18. Did the nation of Israel prove “worthy of the good news” that was proclaimed to them?

¹⁸ Did that ancient nation of Israel in the end prove “worthy of the good news” that had been preached to them by Moses down in Egypt? Did they fulfill the promise made by their forefathers to do all that Jehovah commanded them and to be truly his people, doing his will? The inspired Record answers No! Their complete unworthiness as a nation was clearly seen by their attitude toward Jesus, the promised Messiah, whom they rejected and had impaled on a stake. Just before his death Jesus pronounced judgment upon the nation when he said: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But you people did not want it. Look! Your house is abandoned to you.”—Matt. 23:37, 38; Luke 23:18-25; Acts 2:23.

19. (a) What great privilege had the Israelites enjoyed while they were faithful? (b) When God finally rejected that nation, did this mean the end of God’s dealings with mankind?

¹⁹ The Israelites had enjoyed the high privilege of being a nation of Jehovah’s witnesses. (Isa. 43:10-12) Not that they were commanded to preach concerning Jehovah to all the other nations of the earth; but they had been set apart for Jehovah’s exclusive service and worship. By the wonderful works that Jehovah performed on behalf of them and by their practicing true worship when they were faithful, Jehovah made a great name for himself. But they could only continue as his witnesses by holding to true worship and honoring the covenant he made with them and by obeying his commandments. This they failed to do. So Jehovah cast off natural Israel. The law covenant arrangement with them came to an end, being fulfilled in Jesus and its law being nailed to the torture stake. (Col. 2:14) But this did not bring to an end all of God’s dealings with men. Now, with Christ Jesus as Mediator, a new covenant arrangement was inaugurated, not with natural Israel, but with a nation producing the right fruits, whose conduct would be worthy of a heavenly kingdom of God with Christ as King.—Heb. 8:6; Matt. 21:43.

Innocence Established

In Brazil one of Jehovah’s witnesses was employed, along with a worldly man, to dig a well. They worked until the well got to be quite deep; then an accident occurred. The working companion of the Witness fell into the well and was killed. The police took the Witness into custody to be questioned and possibly charged with murder, since oftentimes murders are committed under these circumstances. It looked very bad for the Witness, since there were no persons to prove him innocent. Finally the police asked him to show his identification documents. He did not have them with him. The only thing he had with him was his minister’s identification card signed by the congregation servant and which identified him as being one of Jehovah’s witnesses. He showed it to them. When they discovered that he was in fact one of Jehovah’s witnesses, the attitude of the police changed entirely. They said, “We know that Jehovah’s witnesses do not kill. You are an innocent man.” The Witness was immediately released.