LET US SEARCH FOR HIDDEN PEARLS, Week of March 21 to 27, 2022, 1 Samuel 16 to 17, Answers.

LET'S SEARCH FOR HIDDEN PEARLS: March 21-27, 2022, 1 Samuel 16 to 17.

Let's look for hidden pearls (10 mins.)

1Sa 16:14. What does it mean that Saul received “an evil spirit from Jehovah”? (it-2 975 para. 1).

After these events and David's anointing as Israel's future king, Jehovah's spirit left Saul. By withdrawing his spirit from Saul, Jehovah made it possible for an evil spirit to possess him, deprive him of peace of mind, and stir up his feelings, thoughts, and imaginations in an improper way. Saul's failure to obey Jehovah indicated that God's spirit bent did not offer Saul any protection or strength to resist. However, since Jehovah had allowed the "evil spirit" to replace his spirit and terrify Saul, it could be called an "evil spirit from Jehovah," so Saul's servants referred to him as the "evil spirit." of God".

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

By withdrawing his spirit from Saul, Jehovah made it possible for an evil spirit to deprive him of peace of mind and stir up his feelings, thoughts, and imaginations in an improper way, and since Jehovah had allowed the “evil spirit” to replace his spirit, it could be called an evil spirit. “evil spirit from Jehovah” and only David's music could calm him down.

While Saul obeyed Jehovah's commands, he had the spirit of God that guided him at all times of his life. But when he became rebellious and David was chosen as the future king, the spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, therefore he began to have thoughts and imaginations in an improper way.

Saul's failure to obey Jehovah indicated that the inclination of his mind and heart was evil, and against such inclination protection or strength to resist. However, since Jehovah had allowed the "evil + spirit" to replace his spirit and terrify Saul, it could be called an "evil spirit from Jehovah."

It means that by withdrawing his spirit from Saul, Jehovah made it possible for an evil spirit to deprive him of peace of mind and stir up his feelings, thoughts, and imaginations in an improper way. As Saul did not obey Jehovah it indicated that the inclination of his mind and heart was evil, and therefore, the spirit of God did not offer Saul any protection or strength to resist. Thus, Jehovah had allowed the "evil spirit" to replace his spirit and terrify Saul, so that Saul's servants referred to him as the "evil spirit of God" or "an evil spirit from Jehovah." ».

For when Jehovah took away his holy spirit, Saul lost his protection, and became dominated by an evil spirit that came from himself, since the inclination of his mind and heart was evil, so God allowed that spirit to replace the holy spirit, that is why the evil spirit is called "an evil spirit from Jehovah."

What spiritual gems have you found about Jehovah, the ministry, and other topics in this week's Bible reading?

1 Samuel 16:1. Jehovah had decided to choose the new king of the nation of Israel, that is why he tells the prophet Samuel to go and find Jesse the Bethlemite and his children, it is curious that he does not mention the name of the chosen one and because of this Samuel may be He will ask how he would do Jehovah's work with those few instructions, even so he was obedient and went to fulfill that mission, likewise, we may receive instructions that may seem incomplete to us but we must be obedient and fulfill them.

1 Samuel 16:1. Samuel was so dismayed by Saul that he spent a period of mourning, but Jehovah helped him correct his point of view and told him that: "He had already chosen someone else to be the king of Israel." This teaches me: that to fulfill his will, Jehovah does not depend on imperfect human beings, who can be loyal today and tomorrow not. If someone he has chosen betrays him, he looks for another. Furthermore, it teaches me that Jehovah can help us respond to any disappointments and overcome our difficulties, and even he can turn the shocks and disappointments of life into blessings.

1 Samuel 16:5. Samuel told them that to accompany him to the sacrifice they had to sanctify themselves, this conveys the idea of ​​preparing in advance to be ready, without a doubt, we also make our efforts to prepare ourselves when we go to the meetings, we understand that they are also sacrifices, we want to do our best because it is for Jehovah, He looks favorably on our sacrifices.

1 Samuel 16:6. When Samuel sees Eliab, the eldest of Jesse's sons, he is impressed, because he has the bearing of a king, without a doubt he was a tall man. Samuel immediately concludes that he is the chosen one of Jehovah, this teaches us that as human beings our sight has an effect on what we think, in other words, appearances are sometimes deceiving, Samuel being the seer learned this, we are not better than Samuel, but we must learn not to get carried away by what our eyes see, since we could be wrong.

1 Samuel 16:6,7. Samuel is impressed to see Eliab's good appearance and stature, therefore, he concludes that he is the chosen one of Jehovah, but God rejects him, he is not impressed by his physique, because "he sees what the heart is". This teaches me: that unlike us, who will have to advance our opinion on what we see, Jehovah God sees beyond the physical appearance. Hence, he is called "the examiner of hearts." As he is not carried away by appearances, he does not care if we are tall or short, handsome or ugly, but what our hearts are like. So, let us keep striving to make our hearts act according to his will.

1 Samuel 16:7. The creator looks at what we are inside, not at the simple external appearance. Therefore, we must try to see others as Jehovah sees them and not by external appearances, which are often deceiving. It is true that God sees what the heart is, and that we must strive to adorn the secret person of the heart, even so the people of the territory and everyone in general see our external appearance, that is why the organization has motivated us to examine our appearance, we want to give the best within our possibilities, especially cleanliness and modesty, we avoid extravagant or flashy fashions and styles, even effeminate styles or fashions, all of us, both men and sisters, do well to take care of these details.

1 Samuel 16:7. When David was chosen to be king of Israel, God told Samuel that for his decision he looked at what was in David's heart, this shows us that the Creator looks at what we are inside, not at the simple external appearance, that detail is very encouraging because it shows us that Jehovah knows us perfectly and can understand us perfectly, even what is not seen with the naked eye.

1 Samuel 16:10,11. Why does 1 Chronicles 2:13-15 say that David was the seventh son of Jesse, when 1 Samuel 16:10,11 indicates that he was the eighth? Ezra wrote 1 Chronicles about 600 years after Samuel wrote the story of David. The Bible makes it clear that Jesse "had eight sons" as confirmed by 1 Samuel 17:12. Surely one of them died before causing himself and becoming a father. Leaving no descendants, he would have no part in the tribal inheritance nor would it affect the genealogical records of Jesse's lineage. So while Samuel gave the full record of Jesse's family, Ezra gives a genealogical record that affects descent in a legal sense.

1 Samuel 16:11. Jesse's response was like saying, "It's not possible that David is the one you're looking for." As the youngest and least important member of the family, David had been charged with tending the flock. But Jehovah sees what is in the heart, and evidently he had seen something very valuable in this young man; that's why he chose him. It is interesting that Jehovah chose the one who seemed less important, this reminds us of the broadcasting words about taking care of our enemy, the ego, if we think about who are the most important people in the organization we could quickly think about those who have privileges very high, but that is from a poor human perspective, because for Jehovah the most important people are those who make sacrifices for the Kingdom, support the preaching and endure tests that only Jehovah, Jesus and the holy angels know, they are the most important people, he quotes the words of broadcasting. So we avoid falling into the trap of seeking privilege to fill our ego.

1 Samuel 16:11. We must be careful not to look down on others for appearances, many people, believers in mind, have lost many blessings by looking down on others, says the Bible in Isaiah 53:2,3 many people seeing as little, without knowing who they had in front, today many people are enchanted by suits, watches, expensive rings, etc, but that does not mean that someone is spiritual, we want to treat all our brothers with respect and dignity equally, and without a doubt, we will receive many blessings for not making distinctions or small groups, among them the favor of Jehovah and the affection and love of our brothers.

1 Samuel 16:11,12. David was a young man tending sheep when God told Samuel to anoint him to be the next king of Israel, so Jehovah gave David a special privilege to serve him. This teaches me: that, today, too, Jehovah has opened before young Christians "a large door that leads to activity." So, young people have to decide how to use the attitudes that Jehovah has given them. If you dedicate your time and energy to serve God, you will have a life full of satisfaction and inner joy, and your efforts result in spiritual benefit to others and in praise of Jehovah.

1 Samuel 16:13. Samuel anoints David by pouring a special oil on his head, from that moment on, David's life will never be the same since the spirit of Jehovah would influence his life and one way in which he sees himself reflected that is who patiently waited for the guidance of Jehovah's spirit to know when he would assume greater responsibilities. In the meantime, he remained a humble pastor and carried out his work with great dedication and courage.

1 Samuel 16:14. We can safely say with this text as a precedent that when a dedicated servant, baptized, with earthly or heavenly hope, disobeys Jehovah again and again and does not repent or ask for forgiveness, such a person will not have God's blessing in his life, but things can get to the point where he develops a serious emotional instability, therefore, we must take care of how we walk, avoid overconfidence, and think that by having a very high responsibility in the organization we have spiritual immunity, or license to sin.

1 Samuel 16:15,16. Once Jehovah withdrew his spirit from Saul he began to feel despondent, disappointed, depressed and that made him upset and moody. For that reason, his counselors recommended that he find someone to help him find peace through music and this method worked at certain times. If we go through periods of depression or despondency, it can help to play an instrument or listen to relaxing music, music has helped in periods of crisis. It can be a remedy to cope with periods of anguish. On the Jw.org site there is music that helps to relax and also praise Jehovah.

1 Samuel 16:16. Music is a gift from God and it has an effect on how we feel, if we feel down we can put on a song that lifts us up, but the opposite is also true, therefore we must be selective with the music we put in our ears .

1 Samuel 16:16,17,23. The bible relates that Saul made David play the harp, so he felt better. He used music for a beneficial purpose: he used it to soothe his anguish. This teaches me: that the emotional power of music is a reality, that is why it is important that Christians be careful about the music we choose. Good music has a calming and therapeutic effect, contrary to that, improper music can carry serious dangers. Therefore, when listening to music we want to "keep making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord" so we show appreciation for this divine gift.

1 Samuel 16:18. An assistant of Saul spoke very highly of David, saying that "he knew how to express himself, he had a good presence and that the Lord was with him." So he pointed out that David was a spiritual young man with excellent qualities. This teaches me: that today also in the congregations we have many young people who by their way of speaking, good presence and excellent qualities show that Jehovah is with them. These spiritual young men who use their talents and energies to serve God earn the good reputation of others, but, mainly, they have the approval of Jehovah, who is happy and proud of them.

1 Samuel 16:21,22. It shows that David became a musician and a squire in the court of King Saul, when he was requested by the king, he did not make any excuses, today young people can learn a lot from the faith that David showed in his youth, and above all His example teaches us to always heed Jehovah's guidance.

1 Samuel 17:11. At the time of the problems, it was seen who Eliab really was, and although the Bible says that he and others were physically great, in the face of Goliath's threats, they ended up being great cowards. How did Eliab respond to this? Did he display faith that Jehovah could give him success in the fight against Goliath? No, Eliab made no effort to be brave in the face of the situation. He evidently responded like the other Israelites. Therefore, he did not have what it took to be king of Israel, it was more than just the bearing or outward appearance, he needed faith and trust in God.

1 Samuel 17:11. Saul and his men were discouraged because of Goliath and possibly, they made a very common mistake: comparing themselves with the giant, and that is that they barely reached his waist, they thought that, for Goliath, defeating them would be a piece of cake, but David did not think the same , this case teaches us never to compare ourselves with others, since doing so would only discourage us and lead us to think that we are not qualified to carry out certain responsibilities in the congregation.

1 Samuel 17:17, 18. The fact that it will be mentioned that David had to go to the battlefield because his father was sending provisions for his sons who were in Saul's army shows that at that time the Israelite warriors had to obtain their own instruments for war such as swords, spears, javelins, darts, slingshots, bows and arrows as well as food for their own sustenance.

1 Samuel 17:26. This is not a simple military content, but a confrontation between Jehovah and the gods of the Philistines. But Saul, the king of Israel, instead of courageously leading his army against God's enemies, is paralyzed with terror. In David's eyes, Goliath represents both the Philistines and their gods. With righteous indignation, the young man wants to represent Jehovah and Israel and fight against the pagan giant.

1 Samuel 17:26,30. David did not allow his brother's "accusation and negative opinion" to stop him from continuing to find out who the Philistine was who was challenging the army of the living God. This teaches me: that we should not allow “accusations and negative opinions” from others to stop us from serving Jehovah. Despite what the world thinks of us, we know that the only approval that really matters is Jehovah's and he is using us to accomplish extraordinary things, such as participating in the preaching work. So let us not allow such biased views to affect our ability to serve Jehovah.

1 Samuel 17:33. David was not a spoiled and spoiled rich boy, rather he was a young man with a lot of experience, more than others imagined, he knew it and also had Jehovah's blessing on him, this teaches us that we should not allow others to look down on us for being young, even if someone is small or young he can set a good example for others by his way of speaking, behaving and treating others, and certainly, the responsibilities of the congregation or the temptations, challenges will not intimidate him Although others tell him: "You can't", the example of David and many brothers and sisters confirms that it can be done, even if we seem small, our strength comes from God.

1 Samuel 17:37. To reassure Saul, David told him how he had killed the lion and the bear, but he recognized that such feats were thanks to Jehovah, David trusted God because he knew him and because he had already helped him. He knew from his own experience that Jehovah is a protecting God and that he keeps his promises. To have a faith like yours, we need to keep learning about the God of the Bible. If we put into practice what we learn, we will have good results, and that will also strengthen our faith.

1 Samuel 17:42,44. In Goliath's eyes, David was weak and helpless, so he began "to sneer at him and intimidate him by saying that he would feed him to the birds and animals of the field." This teaches me: that, today in schools, there are young people who have the same characteristics that Goliath shows, these bullies use verbal, physical abuse, social rejection or cyberbullying to make fun of, despise or intimidate others, this has made the Bullying is a very serious matter of life and death. So as Christian parents we teach our children to overcome aggressive tendencies, to live together in peace and to treat others with respect and dignity.

1 Samuel 17:49. David brought down a giant with a stone, without a doubt, his secret weapon was God, this teaches us that in our lives we will face giants, goliaths, we can be sure, but at the same time the opportunity to lean on Jehovah and face them, instead of run out of fear, everything we achieve will be thanks to Jehovah for the help he gives us.

1 Samuel 17:47-50. The story of David's victory over Goliath teaches us and encourages us to courageously face opposition or persecution instigated by enemies similar to Goliath because we will be able to recognize that Jehovah belongs to the battle and he will be by our side with us. to our enemies.