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God Not DiscouragedThe Watchtower—1958 | February 15
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for the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of Jehovah they did not choose.”—Isa. 1:15, RS; Prov. 1:28, 29.
But in one respect Harris is mistaken—if he thinks that God is discouraged, disheartened or has his courage lessened by what any of his creatures may do. Such would be an admission that he is not all-wise, nor all-powerful. Did he not foretell this very situation? He did: “In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be . . . having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power.” Since conditions are coming to pass just as he foretold, he has no reason for being discouraged, has he?—2 Tim. 3:1-5.
Then, too, in spite of what men may or may not do, his purposes regarding the earth and man will be realized, even as he assures us: “I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.” And what are his purposes regarding the earth? “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.”—Isa. 46:11; 11:9, AS.
Surely, in view of these truths and facts, it can be confidently asserted that God does not get discouraged, regardless of what men may do. To help men of good will to benefit from the realization of God’s purposes regarding the earth and man is one of the purposes of this magazine.
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Pool of Gibeon UncoveredThe Watchtower—1958 | February 15
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Pool of Gibeon Uncovered
The ancient city of Gibeon is noted for one of history’s most spectacular rescues. Here Joshua and the Israelites rescued the Gibeonites from the allied Amorite forces. Here the God of heaven rained great hailstones on the enemy and caused the sun and moon to stand still to enable Joshua to complete the victory. It was also at Gibeon that a battle took place between the servants of Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, and the servants of David. The Bible discloses that the encounter started by “the pool of Gibeon.”—2 Sam. 2:12-17.
This pool was recently uncovered; and, after some twenty-five centuries, it is flowing again. The discovery, made by archaeologist James B. Pritchard, was announced by the University of Pennsylvania Museum. In searching for ancient Gibeon the archaeologist surveyed thirty-nine sites and finally picked as the right location the Arab village of El-Jib in the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan, about eight miles north of Jerusalem. He dug four feet below the surface at El-Jib and found the walls of houses. Later he came to the rim of a pool thirty-seven feet across.
Workers removed debris and they came to the first stage of the well. This was a thirty-three-foot-deep pit faced with a spiral staircase. Then diggers excavated a narrower tunnel, with steps cut in its side, to reach a broad water-drawing room eighty-two feet below the surface. After more debris was removed, water started flowing again. Restoration of the pool has revealed one of the ancient world’s remarkable engineering achievements, the authorities of the museum said. And finding the great well, they added, confirms the Bible account that the Gibeonites were drawers of water.
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The Red ReligionThe Watchtower—1958 | February 15
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The Red Religion
One-time chief of propaganda in Moscow, Karl Radek, once said: “This Communism, you see, is a religion. Our young men must preach its gospel. They are willing to die for it.”
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