Treasures From God’s Word for the Week of March 8-14, 2027

Theme: Jehovah Remembers What We Do for Him

At times, what we do for Jehovah requires more effort than others can see. We may devote time and energy to preaching, but the results seem small. We might even wonder whether our efforts have any value. Ezekiel chapters 29 and 30 give us a reason to feel reassured. Through what Jehovah did for a king who did not even worship him, we learn something very comforting: Jehovah remembers what we do for him.

The account takes us to a military campaign against Tyre. Shortly after the fall of Jerusalem, that city rebelled against Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar besieged it. Tyre considered itself impregnable and resisted for years. It was not a quick or simple operation. Jehovah used the Babylonians to carry out that war, and he knew exactly what it had cost them. Let us notice how he described their effort at Ezekiel 29:18.

Ezekiel 29:18 — “Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army labor greatly against Tyre. Every head became bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his army received no wages for the labor he expended on Tyre.

The details of the verse help us imagine the soldiers’ exhaustion. The rubbing of their helmets had made their heads bald. In addition, carrying the materials for constructing siegeworks had rubbed their shoulders bare. It was not simply a matter of having devoted a great deal of time. They had endured exhausting physical work, with visible effects on their bodies. And the siege lasted for 13 years.

However, all that effort did not produce the expected spoil. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the part of Tyre located on the mainland, but most of its riches had been moved to a small island, about 800 meters from the shore. Since he had no fleet with which to capture it, those riches remained beyond his reach. Tyre eventually surrendered, but the campaign had been long and costly for the Babylonian king.

What do we learn from all of this? Jehovah did not overlook either the work that had been done or the lack of compensation. His description does not focus only on the outcome of the campaign; it also records the exhaustion it caused. This helps us to know him better. He can see much more than the visible results of an activity. But his attention did not stop at simply observing it. What would he do about that lack of payment?

The answer appears right away. Jehovah announced that Nebuchadnezzar would receive the land of Egypt and that its riches would serve as compensation for the army. It is interesting that Jehovah was the one who arranged that payment. Although the spoil of Tyre had escaped them, he had the ability to provide a reward in another way. Let us read how he expressed it at Ezekiel 29:19.

Ezekiel 29:19 — “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says, ‘Here I am giving the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will carry offits wealth and take much spoil and plunder from it; and it will become wages for his army.’

Egypt, with its riches, would be the wages for the service that Nebuchadnezzar had rendered as Jehovah’s appointed executioner against Tyre. The term “wages” conveys a clear idea: Jehovah recognized the work and decided to compensate it. Now, did the fulfillment of that announcement depend solely on Babylon’s military strength? We find the answer in another statement by Jehovah. Let us listen to Ezekiel 30:25.

Ezekiel 30:25 — I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he wields it against the land of Egypt.

The contrast is very clear: Jehovah would strengthen the king of Babylon, while Pharaoh would be left without strength. The picture of putting his sword into the hand of the Babylonian king indicates that Jehovah would use him to carry out His decision against Egypt. Thus, the announced compensation was not a wish that might never be fulfilled. Jehovah had both the intention to give it and the power needed to do so.

This strengthens our confidence in him. We are not comparing our Christian service with a military campaign; we are observing how Jehovah acted. He took into account a task that had been accomplished and arranged compensation. Therefore, we do not have to measure the value of our service only by the results we see right away. The One who values it can see more than we can. But there is still a detail that makes this account especially encouraging.

Why did Jehovah decide to compensate Nebuchadnezzar and his army? It was not because they were his worshippers. The Babylonians did not believe in him. Even so, they had performed work that Jehovah used to accomplish his purpose, and he did not forget it. In the following verse, he directly explains the reason for the compensation. That explanation allows us to connect the account with our own relationship with Jehovah. Let us read Ezekiel 29:20.

Ezekiel 29:20 — “‘As compensation for his labor against her, I will give him the land of Egypt because they acted for me,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.

Jehovah considered that campaign to be work done for him and decided to reward it. Here is the thought we can take to heart: If he did not forget what men who did not worship him had done, how much more will he remember what those of us who love him do. Our service has something that he values in a special way: the love that moves us to support his Kingdom. Therefore, no sincere offering lacks value because it is small.

For example, think of someone who has little energy and yet makes an effort to share in the ministry. Perhaps at the end, that person feels that he or she has done very little. Or think of someone with limited financial resources who nevertheless wants to contribute to support the Kingdom. From the outside, those contributions might seem small. However, Jehovah appreciates every offering that springs from love. The size of what we give does not tell the whole story.

If our heart makes us wonder whether Jehovah is pleased with our efforts, let us ask ourselves: Am I evaluating my service only by the amount of results I can count? Am I forgetting the love that moved me to do it? The account about the Babylonians invites us to correct that perspective. Jehovah does not forget even the smallest service we render in support of his Kingdom. Remembering this helps us to continue giving what our circumstances allow.

So let us meditate on this thought: If Jehovah remembered that work, why would he forget my sincere efforts for him? We do not expect material payment like the one Nebuchadnezzar received. We value the spiritual blessings that Jehovah already grants us and eagerly look forward to the joys of the new world. That perspective moves us to continue preaching and making disciples, not to receive human recognition, but because we love Jehovah and trust in his appreciation.

When it seems that our efforts go unnoticed, let us remember this account. Jehovah saw the work done against Tyre, arranged compensation, and explained why he would give it. With even greater reason, he values our service motivated by love. Let us continue using our time, energy, and resources to support the Kingdom, with this confidence: What we do for Jehovah, even if it seems small, is never forgotten.

More posts for this week

Week of March 8–14, 2027

Gems Spiritual Gems for the Week of March 8-14, 2027 View post →

Be Better Teachers Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry for the Week of March 8-14, 2027 View post →

Book Study Congregation Bible Study for the Week of March 8-14, 2027 View post →

The Watchtower Watchtower Study for the Week of March 8-14, 2027 View post →