References for Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook

1 SEPTEMBER6-12 TREASURESFROMGOD SWORD DEU-TERONOMY33-34 SeekRefugeinJehovah s EverlastingArms Jeshurun becomesatermofaffection,itbeingrendered beloved. Thedesignation Jeshurun shouldhavere-mindedIsraelofitscallingasJ ehovah scovenantpeopleandthereforeofitsob-ligat iontoremainupright.(De33:5,26;Isa44:2)At Deuteronomy32 ,Israelbecamein-tractable,forsookitsMake r, ,boxHelptoGetBackonOurFeetWemaybereminde dthatmanycenturiesbeforeEzekiel sday, : Godisarefugefromancienttimes,hiseverlast ingarmsarebeneathyou. ( :27)Yes,wecanbesurethatifweturntoourGodi ntimesofdistress,Jehovahwillputhiscaring armsbeneathus,gentlyliftusup,andhelpusto getbackonourfeet.

2 16 RuntheRaceWithEndurance16 LikeAbraham,Mosesdidnotexperiencethefulf illmentofGod ,Moseswastold: Fromadistanceyouwillseetheland,butyouwil lnotgothereintothelandthatIamgivingtothe sonsofIsrael. Thiswasbe-causeearlierheandAaron,exasper atedbythepeople srebelliousness, actedunduti-fullytoward[God]inthemiddleo fthesonsofIsraelatthewatersofMeribah. ( :51,52)DidMosesbecomedespondentorresentf ul? : Happyyouare,OIsrael!Whoistherelikeyou,ap eopleenjoyingsalvationinJehovah,theshiel dofyourhelp,andtheOnewhoisyoureminentswo rd? ,theBiblecomments: Hiseyehadnotgrowndim,andhisvitalstrength hadnotfled.

3 HewasburiedbyJehovahinalocationneversinc ediscovered.(De34:5-7)Likely, bodyforsomesuchpurpose,forJude,theChrist iandiscipleandhalfbrotherofJesusChrist,w rites: WhenMichaelthearchangelhadadifferencewit htheDevilandwasdisput-ingaboutMoses body,hedidnotdaretobringajudgmentagainst himinabu-siveterms,butsaid: MayJehovahrebukeyou. (Jude9)BeforecrossingoverintoCanaanunder theleadershipofJoshua, De34 SWORD JOSHUA1-2 HowtoMakeYourWaySuccessful w131/158 7 BeCourageous JehovahIsWithYou!7 TohavethecourageneededtodoGod swill, successor: ,andyoumustinanundertonereadinitdayandni ght,inorderthatyoumaytakecaretodoaccordi ngtoallthatiswritteninit;forthenyouwillm akeyourwaysuccessfulandthenyouwillactwis ely.

4 ( :7,8)Josh-uafollowedthatcounsel,and hiswaywassuccessful. Ifwedolikewise,wewillhavegreatercouragea ndsuccessinGod 20 BeCourageous JehovahIsWithYou! , , ,000, ,letuskeeponexer-cisingfaithanddeclaring thegoodnewswhilewebearinmindour2013yeart ext: Joshua1 1 HighlightsFromtheBookofJoshua2:4,5 WhydoesRahabmisleadtheking smenwhoaresearchingforthespies? ,sheisundernoobliga-tiontodivulgethespie s whereaboutstomenwhoareseekingtoharmGod speo-ple.(Matthew7:6;21:23-27;John7:3-10 )Infact,Rahabwas declaredrighteousbyworks, includingtheactofmisdirectingtheemissari esoftheking.

5 James2 SWORD JOSHUA3-5 JehovahBlessesActsofFaith it-2105 JordanUsuallytheportionoftheJordanbelowt heSeaofGalileeaveragesfrom1to3m(3to10ft) indepthandisapproximately27to30m(90to100 ft) (Jos3:15)Atfloodstageitwouldnothavebeens afefortheIsraelitenationofmen,women,andc hildrentocrosstheJordan, ,JehovahmiraculouslydammeduptheJordan,ma k-ingitpossiblefortheIsraelitestocrosson dryland.(Jos3:14-17)Centurieslateralikem iracleoccurredonceforElijahwhileinthecom panyofElisha,andonceforElishaalone. 2Ki2:7,8,13, 17 MakeJehovah sReminderstheExultationofYourHeart17 Inwhatwaydoactsoffaithhelpustobuildtrust inJehovah?

6 ConsidertheScrip-turalaccountofIsrael ,asthepeoplemadetheirapproach, , : Assoonasthefeetoftheprieststouchedthewat er,theriverstoppedflowing,..andthepriest sstoodinthemiddleofthedryriverbednearJer ichowhileeveryoneelsecrossedover. ( :12-17,ContemporaryEnglishVersion)Imagin ehowhearteningitmusthavebeentoseethosera gingwa-tersstoppedup!Indeed,theIsraelite s 18 MakeJehovah sReminderstheExultationofYourHeart18 True,Jehovahdoesnotperformsuchmir-aclesi nbehalfofhispeopletoday, sfore-mostWitness,theresurrectedChristJe sus,assuredhisdisciplesthathewouldbackth emupinthisimportantwork: ( :19,20)ManyWitnesseswhomayhavehadatenden cytobeshyortimidcanpersonallyattestthatG od sholyspirithasgiventhemthecouragetospeak tostrangersinthefieldministry.

7 ReadPsalm119:46;2 Corinthians4 2 HighlightsFromtheBookofJoshua5:14,15 Whois theprinceofthearmyofJehovah ?TheprincewhocomestostrengthenJoshuaasth econquestofthePromisedLandbeginsislikely noneotherthan theWord JesusChristinhisprehu-manexistence.(John 1:1;Daniel10:13)Howstrengtheningitistoha vetheassurancethattheglorifiedJesusChris tiswithGod speopletodayastheyengageinspiritualwarfa re!SEPTEMBER27 OCTOBER3 TREASURESFROMGOD SWORD JOSHUA6-7 TurnAwayFromWorthlessThings w104/1520 5 TurnYourEyesAwayFromWorthlessThings!5 Centurieslater,theIsraeliteAchan : Keepawayfromthethingdevotedtodestruc-tio n,forfearyoumaygetadesire ,thepeopleofIsraelsufferedde-featattheci tyofAi, WhenIgottosee theitems,Achansaid, thenIwantedthem,andItookthem.

8 Thedesireofhiseyesledtohisdestruction,al ongwith everythingthatwashis. ( :18,19;7:1-26) 2 WhyReportWhatIsBad? , : Asobedientchildren,quitbeingfashionedacc ordingtothedesiresyouformerlyhadinyourig no-rance,but,inaccordwiththeHolyOnewhoca lledyou,doyoualsobecomeholyyourselvesina llyourconduct,becauseitiswritten: Youmustbeholy,becauseIamholy. (1 Peter1:14-16)Individualswhopracticeuncle annessorwrongdoingcanbringdefilementandJ ehovah sdisfavoruponanentirecongregationunlessa ctionistakentocorrectorremovethem. Com-pareJoshua, 8 TurnYourEyesAwayFromWorthlessThings!

9 ,God sWordencouragesustoexerciseself-discipli neinconnectionwithwhatwelookatandlongfor .( :25,27;read1 John2:15-17.) : (Job31:1) : Everyonethatkeepsonlookingatawomansoasto haveapassionforherhasalreadycommit-tedad ulterywithherinhisheart. 2-3 QuestionsFromReadersInancienttimes, ,thevictorswouldplunderthecity sriches, sruins,however, ,Bibli-calArchaeologyReviewstates: Themostabundantitemfoundinthedestruction ,apartfrompottery, ,buttofindsuchanextensiveamountofgrainis exceptional. AccordingtotheScripturalaccount,theIs-ra eliteshadgoodreasonnottoplunderJericho ( :17,18)TheIs-raelitesattackedinthespring oftheyear,justafterharvesttimewhengrains upplieswereabundant.

10 ( :15-17;5:10)Thefactthatmuchgrainremained inJerichoin-dicatesthattheIsraelitesiege wasofshortduration, SWORD JOSHUA8-9 LessonsFromtheAccountoftheGib-eonites stimeGibeonwasinhabitedbyHivites,oneofth esevenCanaanitenationsinlinefordestruc-t ion.(De7:1,2;Jos9:3-7)TheGibeoniteswerea lsocalledAmorites,asthisdesigna-tionappe arsattimestohavebeenappliedgenerallytoal ltheCanaanites.(2Sa21:2;compareGe10:15-1 8;15:16.)UnliketheotherCanaanites,theGib eonitesrealizedthatdespitetheirmilitarys trengthandthegreatnessoftheircity, ,afterthedestructionofJerichoandAi,theme nofGibeon,apparentlyalsorepresentingthet hreeotherHivitecitiesofChephirah,Beeroth ,andKiriath-jearim(Jos9.)