Chapter Seven

What Can You Learn About the Creator From a Book?

YOU likely agree that an informative, interesting book has real worth. The Bible is such a book. In it you find gripping life stories that set forth high moral values. You also find vivid illustrations of important truths. One of its writers who was noted for wisdom said that he “sought to find the delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth.”—Ecclesiastes 12:10.

The book we refer to as “The Bible” is actually a collection of 66 smaller books written over a span of more than 1,500 years. For example, between 1513 and 1473 B.C.E., Moses wrote the first five books, starting with Genesis. John, one of Jesus’ apostles, was the last of the Bible writers. He wrote a history of Jesus’ life (the Gospel of John) as well as shorter letters and the book of Revelation, which appears as the last book in most Bibles.

During the 1,500 years from Moses to John, some 40 individuals shared in writing the Bible. They were sincere, devout men who wanted to help others learn about our Creator. From their writings we can gain insight into God’s personality and we learn how we can please him. The Bible also enables us to understand why wickedness abounds and how it will be brought to an end. Bible writers pointed forward to the time when mankind will live more directly under God’s rulership, and they described some of the thrilling conditions we may then enjoy.—Psalm 37:10, 11; Isaiah 2:2-4; 65:17-25; Revelation 21:3-5.

You likely realize that many dismiss the Bible as an ancient book of human wisdom. However, millions of people are convinced that God is its real Author, that he guided the thoughts of its writers. (2 Peter 1:20, 21) How can you determine whether what the Bible writers wrote really is from God?

Well, there are a number of converging lines of evidence that you could consider. Many individuals have done so before concluding that the Bible is more than a mere human book, that it is from a superhuman source. Let us illustrate this with just one form of evidence. In doing so, we can learn more about the Creator of our universe, the Source of human life.

Predictions That Came True

Quite a few Bible writers recorded prophecies. Far from claiming that they personally could foretell the future, these writers gave credit to the Creator. For example, Isaiah identified God as “the One telling from the beginning the finale.” (Isaiah 1:1; 42:8, 9; 46:8-11) The ability to foretell events that were to occur decades or even centuries in the future marks the God of Isaiah as unique; he is not a mere idol, like those that people past and present have adored. Prophecy gives us convincing evidence that the Bible is not of human authorship. Consider how Isaiah’s book bears this out.

A comparison of the contents of Isaiah with historical data shows that the book was written about 732 B.C.E. Isaiah foretold that calamity would come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah because they were guilty of bloodshed and idol worship. Isaiah predicted that the land would be devastated, Jerusalem and its temple destroyed, and the survivors taken captive to Babylon. But Isaiah also prophesied that God would not forget the captive nation. The book foretold that a foreign king named Cyrus would conquer Babylon and free the Jews to return to their homeland. In fact, Isaiah describes God as “the One saying of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and all that I delight in he will completely carry out’; even in my saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘You will have your foundation laid.’”—Isaiah 2:8; 24:1; 39:5-7; 43:14; 44:24-28; 45:1.

In Isaiah’s day, the eighth century B.C.E., such predictions might have seemed unbelievable. At that point Babylon was not even a significant military power. It was subject to the real world power of the time, the Assyrian Empire. Equally strange would have been the idea that a conquered people who had been taken into a distant land as exiles could be released and reclaim their land. “Who has heard of a thing like this?” Isaiah wrote.—Isaiah 66:8.

Yet, what do we find if we move two centuries forward? The subsequent history of the ancient Jews proved that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in detail. Babylon did become mighty, and it destroyed Jerusalem. The name of the Persian king (Cyrus), his subsequent conquest of Babylon, and the Jews’ return are all accepted facts of history. So exactly did these prophesied details turn out that in the 19th century, critics claimed that Isaiah’s book was a hoax; they in effect said: ‘Isaiah may have written the first chapters, but a later writer in the time of King Cyrus made up the rest of the book so that it would appear to be a prophecy.’ Someone might make such dismissive assertions, but what are the facts?

Real Predictions?

The predictions in the book of Isaiah are not limited to events involving Cyrus and the Jewish exiles. Isaiah also foretold Babylon’s final situation, and his book gave many details about a coming Messiah, or Deliverer, who would suffer and then be glorified. Can we establish whether such predictions were written long in advance and therefore were prophecies to be fulfilled?

Consider this point. Isaiah wrote about Babylon’s final situation: “Babylon, the decoration of kingdoms, the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans, must become as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited, nor will she reside for generation after generation.” (Isaiah 13:19, 20; chapter 47) How did things actually work out?

The facts are that Babylon had long depended on a complex irrigation system of dams and canals between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It appears that about 140 B.C.E. this water system was damaged in the destructive Parthian conquest and basically collapsed. With what effect? The Encyclopedia Americana explains: “The soil became saturated with mineral salts, and a crust of alkali formed over the surface, making agricultural use impossible.” Some 200 years later, Babylon was still a populous city, but it did not remain such for much longer. (Compare 1 Peter 5:13.) By the third century C.E., the historian Dio Cassius (c.150-235 C.E.) described a visitor to Babylon as finding nothing but “mounds and stones and ruins.” (LXVIII, 30) Significantly, by this time Isaiah had been dead and his complete book in circulation for centuries. And if you visited Babylon today, you would see mere ruins of that once-glorious city. Though ancient cities such as Rome, Jerusalem, and Athens have survived down to our day, Babylon is desolate, uninhabited, a ruin; it is just as Isaiah foretold. The prediction came true.

Now let us focus on Isaiah’s description of the coming Messiah. According to Isaiah 52:13, this special servant of God would eventually be ‘in high station and be exalted very much.’ However, the following chapter (Isaiah 53) prophesied that before his exaltation, the Messiah would undergo a surprisingly different experience. You might be amazed at the details recorded in that chapter, which is widely acknowledged to be a Messianic prophecy.

As you can read there, the Messiah would be despised by his countrymen. Certain that this would occur, Isaiah wrote as if it had already happened: “He was despised and was avoided by men.” (Isa 53 Verse 3) This mistreatment would be totally unjustified because the Messiah would do good for the people. “Our sicknesses were what he himself carried,” is how Isaiah described the Messiah’s acts of healing. (Isa 53 Verse 4) In spite of that, the Messiah would be tried and unjustly condemned, while remaining silent before his accusers. (Isa 53 Verses 7, 8) He would allow himself to be handed over to be killed alongside criminals; during his execution, his body would be pierced. (Isa 53 Verses 5, 12) Despite dying like a criminal, he would be buried as if a rich man. (Isa 53 Verse 9) And Isaiah repeatedly stated that the Messiah’s unjust death would have atoning power, covering the sins of other humans.—Isa 53 Verses 5, 8, 11, 12.

All of that came true. The histories recorded by Jesus’ contemporaries—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—bear out that what Isaiah had foretold did in fact occur. Some of the events took place after Jesus’ death, so the situation was not one he could have manipulated. (Matthew 8:16, 17; 26:67; 27:14, 39-44, 57-60; John 19:1, 34) The total fulfillment of Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy has had a powerful effect on sincere Bible readers over the centuries, including some who formerly did not accept Jesus. Scholar William Urwick notes: “Many Jews, in committing to writing the reason of their conversion to Christianity, acknowledged that it was the perusal of this chapter [Isaiah 53] which had shaken their faith in their old creed and teachers.”—The Servant of Jehovah.a

Urwick made that comment in the late 1800’s, when some might still have doubted whether Isaiah chapter 53 had been written centuries before Jesus’ birth. However, discoveries since then have essentially removed any basis for doubt. In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd near the Dead Sea discovered an ancient scroll of the entire book of Isaiah. Experts in ancient writing dated the scroll as being from 125 to 100 B.C.E. Then in 1990, a carbon 14 analysis of the scroll gave a date of between 202 and 107 B.C.E. Yes, this famous scroll of Isaiah was already quite old when Jesus was born. What does comparing it with modern Bibles reveal?

If you visit Jerusalem, you can view fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. A recording by archaeologist Professor Yigael Yadin explains: “Not more than about five or six hundred years elapsed between when the actual words of Isaiah were said and this scroll was copied in the 2nd century B.C. It is an amazing thing that although the original scroll in the museum is more than 2,000 years old how close it is to the Bible we read today either in Hebrew or in the translations which were made from the original.”

Clearly, this should affect our view. Of what? Well, it should put to rest any critical doubts that the book of Isaiah is nothing but prophecy after the fact. There now is scientific proof that a copy of the writings of Isaiah was made well over a hundred years before Jesus was even born and long before the desolation of Babylon. Consequently, how can there be any doubt that Isaiah’s writings predicted both the final outcome for Babylon and the unjust sufferings, type of death, and treatment of the Messiah? And the historical facts eliminate any basis for disputing that Isaiah accurately predicted the Jews’ captivity and their release from Babylon. Such fulfilled predictions constitute just one of many lines of evidence that the real Author of the Bible is the Creator and that the Bible is “inspired of God.”—2 Timothy 3:16.

There are many other indications of divine authorship of the Bible. These include the astronomical, geologic, and medical accuracy of the Bible; the internal harmony of its books, written by scores of men over many hundreds of years; its agreement with many facts of secular history and archaeology; and its moral code that excelled codes of surrounding peoples of those times and that is still recognized as without equal. These and other lines of evidence have convinced countless diligent and honest people that the Bible is authentically a book from our Creator.b

This can also help us to draw some valid conclusions about the Creator—helping us to see his qualities. Does not his ability to look forward in time testify that he has perceptive abilities beyond what we humans have? Humans do not know what will occur in the distant future, nor can they control it. The Creator can. He can both foresee the future and arrange events so that his will is carried out. Appropriately, Isaiah describes the Creator as “the One telling from the beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done; the One saying, ‘My own counsel will stand, and everything that is my delight I shall do.’”—Isaiah 46:10; 55:11.

Getting to Know the Author Better

We get acquainted with another person by conversing with him and by seeing how he reacts to different circumstances. Both are possible in coming to know other humans, but what of getting to know the Creator? We cannot possibly engage in direct conversation with him. As we have established, though, he reveals much about himself in the Bible—both by what he has said and by how he has acted. Furthermore, this unique book actually invites us to cultivate a relationship with the Creator. It urges us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”—James 2:23; 4:8.

Consider a prime step: If you wanted to be someone’s friend, you certainly would learn his name. Well, what is the name of the Creator, and what does his name reveal about him?

The Hebrew portion of the Bible (often called the Old Testament) provides us with the unique name of the Creator. It is represented in ancient manuscripts by four Hebrew consonants that can be transliterated YHWH or JHVH. The Creator’s name appears about 7,000 times, far more often than titles such as God or Lord. For many centuries those who read the Hebrew Bible used that personal name. In time, though, many Jews developed a superstitious fear of pronouncing the divine name, and so they did not preserve its pronunciation.

“The original pronunciation was eventually lost; modern attempts at recovery are conjectural,” notes a Jewish commentary on Exodus. Admittedly, we cannot be certain how Moses pronounced the divine name, which we find at Exodus 3:16 and 6:3. Yet, frankly, who today would feel obligated to try to pronounce Moses’ name or Jesus’ name with the precise sound and intonation used back when they walked the earth? Nonetheless, we do not shrink from referring to Moses and to Jesus by name. The point is, instead of being excessively concerned over just how an ancient people speaking another language pronounced God’s name, why not use the pronunciation common in our language? For example, “Jehovah” has been used in English for 400 years, and in the English language, it is still widely accepted as the name of the Creator.

But there is something more significant than details about pronouncing the name. That is its meaning. The name in Hebrew is a causative form of the verb ha·wahʹ, meaning “to become” or “prove to be.” (Genesis 27:29; Ecclesiastes 11:3) The Oxford Companion to the Bible offers the meaning “‘he causes’ or ‘will cause to be.’” Thus, we can say that the Creator’s personal name literally signifies “He Causes to Become.” Notice that the emphasis is not on the Creator’s activity in the remote past, as some might have had in mind when using the term “First Cause.” Why not?

Because the divine name is tied in with what the Creator is purposing to do. There basically are only two states of Hebrew verbs, and the one involved in the Creator’s name “denotes actions . . . as in process of development. It does not express the mere continuance of an action . . . but the development of it from its beginning towards its completion.” (A Short Account of the Hebrew Tenses) Yes, by his name, Jehovah reveals himself to be active as a purposer. We thus learn that—with progressive action—he becomes the Fulfiller of promises. Many find it satisfying and reassuring to know that the Creator always brings his purposes to realization.

His Purpose—Your Purpose

While God’s name reflects purpose, many people find it hard to see real purpose in their own existence. They observe mankind stumbling from one crisis to another—wars, natural disasters, disease epidemics, poverty, and crime. Even the privileged few who somehow escape such damaging effects often admit to nagging doubts about the future and the meaning of their life.

The Bible makes this comment: “The physical world was made subject to frustration, not by its own desire, but by the will of the Creator, who in making it so, gave it a hope that it might one day be delivered . . . and made to share the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20, 21, The New Testament Letters, by J. W. C. Wand) The account in Genesis shows that at one time humans were at peace with their Creator. In response to human misconduct, God justly subjected mankind to a situation that, in a way, produced frustration. Let us see how this developed, what it shows about the Creator, and what we can anticipate for the future.

According to that written history, which has in many ways proved to be verifiable, the first humans created were named Adam and Eve. The record shows that they were not left to grope about with no purpose or instructions concerning God’s will. As even any loving, considerate human father would do for his progeny, the Creator gave mankind useful directions. He said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.”—Genesis 1:28.

Thus, the first humans had a meaningful purpose in life. It included their taking care of earth’s ecology and providing the globe with a responsible population. (Compare Isaiah 11:9.) No one can justly blame the Creator for the present state of our polluted planet, as if he gave humans an excuse to exploit and ruin the globe. The word “subdue” was no license for exploitation. It implied cultivating and taking care of the planet that humans were entrusted to manage. (Genesis 2:15) Moreover, they would have a continuing future in which to realize that meaningful task. Their prospect of not dying accords with the fact that humans have a brain capacity far exceeding what can be fully utilized in a life of 70, 80, or even 100 years. The brain was meant to be used indefinitely.

Jehovah God, as the producer and director of his creation, gave humans leeway as to how they would accomplish his purpose for the earth and mankind. He was neither excessively demanding nor unduly restrictive. For example, he gave Adam what would be a zoologist’s delight—the assignment to study and name the animals. After Adam observed their characteristics, he provided names, many of them being descriptive. (Genesis 2:19) This is but one example of how humans could use their talents and abilities in line with God’s purpose.

You can understand that the wise Creator of the entire universe could easily stay in control of any situation on earth, even if humans chose a foolish or harmful course. The historical record informs us that God gave only one limiting command to Adam: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”—Genesis 2:16, 17.

That command required mankind to recognize God’s right to be obeyed. Humans from Adam’s time down to ours have had to accept the law of gravity and live in harmony with it; it would be foolish and harmful to do otherwise. So why should humans reject living in harmony with another law, or command, from the beneficent Creator? The Creator made clear the consequence of rejecting his law, but he gave Adam and Eve the option to obey him voluntarily. It is not difficult to see in the account of man’s early history that the Creator allows humans freedom of choice. Yet he wants his creatures to be supremely happy, which is a natural result of living in accord with the good laws he gives.

In an earlier chapter, we noted that the Creator produced intelligent creatures that cannot be seen—spirit creatures. The history of man’s start reveals that one of these spirits became obsessed with the idea of usurping God’s position. (Compare Ezekiel 28:13-15.) He abused the freedom of choice that God grants and enticed the first humans into what we must call an open rebellion. By a defiant act of direct disobedience—their eating from “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad”—the first couple asserted independence from God’s rule. But more than that, their course revealed that they sided with the claim that the Creator was withholding good from man. It was as if Adam and Eve were demanding to decide for themselves what is good and what is bad—no matter what their Maker’s evaluation was.

How unreasonable it would be for men and women to decide that they did not like the law of gravity and to act contrary to it! It was just as irrational for Adam and Eve to reject the Creator’s moral standards. Certainly humans should expect negative consequences from breaking God’s basic law requiring obedience, even as harmful consequences come to one who flouts the law of gravity.

History tells us that Jehovah then took action. In the “day” that Adam and Eve rejected the Creator’s will, they began going downhill, heading toward their death, just as God had forewarned. (Compare 2 Peter 3:8.) This reveals another aspect of the Creator’s personality. He is a God of justice, who does not weakly ignore flagrant disobedience. He has and upholds wise and just standards.

Consistent with his outstanding qualities, he mercifully did not end human life immediately. Why? It was out of concern for Adam and Eve’s posterity, who had not even been conceived and who were not directly responsible for their ancestors’ sinful course. God’s concern for yet-to-be conceived life speaks to us about what the Creator is like. He is not a ruthless judge, devoid of feeling. Instead, he is fair, willing to give everyone an opportunity, and he shows respect for the sanctity of human life.

This is not to say that subsequent human generations would enjoy the same delightful circumstances as the first couple. By the Creator’s allowing Adam’s offspring to come on the scene, “the physical world was made subject to frustration.” Still, it was not utter frustration or hopelessness. Recall that Romans 8:20, 21 also said that the Creator “gave it a hope that it might one day be delivered.” That is something we should want to know more about.

Can You Find Him?

The enemy who led the first human couple into rebellion is designated in the Bible as Satan the Devil, which means “Resister” and “Slanderer.” In the sentence issued to that chief instigator of rebellion, God branded him as an enemy but laid a basis for future humans to have hope. God said: “I shall put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Obviously, that is figurative, or illustrative, language. What does it mean when it said that some “seed” was to come?

Other parts of the Bible shed light on this intriguing verse. They show that it is tied in with Jehovah’s living up to his name and ‘becoming’ what is needed to fulfill his purpose for humans on earth. In his doing so, he used one particular nation, and the history of his dealings with that ancient nation makes up a significant portion of the Bible. Let us consider briefly that important history. In the process, we can learn more about our Creator’s qualities. Indeed, we can learn many priceless things about him by making a further examination of the book he provided for mankind, the Bible.

Chapter Eight

The Creator Reveals Himself—To Our Benefit!

AMID thunder and lightning, some three million people stood before a lofty mountain on the Sinai Peninsula. Clouds enveloped Mount Sinai, and the ground trembled. In such memorable circumstances, Moses led ancient Israel into a formal relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth.—Exodus, chapter 19; Isaiah 45:18.

Why, though, would the Creator of the universe reveal himself in a special way to a single nation, a comparatively minor one at that? Moses provided this insight: “It was because of Jehovah’s loving you, and because of his keeping the sworn statement that he had sworn to your forefathers.”—Deuteronomy 7:6-8.

Such a statement reveals that the Bible holds far more information for us than facts about the origin of the universe and life on earth. It has much to say about the Creator’s dealings with humans—past, present, and future. The Bible is the world’s most studied and most widely circulated book, so everyone who values education ought to be acquainted with its contents. Let us get an overview of what we can find in the Bible, concentrating first on the part that is often called the Old Testament. In doing so, we will also gain valuable insight into the personality of the Creator of the universe and Author of the Bible.

In Chapter 6, “An Ancient Creation Record—Can You Trust It?,” we saw that the Bible’s creation account contains otherwise unavailable facts about our earliest ancestors—our origins. This first Bible book contains much more. Such as?

Greek and other mythologies describe a time when gods and demigods had dealings with humans. Also, anthropologists report that around the globe there are legends about an ancient flood wiping out most of mankind. You may rightly dismiss such myths. Yet, did you know that the book of Genesis alone reveals to us the underlying historical facts that later were echoed in such myths and legends?—Genesis, chapters 6, 7.a

In the book of Genesis, you will also read about men and women—credible people with whom we can identify—who knew that the Creator exists and who took his will into account in their lives. We owe it to ourselves to know about such men as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were among the “forefathers” Moses mentioned. The Creator came to know Abraham and called him “my friend.” (Isaiah 41:8; Genesis 18:18, 19) Why? Jehovah had observed and gained confidence in Abraham as a man of faith. (Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19; James 2:23) Abraham’s experience shows that God is approachable. His might and capacities are awesome, yet he is not merely some impersonal force or cause. He is a real person with whom humans like us can cultivate a respectful relationship—to our lasting benefit.

Jehovah promised Abraham: “By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves.” (Genesis 22:18) That builds on, or extends, the promise made in Adam’s time about a coming “seed.” (Genesis 3:15) Yes, what Jehovah told Abraham confirmed the hope that someone—the Seed—would in time appear and make a blessing available for all peoples. You will find this to be a central theme running through the Bible, underscoring that this book is not a collection of diverse human writings. And your knowing the theme of the Bible will help you to realize that God used one ancient nation—with the goal of blessing all nations.—Psalm 147:19, 20.

That Jehovah had this objective in dealing with Israel indicates that ‘he is not partial.’ (Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:14) Moreover, even while God was dealing primarily with Abraham’s descendants, people of other nations were welcome to come and also serve Jehovah. (1 Kings 8:41-43) And, as we will see later, God’s impartiality is such that today all of us—no matter what our national or ethnic background—are able to know and please him.

We can learn much from the history of the nation that the Creator dealt with for centuries. Let us divide its history into three parts. In considering these parts, note how Jehovah lived up to the meaning of his name, “He Causes to Become,” and how his personality showed through in his dealings with real people.

Part One—A Nation Ruled by the Creator

Abraham’s descendants became slaves in Egypt. Finally God raised up Moses, who led them to freedom in 1513 B.C.E. When Israel became a nation, God was its ruler. But in 1117 B.C.E., the people sought a human king.

What developments led to Israel’s being with Moses at Mount Sinai? The Bible book of Genesis provides the background. Earlier, when Jacob (also named Israel) lived to the northeast of Egypt, a famine occurred throughout the then-known world. Concern for his family caused Jacob to seek food from Egypt, where there was an ample supply of grain in storage. He discovered that the food administrator was actually his son Joseph, whom Jacob thought had died years earlier. Jacob and his family moved to Egypt and were invited to remain there. (Genesis 45:25–46:5; 47:5-12) However, after Joseph’s death, a new Pharaoh conscripted Jacob’s descendants into forced labor and “kept making their life bitter with hard slavery at clay mortar and bricks.” (Exodus 1:8-14) You can read this vivid account and much more in the second Bible book, Exodus.

The Israelites suffered ill-treatment for decades, and “their cry for help kept going up to the true God.” Turning to Jehovah was the wise course. He was interested in Abraham’s descendants and was determined to fulfill His purpose to provide a future blessing for all peoples. Jehovah ‘heard Israel’s groaning and took notice,’ which shows us that the Creator is sympathetic toward people who are downtrodden and suffering. (Exodus 2:23-25) He selected Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. But when Moses and his brother, Aaron, came to ask Egypt’s Pharaoh that this enslaved people be allowed to leave, he responded defiantly: “Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice to send Israel away?”—Exodus 5:2.

Could you imagine the Creator of the universe shrinking from such a challenge, even if it came from the ruler of the greatest existing military power? God struck Pharaoh and the Egyptians with a series of plagues. Finally, after the tenth plague, Pharaoh agreed to release the Israelites. (Exodus 12:29-32) Thus Abraham’s descendants came to know Jehovah as a real person—one who provides freedom in his due time. Yes, as his name implies, Jehovah became a fulfiller of his promises in a dramatic way. (Exodus 6:3) But both Pharaoh and the Israelites were to learn yet more concerning that name.

This occurred because Pharaoh soon changed his mind. He led his army in heated pursuit of the departing slaves, catching up with them near the Red Sea. The Israelites were trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army. Then Jehovah intervened by opening a way through the Red Sea. Pharaoh should have recognized this as a display of God’s invincible power. Instead, he led his forces headlong after the Israelites—only to drown with his army when God let the sea return to its normal position. The account in Exodus does not say precisely how God performed these feats. We can rightly call them miracles because the deeds and their timing were beyond human control. Certainly such deeds would not be beyond the One who created both the universe and all its laws.—Exodus 14:1-31.

This event demonstrated for the Israelites—and it should highlight for us too—that Jehovah is a Savior who lives up to his name. However, we ought to discern from this account even more about God’s ways. For example, he executed justice against an oppressive nation, while he showed loving-kindness to his people through whom the Seed would come. In regard to the latter, what we read in Exodus is clearly much more than ancient history; it relates to God’s purpose to make a blessing available to all.

On to a Promised Land

After leaving Egypt, Moses and the people marched through the desert to Mount Sinai. What happened there shaped God’s dealings with the nation for centuries to come. He provided laws. Of course, aeons before this the Creator had already formulated the laws governing matter in our universe, which laws are still in effect. But at Mount Sinai he used Moses to provide national laws. We can read both what God did and the Law code that he provided in the book of Exodus and the three books that follow—Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Scholars believe that Moses also wrote the book of Job. We will consider some of its important contents in Chapter 10.

Even to this day, millions of people worldwide know of and try to follow the Ten Commandments, the central moral direction of this complete Law code. That code, though, contains many other directives that are admired for their excellence. Understandably, many regulations centered on Israelite life back then, such as rules about hygiene, sanitation, and disease. While set out initially for an ancient people, such laws reflect knowledge of scientific facts that human experts have discovered only in the last century or so. (Leviticus 13:46, 52; 15:4-13; Numbers 19:11-20; Deuteronomy 23:12, 13) A person does well to ask, How could it be that the laws for ancient Israel reflected knowledge and wisdom far superior to what was known by contemporary nations? A reasonable answer is that those laws came from the Creator.

The laws also helped to preserve family lines and prescribed religious duties for the Israelites to follow until the Seed would appear. By agreeing to do all that God asked, they would become accountable to live by that Law. (Deuteronomy 27:26; 30:17-20) Granted, they could not keep the Law perfectly. Yet even that fact served a good purpose. A legal expert later explained that the Law ‘made transgressions manifest, until the seed should arrive to whom the promise was made.’ (Galatians 3:19, 24) So the Law code made them a separate people, reminded them of their need for the Seed, or Messiah, and prepared them to welcome him.

The Israelites, assembled at Mount Sinai, agreed to abide by God’s Law code. They thus came under what the Bible calls a covenant, or an agreement. The covenant was between that nation and God. Despite their willingly entering this covenant, they showed themselves to be a stiff-necked people. For example, they made a golden calf as their representation of God. Their doing that was a sin because idol worship directly violated the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6) Moreover, they complained about their provisions, rebelled against God’s appointed leader (Moses), and abandoned themselves to immoral relations with foreign women who worshiped idols. But why should this interest us, living so far removed in time from Moses’ day?

Again, this is not simply ancient history. Bible accounts about Israel’s ungrateful actions and God’s response show that he truly cares. The Bible says that the Israelites put Jehovah to the test “again and again,” making him “feel hurt” and “pained.” (Psalm 78:40, 41) Hence, we can be sure that the Creator has feelings and that he cares what humans do.

From our standpoint, one might think that Israel’s wrongdoing would result in God’s terminating his covenant and perhaps selecting another nation to fulfill his promise. Yet he did not. Instead, he exacted punishment on the flagrant wrongdoers but extended mercy toward his wayward nation as a whole. Yes, God continued loyal to his promise made to his faithful friend Abraham.

Before long, Israel approached Canaan, which the Bible calls the Promised Land. It was populated by powerful peoples steeped in morally degrading practices. The Creator had allowed 400 years to pass without interfering with them, but now he justly chose to turn the land over to ancient Israel. (Genesis 15:16; see also “A Jealous God—In What Sense?,” pages 132-3.) In preparation Moses sent 12 spies into the land. Ten of them showed a lack of faith in Jehovah’s saving power. Their report moved the people to murmur against God and conspire to return to Egypt. As a result, God sentenced the people to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.—Numbers 14:1-4, 26-34.

What did that judgment accomplish? Before his death, Moses admonished the sons of Israel to remember those years during which Jehovah had humbled them. Moses told them: “You well know with your own heart that just as a man corrects his son, Jehovah your God was correcting you.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-5) Despite their having acted insultingly toward him, Jehovah had sustained them, demonstrating that they were dependent on him. For example, they survived because he provided the nation with manna, an eatable substance that tasted like cakes made with honey. Clearly, they should have learned much from their wilderness experience. It should have proved the importance of obeying their merciful God and depending on him.—Exodus 16:13-16, 31; 34:6, 7.

After Moses’ death, God commissioned Joshua to lead Israel. This valiant and loyal man brought the nation into Canaan and courageously embarked on the conquest of the land. Within a short period, Joshua defeated 31 kings and occupied most of the Promised Land. You can find this exciting history in the book of Joshua.

Rule Without a Human King

Throughout the wilderness sojourn and during the early years in the Promised Land, the nation had Moses and then Joshua as leaders. The Israelites did not need a human king, for Jehovah was their Sovereign. He made provision for appointed older men to hear legal cases at the city gates. They maintained order and assisted the people spiritually. (Deuteronomy 16:18; 21:18-20) The book of Ruth offers a fascinating glimpse of how such older men handled a legal case based on the law found at Deuteronomy 25:7-9.

Over the years, the nation often incurred God’s disfavor by disobeying him repeatedly and turning to Canaanite gods. Still, when they came to be in sore straits and called to Jehovah for help, he remembered them. He raised up judges to take the lead in freeing Israel, rescuing them from oppressive neighboring peoples. The book named Judges vividly presents the exploits of 12 of these courageous judges.—Judges 2:11-19; Nehemiah 9:27.

The record says: “In those days there was no king in Israel. What was right in his own eyes was what each one was accustomed to do.” (Judges 21:25) The nation had the standards set out in the Law, so with the help of the older men and instruction from the priests, the people had a basis to ‘do what was right in their own eyes’ and be secure in this. Furthermore, the Law code provided for a tabernacle, or portable temple, where sacrifices were offered. True worship was centered there and helped to unite the nation during that time.

Part Two—Prosperity Under Kings

While Samuel was a judge in Israel, the people demanded a human king. The first three kings—Saul, David, and Solomon—reigned 40 years each, from 1117 to 997 B.C.E. Israel reached its pinnacle of wealth and glory, and the Creator took important steps in preparing for the kingship of the coming Seed.

As judge and prophet, Samuel cared well for Israel’s spiritual welfare, but his sons were different. The people finally demanded of Samuel: “Now do appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” Jehovah explained to Samuel the import of their demand: “Listen to the voice of the people . . . for it is not you whom they have rejected, but it is I whom they have rejected from being king over them.” Jehovah foresaw the sad consequences of this development. (1 Samuel 8:1-9) Yet, in accord with their demand, he designated as king over Israel a modest man named Saul. Despite his promising start, after becoming king, Saul showed wayward tendencies and overstepped God’s commands. God’s prophet announced that the kingship would be given to a man agreeable to Jehovah. This should underscore for us how much the Creator values obedience from the heart.—1 Samuel 15:22, 23.

David, who was to be the next king of Israel, was the youngest son in a family of the tribe of Judah. As to this surprising choice, God told Samuel: “Mere man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Is it not encouraging that the Creator looks at what we are inside, not at outward appearances? Saul, though, had his own ideas. From the time that Jehovah chose David as the future king, Saul was obsessed—driven by the idea of eliminating David. Jehovah did not let that happen, and finally Saul and his sons died in battle against a warring people called the Philistines.

David ruled as king from the city of Hebron. Then he captured Jerusalem and moved his capital there. He also extended Israel’s borders to the full limit of the land God had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants. You can read of this period (and the history of later kings) in six historical books of the Bible.b They reveal that David’s life was not free from problems. For instance, succumbing to human desire, he committed adultery with beautiful Bath-sheba and then committed other wrong deeds in order to cover his sin. As the God of justice, Jehovah could not just ignore David’s error. But because of David’s heartfelt repentance, God did not require that the Law’s penalty be rigidly applied; still, David would have many family problems as a result of his sins.

Through all these crises, David came to know God as a person—someone with feelings. He wrote: “Jehovah is near to all those calling upon him . . . and their cry for help he will hear.” (Psalm 145:18-20) David’s sincerity and devotion are plainly expressed in the beautiful songs he composed, which make up about one half of the book of Psalms. Millions have drawn comfort and encouragement from this poetry. Consider David’s closeness to God, as reflected in Psalm 139:1-4: “O Jehovah, you have searched through me, and you know me. You yourself have come to know my sitting down and my rising up. You have considered my thought from far off. . . . For there is not a word on my tongue, but, look! O Jehovah, you already know it all.”

David was especially aware of God’s saving power. (Psalm 20:6; 28:9; 34:7, 9; 37:39) Each time he experienced it, his trust in Jehovah grew. You can see evidence of that at Psalm 30:5; 62:8; and Ps 103:9. Or read Psalm 51, which David composed after being reproved for sinning with Bath-sheba. How refreshing it is to know that we can readily express ourselves to the Creator, assured that he is not arrogant but is humbly willing to listen! (Psalm 18:35; 69:33; 86:1-8) David did not come to such appreciation just through experience. “I have meditated on all your activity,” he wrote, “I willingly kept myself concerned with the work of your own hands.”—Psalm 63:6; 143:5.

Jehovah concluded a special covenant with David for an everlasting kingdom. David probably did not understand the full import of that covenant, but from details recorded in the Bible later on, we can see that God was indicating that the promised Seed would come in David’s line.—2 Samuel 7:16.

Wise King Solomon and the Meaning of Life

David’s son Solomon was renowned for his wisdom, and we can benefit from it by reading the very practical books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.c (1 Kings 10:23-25) The latter book is especially helpful to people who are searching for meaning to their life, even as wise King Solomon did. As the first Israelite king born into a royal family, Solomon had vast possibilities before him. He also undertook majestic building projects, had foods of impressive variety on his table, and enjoyed music and the company of outstanding companions. Yet, he wrote: “I, even I, turned toward all the works of mine that my hands had done and toward the hard work that I had worked hard to accomplish, and, look! everything was vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 2:3-9, 11) To what did that point?

Solomon wrote: “The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man. For the true God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14) In line with that, Solomon engaged in a seven-year project of building a glorious temple, where people could worship God.—1 Kings, chapter 6.

For years Solomon’s reign was marked by peace and abundance. (1 Kings 4:20-25) Still, his heart did not prove to be as complete toward Jehovah as David’s had been. Solomon took many foreign wives and allowed them to incline his heart toward their gods. Jehovah finally said: “I shall without fail rip the kingdom away from off you . . . One tribe I shall give to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem.”—1 Kings 11:4, 11-13.

Part Three—The Kingdom Divided

After Solomon’s death, in 997 B.C.E., ten northern tribes broke away. These formed the kingdom of Israel, which the Assyrians conquered in 740 B.C.E. The kings in Jerusalem ruled over two tribes. This kingdom, Judah, lasted until the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. and took the inhabitants captive. Judah lay desolate for 70 years.

When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam came to power and made life hard for the people. This led to a revolt, and ten tribes broke away to become the kingdom of Israel. (1 Kings 12:1-4, 16-20) Over the years, this northern kingdom did not stick to the true God. The people often bowed before idols in the form of a golden calf or fell into other forms of false worship. Some of the kings were assassinated and their dynasties were overthrown by usurpers. Jehovah showed great forbearance, repeatedly sending prophets to warn the nation that tragedy was ahead if they continued their apostasy. The books of Hosea and Amos were written by prophets whose messages centered on this northern kingdom. Finally, in 740 B.C.E., the Assyrians brought the tragedy that God’s prophets had foretold.

In the south, 19 successive kings of David’s house ruled over Judah down till 607 B.C.E. Kings Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah ruled as their forefather David had, and they gained Jehovah’s favor. (1 Kings 15:9-11; 2 Kings 18:1-7; 22:1, 2; 2 Chronicles 17:1-6) When these kings reigned, Jehovah blessed the nation. The Englishman’s Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia observes: “The grand conservative element of J[udah] was its divinely appointed temple, priesthood, written law, and recognition of the one true God Jehovah as its true theocratic king. . . . This adherence to the law . . . produced a succession of kings containing many wise and good monarchs . . . Hence J[udah] survived her more populous northern sister.” These good kings were far outnumbered by ones who did not walk in the way of David. Still, Jehovah worked things out so that ‘David his servant might continue having a lamp always before him in Jerusalem, the city that God had chosen for himself to put his name there.’—1 Kings 11:36.

Heading for Destruction

Manasseh was one of the kings of Judah who turned away from true worship. “He made his own son pass through the fire, and he practiced magic and looked for omens and made spirit mediums and professional foretellers of events. He did on a large scale what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, to offend him.” (2 Kings 21:6, 16) King Manasseh seduced his people “to do worse than the nations that Jehovah had annihilated.” After repeatedly warning Manasseh and his people, the Creator declared: “I shall simply wipe Jerusalem clean just as one wipes the handleless bowl clean.”—2 Chronicles 33:9, 10; 2 Kings 21:10-13.

As a prelude, Jehovah let the Assyrians capture Manasseh and take him captive in copper fetters. (2 Chronicles 33:11) In exile Manasseh came to his senses and “kept humbling himself greatly because of the God of his forefathers.” How did Jehovah react? “[God] heard his request for favor and restored him to Jerusalem to his kingship; and Manasseh came to know that Jehovah is the true God.” King Manasseh and his grandson, King Josiah, both carried out needed reforms. Still, the nation did not permanently turn from wholesale moral and religious degradation.—2 Chronicles 33:1-20; 34:1–35:25; 2 Kings, chapter 22.

Significantly, Jehovah sent zealous prophets to declare his view of what was developing.d Jeremiah related Jehovah’s words: “From the day that your forefathers came forth out of the land of Egypt until this day . . . I kept sending to you all my servants the prophets, daily getting up early and sending them.” But the people did not listen to God. They acted worse than their forefathers! (Jeremiah 7:25, 26) He warned them repeatedly “because he felt compassion for his people.” They still refused to respond. So he allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and desolate the land in 607 B.C.E. For 70 years it lay abandoned.—2 Chronicles 36:15, 16; Jeremiah 25:4-11.

This brief review of God’s actions should help us to recognize Jehovah’s concern and just dealings with his nation. He did not stand back and simply wait to see what the people would do, as if he were indifferent. He actively tried to help them. You can appreciate why Isaiah said: “O Jehovah, you are our Father. . . . All of us are the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8) Accordingly, many today refer to the Creator as “Father,” for he responds as would a loving, interested human father. However, he also recognizes that we must be responsible for our own course and its outcome.

After the nation experienced a 70-year period of captivity in Babylon, Jehovah God fulfilled his prophecy to restore Jerusalem. The people were liberated and allowed to return to their homeland to ‘rebuild the house of Jehovah, which was in Jerusalem.’ (Ezra 1:1-4; Isaiah 44:24–45:7) A number of Bible bookse deal with this restoration, the rebuilding of the temple, or the events that followed. One of them, Daniel, is particularly interesting because it prophesied exactly when the Seed, or Messiah, would appear, and it foretold world developments in our period.

The temple was finally rebuilt, but Jerusalem was in a pitiful condition. Her walls and gates were in ruins. So God raised up men such as Nehemiah to encourage and organize the Jews. A prayer that we can read in Nehemiah chapter 9 well summarizes Jehovah’s dealings with the Israelites. It shows Jehovah to be “a God of acts of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness.” The prayer also shows that Jehovah acts in harmony with his perfect standard of justice. Even when he has good reason to exercise his power to execute judgment, he is ready to temper justice with love. His doing this in a balanced and admirable way requires wisdom. Clearly, the Creator’s dealings with the nation of Israel ought to draw us to him and motivate us to be interested in doing his will.

As this part of the Bible (the Old Testament) concludes, Judah, with its temple at Jerusalem, was restored but was under pagan rule. So how could God’s covenant with David about a “seed” who would rule “forever” be fulfilled? (Psalm 89:3, 4; 132:11, 12) The Jews were still looking forward to the appearance of a “Messiah the Leader” who would free God’s people and establish a theocratic (God-ruled) kingdom on earth. (Daniel 9:24, 25) Was that Jehovah’s purpose, though? If not, how would the promised Messiah bring about deliverance? And how does that affect us today? The next chapter will consider these vital issues.

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 126, 127]

Miracles—Can You Believe Them?

“It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles.” Those words of the German theologian Rudolf Bultmann reflect what many people today feel about miracles. Is that how you feel about miracles recorded in the Bible, such as God’s dividing of the Red Sea?

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines “miracle” as “an extraordinary event attributed to some supernatural agency.” Such an extraordinary event involves an interruption in the natural order, which is why many are not inclined to believe in miracles. However, what seems to be a violation of a natural law may easily be explained in the light of the other laws of nature involved.

To illustrate, New Scientist reported that two physicists at the University of Tokyo applied an extremely strong magnetic field to a horizontal tube partially filled with water. The water rushed to the ends of the tube, leaving the middle section dry. The phenomenon, discovered in 1994, works because water is weakly diamagnetic, repelled by a magnet. The established phenomenon of water moving from where a magnetic field is very high to where it is lower has been dubbed The Moses Effect. New Scientist noted: “Pushing water around is easy—if you have a big enough magnet. And if you do, then nearly anything is possible.”

Of course, one could not say with absoluteness which process God used when he parted the Red Sea for the Israelites. But the Creator knows in the fullest detail all the laws of nature. He could easily control certain aspects of one law by employing another of the laws that he originated. To humans, the result could seem miraculous, especially if they did not fully grasp the laws involved.

As to miracles in the Bible, Akira Yamada, professor emeritus of Kyoto University in Japan, says: “While it is correct to say that [a miracle] cannot be understood as of now from the standpoint of the science in which one is involved (or from the status quo of science), it is wrong to conclude that it did not happen, simply on the authority of advanced modern physics or advanced modern Bibliology. Ten years from now, today’s modern science will be a science of the past. The faster science progresses the greater the possibility that scientists of today will become the target of jokes, such as ‘Scientists of ten years ago seriously believed such and such.’”—Gods in the Age of Science.

As the Creator, being able to coordinate all the laws of nature, Jehovah can use his power to work miracles.

[Box on page 132, 133]

A Jealous God—In What Sense?

“Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, he is a jealous God.” We can read that comment at Exodus 34:14, but what is its import?

The Hebrew word rendered “jealous” can mean “exacting exclusive devotion, tolerating no rivalry.” In a positive sense that benefits his creatures, Jehovah is jealous respecting his name and worship. (Ezekiel 39:25) His zeal to fulfill what his name represents means that he will carry out his purpose for mankind.

Consider, for example, his judgment of the people dwelling in the land of Canaan. One scholar offers this shocking description: “The worship of Baal, Ashtoreth, and other Canaanite gods consisted in the most extravagant orgies; their temples were centers of vice. . . . Canaanites worshiped, by immoral indulgence, . . . and then, by murdering their first-born children, as a sacrifice to these same gods.” Archaeologists have discovered jars containing the remains of the sacrificed children. Although God noted the error of the Canaanites in Abraham’s day, he showed patience toward them for 400 years, allowing them ample time to change.—Genesis 15:16.

Were the Canaanites aware of the gravity of their error? Well, they possessed the human faculty of conscience, which jurists recognize as a universal basis for morality and justice. (Romans 2:12-15) Despite that, the Canaanites persisted in their detestable child sacrifices and debased sex practices.

Jehovah in his balanced justice determined that the land needed to be cleansed. This was not genocide. Canaanites, both individuals such as Rahab and whole groups such as the Gibeonites, who voluntarily accepted God’s high moral standards were spared. (Joshua 6:25; 9:3-15) Rahab became a link in the royal genealogy leading to the Messiah, and descendants of the Gibeonites were privileged to minister at Jehovah’s temple.—Joshua 9:27; Ezra 8:20; Matthew 1:1, 5-16.

Consequently, when one seeks the full and clear picture based on fact, it is easier to see Jehovah as an admirable and just God, jealous in a good way that benefits his faithful creatures.

Chapter Nine

A Great Teacher Shows Us the Creator More Clearly

THE people of first-century Palestine “were in expectation.” Of what? Of the “Christ,” or “Messiah,” foretold by God’s prophets centuries before. The people were confident that the Bible was written under God’s direction and that it contained foregleams of the future. One such, in the book of Daniel, pointed to the Messiah’s arriving in the early part of their century.—Luke 3:15; Daniel 9:24-26.

They needed to be cautious, though, for self-made messiahs would arise. (Matthew 24:5) Jewish historian Josephus mentions some: Theudas, who led his followers to the Jordan River and claimed that its waters would be parted; a man from Egypt who led people to the Mount of Olives, asserting that Jerusalem’s wall would fall at his command; and an impostor in Governor Festus’ time who promised rest from troubles.—Compare Acts 5:36; 21:38.

In contrast to such deluded followers, a group who came to be called “Christians” recognized Jesus of Nazareth to be a great teacher and the true Messiah. (Acts 11:26; Mark 10:47) Jesus was no impostor messiah; he had solid credentials, as is amply confirmed in the four historical books called the Gospels.a For example, the Jews knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, would be in the line of David, and would perform wonderful works. Jesus fulfilled all of that, as is borne out by testimony even from opposers. Yes, Jesus met the qualifications of the Biblical Messiah.—Matthew 2:3-6; 22:41-45; John 7:31, 42.

Crowds of people who met Jesus, observed his outstanding works, heard his unique words of wisdom, and recognized his foresight became convinced that he was the Messiah. Over the course of his ministry (29-33 C.E.), evidence supporting his Messiahship mounted. In fact, he proved to be more than the Messiah. A disciple acquainted with the facts concluded that “Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.”b—John 20:31.

Because Jesus had such a close relationship with God, he could explain and reveal what our Creator is like. (Luke 10:22; John 1:18) Jesus testified that his closeness to his Father began in heaven, where he worked with God in bringing into being all other things, animate and inanimate.—John 3:13; 6:38; 8:23, 42; 13:3; Colossians 1:15, 16.

The Bible reports that the Son was transferred from the spirit realm and “came to be in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-8) Such an event is not normal, but is it possible? Scientists confirm that a natural element, such as uranium, can be transformed into another; they even calculate the results when mass is transformed into energy (E=mc²). So why should we doubt when the Bible says that a spirit creature was transformed so as to live as a human?

To illustrate it another way, think of what some physicians accomplish with in vitro fertilization. A life that begins in a “test tube” is transferred into a woman and is later born as a babe. In the case of Jesus, the Bible assures us that by the “power of the Most High,” his life was transferred into a virgin named Mary. She was of the line of David, so Jesus could be the permanent heir of the Messianic Kingdom promised to David.—Luke 1:26-38; 3:23-38; Matthew 1:23.

On the basis of his intimate relationship with and likeness to the Creator, Jesus said: “He that has seen me has seen the Father also.” (John 14:9) He also said: “Who the Father is, no one knows but the Son, and he to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.” (Luke 10:22) Hence, as we learn what Jesus taught and did on earth, we can see the Creator’s personality more clearly. Let us consider this, using the experiences of men and women who had dealings with Jesus.

A Samaritan Woman

“This is not perhaps the Christ, is it?” wondered a Samaritan woman after conversing with Jesus for a while. (John 4:29) She even urged others from the nearby town of Sychar to meet Jesus. What was it that moved her to accept Jesus as the Messiah?

This woman met Jesus as he rested from walking all morning over dusty roads in the hills of Samaria. Although tired, Jesus spoke with her. Observing her keen spiritual interest, Jesus shared profound truths centering on the need to “worship the Father with spirit and truth.” In time he revealed that he was really the Christ, a fact that he had not yet confessed in public.—John 4:3-26.

This Samaritan woman found her encounter with Jesus very meaningful. Her earlier religious activities centered on worship at Mount Gerizim and were based on just the first five books of the Bible. The Jews shunned Samaritans, many of whom descended from a mix between the ten tribes of Israel and other peoples. How different it was with Jesus! He willingly taught this Samaritan, even though he was commissioned to go to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) Here Jesus reflected Jehovah’s willingness to accept sincere people of all nations. (1 Kings 8:41-43) Yes, both Jesus and Jehovah are above the narrow-minded religious hostility that permeates the world today. Our knowing this should draw us to the Creator and his Son.

There is another lesson we can draw from Jesus’ willingness to teach this woman. She was then living with a man who was not her husband. (John 4:16-19) Yet, Jesus did not let this prevent him from speaking to her. You can understand that she must have appreciated being treated with dignity. And her experience was not unique. When some Jewish leaders (Pharisees) criticized Jesus for dining with repentant sinners, he said: “Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do. Go, then, and learn what this means, ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-13) Jesus extended assistance to people groaning under the burden of their sins—their violations of God’s laws or standards. How heartwarming it is to learn that God and his Son will help those who have problems that result from their past conduct!—Matthew 11:28-30.c

Let us not overlook that on this occasion in Samaria, Jesus spoke kindly and helpfully to a woman. Why is this significant? Back then Jewish men were taught that in the street they should avoid speaking to women, even to their own wives. Jewish Rabbis did not consider women able to take in deep spiritual instruction but regarded them as “of a light mind.” Some said: “Better that the words of the law should be burned than deliver[ed] to women.” Jesus’ disciples had grown up in such a climate; so when they returned, they “began to wonder because he was speaking with a woman.” (John 4:27) This account—one of many—illustrates that Jesus was in the image of his Father, who created and assigned honor to both male and female.—Genesis 2:18.

Afterward the Samaritan woman convinced her fellow townspeople to listen to Jesus. Many examined the facts and became believers, saying: “We know that this man is for a certainty the savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42) Since we are part of “the world” of mankind, Jesus is vital to our future too.

A Fisherman’s View

Now let us take a look at Jesus through the eyes of two intimate associates—Peter and then John. These common fishermen were among his first followers. (Matthew 4:13-22; John 1:35-42) The Pharisees viewed them as “men unlettered and ordinary,” part of the people of the land (ʽam-ha·ʼaʹrets), who were looked down on because they were not schooled as rabbis. (Acts 4:13; John 7:49) Many such people, who were “toiling and loaded down” under the yoke of religious traditionalists, longed for spiritual enlightenment. Professor Charles Guignebert of the Sorbonne commented that “their hearts belonged wholly to Jahweh [Jehovah].” Jesus did not turn his back on those humble ones in favor of the wealthy or influential. Rather, he revealed the Father to them through his teachings and dealings.—Matthew 11:25-28.

Peter experienced Jesus’ caring attitude firsthand. Soon after he joined Jesus in the ministry, Peter’s mother-in-law fell sick with fever. Coming to Peter’s house, Jesus took her by the hand, and the fever left! We may not know the exact process of this cure, just as physicians today cannot fully explain how some cures occur, but the fever left this woman. More important than knowing his method of healing is appreciating that by curing the sick and afflicted, Jesus evidenced his pity for them. He truly wanted to help people, and so does his Father. (Mark 1:29-31, 40-43; 6:34) From his experience with Jesus, Peter could see that the Creator values each person as worthy of care.—1 Peter 5:7.

At a later time, Jesus was in the Court of the Women at Jerusalem’s temple. He observed people putting contributions into the treasury chests. Rich people put in many coins. Paying keen attention, Jesus saw a poor widow drop in two coins of very little value. Jesus told Peter, John, and the others: “Truly I say to you that this poor widow dropped in more than all those dropping money into the treasury chests; for they all dropped in out of their surplus, but she, out of her want, dropped in all of what she had.”—Mark 12:41-44.

You can see that Jesus looked for the good in people and that he appreciated each one’s efforts. What do you think was the effect on Peter and the other apostles? Perceiving from Jesus’ example what Jehovah is like, Peter later quoted a psalm: “The eyes of Jehovah are upon the righteous ones, and his ears are toward their supplication.” (1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 34:15, 16) Are you not attracted to a Creator and his Son who want to find good in you and will listen to your pleas?

After some two years of association with Jesus, Peter was sure that Jesus was the Messiah. Once, Jesus asked his disciples: “Who are men saying that I am?” He got various answers. He then asked them: “You, though, who do you say I am?” Peter confidently replied: “You are the Christ.” You might find strange what Jesus did next. He “strictly charged them not to tell anyone” about that. (Mark 8:27-30; 9:30; Matthew 12:16) Why would he say that? Jesus was available in their midst, so he did not want people to reach conclusions based on mere hearsay. That is logical, is it not? (John 10:24-26) The point is, our Creator likewise wants us to find out about him through our own investigation of solid evidence. He expects us to have convictions based on facts.—Acts 17:27.

As you might imagine, some of Jesus’ countrymen did not accept him, despite ample evidence that he had the Creator’s support. Many, being preoccupied with their position or with political goals, did not find this sincere but humble Messiah to their liking. As his ministry drew to a close, Jesus said: “Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together . . . But you people did not want it. Look! Your house is abandoned to you.” (Matthew 23:37, 38) This changed situation for that nation marked a significant step in the realization of God’s purpose for blessing all nations.

Soon thereafter Peter and three other apostles heard Jesus give a detailed prophecy about “the conclusion of the system of things.”d What Jesus foretold had an initial fulfillment during the Roman attack on and destruction of Jerusalem in 66-70 C.E. History bears out that what Jesus predicted did occur. Peter witnessed many of the very things that Jesus foretold, and this is reflected in 1 and 2 Peter, two books that Peter wrote.—1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 3:1-3, 11, 12.

During his ministry Jesus had patiently extended kindness to the Jews around him. But he did not shrink from condemning wickedness. This helped Peter, and it should help us, to understand our Creator more fully. As he saw other things fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy, Peter wrote that Christians should keep “close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah.” Peter also said: “Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” Then Peter offered words of encouragement about ‘new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness will dwell.’ (2 Peter 3:3-13) Do we, as did Peter, appreciate God’s qualities mirrored in Jesus, and do we manifest trust in his promises for the future?

Why Did Jesus Die?

On his last night with the apostles, Jesus shared a special meal with them. At such a meal, a Jewish host would show hospitality by washing the feet of guests, who might have walked over dusty roads in sandals. No one offered to do this for Jesus, however. So he humbly rose, took a towel and a basin, and started to wash the apostles’ feet. When Peter’s turn came, he was ashamed to accept this service from Jesus. Peter said: “You will certainly never wash my feet.” “Unless I wash you,” Jesus responded, “you have no part with me.” He knew that he was soon to die, so Jesus added: “If I, although Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash the feet of one another. For I set the pattern for you, that, just as I did to you, you should do also.”—John 13:5-17.

Decades later Peter urged Christians to imitate Jesus, not in a foot-washing ritual, but in humbly serving others rather than “lording it over” them. Peter also realized that Jesus’ example proved that “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.” What a lesson about the Creator! (1 Peter 5:1-5; Psalm 18:35) Yet, Peter learned more.

After that final meal, Judas Iscariot, who was an apostle but became a thief, led a band of armed men to arrest Jesus. As they did so, Peter reacted. He drew a sword and wounded a man in the mob. Jesus corrected Peter: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Then, as Peter looked on, Jesus touched the man, healing him. (Matthew 26:47-52; Luke 22:49-51) Clearly, Jesus lived up to his teaching to “continue to love your enemies” in imitation of his Father, who “makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous.”—Matthew 5:44, 45.

During the course of that stressful night, Jesus was given a hasty hearing by the Jewish high court. He was falsely accused of blasphemy, taken to the Roman Governor, and then unjustly turned over to be executed. Jews and Romans ridiculed him. He was brutally abused and was finally impaled. Much of that mistreatment fulfilled prophecies written centuries earlier. Even soldiers observing Jesus on the torture stake admitted: “Certainly this was God’s Son.”—Matthew 26:57–27:54; John 18:12–19:37.

Those developments must have caused Peter and others to ask, ‘Why did the Christ have to die?’ It was only later that they understood. For one thing, those events fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 53, which showed that the Christ would make liberation available not for the Jews only but for all mankind. Peter wrote: “He himself bore our sins in his own body upon the stake, in order that we might be done with sins and live to righteousness. And ‘by his stripes you were healed.’” (1 Peter 2:21-25) Peter grasped the sense of a truth that Jesus had presented: “The Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Yes, Jesus had to lay down his right to life as a perfect human so as to repurchase mankind from the sinful state inherited from Adam. That is a basic Bible teaching—the ransom.

What does the ransom involve? You might think of it this way: Suppose you had a computer but one of its electronic files was corrupted by an error (or virus) that someone had planted in an otherwise perfect program. That illustrates the effect of what Adam did when he deliberately disobeyed God, or sinned. Let us continue the illustration. Whatever copies you might make of the corrupted electronic file would be affected. However, all need not be lost. With a special program, you could detect and purge the corrupting error from your files and computer. Comparably, mankind has received a “virus,” sin, from Adam and Eve, and we need outside help to wipe it out. (Romans 5:12) According to the Bible, God provided for this cleansing through Jesus’ death. It is a loving provision from which we can benefit.—1 Corinthians 15:22.

Appreciating what Jesus did moved Peter to “live the remainder of his time in the flesh, no more for the desires of men, but for God’s will.” For Peter as well as for us, this would mean avoiding corrupt habits and immoral life-styles. Others may try to make problems for the person who strives to do “God’s will.” Nevertheless, he will find that his life becomes richer, more meaningful. (1 Peter 4:1-3, 7-10, 15, 16) That was so with Peter, and it can be with us as we ‘commend our souls, or lives, to a faithful Creator while doing good.’—1 Peter 4:19.

A Disciple Who Recognized Love

The apostle John was another disciple who closely associated with Jesus and who, therefore, can help us understand the Creator more fully. John wrote a Gospel and also three letters (1, 2, and 3 John). In one letter, he offered us this insight: “We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us intellectual capacity that we may gain the knowledge of the true one [the Creator]. And we are in union with the true one, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting.”—1 John 5:20.

John’s gaining knowledge of “the true one” involved employing “intellectual capacity.” What did John discern about the Creator’s qualities? “God is love,” John wrote, “and he that remains in love remains in union with God.” Why could John be sure of that? “The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son” to offer the ransom sacrifice for us. (1 John 4:10, 16) As was Peter, John also was touched by God’s love shown in sending his Son to die in our behalf.

John, having been very close to him, could appreciate Jesus’ emotions. An incident in Bethany, near Jerusalem, deeply impressed John. Having received a report that his friend Lazarus was very sick, Jesus traveled to Bethany. By the time that he and the apostles arrived, Lazarus had been dead at least four days. John knew that the Creator, the Source of human life, was backing Jesus. So could Jesus resurrect Lazarus? (Luke 7:11-17; 8:41, 42, 49-56) Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister Martha: “Your brother will rise.”—John 11:1-23.

Then John saw another of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary, coming to meet Jesus. How did Jesus react? He “groaned in the spirit and became troubled.” To describe Jesus’ reaction, John used a Greek word (rendered “groaned” in English) that had the sense of deep emotions wrung from the heart. John could see that Jesus was “troubled,” or had inward commotion, great sorrow. Jesus was not indifferent or aloof. He “gave way to tears.” (John 11:30-37) Clearly, Jesus had deep and tender feelings, which helped John to appreciate the Creator’s feelings, and it should help us similarly.

John knew that Jesus’ emotions were linked to positive acts because he heard Jesus cry out: “Lazarus, come on out!” And it happened. Lazarus came to life and came out of the tomb. What joy that must have brought to his sisters and the other onlookers! Many then put faith in Jesus. His enemies could not deny that he had performed this resurrection, but when the news of it spread, they “took counsel to kill Lazarus” as well as Jesus.—John 11:43; 12:9-11.

The Bible describes Jesus as ‘the exact representation of the Creator’s very being.’ (Hebrews 1:3) Thus, Jesus’ ministry provides ample proof of his own and his Father’s intense desire to undo the ravages of sickness and death. And this extends beyond the few resurrections recorded in the Bible. In fact, John was present to hear Jesus say: “The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [the Son’s] voice and come out.” (John 5:28, 29) Note that instead of the common word for grave, John here used a word rendered “memorial tombs.” Why?

God’s memory is involved. Certainly the Creator of the vast universe can remember every detail of each of our dead loved ones, including traits both inherent and acquired. (Compare Isaiah 40:26.) And it is not just that he can remember. Both he and his Son want to do so. Regarding the wonderful prospect of the resurrection, faithful Job said of God: “If an able-bodied man dies can he live again? . . . You [Jehovah] will call, and I myself shall answer you. For the work of your hands you will have a yearning.” (Job 14:14, 15; Mark 1:40-42) What a wonderful Creator we have, worthy of our worship!

Resurrected Jesus—Key to Meaningful Life

The beloved disciple John observed Jesus closely until His death. More than that, John recorded the greatest resurrection that ever took place, an event that lays a firm foundation for our having a permanent and meaningful life.

Enemies of Jesus had him executed, nailed to a stake as a common criminal. Onlookers—including religious leaders—mocked him as he suffered for hours. Despite being in agony on the stake, Jesus saw his own mother and said to her about John: “Woman, see! Your son!” By then Mary must have been a widow, and her other children were not yet disciples.e Hence, Jesus entrusted the care of his aging mother to his disciple John. This again reflected the thinking of the Creator, who encouraged caring for widows and orphans.—John 7:5; 19:12-30; Mark 15:16-39; James 1:27.

But once he was dead, how could Jesus carry out his role as the “seed” through whom “all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves”? (Genesis 22:18) With his death, on that April afternoon in 33 C.E., Jesus laid down his life as the basis for the ransom. His sensitive Father must have been pained by the agony his innocent Son went through. Yet in this way, provision was made for the ransom price needed to free mankind from the bondage to sin and death. (John 3:16; 1 John 1:7) The stage was set for a grand finale.

Because Jesus Christ plays a central role in the outworking of God’s purposes, he had to come back to life. That was what occurred, and John witnessed it. Early on the third day after Jesus’ death and burial, some disciples went to the tomb. It was empty. That bewildered them until Jesus appeared to various ones. Mary Magdalene reported, “I have seen the Lord!” The disciples did not accept her testimony. Later the disciples gathered in a locked room and Jesus appeared again, even conversing with them. Within days, over 500 men and women became eyewitnesses that Jesus was indeed alive. People of that time who might be skeptical could interview these credible witnesses and verify their testimony. The Christians could be certain that Jesus had been resurrected and was alive as a spirit creature like the Creator. The evidence of this was so abundant and reliable that many faced death rather than deny that Jesus had been resurrected.—John 20:1-29; Luke 24:46-48; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.f

The apostle John also suffered persecution for bearing testimony about Jesus’ resurrection. (Revelation 1:9) But when in penal exile, he received an unusual reward. Jesus gave him a series of visions that show the Creator to us more clearly and reveal what the future will bring. You will find this in the book of Revelation, which uses many symbolisms. Jesus Christ is here depicted as a victorious King who will soon complete the conquest of his enemies. Those enemies include death (an enemy of us all) and the corrupted spirit creature named Satan.—Revelation 6:1, 2; 12:7-9; 19:19–20:3, 13, 14.

Near the end of his apocalyptic message, John had a vision of the time when earth will become a paradise. A voice described conditions to prevail then: “God himself will be with [mankind]. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3, 4) In the outworking of God’s purpose, the promise that God made to Abraham will be fulfilled.—Genesis 12:3; 18:18.

Life then will be “real life,” comparable to what lay before Adam when he was created. (1 Timothy 6:19) No longer will mankind grope to find their Creator and to understand their relationship with him. However, you may well ask, ‘When will that come about? And why is it that our caring Creator permits evil and suffering to exist down to this time?’ Let us next consider those questions.