STUDY ARTICLE 45
How Jehovah Can Help Us to Do the Preaching Work
“They will certainly know that a prophet was among them.”—EZEK. 2:5.
SONG 67 “Preach the Word”
WETIN WE COMING LEARN? a
1. Wetin we must be expecting, and what we can be convince about?
WHEN we doing the preaching work, we must be expecting some people to go against us. And it will get worse in the future. (Dan. 11:44; 2 Tim. 3:12; Rev. 16:21) But we convince that Jehovah will help us. Why? Because Jehovah always been helping his servants to do the work he gave them even if it hard. For example, let talk about some thing them that happen to the prophet Ezekiel who use to preach to the Jews in Babylon.
2. Wetin Jehovah say about the people Ezekiel use to preach to, and wetin we coming discuss in this article? (Ezekiel 2:3-6)
2 What kind of people Ezekiel use to preach to? Jehovah said that they were “defiant,” “hardhearted,” and “rebellious people.” They were looking just like thorns and scorpions that dangerous to people. That the reason why Jehovah told Ezekiel over and over: “Do not be afraid!” (Read Ezekiel 2:3-6.) Ezekiel was able to do the preaching work because (1) that Jehovah sent him, (2) God spirit give him the strength, and (3) the Bible made his faith strong. How the three thing them help Ezekiel, and how it can help us today?
JEHOVAH SENT EZEKIEL
3. Wetin Jehovah told Ezekiel that gave him strength, and how He promise to support him?
3 Jehovah told Ezekiel: “I am sending you.” (Ezek. 2:3, 4) What Jehovah said gave Ezekiel strength. Why? Because Ezekiel remember that Jehovah told Moses and Isaiah the same thing when he chose them to be His prophets. (Ex. 3:10; Isa. 6:8) Ezekiel also knew how Jehovah help the two prophets to overcome any problem they face in their assignment. So, when Jehovah told Ezekiel two times: ‘I the one sending you,’ the prophet was having good reason to believe that Jehovah will help him too. Also, Ezekiel wrote plenty times saying: “The word of Jehovah came to me.” (Ezek. 3:16) We can find this statement over and over in the book of Ezekiel that say, “The word of Jehovah again came to me.” (Ezek. 6:1) It really show that Ezekiel was convince that Jehovah sent him. Apart from that, Ezekiel pa was priest, so maybe he use to teach Ezekiel that Jehovah always promise His prophets that he will help them. For example Jehovah told Isaac, Jacob, and Jeremiah: “I am with you.”—Gen. 26:24; 28:15; Jer. 1:8.
4. Wetin Jehovah said that encourage Ezekiel?
4 How the Israelites acted when they heard Ezekiel preaching? Jehovah said: “The house of Israel will refuse to listen to you, for they do not want to listen to me.” (Ezek. 3:7) When they refuse to listen to Ezekiel, that Jehovah they were actually refusing to listen to. What Jehovah told Ezekiel convince him that he was doing the preaching work the right way, even though the people refuse to listen to him. Jehovah also promise Ezekiel that when the judgment he talk about come true, the people were coming to “know that a prophet was among them.” (Ezek. 2:5; 33:33) What Jehovah told Ezekiel gave him comfort and make him strong to do the preaching work.
JEHOVAH SEND US TODAY
Like Ezekiel, people not like our business and they can go against us, but we know that Jehovah with us (See paragraphs 5-6)
5. According to Isaiah 44:8, wetin can give us strength?
5 We too get the strength because we know that Jehovah send us to preach. He show us honor by calling us his witnesses. (Isa. 43:10) That not small blessing! Just how Jehovah told Ezekiel: “Do not be afraid,” that the same way Jehovah telling us: ‘Don’t be scary.’ Why we must not be scare of those who can go against us? Just like Ezekiel, that Jehovah send us and He backing us.—Read Isaiah 44:8.
6. (a) According to Isaiah 43:2, how Jehovah promise to help us? (b) What can encourage us?
6 Jehovah promise that he will help us. For example, just before Jehovah said: “You are my witnesses,” he told them: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not flood over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame singe you.” (Isa. 43:2) Sometimes when we preaching, we can face different-different problems that can be like flood or fire. But still, Jehovah can help us to continue preaching. (Isa. 41:13) Just how people never use to listen to Ezekiel, that the same way today plenty people not listening to the good news. Let remember that when people refuse to listen to us, it not mean that we not doing the preaching work good. When we know that Jehovah happy with us because we continue preaching, it can encourage us. The apostle Paul said: “Each person will receive his own reward according to his own work.” (1 Cor. 3:8; 4:1, 2) One sister who na stay long pioneering say: “It can make me happy to know that Jehovah can bless our efforts.”
GOD SPIRIT GAVE EZEKIEL STRENGTH
In vision, Ezekiel saw Jehovah celestial chariot, it made him to be convince that Jehovah will help him to do the preaching work. (See paragraph 7)
7. How Ezekiel use to feel any time he think about the vision he saw? (See cover picture.)
7 Ezekiel saw how God spirit powerful. He saw in vision how the holy spirit help powerful angels and move the big heavenly chariot. (Ezek. 1:20, 21) How Ezekiel acted? He wrote what happen. “When I saw it, I fell facedown.” Ezekiel got scary and fell down on the ground. (Ezek. 1:28) Later, any time Ezekiel think about that wonderful vision, it made him more convince that with the help of Jehovah Holy Spirit, he will carry on his ministry.
8-9. (a) What happen to Ezekiel when Jehovah told him to “stand up”? (b) How Jehovah gave Ezekiel more strength to preach to those hardhead people?
8 Jehovah gave Ezekiel this command: “Son of man, stand up on your feet that I may speak with you.” That command and God spirit gave Ezekiel the strength to get up from the ground. Ezekiel said: “Spirit came into me and made me stand up on my feet.” (Ezek. 2:1, 2) Later on and throughout his ministry, Jehovah use his “hand”, that mean, God use his holy spirit to direct Ezekiel. (Ezek. 3:22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1) God spirit make Ezekiel strong to carry on his assignment, which was to preach to the hardhead and stubborn people in his territory. (Ezek. 3:7) Jehovah told Ezekiel: “I have made your face exactly as hard as their faces and your forehead exactly as hard as their foreheads. I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or be terrified by their faces.” (Ezek. 3:8, 9) It was just like Jehovah telling Ezekiel: ‘Don’t let the people stubbornness discourage you. I will make you strong.’
9 After that, God spirit help Ezekiel to do the preaching work in his territory. Ezekiel said: “The hand of Jehovah rested strongly on me”. It took one week for Ezekiel to learn and understand the message so that he can be convince to preach. (Ezek. 3:14, 15) Then Jehovah told him to go to one valley where “spirit entered into [him].” (Ezek. 3:23, 24) Ezekiel was ready to start his ministry.
GOD SPIRIT CAN GIVE US THE STRENGTH WE NEED TODAY
Like Ezekiel, wetin can help us today to carry on our ministry? (See paragraph 10)
10. Wetin can help us to do the preaching work, and why?
10 Wetin can help us to do the preaching work? To know the answer, think about what happen to Ezekiel. Before he started preaching, God spirit gave him the strength he needed. Like Ezekiel, we able to preach today only because Jehovah spirit can help us. Why? Because Satan fighting against us to stop the preaching work. (Rev. 12:17) Plenty people think that Satan so strong and we not able him. But by preaching the good news we can win! (Rev. 12:9-11) How? When we preach the good news, we show that we not scare of Satan. Any time we preach, we can defeat Satan. Wetin it can show when we continue preaching even though people oppose us? It show that Jehovah backing us and he using his holy spirit to give us the strength.—Matt. 5:10-12; 1 Pet. 4:14.
11. Wetin God spirit will do for us, and how we can keep receiving it?
11 What else we can learn from the way Jehovah gave Ezekiel the strength to preach? God spirit can give us the strength to overcome any problems we face in the ministry. (2 Cor. 4:7-9) Wetin we can do to make sure that we continue to receive God spirit? We must continue praying for it and be convince that Jehovah will hear our prayers. Jesus taught his disciples: “Keep on asking, . . keep on seeking, . . . keep on knocking.” And Jehovah can answer that prayer by “giving holy spirit to those who ask him.”—Luke 11:9, 13; Acts 1:14; 2:4.
GOD WORDS MADE EZEKIEL FAITH STRONG
12. According to Ezekiel 2:9–3:3, where the scroll came from and wetin was inside it?
12 Beside God spirit, God words also made Ezekiel faith strong. In vision, Ezekiel saw the hand holding one scroll. (Read Ezekiel 2:9–3:3.) Where place the scroll came from? Wetin was inside it? How it help Ezekiel? Let see. The scroll came from Jehovah. It look like Jehovah use one of the four angels Ezekiel saw to give him the scroll. (Ezek. 1:8; 10:7, 20) The scroll was having God words. That was long judgment message that Ezekiel suppose to preach to the disobedient Israelites that were in Babylon. (Ezek. 2:7) The scroll was having writing on the front and on the back.
13. Wetin Jehovah tell Ezekiel to do with the scroll, and why it was sweet?
13 Jehovah told his prophet to eat the scroll and “fill [his] stomach with it.” Ezekiel obey by eating the whole scroll. What this part of the vision mean? Ezekiel suppose to understand the message he was going to preach good-good. He needed to believe the message so it can make him to preach with zeal. Then something surprising happen. Ezekiel got to know that the scroll ‘was sweet just like honey.’ (Ezek. 3:3) Why? For Ezekiel to get the honor to represent Jehovah, that was something sweet, or enjoyable. (Ps. 19:8-11) He was happy that Jehovah agree for him to be his prophet.
14. What help Ezekiel to be ready for his assignment?
14 Later on, Jehovah told Ezekiel: “Take to heart and listen to all my words that I speak to you.” (Ezek. 3:10) In this instruction, Jehovah was telling Ezekiel to remember the words in the scroll and to think on them good-good. When Ezekiel did it, it made his faith strong. Also, it made him to get powerful message to preach to the people. (Ezek. 3:11) When Ezekiel understood that message good-good and believe it, he was ready to start preaching and to continue until he finish his assignment.—Compare Psalm 19:14.
GOD WORDS CAN MAKE OUR FAITH STRONG TODAY
15. Wetin we must do to endure?
15 For us to continue preaching, we must allow God word to continue making our faith strong too. We must remember and meditate on all the thing them Jehovah tell us. Today, Jehovah can talk to us through the Bible. How we can make sure that the Bible continue to affect our thinking, feelings, and our reason for doing things?
16. Wetin Jehovah want us to do with the Bible and how we can understand it?
16 Just how our body can be more strong when we eat food and let it digest, that the same way our faith can be more strong when we study the Bible and think on it good-good. Let remember the lesson from the scroll. When it come to the Bible, Jehovah want us to “fill [our] stomach with it,” that mean, he want us to understand the Bible good-good. We can do it by praying, reading, and mediating. First, we can pray to prepare our heart so that we can understand God word good-good. Then, we read part of the Bible. From there we stop small to think good-good on what we na read. What will be the result? The more we understand the Bible, that the more our faith will get strong.
17. Why it important to think on what we read from the Bible?
17 Why it important to read the Bible and meditate on it? Because, it will make us strong to preach now-now and it will help us to be ready to preach the judgement message in the future. Also, when we think on Jehovah good-good qualities, our friendship with him will be more thick. Because of that, we will enjoy something really sweet, or enjoyable and that peace of mind and satisfaction.—Ps. 119:103.
READY TO ENDURE
18. What the people in our territory will be force to know, and why?
18 Ezekiel was prophet, but for us we not prophet. But we still ready to continue preaching until Jehovah say he satisfy. When the time for judgment come, nobody will give excuse to say that they not hear the message or God was not having time for them. (Ezek. 3:19; 18:23) But they will be force to know that we preaching God message.
19. What will give us the strength to carry on our ministry?
19 Wetin will give us the strength to carry on our preaching work? That the same three things that help Ezekiel. We continue preaching because that Jehovah sent us, He give us his holy spirit and the Bible to give us strength. With Jehovah help, we ready to preach and continue preaching “to the end.”—Matt. 24:13.
SONG 65 Move Ahead!
a In this article, we will learn three things that help the prophet Ezekiel to do the preaching work. When we see how Jehovah help his prophet, it will make us to be more convince that Jehovah will help us in our ministry too.