INSTRUCTION

[From a form of the Hebrew ya·rahʹ, to instruct or teach; Gr., pai·deuʹo, to instruct, correct, chastise, discipline; ka·te·kheʹo, to teach orally, inform, instruct].

Jehovah is the Source of instruction. (Isa. 2:3; Mic. 4:2) The Bible is his written instruction Book. (Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 15:4) Jesus Christ is “the way and the truth and the life,” instructing those who approach the Father through him.—John 14:6.

What might be called the “book of divine creation” also instructs, when properly studied. (Ps. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:20; 10:18) Job told his companions they could get instruction by going to the animal creation. (Job 12:7, 8) But such instruction from the physical creation in itself cannot give the wisdom of God unless the searcher has the fear of Jehovah, which is ‘the beginning of knowledge and wisdom,’ and accompanies his study of created things with a consideration of God’s Word.—Job 28:13-28; Prov. 1:7; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 30:5; Isa. 8:20.

Instruction, to benefit one fully, includes correction, chastisement, discipline, as the Hebrew and Greek words imply. Discipline is not always easy to take, but, when one responds to such instruction, it will yield “peaceable fruit, namely, righteousness.” (Heb. 12:7-11) The instruction of a loving teacher will include training through example. But if hire is the chief incentive of the instructor, as was the case with the priests of Micah’s day, there will be neither example nor proper training. (Mic. 3:11) And the most unreliable source of all is instruction sought at the feet of idols, or from spiritists, magicians, fortune-tellers and the like, for one is thereby seeking instruction from God’s enemies the demons. (Hab. 2:19; 1 Cor. 10:20; Isa. 8:19; 2:6; Rev. 22:15) The Scriptures warn against turning to such sources of instruction as well as to worldly philosophy.—Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:20.

The Bible indicates that, during Christ’s 1,000-year reign, scrolls of instruction will be opened up for the judgment of mankind.—Rev. 20:12; see EDUCATION.