Lesson 48 Explore 1: Build Strong Friendships Before the End Comes | Watchtower Study
STUDY ARTICLE 44
Build Strong Friendships Before the End Comes
“A true friend shows love at all times.”-
(Proverbs 17.17: A true friend shows love at all times And is a brother who is born for times of distress.)
PREVIEW
CAPTION: We will need good friends during “the great tribulation” (See paragraph 2)
1-2. According to 1 Peter 4:7, 8, what will help us to cope with adversities?
AS WE move deeper into “the last days,” we may face severe adversities.
(2 Timothy 3.1: But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.)
For example, after an election campaign, a country in western Africa was torn apart by social unrest and mob violence. For over six months, our brothers and sisters could not move about freely because they were in a combat zone. What helped them to cope with such hardships? Some found refuge in the homes of brothers living in a safer area. One brother reported: “In such a situation, I appreciated having friends around me. We were able to encourage one another.”
2. When “the great tribulation” strikes, we will appreciate having good friends who love us.
(Revelation 7.14: So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one who knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.)
So it is urgent that we build strong bonds of friendship now.
Read 1 Peter 4.7, 8: But the end of all things has drawn close. Therefore, be sound in mind, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
We can learn much from the experience of Jeremiah, whose friends helped him survive during the time leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. How can we imitate Jeremiah?
LEARN FROM JEREMIAH’S EXAMPLE
3. (a) What could have caused Jeremiah to isolate himself? (b) What did Jeremiah disclose to his secretary Baruch, and with what result?
3. For at least 40 years, Jeremiah lived among disloyal people, including neighbors and possibly some relatives from his hometown of Anathoth.
(Jeremiah 11.21: Therefore this is what Jehovah says against the men of Anathoth who are seeking to take your life and who say: “You must not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, or you will die by our hand”;)
(Jeremiah 12.6: For even your own brothers, the household of your own father, Have dealt treacherously with you. They have raised a loud cry against you. Do not put faith in them, Even if they speak good things to you.)
However, he did not isolate himself. In fact, he expressed his feelings to his loyal secretary Baruch and ultimately to us.
(Jeremiah 8.21: I am shattered over the breakdown of the daughter of my people; I am dejected. Horror has seized me.)
(Jeremiah 9.1: O that my head were waters, My eyes a fountain of tears! Then I would weep day and night For the slain ones of my people.)
(Jeremiah 20.14-18: Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought good news to my father, saying: “A son has been born to you, a boy!” Making him rejoice greatly. May that man become like cities that Jehovah overthrew without regret. May he hear an outcry in the morning and the sound of alarm at midday. Why did he not put me to death in the womb, So that my mother would become my burial place And her womb would always remain pregnant? Why did I have to come out of the womb To see trouble and grief, To end my days in shame?)
(Jeremiah 45.1: This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah when he wrote in a book these words dictated by Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah:)
We can well imagine that as Baruch wrote down Jeremiah’s eventful story, the two developed deep affection and respect for each other.-
(Jeremiah 20.1, 2: Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest, who was also the leading commissioner in the house of Jehovah, was listening when Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.)
(Jeremiah 26.7-11: And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah. So when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him and said: “You will surely die. Why have you prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, ‘This house will become like Shiloh, and this city will be devastated and left without an inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah. When the princes of Judah heard these words, they came up from the house of the king to the house of Jehovah and sat down at the entrance of the new gate of Jehovah. The priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people: “This man deserves the death penalty, because he has prophesied against this city just as you have heard with your own ears.”)
4. What did Jehovah ask Jeremiah to do, and how did this assignment strengthen the friendship between Jeremiah and Baruch?
4. For many years, Jeremiah had boldly warned the Israelites about what was going to happen to Jerusalem.
(Jeremiah 25.3: “From the 13th year of Josiah son of Amon, the king of Judah, to this day, these 23 years, the word of Jehovah has come to me, and I kept speaking to you again and again, but you would not listen.)
In a further attempt to move the people to repentance, Jehovah asked Jeremiah to write His warnings on a scroll.
(Jeremiah 36.1-4: Now in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying: “Take a scroll and write in it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the first day I spoke to you in the days of Josiah to this day. Perhaps when those of the house of Judah hear of all the calamity that I intend to bring on them, they may turn back from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their error and their sin.” Jeremiah then called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Jeremiah dictated all the words that Jehovah had spoken to him, and Baruch wrote them in the scroll.)
As Jeremiah and Baruch worked closely together on this God-given task, which probably lasted several months, they no doubt had faith-strengthening conversations.
5. How did Baruch prove to be a good friend to Jeremiah?
5. When the time came for the contents of the scroll to be revealed, Jeremiah had to rely on his friend Baruch to deliver the message.
(Jeremiah 36.5, 6: Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch: “I am confined and unable to enter the house of Jehovah. So you are the one who must go in and read aloud the words of Jehovah from the scroll that you wrote at my dictation. Read them in the hearing of the people at the house of Jehovah on the day of a fast; thus you will read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their cities.)
Baruch courageously fulfilled his dangerous assignment. Can you imagine how proud Jeremiah must have felt when Baruch went to the temple courtyard and did what he had been asked to do?
(Jeremiah 36.8-10: So Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him; he read aloud from the scroll the words of Jehovah at the house of Jehovah. Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came into Jerusalem from the cities of Judah proclaimed a fast before Jehovah. Baruch then read aloud from the scroll the words of Jeremiah at the house of Jehovah, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the copyist, in the upper courtyard, at the entrance of the new gate of the house of Jehovah, in the hearing of all the people.)
The princes of Judah heard what Baruch had done, and they commanded him to read the scroll aloud to them!
(Jeremiah 36.14, 15: Then all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah the son of Shelemiah the son of Cushi to Baruch, saying: “Come and bring with you the scroll from which you read in the hearing of the people.” Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and went in to them. They said to him: “Sit down, please, and read it aloud to us.” So Baruch read it to them.)
The princes decided to tell King Jehoiakim what Jeremiah had said. Considerately, they told Baruch: “Go and hide yourselves, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.”
(Jeremiah 36.16-19: Now as soon as they heard all the words, they looked at one another in dread, and they said to Baruch: “We must certainly tell the king all these words.” And they asked Baruch: “Tell us, please, how you wrote all these words. Was it at his dictation?” Baruch replied to them: “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them down with ink in this scroll.” The princes said to Baruch: “Go and hide yourselves, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.”)
That was good advice!
6. How did Jeremiah and Baruch respond to opposition?
6. King Jehoiakim got so angry when he heard the words written by Jeremiah that he burned the scroll and ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch. However, Jeremiah was not intimidated. He took another scroll, gave it to Baruch, and as Jeremiah dictated Jehovah’s message, Baruch wrote “all the words of the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned in the fire.”-
(Jeremiah 36.26-28: Further, the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of the king, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but Jehovah kept them concealed. And the word of Jehovah again came to Jeremiah after the king had burned up the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, saying: “Take another scroll and write on it all the same words that were on the first scroll, which King Jehoiakim of Judah burned up.)
(Jeremiah 36.32: Jeremiah then took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the secretary, and at Jeremiah’s dictation he wrote on it all the words of the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned in the fire. And many more words like those were added.)
7. What likely happened as Jeremiah and Baruch worked together?
7. People who live through a trial together often form a close bond. So we can imagine that as they worked together to replace the scroll destroyed by wicked King Jehoiakim, Jeremiah and Baruch developed greater appreciation for each other’s qualities. How can we benefit from the example set by these two faithful men?
HEART-TO-HEART COMMUNICATION
8. What might hinder us from making close friends, and why should we not give up?
8. We may find it difficult to open up to others because someone might have hurt us in the past.
(Proverbs 18.19: A brother offended is more unyielding than a fortified city, And there are disputes like the bars of a fortress.)
(Proverbs 18.24: There are companions ready to crush one another, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.)
Or we may feel that we lack the time and energy to cultivate close relationships. However, we should not give up. If we want our brothers to stand by us when trials come, we must learn to trust them now with our thoughts and feelings. That is an important step toward becoming true friends.-
(1 Peter 1.22: Now that you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart.)
9. (a) How did Jesus show that he trusted his friends? (b) How can open communication help you to deepen your relationships with others? Give an example.
9. Jesus showed that he trusted his friends by communicating openly with them.
(John 15.15: I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you all the things I have heard from my Father.)
We can imitate him by sharing our joys, concerns, and disappointments with others. Listen carefully as someone talks to you, and you may learn that you have many thoughts, feelings, and goals in common. Consider the example of Cindy, a sister in her 20’s. She befriended a pioneer in her 60’s named Marie-Louise. Cindy and Marie-Louise work together in field service every Thursday morning, and they talk freely with each other about a variety of subjects. Cindy says, “I enjoy having deep conversations with friends because this helps me to know and understand them better.” Friendship thrives in the warm atmosphere of open communication. Like Cindy, if you take the initiative to have warm and open conversations with others, your friendships with them are likely to grow.-
(Proverbs 27.9: Oil and incense make the heart rejoice; So does sweet friendship springing from sincere counsel.)
WORK TOGETHER
CAPTION: Good friends work together in the ministry (See paragraph 10)
10. According to Proverbs 27:17, what can result when we work alongside fellow believers?
10. As happened in the case of Jeremiah and Baruch, when we work alongside fellow believers and observe firsthand their endearing qualities, we learn from them and draw closer to them.
Read Proverbs 27.17: As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens his friend.
For example, how do you feel when you are in the ministry and you hear your friend boldly defend his faith or speak with heartfelt conviction about Jehovah and his purposes? Likely you feel drawn to him even more.
11-12. Give an example of how sharing in the ministry can help us to strengthen our friendships.
11. Consider two experiences that show how working in the ministry draws people together. Adeline, a 23-year-old sister, asked one of her friends, Candice, to go with her to preach in seldom-worked territory. “We wanted to be more motivated and to enjoy the ministry more,” she says. “We both needed a spiritual boost.” How did they benefit from working together? “At the end of each day,” says Adeline, “we discussed how we felt, what touched us about the conversations we had, and how we sensed Jehovah’s direction in our ministry. We both enjoyed these deep discussions and got to know each other even better.”
12. Laïla and Marianne, two single sisters from France, went preaching for five weeks in Bangui, the bustling capital of the Central African Republic. Laïla recalls: “Marianne and I experienced difficulties, but thanks to good communication and genuine love, our friendship grew stronger. As I observed Marianne’s flexibility, her love for the local people, and her zeal in the ministry, my admiration for her increased.” You do not have to move to a foreign country to enjoy these benefits. Each time you work in your local territory with a brother or sister, you have the opportunity to get to know that one better and to strengthen your bond of friendship.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE, AND BE FORGIVING
13. What challenge might we face when we work closely with our friends?
13. Sometimes when we work closely with our friends, we become aware not only of their strengths but also of their weaknesses. What can help us deal with this challenge? Again consider the example of Jeremiah. What helped him to see the good in others and to overlook their failings?
14. What did Jeremiah learn about Jehovah, and how did this help him?
14. Jeremiah wrote the book named after him, and he likely also wrote the Bible books of 1 and 2 Kings. That assignment no doubt made him especially aware of Jehovah’s mercy toward imperfect humans. For example, he knew that when King Ahab repented of his bad deeds, Jehovah spared him from seeing his entire family destroyed during his lifetime.
(1 Kings 21.27-29: As soon as Ahab heard these words, he ripped his garments apart and put sackcloth on his body; and he went on a fast and kept lying down in sackcloth and walking despondently. Jehovah’s word then came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself on my account? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the calamity during his lifetime. I will bring the calamity upon his house in the days of his son.”)
Similarly, Jeremiah knew that Manasseh did even more to offend Jehovah than Ahab did. Even so, Jehovah forgave Manasseh because he repented.
(2 Kings 21.16, 17: Manasseh also shed innocent blood in very great quantity until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other, besides his sin of causing Judah to sin by doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah. As for the rest of the history of Manasseh and all that he did and the sins that he committed, are they not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah?)
(2 Chronicles 33.10-13: Jehovah kept speaking to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So Jehovah brought against them the army chiefs of the king of Assyria, and they captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with two copper fetters and took him to Babylon. In his distress, he begged Jehovah his God for favor and kept humbling himself greatly before the God of his forefathers. He kept praying to Him, and He was moved by his entreaty and heard his request for favor, and He restored him to Jerusalem to his kingship. Then Manasseh came to know that Jehovah is the true God.)
Those accounts must have helped Jeremiah to imitate God’s patience and mercy in his own dealings with his close friends.-
(Psalm 103.8, 9: Jehovah is merciful and compassionate, Slow to anger and abundant in loyal love. He will not always find fault, Nor will he stay resentful forever.)
15. How did Jeremiah imitate Jehovah’s patience when Baruch became distracted?
15. Consider how Jeremiah dealt with Baruch when he temporarily became distracted in his assignment. Instead of quickly giving up on his friend, Jeremiah helped Baruch by sharing God’s kind but frank message with him.
(Jeremiah 45.1-5: This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah when he wrote in a book these words dictated by Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says concerning you, Baruch, ‘You have said: “Woe to me, for Jehovah has added grief to my pain! I am weary from my groaning, and I have found no resting-place.”’ “You should say to him, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “Look! What I have built up I am tearing down, and what I have planted I am uprooting—the entire land. But you are seeking great things for yourself. Stop seeking such things.”’ “‘For I am about to bring a calamity on all flesh,’ declares Jehovah, ‘and wherever you may go, I will grant you your life as a spoil.’”)
What lessons can we learn from this account?
CAPTION: Good friends forgive one another freely (See paragraph 16)
16. As shown at Proverbs 17:9, what do we need to do to keep our friendships alive?
16. Realistically, we cannot expect perfection from our brothers and sisters. Therefore, once we have formed close friendships, we need to work hard at keeping those newly formed bonds alive. If our friends make a mistake, we may need to give kind but frank counsel based on God’s Word.
(Psalm 141.5: Should the righteous one strike me, it would be an act of loyal love; Should he reprove me, it would be like oil on my head, Which my head would never refuse. My prayer will continue even during their calamities.)
And if they hurt us, we need to forgive them. Once we have forgiven them, we must avoid the temptation to bring the offense up again in the future.
Read Proverbs 17.9: Whoever forgives a transgression seeks love, But the one who keeps harping on a matter separates close friends.
How vital it is during these critical times to focus on the strengths of our brothers and sisters rather than on their weaknesses! Doing so strengthens the bond we share with them, and we will need close friends during the great tribulation.
SHOW LOYAL LOVE
17. How did Jeremiah prove to be a true friend in times of distress?
17. The prophet Jeremiah proved to be a true friend in times of distress. For instance, after the court official Ebed-melech rescued Jeremiah from certain death in a miry cistern, Ebed-melech feared that the princes would harm him. When Jeremiah learned about it, he did not remain silent, hoping that his friend would somehow cope on his own. Although Jeremiah was imprisoned, he did what he could by sharing Jehovah’s comforting promise with his friend Ebed-melech.-
(Jeremiah 38.7-13: Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin, so Ebed-melech went out of the king’s house and spoke to the king, saying: “O my lord the king, what these men have done to Jeremiah the prophet is evil! They have thrown him into the cistern, and he will die there because of the famine, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: “Take 30 men with you from here, and pull Jeremiah the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies.” So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the king’s house to a place beneath the treasury, and they took from there some worn-out rags and worn-out pieces of cloth and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah: “Please put the rags and the pieces of cloth between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, and they drew Jeremiah out with the ropes and pulled him up out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the Courtyard of the Guard.)
(Jeremiah 39.15-18: While Jeremiah was confined in the Courtyard of the Guard, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying: “Go and tell Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says: “Here I am fulfilling my words on this city for calamity and not for good, and in that day you will see it happen.”’ “‘But I will rescue you in that day,’ declares Jehovah, ‘and you will not be handed over to the men you fear.’ “‘For I will surely provide you with escape, and you will not fall by the sword. You will have your life as a spoil, because you trusted in me,’ declares Jehovah.”)
CAPTION: Good friends give help to their brothers and sisters in need (See paragraph 18)
18. According to Proverbs 17:17, how should we respond when a friend is going through hardship?
18. Today, our brothers and sisters face a variety of challenges. For instance, many suffer from natural or man-made disasters. When that happens, some of us may be able to welcome these friends into our home. Others may be able to help financially. But all of us can ask Jehovah to help our brothers and sisters. If we learn that a brother or sister is discouraged, we may not know what to say or how to react. But all of us have much to offer. For example, we can make time to be with our friend. We can listen sympathetically when he or she speaks. And we can share our favorite comforting scripture.
(Isaiah 50.4: The Sovereign Lord Jehovah has given me the tongue of those taught, So that I may know how to answer the tired one with the right word. He awakens me morning by morning; He awakens my ear to listen like the taught ones.)
What matters most is that you are there with your friends when they need you.-Read
(Proverbs 17.17: A true friend shows love at all times And is a brother who is born for times of distress.)
19. How will building strong friendships now help us in the future?
19. We must be determined to build and maintain strong relationships with our brothers and sisters now. Why? Because our enemies will try to divide us by means of lies and misinformation. They will try to turn us against one another. But their efforts will be wasted. They will be unable to break our bonds of love. Nothing they do will disrupt the friendships we have formed. In fact, those friendships will last not only through the end of this system but for eternity!
HOW DO THE FOLLOWING THINGS HELP TO BUILD STRONG FRIENDSHIPS?
• Heartfelt communication
• Working together in the ministry
• Responding to one another in times of need
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