiful hope, but at the same time, he knew that very difficult times would come when their liberation drew near. Long before this happened, Jehovah told them: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be distressed, for I am your God.” These words also comfort us today, because we know that even though “difficult times” are approaching, He will be with us to help us.