Living Clean in a Dirty World
Quotes from RVIC
Living clean is embodied in the four attributes of Jehovah God Almighty:
“Four living creatures … they had the faces of a man; and they four had the faces of a lion on the right side; and they four had the faces of an ox on the left side; they four had also the faces of an eagle” (Ezekiel 1:5, 10).
“And every one had four faces: the first faces were the faces of the cherub, and the second faces were the faces of a man, and the third the faces of a lion, and the fourth the faces of an eagle” (Ezekiel 10:14).
“And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a bullock, and the third living creature had the face as of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7).
These four attributes are specifically identified in Psalm 89:14: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne: Lovingkindness and truth go before thy face.” These are in the same order as in the Revelation scripture. We often say: Power, Justice, Love, and Wisdom.1
Note the sequence: Man (love), cherub (justice) and lion (power). Loving creating of life, Justly redeeming man by the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and Power in resurrection from the dead.
COUNTERFEIT CHARACTERISTICS
There are four description names for Satan in Revelation: “the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 20:2, 12:9). These may connect to four counterfeit characteristics of Satan: The tyrant (vs. righteous power), the deceiver (vs. wisdom or truth), the accuser (vs. love), the enemy (vs. justice).2 Which characteristics do I resemble? and how consistently?
- Righteous power or tyranny? “How art thou fallen from heaven, O day‑star, son of the morning … thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God … I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12‑14). Yet “God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
- Truth or Deceit? “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall surely not begin to die … “ (Genesis 3:4). “The way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Peter 2:2). “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
- Lovingkindness or Accusation? “for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). “Love covereth a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). [Is love sometimes to thin to cover?] “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends” (Proverbs 17:9).
- Justice or Enmity? The earliest that our Adversary is called ‘Satan’ is in Job (1:6). But we are assured that Satan will be bound for a thousand years and then destroyed a “little time” later (Revelation 20). “He that giveth answer before he heareth, it is folly and shame unto him” (Proverbs 18:13).
MODERN TEMPTATIONS
- Fear: If you are a responsible employee, and you are told to approve something for which you are responsible, but you have reason to believe the product is not ready, will you sign off on it? If you are threatened with being fired if you do not? (If you sign off on it, and the product fails, you may lose your job anyway.) Would you prefer to be fired because you did right, or because you did wrong?
- Temper: It is bad to have a temper, and worse to lose it.
- Patience: We must listen to others (at a Fair booth, for example). Therefore we should do as well to brethren, listen thoughtfully.
DECEIT
“No soldier in active service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). This world wants to entangle us in social programs, politics, etc., so not witnessing; if you are not on their side they will alienate you, or worse.
- Is there a “little white lie”? Big bad lies hatch from nests of “little white lies.”
- How to tell deceit: Those who lack verified fact are driven to emotion. Does that describe me?
- What to believe, when two or more sides are accusing each other of lying? Consider Israel. Its enemies tell their women and children to act as human shields, because the IDF won’t shoot them. Then Israel is condemned because supposedly‑civilians die. Hadassah hospital heals even Israel’s enemies, but the U.N. condemns Israel for supposed human rights violations (more than Syria, Iran, North Korea, or any other nation).
“Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim” (Genesis 15:18‑20). “I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, saith Jehovah thy God” (Amos 9:15). Evidently Israel‑haters are lying and are fighting against God; let them go their way.
ACCUSATION
- In this world: If you are guilty of something, accuse your opponent before he accuses you. When we hear a barrage of accusations, look to see if it is a cover for the accuser’s own sins.
- Honest people are put down as: Islamophobic, homophobic, xenophobic, misogamist, sexist, bigoted, Nazi, Fascist, anti‑Semitic, (or if you are black, you are dismissed as) Uncle Tom … (Ever hear the media say, Christophobic?) (Does a mob cover its use of Fascist methods by calling itself anti‑Fascist?)
ENMITY
- Look to find a way to de‑fuse hostility. Br. Edward Fay was challenged by an irritated co‑worker: “How does it feel to be always right?” He gently replied, “Lonely, very lonely.”
- Haters are they who most accuse others of hate speech.
- Each sinner is potentially salvable in Kingdom. We need to treat others according to what they probably will be, not according to what they do now, deceived by the god of this world.
CONCLUSION
Let each of us ask self: What characteristic is my biggest problem? Power over others or power to help others? “Little white lies” or truth? Faultfinding or lovingkindness? Harboring a grudge or justice in all things? Work on it!
— James Parkinson
(1) Connecting Psalms 89:14 to the four attributes of God is not an uncommon connection. However, it is not as clear as one might wish. One of the editors observes (and another concurs): The Psalms reference seems weak. How “righteousness” morphs into “righteous power” needs to be explained. Also, “righteousness” contrasted with “justice” needs to be clearer. Or is this just saying, “righteousness” = “justice”? I like the thought “righteous power,” but I am not sure the Hebrew supports this thought.
(2) One of the editors suggests that falsely accusing contrasts with justice, and opposing as an enemy contrasts with love.