JW subtitle extractor

Jehovah highly values
the loyalty
of his worshippers.
He especially appreciates it
when we are loyal to him
even under adversity.
How does Jehovah respond
when we remain loyal to him?
He, in turn,
takes great pleasure
in showing his loyalty to us.
Psalm 145:17 says:
“Jehovah is . . . loyal in all that he does.”
This means that Jehovah is dependable
—always faithful.
He will never abandon his friends.
How do you feel
about having Jehovah on your side?
There is no greater blessing!
Jehovah is willing and able
to use his limitless power
in behalf of his people.
So it makes sense
to be on Jehovah’s side.
For that reason most, if not all,
of Jehovah’s worshippers
start out with every intention
of being loyal to him.
But there is a difference
between wanting to be loyal to God,
claiming to be loyal to God,
and actually remaining loyal to God.
Every one of us will have
our loyalty to Jehovah
put to the test.
When that happens,
will you take
a firm stand on Jehovah’s side?
The issue of loyalty
is clearly illustrated
by the events that took place
in the wilderness of Sinai
shortly after the Israelites left Egypt.
God’s people started out
with every intention
of being loyal to Jehovah.
They entered into a covenant
in which they promised
to be loyal to God,
and Jehovah, in turn,
offered them his unbreakable loyalty.
What lessons can we learn
from this account?
Let us start
by reading Exodus 20:1-7.
Try to visualize what happened here.
Just three months
after the awesome display of Jehovah’s power
in the Ten Plagues on Egypt
and the crossing of the Red Sea,
God’s people find themselves in front
of a violently trembling Mount Sinai.
There is thunder and lightning,
a heavy cloud, smoke,
and what seems to be
the loud and constant sound of a horn.
In this setting,
Jehovah describes himself as a loyal God,
promising to show “loyal love”
to those who give him “exclusive devotion.”
In effect, Jehovah was telling his people:
‘If you prove to be on my side,
I will prove to be on your side.’
How did the Israelites respond
to Jehovah’s pledge of loyalty?
Let’s follow this account
by reading Exodus 24:3-18.
Imagine how thrilled
the Israelites must have been!
There they were
in the presence of the only true God,
listening to Jehovah’s promise of loyalty
and making a covenant with him.
At Exodus 19:5,
Jehovah tells them:
“If you will strictly obey my voice
“and keep my covenant,
“you will certainly become
“my special property out of all peoples,
for the whole earth belongs to me.”
As you might expect,
the Israelites responded
with a strong determination to be obedient,
faithful, yes loyal, to Jehovah.
Unanimously, they replied:
“All that Jehovah has spoken
we are willing to do,
and we will be obedient.”
However, as mentioned earlier,
there is a difference
between wanting to be loyal to God,
claiming to be loyal to God,
and actually remaining loyal to God.
In the account we are reading,
the Israelites had every intention
of being loyal to Jehovah.
But could their loyalty withstand
an unexpected test?
Let’s follow along with the reading
of Exodus 32:1-35.
The Israelites appeared to have
every intention of being loyal to Jehovah.
But their faith was evidently too dependent
on Moses’ visible presence.
When Moses remained on Mount Sinai
longer than expected,
the Israelites became anxious.
Perhaps they felt abandoned by Moses,
or perhaps they feared that Moses
had died up on the mountain!
Whatever the case,
they thought of themselves
as being stranded in the desert
without their trustworthy leader.
Their loyalty was put to the test.
True loyalty would have moved the Israelites
to view these disconcerting circumstances
as an opportunity to prove
their exclusive devotion to Jehovah
even when they were in distress.
They sought comfort by pursuing
a fleshly course that included merrymaking,
eating, drinking, and idolatrous rituals.
Ironically, they described the event
as “a festival to Jehovah.”
What is more,
they deluded themselves into believing
that the golden calf
was a representation of Jehovah himself!
They actually thought
that they could engage in idolatry
and still be loyal to Jehovah!
They wanted to be loyal to Jehovah,
and they claimed to be loyal
even while venerating a golden calf.
How did Jehovah view them
and their form of worship?
Jehovah told Moses that the people
had “corrupted themselves”
and had “deviated” from doing his will.
In his “burning anger,”
Jehovah considered annihilating
the newly formed nation of Israel
for their betrayal.
Not all of the Israelites, however,
proved to be disloyal to Jehovah.
Moses, for example,
took a firm stand against the idolaters.
“He took the calf that they had made
“and he burned it with fire
and crushed it into powder.”
And when Moses took his position
in the gate of the camp and said:
“Who is on Jehovah’s side?
Come to me!”
all the Levites gathered around him!
In their loyalty to Jehovah,
the Levites went so far
as to take up the sword
against their own idolatrous relatives
and neighbors!
Moses and the Levites
were unquestionably on Jehovah’s side.
In response,
Jehovah proved loyal to them.
Jehovah was also loyal
to his friends Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
by remembering the promises
he had made to them,
so he did not exterminate
the entire nation.
Jehovah is indeed on the side of those
who are loyal to him.
Please follow along
as we conclude our Bible reading.
Let us now read
Exodus 34:1-14.
What lesson do we learn
from this Bible account?
Wanting to be loyal
to Jehovah is not enough.
This world’s corrupting influences
can deceive us into thinking
that we can deviate
from Jehovah’s principles
and still be loyal to him.
But Jehovah
“requires exclusive devotion.”
Granted, we will face adversities.
We might have
unexpected family problems
or encounter serious financial difficulties.
Members of the congregation may offend us.
Poor health may cause us great suffering.
When experiencing such distress,
we must always remember
that violating Jehovah’s principles
is never a solution.
But taking a firm stand on Jehovah’s side
will always bring blessings.
This is guaranteed
because Jehovah is always dependable,
reliable, and unfailing.
He promises to show “loyal love”
to those who give him “exclusive devotion.”
In effect, Jehovah is telling us:
‘If you prove to be on my side,
I will prove to be on your side.’
As we just read,
Jehovah “will do wonderful things”
for his people.
Jehovah is “a God merciful
and compassionate,
slow to anger
and abundant in loyal love.”

"Who Is on Jehovah's Side?" (Exodus 20:1-7; 24:3-18; 32:1-35; 34:1-14)