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00:00:01 The whole obligation 00:00:03 and privilege of mankind 00:00:05 is to develop a relationship 00:00:08 with our God and Maker, Jehovah. 00:00:12 But the question is, 00:00:13 How do we develop that relationship? 00:00:17 And then, How do we keep it? 00:00:20 Well, let’s start with, How do we develop it? 00:00:24 If you open to Ecclesiastes 12:13, 00:00:29 note the two components mentioned in this verse 00:00:34 —Ecclesiastes 12:13. 00:00:38 It says: “The conclusion of the matter, 00:00:41 “everything having been heard, is: 00:00:44 “Fear the true God and keep his commandments, 00:00:48 for this is the whole obligation of man.” 00:00:52 So the obligation begins with fearing the true God 00:00:57 and then keeping his commandments. 00:00:59 So, what does it mean to fear? 00:01:01 What kind of fear are we talking about? 00:01:03 The Insight book says this: 00:01:05 “The fear of God is healthful; 00:01:09 “it is an awe 00:01:11 “and a profound reverence for the Creator 00:01:14 “and a wholesome dread of displeasing him. 00:01:17 “This fear of incurring his displeasure 00:01:21 “is a result of appreciation 00:01:24 “of his loving-kindness and goodness 00:01:27 “together with the realization that he is the Supreme Judge 00:01:30 and the Almighty.” 00:01:33 So how does one come to have this awe of God? 00:01:38 Well, as the text says today that we’ve already read, 00:01:41 ‘we first hear about his fame 00:01:45 and about all he has done.’ 00:01:48 Now, it’s of interest that just simply hearing 00:01:51 and knowing what he does 00:01:53 does not necessarily lead to awe 00:01:56 or to the kind of awe 00:01:58 that will help us develop a relationship with him. 00:02:02 The Scriptures explain this if you go to Joshua chapter 9, 00:02:07 where we read about a group of Canaanite kings. 00:02:10 In Joshua chapter 9 00:02:14 and in verse 1, it says: 00:02:17 “When all the kings who were on the west side of the Jordan 00:02:21 heard what had happened.” 00:02:23 Well, what did they hear that had happened? 00:02:28 Well, of course, the stories of the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt 00:02:32 was one thing they heard 00:02:34 and also the mighty acts of Jehovah God in connection with his people. 00:02:38 And then when Israel first penetrated Canaan 00:02:42 after crossing the Jordan, 00:02:44 they set up a camp at Gilgal, 00:02:46 which was not far from the walled city of Jericho. 00:02:50 And these Canaanite kings 00:02:52 had heard about what Jehovah did at Jericho 00:02:55 —the great destruction there in behalf of his people. 00:03:00 And remember, Rahab was spared, and her family was spared, 00:03:04 because when she heard about the mighty acts of Jehovah God, 00:03:08 it moved her to put faith in him. 00:03:11 Now, if you just glance through Joshua chapter 8, 00:03:14 we find that following that great destruction, 00:03:19 they went to Ai —the city of Ai. 00:03:22 And Jehovah God had instructed them how to ambush that city, 00:03:27 which led to the destruction there. 00:03:29 So after hearing those acts of Jehovah and then many other acts of Jehovah, 00:03:34 what did it do to the Canaanite kings? 00:03:36 Were they moved with awe? 00:03:39 Well, let’s read chapter 9, verse 2. 00:03:42 It says: “They formed an alliance 00:03:45 to fight against Joshua and Israel.” 00:03:49 So it had the opposite effect upon them, didn’t it? 00:03:53 But now, notice the different reaction it had upon the Gibeonites. 00:03:57 Now, they heard the very same reports, 00:04:00 and in chapter 9 and verse 9, it says: 00:04:05 “At this they said to him: 00:04:07 “‘Your servants have come from a very distant land 00:04:10 “‘out of regard for the name of Jehovah your God, 00:04:14 “‘because we have heard about his fame 00:04:18 “‘and about all he did in Egypt 00:04:20 and about all he did to the two kings of the Amorites.’” 00:04:24 So in this case, 00:04:26 they heard it and it led to their awe, 00:04:30 which led to their developing a relationship with Jehovah God. 00:04:34 Well, today, the same thing is true 00:04:36 that the mighty acts of Jehovah God 00:04:39 are all around us. 00:04:41 And those that are “rightly disposed” 00:04:43 recognize them and are moved to this awe 00:04:47 that leads to a good relationship with Jehovah God. 00:04:50 We have a number of experiences in this regard 00:04:55 that are related to the relief efforts going on right now. 00:04:58 I’d like to share one of them with you. 00:05:00 It was in the middle of the night, Monday, October 9, 2017, 00:05:04 and the wildfires began to engulf areas 00:05:07 around the city of Santa Rosa, California. 00:05:10 The elders began to call, text, 00:05:13 and even personally alert those in the congregation 00:05:17 that they needed to evacuate immediately. 00:05:19 And in time, hundreds of friends made their way to the Kingdom Hall, 00:05:24 and from there arrangements were made 00:05:26 for these displaced publishers to be housed 00:05:30 with their brothers and sisters 00:05:33 in unaffected areas, especially to the south. 00:05:36 Well, there was one Spanish family that hesitated to accept the hospitality 00:05:41 that was being extended to them, and they did not want to be relocated. 00:05:46 And upon the loving inquiries of the elders, 00:05:49 it was learned that the father was a non-Witness 00:05:53 and he felt uncomfortable staying in another Witness home. 00:05:57 And he was embarrassed at the way he looked, 00:05:59 the way he was dressed, 00:06:01 and how dirty he was because of the circumstances. 00:06:05 So he requested to stay overnight at the Kingdom Hall with his family. 00:06:10 Well, temporary beds were set up at the Kingdom Hall. 00:06:14 And during the night, the circuit overseer 00:06:16 had children singing Kingdom songs on the platform 00:06:20 which really encouraged all. 00:06:23 The next morning, 00:06:25 after experiencing the loving atmosphere in the Kingdom Hall 00:06:29 and seeing how well Jehovah took care of this man’s family, 00:06:34 as well as the other publishers, 00:06:36 the man stated that he was going to call the brother back 00:06:39 who studied with him many years ago 00:06:41 and he would resume his Bible study 00:06:43 and he would never ever miss a meeting again. 00:06:49 Yes, those “rightly disposed” become in awe of Jehovah God, 00:06:54 and that moves them to have a good relationship with him. 00:06:57 Remember, ‘the whole obligation of man is to fear God.’ 00:07:03 So the question is, Now that we have developed 00:07:06 this relationship with Jehovah God, 00:07:09 how do we keep it? 00:07:12 Well, for sure, we must continue to be observant 00:07:15 of Jehovah’s mighty acts 00:07:17 in connection not only with ourselves 00:07:21 but in connection with his people worldwide. 00:07:25 Never should we allow the wonderful experiences that we hear 00:07:30 —the outstanding World Service Report 00:07:34 or the support and comfort that Jehovah God is giving those in need— 00:07:38 to become commonplace to us. 00:07:42 We must stay in awe of our God and Father. 00:07:48 Now, you remember the first scripture we read in Ecclesiastes 00:07:52 where it says that in addition to fearing the true God, 00:07:55 we’re told to keep his commandments. 00:07:59 So it would be good to ask ourselves this question: 00:08:02 ‘What commandment of Jehovah God do I have difficulty keeping? 00:08:08 ‘Is it a commandment that involves my self-control, 00:08:13 ‘my zeal, 00:08:15 ‘my humility, 00:08:17 or perhaps my honesty?’ 00:08:21 If so, then we should give immediate attention 00:08:24 to improving the spiritual person that we are 00:08:28 so that keeping God’s commandments 00:08:31 will become as easy as being in awe 00:08:36 of what Jehovah is doing in behalf of his people. 00:08:40 Brothers and sisters, 00:08:42 we stand at the threshold of the promised new world, 00:08:46 and may we heed the words here at Hebrews 12:28 00:08:50 (by not only developing 00:08:53 but by keeping a relationship with Jehovah God), 00:08:56 where it says 00:08:58 —Hebrews 12:28: 00:09:03 “Therefore, seeing that we are to receive 00:09:05 “a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, 00:09:08 “let us continue to receive undeserved kindness, 00:09:11 “through which we may acceptably offer God 00:09:14 sacred service with godly fear and awe.”
00:00:01 The whole obligation 00:00:03 and privilege of mankind 00:00:05 is to develop a relationship 00:00:08 with our God and Maker, Jehovah. 00:00:12 But the question is, 00:00:13 How do we develop that relationship? 00:00:17 And then, How do we keep it? 00:00:20 Well, let’s start with, How do we develop it? 00:00:24 If you open to Ecclesiastes 12:13, 00:00:29 note the two components mentioned in this verse 00:00:34 —Ecclesiastes 12:13. 00:00:38 It says: “The conclusion of the matter, 00:00:41 “everything having been heard, is: 00:00:44 “Fear the true God and keep his commandments, 00:00:48 for this is the whole obligation of man.” 00:00:52 So the obligation begins with fearing the true God 00:00:57 and then keeping his commandments. 00:00:59 So, what does it mean to fear? 00:01:01 What kind of fear are we talking about? 00:01:03 The Insight book says this: 00:01:05 “The fear of God is healthful; 00:01:09 “it is an awe 00:01:11 “and a profound reverence for the Creator 00:01:14 “and a wholesome dread of displeasing him. 00:01:17 “This fear of incurring his displeasure 00:01:21 “is a result of appreciation 00:01:24 “of his loving-kindness and goodness 00:01:27 “together with the realization that he is the Supreme Judge 00:01:30 and the Almighty.” 00:01:33 So how does one come to have this awe of God? 00:01:38 Well, as the text says today that we’ve already read, 00:01:41 ‘we first hear about his fame 00:01:45 and about all he has done.’ 00:01:48 Now, it’s of interest that just simply hearing 00:01:51 and knowing what he does 00:01:53 does not necessarily lead to awe 00:01:56 or to the kind of awe 00:01:58 that will help us develop a relationship with him. 00:02:02 The Scriptures explain this if you go to Joshua chapter 9, 00:02:07 where we read about a group of Canaanite kings. 00:02:10 In Joshua chapter 9 00:02:14 and in verse 1, it says: 00:02:17 “When all the kings who were on the west side of the Jordan 00:02:21 heard what had happened.” 00:02:23 Well, what did they hear that had happened? 00:02:28 Well, of course, the stories of the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt 00:02:32 was one thing they heard 00:02:34 and also the mighty acts of Jehovah God in connection with his people. 00:02:38 And then when Israel first penetrated Canaan 00:02:42 after crossing the Jordan, 00:02:44 they set up a camp at Gilgal, 00:02:46 which was not far from the walled city of Jericho. 00:02:50 And these Canaanite kings 00:02:52 had heard about what Jehovah did at Jericho 00:02:55 —the great destruction there in behalf of his people. 00:03:00 And remember, Rahab was spared, and her family was spared, 00:03:04 because when she heard about the mighty acts of Jehovah God, 00:03:08 it moved her to put faith in him. 00:03:11 Now, if you just glance through Joshua chapter 8, 00:03:14 we find that following that great destruction, 00:03:19 they went to Ai —the city of Ai. 00:03:22 And Jehovah God had instructed them how to ambush that city, 00:03:27 which led to the destruction there. 00:03:29 So after hearing those acts of Jehovah and then many other acts of Jehovah, 00:03:34 what did it do to the Canaanite kings? 00:03:36 Were they moved with awe? 00:03:39 Well, let’s read chapter 9, verse 2. 00:03:42 It says: “They formed an alliance 00:03:45 to fight against Joshua and Israel.” 00:03:49 So it had the opposite effect upon them, didn’t it? 00:03:53 But now, notice the different reaction it had upon the Gibeonites. 00:03:57 Now, they heard the very same reports, 00:04:00 and in chapter 9 and verse 9, it says: 00:04:05 “At this they said to him: 00:04:07 “‘Your servants have come from a very distant land 00:04:10 “‘out of regard for the name of Jehovah your God, 00:04:14 “‘because we have heard about his fame 00:04:18 “‘and about all he did in Egypt 00:04:20 and about all he did to the two kings of the Amorites.’” 00:04:24 So in this case, 00:04:26 they heard it and it led to their awe, 00:04:30 which led to their developing a relationship with Jehovah God. 00:04:34 Well, today, the same thing is true 00:04:36 that the mighty acts of Jehovah God 00:04:39 are all around us. 00:04:41 And those that are “rightly disposed” 00:04:43 recognize them and are moved to this awe 00:04:47 that leads to a good relationship with Jehovah God. 00:04:50 We have a number of experiences in this regard 00:04:55 that are related to the relief efforts going on right now. 00:04:58 I’d like to share one of them with you. 00:05:00 It was in the middle of the night, Monday, October 9, 2017, 00:05:04 and the wildfires began to engulf areas 00:05:07 around the city of Santa Rosa, California. 00:05:10 The elders began to call, text, 00:05:13 and even personally alert those in the congregation 00:05:17 that they needed to evacuate immediately. 00:05:19 And in time, hundreds of friends made their way to the Kingdom Hall, 00:05:24 and from there arrangements were made 00:05:26 for these displaced publishers to be housed 00:05:30 with their brothers and sisters 00:05:33 in unaffected areas, especially to the south. 00:05:36 Well, there was one Spanish family that hesitated to accept the hospitality 00:05:41 that was being extended to them, and they did not want to be relocated. 00:05:46 And upon the loving inquiries of the elders, 00:05:49 it was learned that the father was a non-Witness 00:05:53 and he felt uncomfortable staying in another Witness home. 00:05:57 And he was embarrassed at the way he looked, 00:05:59 the way he was dressed, 00:06:01 and how dirty he was because of the circumstances. 00:06:05 So he requested to stay overnight at the Kingdom Hall with his family. 00:06:10 Well, temporary beds were set up at the Kingdom Hall. 00:06:14 And during the night, the circuit overseer 00:06:16 had children singing Kingdom songs on the platform 00:06:20 which really encouraged all. 00:06:23 The next morning, 00:06:25 after experiencing the loving atmosphere in the Kingdom Hall 00:06:29 and seeing how well Jehovah took care of this man’s family, 00:06:34 as well as the other publishers, 00:06:36 the man stated that he was going to call the brother back 00:06:39 who studied with him many years ago 00:06:41 and he would resume his Bible study 00:06:43 and he would never ever miss a meeting again. 00:06:49 Yes, those “rightly disposed” become in awe of Jehovah God, 00:06:54 and that moves them to have a good relationship with him. 00:06:57 Remember, ‘the whole obligation of man is to fear God.’ 00:07:03 So the question is, Now that we have developed 00:07:06 this relationship with Jehovah God, 00:07:09 how do we keep it? 00:07:12 Well, for sure, we must continue to be observant 00:07:15 of Jehovah’s mighty acts 00:07:17 in connection not only with ourselves 00:07:21 but in connection with his people worldwide. 00:07:25 Never should we allow the wonderful experiences that we hear 00:07:30 —the outstanding World Service Report 00:07:34 or the support and comfort that Jehovah God is giving those in need— 00:07:38 to become commonplace to us. 00:07:42 We must stay in awe of our God and Father. 00:07:48 Now, you remember the first scripture we read in Ecclesiastes 00:07:52 where it says that in addition to fearing the true God, 00:07:55 we’re told to keep his commandments. 00:07:59 So it would be good to ask ourselves this question: 00:08:02 ‘What commandment of Jehovah God do I have difficulty keeping? 00:08:08 ‘Is it a commandment that involves my self-control, 00:08:13 ‘my zeal, 00:08:15 ‘my humility, 00:08:17 or perhaps my honesty?’ 00:08:21 If so, then we should give immediate attention 00:08:24 to improving the spiritual person that we are 00:08:28 so that keeping God’s commandments 00:08:31 will become as easy as being in awe 00:08:36 of what Jehovah is doing in behalf of his people. 00:08:40 Brothers and sisters, 00:08:42 we stand at the threshold of the promised new world, 00:08:46 and may we heed the words here at Hebrews 12:28 00:08:50 (by not only developing 00:08:53 but by keeping a relationship with Jehovah God), 00:08:56 where it says 00:08:58 —Hebrews 12:28: 00:09:03 “Therefore, seeing that we are to receive 00:09:05 “a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, 00:09:08 “let us continue to receive undeserved kindness, 00:09:11 “through which we may acceptably offer God 00:09:14 sacred service with godly fear and awe.”
