Let's look for hidden pearls (10 mins.)
Thu 8:16 p.m. How was the sling used in ancient battles? (w14 5/1 11 ¶4-6)
The slingshot was a very deadly weapon in battles, since an experienced warrior could throw 250-gram stones at a high speed between 160-240 km/h and with precision. To do this, a smooth stone was placed in the sling in a piece of leather that has two straps tied at the ends that were caught with the hands, turned over the head and one of the two straps was released.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
For example this text says that 700 of the best soldiers could use "The sling and hit a hair without missing the shot". Also, in 1 Samuel 17:40-50 it says that David learned to use this weapon and with a "slingshot" he killed the giant Goliath. In addition, a relief has been found in the Middle East showing Assyrian slingers attacking a Jewish walled city. So an experienced warrior could throw stones at speeds of between 100 and 150 miles per hour. The truth is that "The sling" could be as deadly as a bow, and were used as a weapon in ancient battles.
The sling consists of a piece of leather or cloth with two straps or ropes tied to the ends. A smooth stone of between 5 and 8 centimeters (2 and 3 inches) in diameter and about 250 grams (9 ounces) was placed. Then he took the straps by the ends with one hand, turned the sling over his head and released one of the two straps; the stone was shot out with great speed and precision.
Many sling stones used in ancient battles have been unearthed in the Middle East. An experienced warrior could throw stones at speeds between 100 and 150 miles per hour (160 and 240 kilometers per hour). It is not known for sure if the sling had the same range as the bow, but it could be just as deadly. David killed the giant Goliath with a slingshot.
The sling consisted of a piece of leather or cloth with two straps or ropes tied to the ends. The owner of the weapon placed a smooth stone between 5 and 8 centimeters in diameter and about 250 grams in weight on the leather or cloth, then took the straps by the ends with one hand, turned the sling over his head and released one of the straps. two straps; the stone was fired with great speed and precision, which made it a deadly weapon.
Well, in this case, the soldier placed a smooth stone of about 250 grams on the leather of the slingshot, then with one hand he grabbed the straps by the ends, turned it over his head and released it at great speed and precision, and even the information explained that an experienced soldier could throw at great speed and accuracy, and even information explained that an experienced soldier could throw stones at 100 to 150 miles per hour.
What spiritual gems have you found about Jehovah, the ministry, and other topics in this week's Bible reading?
Judges 20:1,11. The men of Israel acted "in concert and fought together" against the Benjaminites. This teaches me: that to fight against Satan and face trials it is important that Christians act "in common accord and united." We should not do things individually or independently, rather, we all have to be united and trust in Jehovah's guidance. We are approaching a period in which unity will be extremely important, so it is now that we must learn to cultivate the unity that will be essential to save us in the future.
Judges 20:2. He mentions that the chiefs of the town and all the tribes occupied their positions in the congregation, without a doubt that everyone fulfilled their responsibility would contribute to a good organization, as it happens with the gears of a clock, in a similar way in our days we all occupy a place in the congregation, it is important that we occupy it, and that we willingly fulfill our assignments, without a doubt this good attitude will contribute to the harmony and good work of the congregation.
Judges 20:3. Israel went to demand accounts for the heinous crime that had been committed. Likewise, Jehovah will render an account for all the crimes that originate today, in the general society and against his faithful servants when he brings his Kingdom. God's justice will prevail over all the injustices we know.
Judges 20:3,4. The crime that took place in the city of Gibeah was widely known for what this Levite did by sending the remains of the concubine to each of the tribes of Israel. Although it was known to be a sin, the members of the other tribes approached the affected person and requested the exact information before acting. It is very wise and loving when the elders in the congregation, upon hearing about a serious sin committed by a member of the congregation, inform themselves about what happened by that same person to make a decision based on the laws and principles of Jehovah for the benefit of the person. involved and the congregation.
Judges 20:7. In the text we see that the Levite asked everyone's opinion and this reminds me of a proverb that says that in the multitude of advisers there is achievement, and that the elders also do when making a decision, they take into account the thinking of others and Jehovah and we can also follow his example when it becomes difficult for us to make a decision, we can rely on the brothers of our congregation to help us discern what Jehovah's way of thinking is.
Judges 20:8,11. The men of Israel "prepared a plan of action and took concrete steps" to go fight against the men of Gibeah who committed a depraved and shameful act. This teaches me: that we can imitate them, for example when making a decision or carrying out a project we need to "prepare an action plan and take concrete measures" to carry them out. This requires effort, time and dedication on our part, but above all we need to ask Jehovah for wisdom and strength to be successful in our decisions and projects.
Judges 20:8. By mutual agreement they decided that the horrible crime that had been committed could not and should not go unpunished, and for this there were true servants of Jehovah, we must not cover up the horrible crimes of other people, however, the reality is very different, we see that countless crimes have been committed and have gone unpunished, this confirms how much we need the change that only Jehovah and Jesus Christ can bring, we trust that they will give each one according to their deeds in due time.
Judges 20:3,12. When the men of Israel learned of what had happened against the Levite's concubine, they gathered together and began to investigate asking questions, this allowed them to better understand the situation before acting. This teaches me: that in the congregations when the elders judge some serious sin, first of all, they must know what really happened, therefore, they must investigate, “examine thoroughly”, ask questions in order to find out the facts of the case. The main purpose in doing so is to protect and maintain purity in the congregation, and if possible, to help the repentant sinner.
Judges 20:12. The tribes of Israel sent messengers to all the men of the tribe of Benjamin to ask them how it had been possible that such a horrible act had been committed among them, in retaliation, the other tribes went out to fight against Benjamin, with that it is shown that the Faithful servants of Jehovah, both past and present, do not tolerate the bad things that happen in the world.
Judges 20:12-13. The tribes of Israel sent messengers to ask those responsible instead of finishing them all off. This is how God's justice will be, Jehovah warns of his purpose as we are doing with the preaching, and at the appointed time he will bring his justice for the just and the unjust. No one will be able to say that they did not know the will of God, and his justice will take into account people who are sincere in heart. The tribe of Benjamin did not want to deliver or punish the men who had raped the Levite's concubine, their tolerance implied approval, so they were partly responsible for what happened. This teaches me: that we servants of Jehovah have a responsibility to report serious sins. So, if we know that someone has sinned, our duty is to advise him to ask the elders for help. We do not want to be permissive, passive or even indifferent,Rather, we should act when necessary, collaborate with the body of elders, and seek the well-being of the entire congregation.
Judges 20:13. The Israelites had a high sense of justice, the objective was to root out those who had perpetrated such a horrible crime, it is true that in our days we cannot eliminate anyone since the Bible and the laws of Caesar have another approach, but it is important that we love justice, and not give in to the temptation to downplay the serious faults of others, and leave them in oblivion, in our days it is something very common, the criminals go unpunished and go around doing their thing, but that does not change the fact that we will all be accountable to Jehovah for our actions.
Judges 20:12,14. We see that the Israelites manifested great zeal to keep themselves in good standing before God by removing evil, even at the cost of many lives and this is a great lesson for the congregations, to have the same way of thinking when it comes to accepting the decision of the elders when they have to expel someone to keep the congregation morally and spiritually clean.
Judges 20:18. The decision making that the nation of Israel had to do was very serious and they wanted to make the best decision according to Jehovah's will. That's why they asked for his answer and somehow Jehovah. So they asked for his answer and somehow Jehovah let them know what action they should take. Thanks to Jehovah and his organization, today we have innumerable aids to make decisions according to God's will. His word the Bible, the publications, brothers with a lot of experience in the congregation as the elders. We will certainly find Jehovah's answer when making decisions through any of these aids that are available to us today.
Judges 20:19,23. This text teaches me that even when one seeks Jehovah's guidance, our path of service to Jehovah may be difficult, this illustrates very well the situation of our sisters who have unbelieving husbands, it may be difficult to serve receiving opposition from their relatives, but As we see that does not mean that we are wrong, because in the end things may improve and if they do not, we still have Jehovah who will reward us for being loyal to him.
Judges 20:21,22. Although on two occasions Jehovah authorized the attack on Benjamin, 40,000 of the other tribes were killed on those occasions. Apparently this imposed a great test on the faithful tribes with respect to justice. Apparently Jehovah wanted to see if they would be persistent in rooting out this moral evil. When we seek Jehovah's guidance in making decisions, we want to be persistent in finding the answer from Jehovah. In a first search, we may not have Jehovah's complete answer, but if we insist on finding it, he will help us to have the most effective solution to maintain an excellent relationship with him.
Judges 20:23. Jehovah's discipline is impartial, especially when he has given warning and exact knowledge, those who commit serious sins premeditatedly and brazenly cannot expect Jehovah's blessing, they still have time to repent and seek God's forgiveness while there is still time left. weather.
Judges 20:23,26. The example of the Israelites teaches me that when we are going through a problem we must be constant in prayer, in this way we will show that we really want to do the will of Jehovah. And as Jesus said if we keep knocking or knocking we will surely receive an answer from Jehovah in due time.
Judges 20:26-28. We may wonder why Jehovah allowed the tribes of Israel to be defeated by the tribe of Benjamin, for by allowing the faithful tribes to suffer huge losses initially, Jehovah was testing their resolve to eradicate wickedness from Israel and if the motives behind encouraged them to fight were the right ones, so whatever we set out to do, let's make sure we do it for the right reasons.
Judges 20:32. Just like the Benjaminites, Satan's world and system can come to think that they are defeating God's people. When in fact the purpose of God and the instructions with his people are very clear and soon the final attack will come where God puts an end to all the current evil and corruption.
Judges 20:35-38. Without losing his trust in God for a moment, Phinehas, the high priest, asked Jehovah if they should still go out to battle against the Benjaminites or no longer. Jehovah answered his prayer by allowing the army to defeat the Benjaminites and burn and destroy the Benjamites. razed Gibeah, this teaches us that, after all, it is always necessary to seek Jehovah's guidance to know how to act, we must do it too, especially when we make decisions that affect our entire lives.
Judges 20:40-42. The Benjaminites did not see what fell on them and they were terrified. We know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, at any moment, the world will not see it coming. And that is why, as we don't know either, we have to be prepared now because it could be right now, in an hour, tomorrow, the day after, in months or years. We must always be ready in our service to God.
Judges 20:46,48. A single action in Gibeah brought fatal consequences to this city and to the tribe of Benjamin. If action had been taken immediately to punish criminals according to Jehovah's law, all these deaths and other consequences would have been avoided. Let us never think that a serious sin in the congregation can be overlooked or minimized thinking that it will not affect the other members of the congregation. First of all we want to keep Jehovah's name clean. Furthermore, our responsibility is to uphold Jehovah's laws in their proper place.
Judges 21:5. The tribes of Israel swore an oath: that anyone who did not go up to Mizpah to "gather before the Lord" would have to die. This teaches me: and remember the importance of not neglecting the sacred occasions of "gathering together before the Lord." Our absence from a weekly meeting can affect our spiritual well-being, so meeting regularly is essential. As the end draws near, we must be more determined than ever not to miss out on Christian meetings and play our part in making them uplifting and a source of comfort to all.
Judges 21:8,10. The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead, men, women and children, were punished by death because they did not participate in the fight against the tribe of Benjamin. This teaches me: that, without a doubt, children can suffer the consequences of that, without a doubt, children can suffer the consequences of the behavior of their parents. This should make us parents reflect on how our own behavior can significantly affect our children. If parents "are in fear of the name of God, the sun of justice may shine" to the blessing of our entire family. Therefore, let us do what is right in Jehovah's eyes.
Judges 21:13. After everything that had happened, the people of Israel sent a message to the Benjaminites who were on the rock of Rimmon and offered them peace, this was more to guarantee the continuity of the tribe of Benjamin and its distribution in the Promised Land, the offspring of one of Jacob's sons and the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Judges 21:15. The text says that Jehovah had created division in the people, there are times when divine discipline creates division, there are people who believe that God is all the time patient, and loving, and he is, but his love and patient, and loving, and it is, but his love and patience have limits, and consequences, today we do not eliminate anyone physically, even so there are many who criticize us for our firm position for those who insist on sinning and not repenting, a division is created, it might seem contradictory, we trust and obey Jehovah at all times as the faithful Israelites did.
Judges 21:18, 19. Faced with the problem of repopulating the tribe of Benjamin, the rest of the Israelites found the solution in the women who went to the feast for Jehovah in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, in this way they guaranteed that the tribe of Benjamin continue to exist and secondly so that they do not look for foreign women who did not know Jehovah, every Christian who thinks of marrying should do so with someone who is from Jehovah's people.
Judges 21:19-21. This occurred to them to somehow cheat the oath they had made with God. In a way, as servants of Jehovah we know what the Bible and its biblical principles say. These are just as they are written in the Bible, we should not interpret them in a way that favors our decisions or supports our wishes. The Word of God is very clear and exact.
Judges 21:21. This text mentions the "circle dance" performed by women in connection with the annual festival held in Silo. This shows us that the dance was part of the fun of the Israelites and the harvest time became an occasion for celebration and joy. This teaches me: that dance is a gift from our Creator Jehovah, it is a means in which we can reflect fun or joy. However, Christians make sure to dance in a healthy environment to the beat of properly selected music, which contributes to pleasure and enjoyment without causing us bad consequences.
Judges 21: 25. In this chapter and those of last week, we have seen how not having a king in Israel, each one did what they wanted, and for them things were fine. This teaches us how necessary a guide and direction is, otherwise, everyone would do what they think and be fine. Therefore, let us respect the divine instructions and guidance given to us by Jehovah's organization on earth. During the time of the judges, there was a phrase that said, in those days there was no king in Israel. Each one did what seemed good to him, however, the nation did have the norms established in the Law, so that, with the help of the elders and the instruction of the priests, the people had the basis to 'do what he was right in his own eyes' without fear of being wrong. What's more,the Law code prescribed that sacrifices be offered in a portable tabernacle or temple. This was the center of true worship, which helped hold the nation together during that period.
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