Look to the Bible as Our Guide in Life
“Keep making straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed.”—Heb. 12:13.
1. Under what conditions had the Israelites depended upon Jehovah for forty years, and what prospect awaited them?
FOR forty years the Israelites had wandered about in the wilderness, without home, without land, without association with any other peoples. For forty years they had been guided and sustained entirely by the hand of God. He had supplied their food, miraculous manna from heaven. He had even brought water out of the rocks by his mediator, Moses. Now this chosen people of God stood on the desert plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho, over six hundred thousand able-bodied men, their wives and their children. They were a strong and virile nation of young men and women, no more than a small minority being past the age of sixty. Many of them, perhaps even the majority, had been born in the wilderness. They had known nothing but tent life and desert bleakness, but across the Jordan was a rich and fertile land, a land of milk and honey, of wheat and barley, of fruit trees and flowers, a land of song and laughter, a land of peacefulness—a Land of Promise.
2. Against what did they need to be on guard, and how did Balak fail in his designs against Israel?
2 But they were surrounded by enemies: men, women and children who did not worship Jehovah, who would rather see Israel destroyed than to see their own way of life disturbed; enemies who would use every means they had to prevent this young nation from entering the land and from inheriting its possession promised by God. So it was that Balak, the king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Jehovah’s people. Three times he tried to curse the Israelites, but each time the Almighty God controlled Balaam’s tongue to turn the intended curse into a blessing upon Israel, making it clear that “there is no unlucky spell against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel.”—Num. 23:23.
3. (a) What means did Balaam find to break the invincibleness of Israel, and what resulted? (b) What prompt and positive action caused Jehovah to stop the plague?
3 Then Balaam found the only way to break the invincibleness of this strong people. He enticed them away from their God, Jehovah, their Protector and Source of strength. He advised the king of Moab to bring Jehovah’s own curse upon his people by luring them into idolatry through fornication with female idol worshipers. The Bible record reads (Num. 25:1-3): “Then the people started to have immoral relations with the daughters of Moab. And the women came calling the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people began to eat and to bow down to their gods. So Israel attached itself to the Baal of Peor; and the anger of Jehovah began to blaze against Israel.” Hence the judges of Israel were ordered to kill the men who had had an attachment with this false god, Baal of Peor. But even while the elders were at the entrance of the tent of meeting mourning Israel’s deflection, an Israelite chieftain’s son named Zimri brazenly brought a Midianite woman into the camp before the eyes of Moses and all the assembly. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, in a prompt and positive action, took a lance in his hand, followed them into the vaulted tent and pierced them both through. “At that the scourge was halted from upon the sons of Israel. And those who died from the scourge amounted to twenty-four thousand.” (Num. 25:8, 9) Twenty-four thousand offenders died at Jehovah’s hand. They failed to enter the Promised Land when they stood at its brink. They had yielded to selfish passion and had forsaken their God Jehovah as their Guide in life.
4. How were the Israelites to be tested further?
4 But that was not all. One man who had not succumbed to the bawdy sex orgies of the Baal of Peor was still not invulnerable. He too fell victim to selfish passion, but his was greed and avarice, the subtle snare of materialism. And his self-indulgence cost the lives of thirty-six of his brother Israelites.
5. (a) Why did Jehovah remove his favor from Israel, and how was this brought to light? (b) What penalty was imposed upon the wrongdoer, and why?
5 It was after the city of Jericho had been miraculously delivered into the hands of God’s people and they had gone up against the city of Ai to take it. Joshua, their leader, had sent only three thousand armed men, expecting an easy victory in view of the inferior forces of the enemy. However, the men of Ai poured out of the city and completely routed them, killing thirty-six of the men of Israel. Joshua and the older men fell on their faces before Jehovah in an earnest appeal to determine the cause of this disaster. Jehovah told them why: “Israel has sinned, and they have also overstepped my covenant that I laid as a command upon them; and they have also taken some of the thing devoted to destruction and have also stolen and also kept it secret and have also put it among their own articles.” The very next morning, as Jehovah directed, Joshua gathered the entire nation together and, by elimination, finally singled out Achan as the man who was guilty before Jehovah. Under pressure of questioning, Achan admitted that he had appropriated to himself some of the spoil from the city of Jericho that Jehovah had set apart as sacred to his own service. Achan was thereby condemned and, along with his whole family who apparently condoned his action, he was stoned to death.—Josh. 7:1-25.
WARNING THE UNWARY
6. In what parallel position do God’s people stand today as compared with the Israelites on the plains of Moab? (b) What protection do we have?
6 Today God’s people stand at the brink of a new order administered in righteousness, with everlasting life in view. And every curse that has been brought against this people by Satan’s world has been turned into a blessing by Jehovah. But, just like Balaam and the people of Moab, the present wicked system holds out the enticing and seductive influence of sex worship and many other immoral practices such as lying, cheating and stealing. Are we immune? The record says No! Every year several thousand are disfellowshiped from God’s organization because they forsake Jehovah and his righteous principles, because they fail to look to the Bible as their guide in life. Only a few of these will realize what they have lost, repent, and correct their bad course of conduct. All the rest will never enter into the marvelous blessings of the new system of things. How can we avoid this tragedy?
7. (a) According to James, what causes willful transgression of God’s law? (b) In what two directions can we be led, and what is the directing force in each?
7 The action taken by both Zimri and Achan was deliberate. They knew their respective courses were contrary to Jehovah’s express commandments. But it is unlikely that in either case the specific acts that caused them to lose their lives were prompted by desires they had never entertained before. James, the brother of Jesus, describes willful transgression as the result of progressive wrong thinking: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.” (Jas. 1:14, 15) Both of these men were under the Law of God mediated by Moses and were subject to its sanctions. Today we are under the law of Christ, and the sanction of that law is the spirit of God motivating us to righteousness. (Rom. 6:18, 19; 7:6; Gal. 5:16-18) But it is the same spirit that is operating on the Christian congregation and its overseers who are appointed by God’s spirit. (Acts 20:28) Therefore, if we are moved by God’s spirit, if we allow God’s spirit through his Word and his organization to guide our lives, then there is no reason why we cannot know in advance when wrong desire is likely to cause us to fall into the snare that entrapped Zimri and Achan and avoid it. The question is, Are we genuinely and sincerely interested in being guided by God’s spirit, or do we really prefer to follow the inclinations of our own desires and, in order to indulge ourselves, prefer to gamble on the consequences for whatever outcome may befall us?
8. How do the servants in the congregation provide a protection, and why do they feel a responsibility?
8 The overseers and ministerial assistants in the congregation are gifts in men, given by Christ with a view to the edifying and strengthening of the members of the Christian congregations throughout the earth. (Eph. 4:8, 11, 12) They are men who have grown to maturity in the observance of God’s law and who have, through experience and training in God’s righteous requirements, learned what is needed to measure up to God’s requirements and to keep his law. They are constantly alert, therefore, to the condition of the congregation and its members under their care and are quick to recognize symptoms of spiritual weakness that could cause serious spiritual sickness or lead to a fatal transgression of God’s law. Being deeply concerned for the flock of God, knowing that they must render an account (Heb. 13:17), they readily accept their responsibility to follow the admonition of the apostle Paul to the Galatians (Gal. 6:1, 2): “Brothers, even though a man takes some false step before he is aware of it, you who have spiritual qualifications try to restore such a man in a spirit of mildness, as you each keep an eye on yourself, for fear you also may be tempted. Go on carrying the burdens of one another, and thus fulfill the law of the Christ.”
THE SERIOUSNESS OF DEFLECTION
9. What attitude should we take when counseled, and what might failure to do so strongly suggest?
9 When such symptoms are observed and called to a brother’s attention, what should his attitude be? Obviously it should be one of appreciation for this provision that Jehovah has made within his organization. He should recognize that the counsel is from God’s Word and be willing to follow it as his guide. If, on the other hand, he becomes offended, or persistently tries to justify a wrong course of action, would it not all the more indicate the wisdom of the counsel and the serious need to call the misdeed to his attention? Might it not indicate that his inclination may already be so strong that the appeal of the worldly course of wrongdoing outweighs the motivating spirit of God toward conformity with the theocratic Scriptural viewpoint? Might it not strongly suggest that the offender has already been led to a dangerous point in his deflection, perhaps already beyond the reach of God’s Word? What is to prevent him now from going farther toward transgression that can produce death? “Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap; because he who is sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but he who is sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit.”—Gal. 6:7, 8.
10. Why should we not minimize even a minor deflection from Jehovah’s requirements? What is really a simpler course, and why?
10 Never then, should we minimize the seriousness of deflection, even in a minor way. Because, what does deflection mean? It means a deviation, a bending or turning aside from a true course. And any deviation, no matter how slight, causes an ever widening gap the farther it is pursued. The only way the deviator can ever be brought back on course is to change his direction again, and when you look back over the zigzag trail such a one has left behind him, what a difficult road it has been! How much simpler it is to “keep making straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed.”—Heb. 12:13.
11. How is it possible to take a false step without realizing it, and what safeguard should we be thankful for?
11 The influence of Satan’s system of things is very strong on all of us. Sometimes we may not appreciate how much or in just what ways. It is possible to get caught up in a pattern of thinking or acting that may seem innocent enough at the start, but, in time, it may lead into serious trouble. This viewpoint or course of action may actually lead into the taking of a false step, a deviation from a Scriptural standard or in violation of a Scriptural principle, yet go unnoticed by the one adopting it because of ignorance of the standard or principle, because of being unaware of the extent to which it can lead or because of momentarily relaxing one’s guard. Whatever the circumstance that has allowed it, how thankful we should be that Jehovah through his Word or his organization, as represented in the servants of the congregation, is on the watch, does observe the false step and call it to our attention.
12. (a) How can the congregation’s servants know when a false step has been taken? (b) For what two-fold reason are they concerned to the point of taking appropriate action?
12 The servants of the congregation may not always know just what the real problem is, but become aware that something is wrong by certain observable trends or attitudes. It may be a tendency to miss meetings, to turn back assignments in the Theocratic Ministry School, or a growing air of independence, a lessening spiritual quality in conversation, an increasing “style consciousness” in dress. Whatever it might be, the servants are concerned because of the indication that the spiritual welfare of the individual is endangered. But their concern goes even farther because they know that what affects an individual will also affect the entire congregation. The apostle Paul said: “We have become a theatrical spectacle to the world” (1 Cor. 4:9), indicating that the course we take is observed by those outside the congregation. If a false step is pursued until transgression occurs, the reflection is on the entire congregation. It is not always necessary either for absolute wrongdoing to occur before reproach is brought on the organization. The observation of one public schoolteacher illustrates this: “I used to admire the children of Jehovah’s witnesses. They were always so well mannered and clean looking. I hate to say this, but I just can’t see the difference in some of them anymore. Their clothes and their hairdos, they look and act just like all the rest of the children.” Anyone visiting the congregational meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses would know that this observation is the exception rather than the rule, but the fact that such a statement could be made is cause for concern, and those servants in congregations where such trends are noted would like to help correct them so that “what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed.”
13. (a) What is wrong in thinking that we can win people by meeting them on their own terms, and how was this point proved in the Corinthian congregation? (b) What dangers lie in the fear of being different in appearance from worldly associates?
13 Some might argue that the cause of truth would be helped along if we were to appear as “progressive” and “up-to-date” as the most modern ones of the world, meeting them on their own terms, as it were. But that is reasoning from a false premise. The end does not justify the means. Jehovah does not want people associating with his organization because it is popular and modern. He wants individuals who love righteousness and who are willing to live by principle. An example of this is to be found in the early Corinthian congregation. Some of those associated thought notoriety would bring fame to the congregation. When the apostle Paul heard of it he wrote: “Actually fornication is reported among you, and such fornication as is not even among the nations, that a wife a certain man has of his father. And are you puffed up, and did you not rather mourn, in order that the man that committed this deed should be taken away from your midst? Your cause for boasting is not fine. Do you not know that a little leaven ferments the whole lump? Clear away the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, according as you are free from ferment.” (1 Cor. 5:1, 2, 6, 7) Paul found it necessary to take immediate and drastic action to cleanse this congregation. This he did by disfellowshiping the transgressors of God’s law and by straightening out the wrong thinking of others who condoned the wrongdoing. Just as leaven of sin ferments the whole congregation, so a wrong inclination toward copying the styles, customs and manners of this world will contaminate the thinking ability and theocratic viewpoint. If we are afraid to present a different appearance than that of our associates in the world, what is to prevent us from going a step farther and compromising our Christian principles so as not to be too different? Or what is to prevent us from adopting worldly reasoning in handling our problems? This will not produce in us the fruitage of God’s spirit, but rather the fruitage of the spirit of this world, which can eventually lead to transgression of God’s law. (Gal. 5:16-18) As indicated by James, acts of immorality seldom come without warning. Wrong desire seldom springs suddenly into full bloom. Usually two ingredients are necessary, inclination and opportunity. If we look to the Bible as our guide in life, we will endeavor to eliminate both from our lives as completely as possible.
THE DANGER OF BAD ASSOCIATIONS
14. In what way do bad associations provide all the ingredients for slipping into immorality, and how can this be illustrated?
14 Bad associations, because of their contaminating influence, provide all the ingredients for slipping into immorality. Principles are weakened, which tends to encourage wrong inclinations. Besides, the opportunity for wrongdoing is always present, enabling one to be stampeded easily into an unwise course either through ignorance or fear of ridicule. Also the transgression of anyone in the group brings guilt upon all as accessories. One young brother was making fine progress in the ministry, but he chose also to associate with schoolmates who cared nothing about Bible principles. One day, for excitement, they decided to take a few bottles of soda from a delivery truck. To them it seemed like a harmless prank, but the driver saw them and came running out to teach the youngsters a lesson. Before anyone knew what was going on, one of the boys pulled out a switchblade knife and stabbed the driver in the stomach. It killed him. The young minister who was with the gang was disfellowshiped from his congregation and is now in a reform school. Achan, too, brought disaster upon the entire nation and paid for it with his own life. Nor was the nation free of guilt until he was purged from their midst.—Josh. 7:20-25.
15. (a) What mistake did Dinah make, and how can its result to her serve as a warning to us? (b) What opposite course did Joseph take, and how can it be an example to us?
15 No one holding to Christian principles would voluntarily commit fornication. But prudence would dictate also avoiding circumstances that could lead to being raped. Dinah overlooked this possibility in her association with the young daughters of the Canaanites. The amorous son of Hamor saw her and violated her. Had she not been in association with those who did not fear the true God, she would have been spared this degrading experience. (Gen. 34:1, 2) In our own time, similar precautions should be taken. The wise course is to avoid immodest dress, traveling alone in unfrequented or isolated places or in dangerous neighborhoods. Take a proper escort and avoid the company of those who are not restrained by dedication to Jehovah and a love of right principles. Joseph, Dinah’s brother, chose the wise course while he was enslaved in Egypt. When the wife of his master, Potiphar, tried repeatedly to seduce him, he consistently refused to turn aside from what he knew was right and pleasing to God. He tried, as far as his enslaved condition would permit it, to avoid being exposed to this temptation, and when this brazen woman finally tried to force him into immoral relations with her, he turned and ran from her room, leaving his coat behind in her hand. He would rather take whatever punishment she could devise against him than displease Jehovah by transgressing his law. Joseph was blessed by the true God for his firm resolve.—Gen. 39:7-23.
16. (a) What is the danger to anyone reluctant to pull away completely from worldly standards? (b) How is this illustrated in the case of Achan, the Corinthian congregation and Dinah? (c) What solution does Jehovah hold out to us, and what part does the congregation as a whole have in it?
16 If we love Jehovah sincerely with a genuine desire to do his will, no problem we may face is so deep-rooted that it cannot be solved by a proper application of Bible principles. Anyone who is indifferent to responsibility and is reluctant to pull away completely from worldly standards will, in time, become so ingrained in this way of thinking that disaster will certainly strike in some way or another. We are no different today, in this respect, than God’s people have been in times past. Achan’s materialistic viewpoint and his wrong desire led him to steal from God, thereby contaminating the whole congregation and bringing death to thirty-six of his fellow Israelites as well as his own family. Some in the Corinthian congregation were so anxious to please their wicked neighbors that they even condoned incest, thinking fame might come through notoriety. Only Paul’s strong discipline of the congregation, applying Bible principles and disfellowshiping the wrongdoer, saved the spirit of the congregation. Dinah thought she could associate with unbelievers with immunity. She lost her virginity and brought death to all the males of Shechem. Her brother, Joseph, on the other hand, refused to compromise his principles, even though he was far from home and in a strange land, separated from his family. He proved that God loves and protects those who love him and keep his righteous requirements. So, are you one of a family that embraces the truth, or do you stand alone? It makes no difference. We have these problems in common. They belong to the entire congregation. The congregation through its appointed servants must take an active interest in them. There is one solution for all. It is found in the Bible. As the psalmist wrote: “Your word is a lamp to my foot, and a light to my roadway.” (Ps. 119:105) Yes, we have God’s promise that the Bible will lead us unerringly through the wilderness of Satan’s system of things, it will protect us in the presence and from the influence of immoral men and women who practice the worship of the modern Baal of Peor and it will make us ever stronger in God’s love and bring us safely and unscathed into the new order of righteousness just ahead—if we look to the Bible as our guide in life.
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Christians need to look to the Bible as their guide in life if they are to avoid falling victim to immoral practices as did Achan, whose greed cost the lives of thirty-six fellow Israelites