Встреча в будние дни 26 ОКТЯБРЯ-1 НОЯБРЯ 2026

Weekday congregation meeting (Oct 26–Nov 1, 2026) covering Jehovah's righteousness and mercy, local Christian-life needs, and Rahab's courage in Bible study.

Key Takeaways

Jehovah's judgment is both just and merciful, and He shows mercy to individuals even when judging nations.
Sharing Bible truths now can lay a foundation that people recall later during life difficulties.
Courage, as shown by Rahab, is expressed through faithful action that protects others.
Practical conversation skills and consistent practice help members engage others constructively.

What the video covers

Opening overview of the meeting agenda: a talk on Jehovah as a righteous and merciful judge, Christian Life Part local needs, and Congregation Bible Study on courage.
Talk based on Jeremiah 9:25-26 and 48:31-36 explains Jehovah's judgment on Moab and His expressed grief over it, comparing His mourning to a flute's lament.
Notes that Jehovah later showed mercy to individual Moabites, allowing them to return home through King Cyrus.
Illustration encourages speakers to share Bible truths with people who may later recall them when life circumstances change.
Encourages members to identify relatives, former Bible study contacts, and others to encourage now.
Bible reading from Jeremiah 48:1-13 about Moab's destruction.
Practical discussion of handling conversations where a person's words contradict the Bible, advising against arguing.
Student assignments on conversation approaches, with encouragement to practice a method for a week or two and report results.
Bible-based discussion of Jesus' life dates in the appendix and the benefit of physical exercise from 1 Timothy 4:8.
Congregation study on Rahab's courage: hiding the spies, the Jericho inhabitants' fear, and her scarlet cord as an act of faith.

Chapters

What is the main theme of the talk in this meeting?

The talk, 'Jehovah, a Righteous and Merciful Judge,' uses Jeremiah 9 and 48 to show how Jehovah judged Moab while expressing grief and later showing mercy to individuals from that nation. It also urges listeners to consider how these truths should shape their conduct in the last days.

What does the congregation Bible study focus on?

The Bible study continues the discussion on courage, focusing on Rahab, who hid the Israelite spies in Jericho and tied a scarlet cord to her window. The lesson highlights her faith and bold action in protecting others.

What practical advice is given for conversations with people?

Speakers are advised not to argue when a person's words contradict the Bible, and students are encouraged to practice a conversation approach for a week or two and evaluate its effectiveness. The aim is to build good rapport and plant seeds of truth that people may later recall.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

So, what is in store for us at our meeting today? First, we will talk about the righteousness and mercy of Jehovah. We will also discuss how this should affect us—yes, how we should be occupied in these last days. Next, in the Christian Life part, some very interesting local needs await us. And at the Congregation Bible Study, we will continue our discussion on courage. Today we will talk about the courage of Rahab.

Speaker A

in the Christian Life part, some very interesting local needs await us. And at the Congregation Bible Study, we will continue our discussion on courage . Today we will talk about the courage of Rahab. Well, let us begin. Our first

Speaker A

Well, let us begin. Our first item is the talk: "Jehovah, a Righteous and Merciful Judge." This talk has been prepared for us by Brother Dmitry Kuznetsov. Please.

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Jeremiah chapter 9, verses 25 and 26. Jehovah, through the prophet, says that He will call Moab to account, using the Babylonians led by King Nebuchadnezzar.

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Since Moab was a long-time enemy of Israel, it is not surprising that it is mentioned among the sworn enemies of Jehovah's people. Jeremiah chapter 9, verses 25 and 26. Jehovah, through the prophet, says that He will call Moab to account, using the Babylonians led by King Nebuchadnezzar.

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""...as all the other nations." Thus, the Moabites did not acknowledge that it was, in reality, God's judgment and that the inhabitants of Judah were His people. And for this, calamity was to come upon them. In this way, they would

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It is interesting that the *Insight on the Scriptures* encyclopedia says that apparently, when God executed His judgment against Judah by the hands of the Babylonians, the Moabites said, "Look, the house of Judah is the same..."

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wickedness, right? And so, as we can see, the entire nation of Moab was to vanish. Expressing His feelings regarding what was to happen to the Moabites, we can read these feelings in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 48, verses 31 and 36. Let us take note.

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"...as all the other nations." Thus, the Moabites did not acknowledge that it was, in reality, God's judgment and that the inhabitants of Judah were His people. And for this, calamity was to come upon them. In this way, they would come to know who Jehovah is. And according to the prophecy in Jeremiah chapter 48, the Moabite cities were to become desolate.

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my heart will wail for Moab like flutes .""And like flutes my heart will wail for the men of Kir-heres.""For the wealth that he has accumulated will perish." We see that Jehovah expresses His feelings here in a very interesting

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Well, that is exactly what happened later. Of course, it gave Jehovah no pleasure whatsoever that people were perishing due to their wickedness, right? And so, as we can see, the entire nation of Moab was to vanish.

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instrument, a mournful melody. And so, Jehovah compared His own grief to the playing of this melody on the flute.

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Expressing His feelings regarding what was to happen to the Moabites, we can read these feelings in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 48, verses 31 and 36. Let us take note. Jeremiah chapter 48, verses 31 and 36. And here it says: "That is why I will wail for Moab; for all Moab I will cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres." And verse 36: "That is why my heart will wail for Moab like flutes. And like flutes my heart will wail for the men of Kir-heres. For the wealth that he has accumulated will perish."

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Yes, in this way he showed mercy. And now, dear brothers and sisters, let us turn our attention to the illustration shown here. Our theme is that Jehovah is a merciful judge. For example, when we talk to people, we might even have

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We see that Jehovah expresses His feelings here in a very interesting and unique way. For example, the flute is mentioned. It is interesting that in Bible times, when professional mourners gathered at funerals to express people's feelings and wail, a flute would play in the background. It could be said that it was a mourning instrument, a mournful melody. And so, Jehovah compared His own grief to the playing of this melody on the flute.

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We can also see a young woman in the foreground, and it is clear from the events taking place that the news anchor on the television is saying that the authorities are banning religious activity, and perhaps she is even

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Indeed, even though the entire nation of Moab disappeared, Jehovah later showed mercy to individual people from that nation, from Moab. Thus, for example, Jehovah allowed them to return to their homeland, to return home, through the Medo-Persian King Cyrus. Yes, in this way he showed mercy.

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a letter from that couple, reminding herself of what they said about these events, and now that these circumstances are actually occurring just as the brothers and sisters said, she senses it, and it might just shake her to her core. This concerns her, and

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And now, dear brothers and sisters, let us turn our attention to the illustration shown here. Our theme is that Jehovah is a merciful judge. For example, when we talk to people, we might even have had very good conversations with them. Perhaps we haven't started a study yet, but for instance, during a conversation, we explained the sign of the last days, or perhaps showed them from the Bible how certain events would unfold.

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that happen to them. For example, as I already mentioned, the Bible prophecies that we explained to them. And perhaps, in turn, this will move them to seek Jehovah. Thank you, brothers, for the illustration. And it’s also very interesting that in our Watchtower

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We can also see a young woman in the foreground, and it is clear from the events taking place that the news anchor on the television is saying that the authorities are banning religious activity, and perhaps she is even listing specific religious organizations. The young woman may be remembering how she interacted with our brothers, for example, with a married couple. Perhaps she is looking at a photo of herself with them, maybe from a convention, or perhaps she is reading a letter from that couple, reminding herself of what they said about these events. And now that these circumstances are actually occurring just as the brothers and sisters said, she senses it, and it might just shake her to her core.

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Let each of us analyze for ourselves whom we could share these beautiful truths with today—those we could encourage right now, so to speak, to lay a foundation for future reflection in certain life circumstances. Perhaps let’s turn our attention to our

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This concerns her, and she might even decide to contact our dear family, the brother and sister, to perhaps resume the study or resume the conversation. Whatever the case, the things we tell people today may, at certain moments in their lives, be brought back to their minds by events that happen to them. For example, as I already mentioned, the Bible prophecies that we explained to them. And perhaps, in turn, this will move them to seek Jehovah.

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had a good rapport; perhaps we could think about continuing that good conversation. As you can see, we have many such opportunities to lay a good, solid foundation so that later, in certain life circumstances, people might think and perhaps turn to Jehovah

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Thank you, brothers, for the illustration. And it's also very interesting that in our Watchtower publication, a very striking thought was highlighted, a motivation for us. Think about it: what we tell people now, they might remember in the future.

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and then we will discuss it? Please, Sister Lyuda Kobrina. Flee, and you will become like a juniper tree in the desert. Thank you, Sister Lyuda.

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Let each of us analyze for ourselves whom we could share these beautiful truths with today, those we could encourage right now, so to speak, to lay a foundation for future reflection in certain life circumstances. Perhaps let's turn our attention to our relatives, our close ones, or even some very distant relatives we might have. Perhaps we can recall those we once studied with, right? It doesn't matter if it was school years or university years, or maybe some of us remember former colleagues with whom we had a good rapport. Perhaps we could think about continuing that good conversation.

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The Hebrew word from which the name of the juniper tree is derived means "bare " or "stripped." The Moabites would become like a desert juniper in the sense that they would disappear as a people. The Moabites were relatives of

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As you can see, we have many such opportunities to lay a good, solid foundation so that later, in certain life circumstances, people might think and perhaps turn to Jehovah.

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and destroyed their cities. And the Moabites as a people disappeared forever. Today, there is no such nation . In this sense, they are like a juniper of the desert. Uh-huh. Thank you, Lyuda. Brother Anton or Sister Tanya. Well yes, this lonely image of

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Brother Dmitry, thank you very much for this talk. We are moving on. Our next part is "Digging for Spiritual Gems." It will be conducted by Brother Dmitry Tarasov. Please.

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symbolically naked, and lonely in this desolate world and system of things. And how wonderful it is that Jehovah, as a merciful God, always provides a message of comfort even for those who, for some reason, have drifted away from

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Yes, dear brothers and sisters, in Isaiah chapter 48, verse 6. Who would like to read it, and then we will discuss it? Please, Sister Lyuda Kobrina.

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the book of Jeremiah. Please, Sister Liliya Yefimenko. The forty-eighth chapter, verse 29, contains the lesson that Jehovah hates the quality of arrogance, and he even opposes the haughty and humbles them. This verse speaks of the people of Moab, who spoke

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Flee, and you will become like a juniper tree in the desert. Thank you, Sister Lyuda.

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Thank you, Sister Liliya, Brother. Dmitriy Melchenko. The forty-eighth chapter, the second part of verse 1.

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Question: In what sense would the Moabites become like a juniper tree in the desert? Sister Lyuda Chikaryova.

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unreliable, right? That is, the protection available in the world is not necessarily going to protect, and it passes away. But it is much better to rely on Jehovah, to trust in him, and to build a relationship with him,

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The Hebrew word from which the name of the juniper tree is derived means "bare" or "stripped." The Moabites would become like a desert juniper in the sense that they would disappear as a people. The Moabites were relatives of the Israelites through Lot's line. But even though they were related peoples, they were extremely hostile toward Israel. And God uttered this prophecy that the Moabites would be wiped out. This happened when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem. Then they captured the lands of the Moabites and destroyed their cities. And the Moabites as a people disappeared forever. Today, there is no such nation. In this sense, they are like a juniper of the desert.

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relatives of the Israelites, drifted away from Jehovah, and it is very fittingly compared to a juniper tree that is forced to survive in waterless places, on rocks and cliffs. And I thought that we also need to examine ourselves, to make sure we aren't

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Uh-huh. Thank you, Lyuda. Brother Anton or Sister Tanya.

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family. I was also touched by this example of the lonely and, as it were, naked juniper tree. In other words, when any of us makes mistakes or feels like we have drifted away from Jehovah, Jehovah kindly suggests that instead of

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Well yes, this lonely image of the juniper crosses over perfectly with the main point from the previous section. In essence, the main thought of today's meeting: people who knew Jehovah or even served him, but for some reason have drifted away from the congregation, may also feel exposed, symbolically naked, and lonely in this desolate world and system of things. And how wonderful it is that Jehovah, as a merciful God, always provides a message of comfort even for those who, for some reason, have drifted away from his people. They will still have the opportunity to meet in the beautiful fields of the new world.

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everything to test Jehovah with trust in big, medium, and very small matters. And then, on the contrary, our faith will be tremendously strengthened, because we will have a contrast before our eyes—not just a theoretical one that we understand in our minds, but

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Thank you, Brother Anton. Now, dear ones, please share the spiritual gems you found in these chapters, chapters 47 and 48 of the book of Jeremiah. Please, Sister Liliya Yefimenko.

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Thank you, Brother Alexey. Brother Mikhail Rudokop. Oh, uh, Olya, Olya, there is also an interesting verse in Jeremiah 48:10. It says here: "Cursed is the one who does Jehovah’s work negligently. Cursed is the one who holds back his sword from bloodshed." I

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The forty-eighth chapter, verse 29, contains the lesson that Jehovah hates the quality of arrogance, and he even opposes the haughty and humbles them. This verse speaks of the people of Moab, who spoke ill of Israel and were exceedingly proud and arrogant. And Jehovah passes judgment on them to become a wasteland like Sodom. Archaeological excavations show that this is exactly what happened. From the beginning

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destroyed.""There are other people who might be stronger, more experienced, and who want to do this more." But Jehovah would be displeased with that, and I thought that today there is also a danger of thinking, "The territory will be covered without us" or "These

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people will find our website anyway" or "That sister will preach to them." With so many active young brothers and sisters we have, Jehovah would be displeased if we thought that way.

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Thank you, Sister Olya. Brother Denis. I liked the twenty-seventh verse of the forty-eighth chapter. It talks about how they shook their heads and said bad things, one could say they mocked. Even though they were so serene themselves, I want to learn to notice the good in

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others and, when talking to others, strive not to mock anyone or put anyone down behind their backs. Well, in principle, because the same fate could befall me, and that does not mean that I am so pure and everything is fine.

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Therefore, Jehovah warns us about this and says that for our relationships with others to be good, we need to think about this as well. Thank you, Brother Denis. Sister Lyuda Egorova.

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Chapter forty-eight, verse thirteen. Jehovah says there that the Moabites will be ashamed, they will be ashamed because of Chemosh, that is, because of the god they chose as the object of their worship. How shameful it is for the Israelites because of Bethel, where

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they worshipped the golden calf made by Jeroboam. And so, when you think about it, adults, just like today, adults endowed with reason. And when you tell them about the truth, about the true God, about the Creator, they, on the

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contrary, reject it and want to worship something made up, and you just wonder: "Well, how can a person not reflect at all? It is very difficult, just like for Jehovah. It was difficult for Him to destroy Moab. He felt sorry for them

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. They are His creation, people. And, of course, these creations will surely be ashamed of such things when they learn the truth and will be ashamed that they chose to worship something so unworthy. Thank you, Sister Luda. Yes.

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And one last comment. Brother Oleynik, Zhenya, verse 38 says just that, Jehovah says:" Moab is wailing because I have broken Moab like a useless jar, "says Jehovah. A useless jar. So I thought about why it became a useless

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jar. Well, how does it touch me personally? How can it concern me that I might become useless? That is, if I let bad things, bad information, into my heart and mind, then all of that will become useless. This teaches me to

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fill my heart and mind with treasures from Jehovah's word, from the Bible, from our websites, our broadcasting, and our programs, to take out everything valuable to fill myself with what is needed and share it with others , so as not to be empty or fill myself

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with what is bad. Thank you, Brother Yevgeny. And thank you, dear brothers and sisters, for your thoughts and pearls. And thank you very much, Brother Dmitry, for helping to share them. Well, let's move on. In the" Treasures from God's Word "part, we

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have one more item. This is the Bible reading, an excerpt from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 48, verses 1 through 13. Prepared for us by Brother Viktor, please. This is what Jehovah, the God of armies, the God of Israel, says

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about Moab. Nebo is disgraced and captured; the fortress is disgraced and torn down. No one praises Moab anymore.

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In Heshbon they plotted its destruction . Let us go and cut it off. Madmen, you too will be silenced. It has fallen and been completely ruined. Cries are heard from there. Moab has perished. Its children are crying loudly. On the road

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descending from Horonaim, bitter weeping is heard because of a terrible disaster. Flee, save your lives, you will become like a juniper tree in the wilderness. Because you rely on your works and your treasures, and Chemosh will go into exile with its priests and

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princes. The destroyer will come to every city. Not one city will escape. The valley will perish and the plain will be destroyed, just as Jehovah has said. Set up a road sign for Moab, because when its cities turn into ruins

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, it will flee. Its cities will be devastated, with no inhabitants left by Jehovah. Cursed is the one who is negligent. For they have lived undisturbed from their youth, and they are like wine settled over its dregs, never having been taken into exile.

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That is why its flavor has remained the same. days are coming, says Jehovah, when I will send those to them who will tip them over, they will pour them out, and devastate them. The Moabites will be ashamed because of Chemosh, just as

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the Israelites are ashamed because of Bethel. Well, Viktor, thank you very much for the reading, for this lesson.

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Yes, unfortunately, we couldn't hear everything, right, because the audio was breaking up. This is working on lesson number 11. The lesson is titled" Enthusiasm. "And if we talk about the goal of this lesson, the goal is to speak enthusiastically, or to read

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enthusiastically. How can this be achieved? For example, by putting your whole soul into what we read or how we speak. Yes, it can be felt; people see it. That is why it is important to think about the listeners. how to read

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or speak with reasonable enthusiasm. What for? If we do this, it will touch people's hearts and move them to action , yes, touch their hearts. Thank you very much for your efforts. We are now moving on to the" Applying Yourself to

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the Field Ministry "part. Moving on to the next part of our meeting. The next, the fourth point. Starting conversations in house-to-house preaching. This assignment was prepared for us by sister Natalya Aloseva. And she is assisted by sister Tanya

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Nabochenko. Please, sister. Hello. Hello. My name is Natasha. In these difficult times, we are offering everyone the thought:" Enjoy Life Forever and... "Oh, yes, I think I recognize you. Are you Jehovah's Witnesses?" Yes, yes, yes. You are doing a good work. Well, actually, I

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also believe in God, but I take a little bit from all religions. a little bit. They all lead to God anyway, right , through different paths, but the main thing is to have God in your heart. Oh, how pleasant it is to meet a sincere

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person who believes in God. And I want to agree with you that, yes, indeed, having faith in God deep in your heart is very important. And to turn to him, to receive answers to prayers, that God is the only one who can answer all our

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questions, absolutely all of them. Yes. You know, I want to share with you that I am still looking for how to properly pray to God, how to worship him, but it must be written down somewhere, stated, but I just can't seem to find it. You

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are doing a great job. Unfortunately, most people don't really think about this. It's just a minute and a half long. I think you'll like it, please.

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Oh, it’s a good video, right? I liked that you can go through these lessons quickly. And that it's free? And I liked that it can be done over the phone. I am very glad that you liked it . I would like to offer you a Bible

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study over the phone. Uh, let's exchange. If it's convenient for you, what about morning or evening? What works best for you? The evening would be convenient for me. Wonderful. My name is Natasha. Excuse me, what is your name? My name is Tatiana. Very

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nice to meet you, Tanyusha. Talk to you soon then. Thank you. Yes, everything went well, sisters. Thank you, Arvina, so much for this presentation, for this assignment. Sister Natasha, you worked on the lesson on tactfulness, specifically point four. Yes, don't

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rush to correct the person. If a person's words contradict the Bible, it doesn't say here to try not to argue with them. No, we see it says: "Under no circumstances should you argue with them, no matter how much you want to."

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Yes, we understand that, as a rule, people are convinced of what they believe or what they are saying.

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Therefore, as a rule, such arguments do not lead to anything good; we won't be able to change a person's mind. And Sister Natasha did exactly that—on the contrary, hearing that the person showed faith in God, you immediately found something to commend; yes, you

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commended the fact that the person has this faith in God in their heart. And throughout the conversation, you found things to commend. You put your conversation partner at ease, didn't you? You didn't tell her that the Bible contradicts some of the things she was

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saying. No, you listened carefully to understand what your partner believes and why. That's very good. Thank you very much for this assignment. Let's move on. Point five. Cultivate interest . We'll move from house-to-house preaching to informal witnessing. And

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this assignment was also prepared for us by sisters, Sister Alexandra Soboleva. Sister Nadezhda Stakhi will help her. Go ahead. Enjoy your meal, Nadya. Oh, thank you very much, Sashenka. Listen, Sasha, tell me, did you pass your driving test or not? Yes.

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Yes, we passed. Wow! What? And did Zhenya pass too? Yes, we did it on the same day. Well, I’m speechless. Well, congratulations to you both, of course.

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Thank you very much. You are heroes. Listen, I just have one question. I understand that these are challenging times, and I’ve just been talking to a lot of people. It’s very hard to get a driver’s license these days.

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Very hard. Well, tell me, were they tough on you? How did you even pass?

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Well, you know, everything actually went wonderfully. We prayed a lot, and I asked for a good examiner and that I would be less nervous. And it actually worked out. I even got a route that I was very familiar with. Well, I know

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you’re a religious person, you pray, you know, but prayer isn't really my thing. I tend to rely more on myself, on my own strength, and, well, on the help of others. Well, you know, after this, I certainly have to think about

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prayer. I can see that it works. Yes, prayer really does work, and God wants us to turn to him and is ready to help us and be involved in our lives. Do you mind if I show you a short passage from

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the Bible as proof? Sure, go ahead. Look, it’s in Psalm chapter 62, verse 8. It says here: "Trust in him at all times, O people.""Pour out your hearts before him.""God is a refuge for us." And look, besides the fact that we can

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always trust in him, notice the phrase: "Pour out your hearts before him." That is, in essence, it says that we can talk to God about everything that bothers us, about our worries, our fears, and even things we might not be

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able to share with our closest friends or family. Listen, you know, Sasha, this is something new for me. For me, prayer is, well, the Lord's Prayer. Or maybe prayers to certain saints, or like my grandmother used to do,

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specific prayers for certain situations . But the idea that you can tell God about everything...And that it’s actually written in the Bible, that's completely new to me; I’m hearing that for the first time. Well, you know , unfortunately, people today don't

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know much about what is written in the Bible, about God, about what he has in store for us, and that he wants to build a relationship with us. That is exactly why Witnesses offer people the chance to learn more about this book

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and its Author. Have you ever thought about finding out for yourself what this book says? Well, I know, I’ve heard about you and that you offer Bible studies. I actually love to read.

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I'm interested, but you know, I have absolutely no time, because, well, you understand, life is like that—home, work, kids, family, and so much else.

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Well, honestly, Sasha, I do understand. What if I told you that you could start with just 10 minutes a week? Wow. How does that work? I don't get it. Let me show you a short video about how these

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sessions go. Sure, let's see it. So, what do you think? Well, it’s interesting, certainly an enticing offer. Look, to be honest, let me think about it. Since we see each other all the time, I'll think it over, and then

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when we meet, I'll give you a "yes" or a "no." Okay, sure, that’s fine, I’ll wait. Uh-huh. Thank you very much. Thank you, sisters, for that demonstration. Sister Alexandra, thank you to you as well. You worked on the

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lesson about empathy, specifically point number five. Share thoughts that will be useful to the person, not just the thoughts we might want to share or that we prepared, but rather what will be useful to the specific person we are

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talking to. Your conversation went really well; it flowed naturally. Your partner was checking in, asking how everything went. But it was great when you brought up prayer, and your partner mentioned she would like to pray like that too, if it works. You handled that

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situation very skillfully; it was tactful, gentle, appropriate, and you transitioned to the topic of prayer beautifully. The lesson mentions showing the person as soon as possible how to find practical advice through Bible study. Yes, and you also used

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that point very well in your presentation. Uh, yes, thank you both very much. Uh, let's move on. Our next point is: "Train Your Students." Point six. Sister Tanya Kovalkova has prepared this for us. And she will be assisted by sister Natalia Broshkola.

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Go ahead, Tanya. I understand that I need to pray, it's very important, but to be honest, I’m not very good at it . Sometimes I forget, sometimes I don’t know what to say, or I don't know what time to set aside for it.

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Listen, thank you for sharing that with me. Tell me, which happens more often for you? Do you just forget, or is it more often that you don't know what to say in prayer? I think it's both. And sometimes it feels like I just have

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nothing to say at all. Interesting. Listen, does that ever happen with your best friend? Have you ever wanted to talk to her but didn’t know what to say or how to start, and so you just didn't talk to her when you wanted to?

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No, I don't think that's ever happened, because there are always so many different topics. Even if we talked yesterday, for example, you’re already looking forward to the next day to talk sooner, call, and tell each other things. Yes. Yes. Tell me, what

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kind of things do you tell her? Probably about everything under the sun . How my day went, what’s new at work , any problems or difficulties—I vent and complain to her—or any joys, sharing something positive, or a funny

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incident that happened, I tell her about that too. Oh, I feel the same way with my friends; yes, we talk about everything under the sun. But you know, since we are studying the Bible to be friends with Jehovah, we can

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communicate with him in the same way. You can tell him what's worrying you or what's making you happy. In fact, you can have that same kind of conversation with him, just through prayer. Um, you know, I hadn't really thought about it

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that way. I find myself thinking that I usually only remember to pray when I have problems and need support or help.

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I totally understand you; that happens often. But, you know, besides asking Jehovah for help, there are so many more reasons. Why can we pray to Jehovah? For example, if something good happened during the day, you can remember it in the evening. You can

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tell Jehovah about it. Or, you often share with me things you’ve read in the Bible that excited you or that you learned for the first time. You can also tell Jehovah about that and thank him for revealing that truth to you.

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And in this way, you will remember to pray more often and share things with Jehovah. I like that idea. But how do I learn not to forget to pray? Oh, that’s probably the hardest part. But I can offer you at least one method.

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You can attach prayer to the things you are already doing. For example, when you wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, or have breakfast—like when you’ve made yourself a good breakfast —you can thank Jehovah that you have

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food, that you have this wonderful breakfast, and that you can enjoy it. Or in the evening, you can think back on what happened during your day, whether something good or perhaps something bad, and you can tell Jehovah about it before going to sleep. This

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way, you’ll link it to things you already do, and you can develop the habit of praying. Yes, I’ll try that approach. I think it suits me much better, and it will be easier for me.

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Give it a try; practice it for a week or two, and then tell me if it worked for you or not. And if not, we’ll come up with some other methods. All right. Thank you, sisters. Thank you very much for this assignment too.

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Sister Tanya, you worked on lesson number eight. Teach using examples. The goal of this lesson is to use simple examples that could touch the heart and teach important truths. Yes. Why simple , not complex? Because simple examples are very easy to remember, right? And

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throughout your conversation, you used a very simple example about talking with friends. And truly, it is a very simple example that is easy to recall.

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Perhaps many of us have experienced remembering a great example, but not remembering what it was applied to; in your case, the example is very easy to remember. And at the end, you gave very good advice to the person you were

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talking to on how to remember to pray. Thank you very much for this assignment . Well, we will now move on to the Living as Christians part by singing song number 158. will not be late. Our next part is Local Needs. It was

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prepared by Brother Dukalov Andreevich. He will conduct this part and announce its topic. Today we will talk about how to deal with stress and how to protect our emotional health. Of course, I won’t even list the reasons why we

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are talking about this right now. Let’s get straight to the point. We will discuss it right away. What should we do? How can we take care of ourselves in these difficult times?

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What advice does the Bible give? And I would like to structure this not as a speech, since you are experienced Christians and surely, over years of serving God and enduring various difficulties, you yourselves know many good ways. Therefore, during this part,

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I would like to discuss various pieces of advice given in our publications, but most importantly, you will even have the opportunity to share how you have managed to apply these principles and advice in your own lives. So, the

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first piece of advice given by Jesus Christ is at Matthew 6:34. In Matthew 6:34, we read the following: "Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties.

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Each day has enough of its own troubles ." I really liked how one brother in his talk showed how Jesus himself set a wonderful example in this. Remember, before his death, Jesus Christ was very deeply troubled and prayed, and the

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Bible says his sweat became like drops of blood. That is to say, it was great anxiety, great stress. But it's interesting, was Jesus in that state constantly? Can we say that his sweat was like drops of blood a week before

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those events, a month before, or six months before? Did Jesus feel that way every evening? Of course not. And he set a wonderful example in this, on how not to worry about the future, but to focus on the present. Of course, in

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this regard, tips from our publications can help, for example, limiting news consumption, limiting the viewing of political materials, or perhaps materials that contain suffering, stress, anxiety, or bad news. All of this has an effect. But I also want to

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ask you. Please share how you manage, or what points you have noticed from experience, to apply this principle in your life. Don't be shy, you surely have something to say. Please, share.

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Brother Viktor Sobolev. Well, when I started applying this principle, because you naturally always worry, planning one, two, or three days ahead, but realizing that, well, it might not happen, you try your best, but I noticed that when I tell Jehovah, "I

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have planned this for today, if it works out and it is your will, and we are alive, we will do this and that," yes, with your help, dear Father, it somehow becomes calmer when you realize during the day what is truly critical

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and what can be moved to the next day, and it will get resolved. And even in moments when you think something is important for today, Jehovah is also guiding. You have asked him to help you solve certain tasks. And perhaps, when

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it gets postponed, Jehovah is right there. He knows it is the best decision to move it to tomorrow or the day after . That task will be resolved all the same. And even in the way you see it

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resolved, you understand that this was the very moment, the very day you needed it. It really helps and brings peace of mind. Thank you very much.

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Brother Kovalkov, please. I also took note of the wonderful example of Jesus Christ. And if you look at the appendix containing the final dates and events of Jesus 'life, yes, in our appendices, there is the date of the 12th of Nisan.

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And you can see that before that, Jesus was doing a lot of preaching and healing people. It is clear that everything happens on the 14th of Nisan , but for the 12th of Nisan, one event is listed for Jesus: "Spending the day

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with his disciples." Yes, it may happen that unexpected circumstances intrude into our lives. As brother Victor said, it is worth adjusting to them, and sometimes it is worth doing so intentionally, even if we are busy, by declining someone. This may even apply

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to some of our spiritual privileges, or even some assignments, because rest itself is also a very important milestone in our life schedule. If it is necessary, or if our family needs it , then there is nothing wrong with

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referring to that. There is no need to invent anything. You can simply say: " Brothers, I need to rest." Or to other people with whom we cooperate, we can also be quite specific and say that I am tired. This day is planned for me to

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spend with my family and friends. There is nothing wrong with that. Be as natural as possible in such situations.

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Yes. Yes. Thank you very much, brother Anton. So, what conclusion can be highlighted? Instead of focusing on global conflicts or global problems, or what world leaders have or haven't done , we should focus on the tasks and matters right in front of us, upon

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which the life of our family, our well-being, and the lives of our friends and loved ones really depend.

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Yes, focusing on these tasks in our immediate circle really helps. Great. Thank you very much. The next piece of advice. I will read it to you. Please share how you think it helps avoid stress based on your experience.

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Anxious heart weighs a man down. But a good word cheers him up. And there was this comment in our publications.

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Maintain contact with friends in person , through video calls, phone calls, or messages. If you have had a bad day, tell your friends about it. That is, open, sincere communication without a pseudo-positive attitude. Yes. Good.

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Please share. Have you experienced the benefit of this, or perhaps how good friends help you cope and relieve stress, or maybe you recall cases when you shared that you were feeling scared , down, or sad. And you felt exactly

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how it relieves stress. Sister Naiman, Olga, When I feel like I need to talk to someone, I don't start by saying "I feel bad, listen to me." I have a different method. I message a few people: "How are you? How was your

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night, for instance?""Is everything okay with you?" And the person writes back how they are first, and then asks: "And how are you?" And that's when the opportunity comes up to actually say: " Oh, and how am I?" But that doesn't

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mean that every time I feel bad and message someone, I want them to think that way. But sometimes it really helps me, because when I show attention to others, they respond; I mean, I wrote to three people, for example, and those

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three then all write back to me. All the attention of those three is on me, and that helps me a lot. Oh, that's great. Yes, super. Thank you. You're welcome, Soboleva, Sasha or Zhenya.

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Well, in general, having friends you can call or just record a voice message to, saying that you maybe aren't feeling very well or that certain thoughts are overwhelming you, really helps, because often, well, in such situations, you sometimes don't want to

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burden others, because I understand that everyone is in these conditions and it's not easy for anyone. But when you know there is a friend who won't judge, who will listen, and just sharing that, just saying it out loud

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to someone, already eases your state. And such friends will always remind you that even if you think you might be doing little, you have little strength, or perhaps you can't do as much as you want or are not doing enough, they will

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always remind you that the situation we are in has a very big influence on our state. It's normal that we aren't doing as much as we can. And such friendly reminders, they are really very supportive. Yes, thank you very much.

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The next piece of advice is recorded in 1 Timothy 4: 8, yes, it says there that physical exercise is of some benefit.

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Please share, for example, what counts as taking care of physical health, for instance, food, sleep, walks, for some maybe, I don't know, a swimming pool, or cold showers. Yes, well, everyone takes care of their physical health in different ways, of course. This is by

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no means a call to toughen up, but please share if you’ve felt a direct benefit from how you take care of your physical health, and how you feel less stress, or conversely, how when we sometimes neglect things, we feel that

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stress becomes harder to handle. Ilya Bratanishchenko. Yes, I’ve noticed it directly on certain days when I’m in a very down or depressed mood. If I go for a walk on the stairs or walk back and forth a bit, my mood really

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improves. You really start to feel better, even on an emotional level, as well as a physical one. And it’s a very good approach that, um, exercise doesn't necessarily have to be something that requires a lot of time, like going to the gym. Sometimes it can

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just be intensive walking, like walking up the stairs in your building or going out for a walk. Olga. I have also noticed that there are things that trigger anxiety and add to it. In my case, for example, it’s if I’ve had

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too much coffee, if I went to bed late, or if I’ve been scrolling through various social networks, and I’ve noticed that this can sometimes trigger very strong anxiety in such cases. Well , perhaps it’s better to just sleep

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instead of trying to drown out anxious thoughts with even more social media scrolling and drinking coffee. Drinking coffee, yes, 100%. Thank you very much.

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Of course, our relationship with God plays a very important role. Um, for example, James 4: 8 says, "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you." If you have the opportunity, please share how you have noticed a connection

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between reducing anxiety and stress and spirituality, or close relationships with God, prayer, or perhaps some spiritual activities? Have you noticed such a connection? If so, please share.

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Sister Svetlana Sroda. I can definitely say that when things have really piled up, as they say, and everything is emotionally very heavy, just talking it out or even practically screaming it out, even if it’s internally in your mind to Jehovah......you get a feeling

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of a great weight being lifted off your shoulders, a heavy burden taken off you , because you’ve told Jehovah everything you’re thinking or what’s hurting, and it really becomes much, much easier, as if that problem no longer exists. Or it feels as if it

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becomes very, very distant. Yes. Yes. Thank you very much. There is one more piece of advice in Matthew 9:12. Jesus said that it is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. And so, such advice was also given in our

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publications. Furthermore, there on the broadcasting, ideological factors are discussed. In such a case, comfort from the Bible might not be enough for you to choose. Show humility and see a doctor. That was the advice. Why do you think it is useful? Brother Ilyam. Well

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, because it is true that, in some cases, the problem is of a different nature, but we perceive it as a spiritual problem, thinking that we lack emotional strength or pleasure from reading the Bible, or aren't getting anything out of spiritual

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activities, as if something is suffering in our relationship with Jehovah. And in reality, the problem may be of a completely different nature , and it is right to seek such help.

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Yes, yes, thank you very much. So, the general point of these tips, as seen from your comments, is that it works.

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To try, in all circumstances, to lead a healthy, balanced life that has room for emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. And, of course, these stresses are what sometimes deprive us of balance because they try to intrude and break our usual routine. These

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difficulties, as we said, try to knock this order out of our lives. And so, even if we all have different circumstances—someone might be under a lot of stress, not getting enough sleep, someone might be locked within four walls and unable to go out much—

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these tips can help us look around to see how, in these circumstances, we can make our lives as normal as possible and not put our lives on hold. Wait until it's all over, but try to live it as fruitfully as possible right now.

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And of course, no matter how much we discuss everything, no matter how much advice is given, we still cannot say that we will be free from stress and worry. And that is why we can be comforted by a very pleasant verse. We

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often read it to people in the ministry , but I want to read it to you. And it sounds like this. Just try to imagine it. People will build houses and live in them. They will plant vineyards and

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eat their fruit. It will not be the case that they build, and life will be different. They will plant, and others will eat. The life of my people will be as long as the life of a tree. And my

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chosen ones will enjoy all the fruits of their labor. There will come a time when we will no longer discuss this advice, and we will not think about how to escape from this endless stress. And when will the time come when all our

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worries become a thing of the past? Now , unfortunately, let's be realistic, that won't happen, but I hope if these reminders help someone in some situation, even a little, to avoid adding stress or to slightly soften it, that will already be a very good result

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. Thank you very much for sharing such useful advice. Brother Andrei, thank you very much for this timely point.

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Thank you for sharing how you manage. That was helpful. We are moving on. The next part is the congregation Bible study. It will be conducted by Brother Bogdan Galkin, and Brother Ilyanishchenko will serve as the reader . Please, brothers. So, before us is

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the new chapter, chapter fourteen, Rahab. Yes. Today we will look at how she showed courage in her life and what we can learn from her example. And we will ask Brother Ilya to first read the entire material, and then we will

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discuss it. In ancient Jericho, which was called the city of palms, a prostitute named Rahab lived in the city wall. From her window, she had a view of the sun-drenched valley, but inside the city, a gloomy atmosphere reigned. Its inhabitants were gripped

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by fear and despair. They knew that the Israelites were going to attack them and that with the help of their God, Jehovah, they would conquer the city and no one would be saved. The fate that Jehovah had prepared for the

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inhabitants of Jericho was well deserved. The Israelites had camped not far from Jericho. Forty years earlier, Jehovah had saved his people from Pharaoh's army. The Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea. And shortly before the Israelites arrived at Jericho, Jehovah

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helped them defeat the armies of the powerful Amorite kings, Sihon and Og. Their victory was amazing because the Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for many years and were not trained in warfare. And now it was Jericho's turn. Jehovah commanded that

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the inhabitants of this city be punished for all their vile deeds. Rahab understood that the inhabitants of Jericho were mired in vice. And she herself did not lead a very moral life, since she was a prostitute. Apparently, Rahab no longer wanted to live that way

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. What she learned about Jehovah filled her not with fear, but with hope. Unlike the pagan Canaanite gods, Jehovah was a just God. He protected his people and respected their dignity.

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She wanted to become closer to such a wonderful God. One evening, two men came to Rahab who were looking for a place to stay for the night. The perceptive Rahab quickly guessed that they were Israelite spies. But she was

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not the only one who found out about this. The king of Jericho also learned of it. He sent his men to Rahab and demanded that she hand over the spies.

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Rahab had to make a difficult decision that could affect the rest of her life.

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Whose side did she ultimately take? The inhabitants of Jericho or Jehovah's? Rahab showed courage and chose Jehovah's side. She hid the spies on the roof and sent the king’s men on a false trail. When the king’s men had

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left, she went up to the roof and told the spies why she did not betray them.

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She explained, "I know that Jehovah will give you this land." As we can see , Rahab had strong faith in Jehovah.

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She also told the spies something that must have given them even more courage. The inhabitants of Jericho were disheartened because they were terrified of the Israelites.

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Furthermore, she asked the spies to protect her and her relatives when Jehovah handed Jericho over to the Israelites. The spies, whose lives Rahab had saved, saw that she had faith in Jehovah and agreed to her request.

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But something was expected of Rahab as well. She had to keep the location of the spies a secret, tie a scarlet cord to her window in the city wall, and stay inside her home with her family during the capture of Jericho. Only

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then would she and her relatives remain alive. With Rahab’s help, the spies escaped the city by climbing down a rope from her window. She did everything the spies asked of her, tied the scarlet cord to her window, and

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told no one that they had stayed with her. This required great courage from Rahab. After all, if the city residents had found out she was on the side of the spies, she would have faced a terrible death. When Jehovah stopped

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the waters of the Jordan and the Israelites crossed over, Rahab was even more convinced that she had made the right choice. For seven days, as the Israelites marched around Jericho, the city residents must have trembled with fear. And when on the seventh day the

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sound of the horn and the war cry of the Israelites rang out, the city wall suddenly collapsed, but Rahab and her relatives were safe. They followed the spies’ instructions and did not leave the house. When the walls of Jericho

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collapsed, the section where Rahab’s house was located remained intact. After the city was taken, the spies, at the command of Joshua, brought Rahab and her relatives out. In time, Rahab became part of the Israelite nation.

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She married an Israelite, and they had children. One of her descendants was Jesus Christ. The most courageous man in history. Jehovah generously rewarded Rahab for her faith and courage. Thank you very much, brother Ilya, for the reading. We can look at the

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illustration in this chapter and answer the question: how was Rahab’s courage displayed? Please, Anastasiya. For example, when the king’s servants came looking for the spies, she hid them and sent the king’s servants on a false trail. That required courage,

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because the king’s servants could have found the spies if they had searched thoroughly. Also, when she lowered the spies from her window, they could have been noticed, and she showed courage there as well. And when she tied the rope and didn't tell anyone

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about this, didn't share it with anyone , that was also courage, because if the city residents had found out, she would have faced a terrible death. Yes, undoubtedly. Thank you very much. Go ahead, Sister Alla. Rahab also showed

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great courage when she took Jehovah’s side. Therefore, that was such a key choice for her. And why was courage needed? Because all the subsequent actions she took, for example, welcoming the spies into her home, hiding them, not telling anyone about

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them, and then sending them off by another route. These moments all spoke to the fact that she was on Jehovah’s side, and all this time she had to show courage to the end, from beginning to end. Therefore, it can be said that she

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not only showed courage but immense courage in all her actions. Sanya, on Jehovah’s side. Yes, 100%. Thank you very much. Go ahead, Sister Nait. And I thought about the fact that Rahab’s greatest courage was that she thought very carefully about who Jehovah is, in

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order to believe in Him. Well, she could understand that Jehovah saved His people from Pharaoh. All the Egyptians drowned, yes, in the Red Sea. Then Jehovah helped defeat the powerful armies, yes, of the kings Sihon and Og.

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She watched all of this from the sidelines. And it took courage, living in Jericho among another people, to understand who the real, powerful, true God is. And that is where everything begins. And I really liked that Rahab’s strength, boldness, and

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courage were precisely in the fact that she understood that she was acting wrongly and leading the wrong way of life. And in the end, she also built her own family with Jehovah, as we can see, and had her own children. And I

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think that the courage to believe in Jehovah and for Jehovah to become your life guide, that is the greatest courage that one needs to understand and act upon. It is not difficult; it just needs to be understood. Thank you

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very much. And what was Rahab’s life like in Jericho? Go ahead, Sister Alla. Well, if we consider who Rahab was, even though it was considered honorable in Canaanite society, perhaps even a fairly respected profession, it is clear from Rahab’s actions that she

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was most likely ashamed of her way of life and wanted to change it over time.

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And the land she lived in was mired in such terrible vices, cruelty, and immorality. Of course, it was very difficult to live there. And even in such places, ritual prostitution flourished in the temples, and there was worship of other gods, false gods.

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And, uh, well, uh, what followed this worship, for example, the sacrificing of children and burning them alive in the fire, that is, of course, horrible.

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That is the kind of, the kind of terrible environment that Rahab lived in. Yes, exactly. Thank you very much.

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Our next question. How do we know that the spies did not go to Rahab's house to engage in intimate relations with her? Please, sister Lyudmila Kobrina.

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Well, it would certainly be unreasonable to assume that they, that the spies went to Rahab's house for an immoral purpose. After all, there was Jehovah's guidance in this. As it was stated in one publication, uh, that by entering the house of such a woman,

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these spies did not arouse suspicion. Uh, besides that, uh, her house was adjacent to the city wall, uh, or was located by it, and therefore it would have been easy to escape from it. And Jehovah directed their steps to that

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very woman, uh, mm, because, mm, she was the most suitable for this purpose. Thank you very much. Please, brother Dmitry. It is also interesting that Jehovah blessed both Rahab and the conquest, and that would not have happened if immorality had taken place

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or if they had come with the intention of committing immorality. Jehovah punished, for example, those who took valuable items in Jericho, and He did not allow them to conquer the next city , Ai. So, this did not just happen once

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justice was restored. But the main compelling reason is how Jehovah acted. And we can be sure that there was no immorality there. Ah, exactly. Thank you very much. Please take note of our next illustration and our next question

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. Why were stalks of flax laid out on the roof of Rahab's house, and for what purposes was it used? Uh, please, brother Ivan. In ancient times, flax was a very versatile product. It was used to make linen fabrics, it was

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dried in the sun, then soaked, and it could also be used as wicks for lamps.

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Therefore, it is not surprising that there were stalks of flax on Rahab's roof. Yes, exactly. Thank you very much , brother. Also, please, sister. Also, our publications write that from the inner fibers, which were thin, delicate , one might say, soft, they made yarn,

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uh, and, uh, to make it smooth, they beat it on a stone. So, flax really did play a huge role in biblical times.

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Various items could be made from it. Yes, exactly. Thank you. Let us look at our next illustration. Illustration, illustration B. And our, our fourth question. Why was there nothing wrong with Rahab sending the king's men on a false trail? Please, Sister Lyudmila.

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Well, there was nothing wrong with what Rahab did by sending the king’s men on a false trail. It wasn't wrong because those men were enemies of God’s people, and she was under no obligation to provide them with truthful information. Yes, that’s

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exactly right. Thank you. And, please, Brother Valery or Sister Tatyana. Well, Rahab was also declared righteous on the basis of works. And one of those works was precisely the fact that she sent those men of the king on a false

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trail. Yes, thank you. Please, Brother Alexey or Sister Ulyana. And there is a very interesting point here: when she demonstrated faith in this way—it was a true manifestation of faith in Jehovah—she acted in harmony with the principle that when you please Jehovah,

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the one who deserves it most, you please all those who love Him. That is, she was effectively following the principle of caring for Jehovah’s interests. And that is righteous. She cared for the interests of those who are worthy in Jehovah’s eyes. Meaning

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those who truly follow His will, and that is righteous. She risked her life for those who serve God, and they are worthy of having their lives protected.

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And so it turns out that all these principles showed that protecting those who are worthy, even by risking one's own life, is noble, right, and loving.

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Thank you very much, Alexey. Now, let’s move on. Let’s apply this material to ourselves. Our next question: why did it take courage for Rahab to leave her former way of life and start serving Jehovah along with the Israelites? Sister Liliya, please.

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Well, as our publications state, we know that such activity provides an income. And most likely, Rahab was earning her living through such activity. In order to start worshipping Jehovah, she had to leave that occupation and rely entirely on Jehovah

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, because, most likely, she was unmarried and had no one to look after her. Therefore, it took courage to do that. Yes, that’s right. Thank you very much. Sister Tonya, please. She also needed courage because she had to

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leave behind the lifestyle and the environment she had known her whole life, and join a new people who, for her, had always been strangers. And this is an example for those who are studying the Bible, that sometimes serving Jehovah requires making serious

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changes, but they are worth it in any case. And the faith one gains in Jehovah will help them make these changes and help them find the courage.

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And then that person will surely receive blessings, just as Rahab did. Yes, thank you very much. The examples of many show this. Next, let's look at the following illustration. Our next question is: Although the Bible condemns lying, how can the example of

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Rahab help a Christian in a situation where enemies of God’s people demand confidential information about brothers and sisters? Please, Brother Alexey.

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The "Insight on the Scriptures" article on lying states that a person is not obligated to provide truthful information to those who have no right to know it. The basis for this is taken from Matthew 7: 6, where Jesus says not

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to give what is holy to dogs and not to throw pearls before swine, so they do not trample them underfoot and turn and tear you to pieces. For this same reason, in certain situations, Jesus did not answer directly or give full

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information, so that others would not be harmed. In a situation where enemies of Jehovah have no right to know certain information, we will not share it with them so that other brothers and sisters are not harmed. There would be

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nothing wrong with that. Yes, exactly. Thank you, Brother Anton, please. It is interesting how the Bible principles related to this question are selected.

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The first two align perfectly with the information that Brother Alexey already provided, based on the "Insight on the Scriptures." But Ephesians 4:25 expresses this thought: "Therefore, now that you have put away falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor

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, because we are members belonging to one another." There might seem to be a contradiction, but if you focus on the second part of this principle, that we are members of one body, it confirms the thought that we should not disclose

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information about the organization, the brothers and sisters, the appointed brothers, or simply the publishers of our congregation, to those who want to use it for evil purposes. Yes, very good. Thank you very much. Let’s move on. The next interesting question. How

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else can you show courage by imitating Rahab? Please share. Brother Ilian. Rahab and her family set a very good example in how they obeyed the guidance they received from the moment the Israelite people arrived. They were not to leave their house. And they began to

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march around the city. In essence, Rahab and her family did not know how long all of this would last. It could have been difficult for them to keep following this guidance constantly. But they did it, and they were saved

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because of it. It is a good example that, in the future, for instance, during the great tribulation, we might also receive instructions but not know how long we need to follow them, so we too need to courageously and patiently

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follow these guidelines for as long as it takes. Yes, that’s great. Thank you, Sister Anaya, please. Well, Rahab also sets an example of courage by acting without delay when she received instructions from the spies. When they told her to hang the cord, when she saw

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that, well, we would approach the city walls—that is, when the Israelites finally came to the city and it was visible—she, as we read, hung that cord as soon as they left, even though they still had to spend three days in

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the mountains, and besides, she didn't know how long it would take them to return to the camp where the Israelites were. And why is that courage? Because others could have seen that cord and asked the question: "Why did you hang

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that there?" But she felt that the care for her loved ones, for their safety, rested on her, and she had to act without delay and do everything just as she was told. Yes, thank you for that detail as well. Please, Sister Marina.

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Well, also, the courage lies in the fact that Rahab took on the responsibility of warning her loved ones and helping them be saved. After all, she was not supposed to reveal information about the spies. Of course, we don't know exactly how she convinced

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her relatives and whether they all agreed to come to her house immediately . But the very fact that her relatives eventually gathered in that house and were saved shows that they, well, followed her advice and her instruction . And it turned out that she reached

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their hearts. Yes, thank you very much. Please, Brother Dmitry. Yes, her courage is also seen in that she was ready to take risks. Well, we really understand that with that cord, yes, those who were guarding the walls obviously must have noticed it. And

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with the fact that the Israelites were circling the city, they were closest to them, seemingly closest to danger, so this teaches me now that certain actions today can be associated with risk, right? It might seem risky to leave a position of Christian

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neutrality, or to preach. But we encounter reactions from people who are not always well-disposed toward us, yet we understand that these very actions lead to salvation. In fact, if Rahab had not done this, she could not have been saved. This convinces me now that

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I need to follow Jehovah's guidance, even if it might seem risky. But, in essence, that is exactly what saves lives. Additional light has been provided, so we can look at it more broadly. Yes, let's look at it more

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broadly. What have you learned about Jehovah from this account? Please share . Go ahead, Anton. About God, Jehovah.

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How was He different from the Canaanite gods? This was a God who fought for His people, rather than oppressing them. He set high moral standards for His servants, instead of corrupting them.

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This God valued women, unlike the Canaanite religion. They were merely objects for the satisfaction of sexual desires. Women were bought, sold, and used in disgusting religious rituals.

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Thank you. Yes, please, Brother Valery or Sister Tatyana. Another way Jehovah blesses His servants. Not only was Rahab spared, but because she developed such strong faith and showed it, confirming it with her deeds, Jehovah first kept her and her family alive,

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and that was enough in itself. But Jehovah—as recorded in the Bible, we read—even allowed her to become an ancestress of Jesus Christ. That is to say, so many blessings; only our loving Father, Jehovah, can do this. Thank you

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very much. And please, Sister Alexandra as well. Well, I really like how Jehovah constructively solved the problem that the Israelites were not— well, were not warriors. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. It is clear that no one trained them as

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warriors, yet Jehovah enabled them to win at the same time. And He showed other nations His power, the fact that it was a miracle. No one even had the thought that the Israelites could do this on their own strength. Yes, thank

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you very much. Let us consider the next question. How is this account related to Jehovah's purposes? Please, brothers . For example, last time we learned that 400 years before these events, Jehovah predicted that the time would come to punish the Amorites for their

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sins. Jehovah fulfilled this promise, and He fulfilled His promise to give the Promised Land. And the fact that Rahab became an ancestress of the Messiah also shows that Jehovah very consistently brought all His purposes to life, whether it be a promise for

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the near future or even for our distant future. Thank you very much. Please, Brother Dmitry. It is also interesting to see that Jehovah justifies His sovereignty by executing judgment on those who do evil. But at the same time

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, how does He do it? Yes, He looks for an opportunity to show mercy. And the fact that He actually gave Rahab the opportunity to be one of the ancestresses of His Son, that is truly impressive, isn't it? It is admirable

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how He acts, how merciful He is, and how willing He is to forgive. Yes, thank you very much. And please, Brother Yevgeny, one more. In countries where our activity is, let's say, banned, where a person cannot learn the

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truth because Christianity is punishable by death, for example, this case shows that for Jehovah, all things are possible, and he will never abandon sincere people who can come to love and serve him, and he will save them no

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matter what. One way or another, he will lead them out of such countries, bring them to the truth, and compensate for the loss they suffered by not being able to learn about him. Thank you, Zhenya. Please, Vyacheslav or Svetlana.

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Through his creation and through the way prophecies or the requirements he set for his servants were fulfilled, Jehovah assures us of his love and kindness. And it is clear how his words come to pass. That is, they walked

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around the city for 7 days, and the walls collapsed. So this was not the intervention of man or anything else.

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Only the hand of Jehovah could have done that. On one hand, it strengthens the faith of his servants. On the other hand, people learn how loving a God Jehovah is. He always keeps his promises, protects his servants, and

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gives them the opportunity to strengthen their faith in his promises. Thank you very much. And our last question for today. What would you like to ask Rahab when she is resurrected?

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Brother Alexey, Rahab married Salmon, and they had Boaz, through whom Jesus Christ came. I would like to ask Rahab how she met her husband and what her relationship with Boaz was like. Yes, an interesting question. Thank you.

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Will you tell us later? Yes. Thank you very much, dear brothers and sisters, for your comments. So, let's summarize our meeting. Today we talked about Jehovah as a righteous and merciful judge. In the first talk, attention was also drawn to what exactly we should be

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busy with in these last days, considering that Jehovah is a merciful God; he is not harsh and unyielding, but merciful and loving. Yes, the thought was expressed that we should be focused on continuing to preach diligently. Then, in the Christian Life

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and Ministry part, specifically in local needs, interesting thoughts were also expressed. For example, it is important to follow Jesus' example, not to worry about the future, but to focus on the present. Or the thought was also expressed about what Jesus did two days

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before the 14th of Nisan; he spent the day with his disciples. And your comments, thank you for sharing them, about how you cope with the anxieties of this time. What awaits us at the next meeting? At the next meeting, At

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the next meeting, we will talk about how we can help others experience Jehovah's mercy for themselves. And in the Christian life part, we will also discuss the theme: "Never forget what Jehovah remembers." We will also have a full program next week. There. Well, we

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can study it on our own so that our meeting can come to an end. Now we can sing song number 54 together. The song is called "Golgotha." And after the song, brother Leo will address Jehovah in prayer. Hello, hello, hello, hello,

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dear friends and brothers. How is everyone doing? Welcome to our consideration of this week's book study , October 26 to November 1, 2026. Thank you very much for being here today. And now we will begin our consideration. We

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have lesson 14, which talks about Rahab . And it tells us about the ways Rahab showed courage and she demonstrated courage in an extraordinary way in the following circumstances. She took Jehovah's side in an idolatrous and hostile city. Rahab lived in Jericho, a

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city condemned to divine judgment for its extreme wickedness. By siding with the Israelite spies, she was turning against her own people, her king, and her gods, which required immense courage; she risked her life to hide the spies. If the king's men discovered

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she was hiding the spies, they would have killed her without mercy. She hid the spies on the roof of her house and later helped them escape through the window. She lied to the king's men to protect Jehovah's servants. Rahab told

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the king's men that the spies had already left when in reality they were on her roof. Although the Bible condemns lying. In this case, she was protecting innocent lives from an evil government. Her deception was an act of

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faith and loyalty to Jehovah. She courageously negotiated the protection of her family. Rahab asked the spies to swear that she and her family would be spared when Israel destroyed the city.

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She had the courage to ask and to trust in their promise. She also had courage because she courageously negotiated the protection of her family. She asked the spies to swear that she and her family would be spared. When Israel destroyed

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the city, she had the courage to ask and to trust in their promise. She followed the instructions exactly, tying a scarlet red cord to her window.

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She kept the spies 'instructions secret and gathered all her family in her house. Her obedience was a mark of faith and courage. She left her immoral lifestyle behind. By joining Israel, she abandoned her old life and adopted the worship of Jehovah. This required

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enormous courage, as it meant giving up everything she had known. A little more . Decided on a life in Jericho. It must have been very difficult. Outcast, outcast socially. She was likely a woman despised by society; although her

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vice was tolerated, she was considered a person of ill repute and had no honorable place in the community.

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Insecurity and vulnerability. Life for a woman in the ancient world was dangerous. She was exposed to many difficult situations, had no legal or social protection, faced loneliness and hopelessness; she lived in a city full of wickedness and violence. Her life

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lacked purpose and hope. She likely longed for something better, a life with dignity and meaning. Knowledge of God. Despite her environment, she had heard of Jehovah and what he had done for his people. Her heart was receptive , and this led her to seek something

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better. She needed to leave her environment. She lived surrounded by idolatry, immorality, and fear. However , her heart did not harden; on the contrary, it turned to the true God.

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How do we know the spies did not go to Rahab's house with immoral intentions?

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We know the spies did not go with immoral intentions for several reasons. Their mission was military, not personal or for pleasure. They were sent by Joshua to scout the land of Jericho. Their purpose was to obtain strategic information, not to seek

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pleasure. Rahab's house was a strategic location. Her house was built into the city wall. It was an ideal place to hide and to escape quickly. Furthermore , she had contact with many people. and could provide useful information. The

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account does not mention any immorality . The Bible says the spies entered the house of a woman named Rahab and stayed there. And we see that the word "stayed " refers to spending the night, not to having relations or immorality. The

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context makes it clear that they went to lodge, not for immorality. She acted with faith and courage. The Bible praises Rahab for her faith and her works. If the spies had gone with bad intentions, it would not have been an

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act of faith, nor an example worthy of praise. The spies treated her with respect. The spies promised to protect her and her family, and they kept their promise. They did not treat her as an object, but as a valuable person. Why

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did Rahab have flax stalks on the roof laid out in rows? And what was flax used for? Rahab had flax stalks on the roof because flax was a common crop in Canaan. Flax was cultivated to produce linen. The flax stalks were left to dry

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on the rooftops of houses. She was processing the flax. Rahab was preparing the flax to make fabric. The process included cutting the stalks, letting them dry, separating the fibers , and then spinning. It was normal domestic work. Although Rahab was

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immoral, she also performed household tasks like processing flax. This shows that she was a hard-working and skilled woman. Flax was used to make clothing and fabrics. Flax was a highly valued material in antiquity. It was used to make clothing, linens, curtains, and

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priestly garments. It was an important product in the economy of Canaan. In the account, the mention of flax is a realistic detail that gives credibility to the story. It also shows that she hid the spies among the flax stalks, a

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place that was not suspicious to the king's men. Why was it not wrong for Rahab to deceive the king's men? For several reasons; she was protecting innocent lives. The spies were servants of Jehovah who were fulfilling a divine

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mission. If she had turned them in, they would have been eliminated. She chose to protect human lives over loyalty to a wicked government. She was in a war situation. Rahab was a civilian in a city condemned to judgment. Her deception was an act of

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war, not an everyday lie. In times of war, deceiving the enemy is a legitimate strategy to save lives. She acted out of faith. Hebrews 11:31 says that by faith Rahab was not destroyed like those who did not obey. Her

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deception was an act of faith in Jehovah and loyalty to His people. Jehovah rewarded her. He did not condemn her for her deception; on the contrary, He blessed her. She and her family were saved, and she came to be

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part of the people of Israel and the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Bible does not approve of lying in general. The Bible gives the commandment: "Do not lie." However, in extreme cases of conflict between God's law and human law, loyalty to God and

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the protection of life take priority. Rahab is an example that Jehovah values faith and loyalty above human conventions. Think about the lessons.

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Why did Rahab need courage to leave her immoral lifestyle and worship Jehovah like the Israelites? And what can those who are studying the Bible learn from her example? She needed courage for several reasons. A radical change of life. Leaving immorality meant giving

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up her only source of income. And her known way of life, a system of beliefs.

Topics:JehovahJeremiah 48Moabmercyrighteous judgeRahabcouragecongregation meetingBible studyministry

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