SPIRITUAL GEMS: Week of October 31 to November 6, 2022, 2 Kings 3 to 4, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS:, October 31 to November 6, 2022, 2 Kings 3 to 4, Answers.

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

2Ki 4:38. Who were probably "the sons of the prophets"? (it-2 728 para. 3).

To understand it better, we first have to know what the expression "Children of" means. A certain literary work mentions that the Hebrew term “ben” which means son or “benéh” which means sons, may indicate that it belongs to a guild or society or also a defined tribe or class, that is why the expression “Sons of the prophets » It is possible that a school of instruction is designated for those who had been called to this vocation or simply a group of prophets who helped each other.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

It may be that they were people who had been called to this vocation, possibly also prophets who helped each other. And being in a group indicates that they all lived in one place and shared accommodation, possibly that is also where individual assignments were received to release prophetic emotions.

It is mentioned that there were such groups at Bethel, Jericho, and Gilgal, and Samuel was presiding over a group at Ramah, and it seems that Elisha held a similar position at this time. 

In 2 Kings 6:1-7. The record mentions that they built their own place to dwell and that they used borrowed tools, which seems to indicate that they lived modestly. Although they often shared room and board, they may also have received individual assignments to go on prophetic missions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ANSWERS BASED ON THE OCTOBER 2012 WATCHTOWER,  Did You Know?

Biblical accounts of the prophets Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha make mention of the "sons of the prophets." For example, when Elisha saw to it that Jehu was made king of Israel, he sent "one of the sons of the prophets" to anoint him.

Scholars believe that the term refers to a school of instruction or a group of prophets who helped each other, and not to the literal sons of the prophets. According to the Journal of Biblical Literature, the members of these groups were likely men who “were engaged in the service of Yahweh [Jehovah] under the guidance of a prophet who was . . . his spiritual father.” Indeed, the account of Jehu's anointing refers to Elisha's envoy as "the servant of the prophet."

It gives the impression that "the sons of the prophets" lived modestly. For example, in Elisha's time one such group used a borrowed ax to build itself a dwelling place. Furthermore, the reference to the widow of one “of the sons of the prophets” implies that some of them were married. Faithful Israelites no doubt appreciated these servants of God, and there is written record of one instance in which they provided them with food.

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

2 Kings. 3:11. We see that it is possible that Elisha served Elijah for 6 years. During all that time he was the one who poured water on Elias's hands, which means that at that time people used to eat with their hands without any kind of cutlery, as we see some of Eliseo's tasks were quite simple or common, but even so, it was an honor for him to serve Elijah. This text teaches us that just like Elisha we must also make all kinds of assignments, even if they seem to be of little value, because we must see the assignments as Jehovah sees them and value them by fulfilling them as Elijah did, if we do it we will be demonstrating that it is a It is an honor and a privilege to serve Jehovah in whatever assignment we may have.

2 Kings 3:4. We see that King Mesha of Moab raised sheep, the text mentions that it was a very large amount, since at that time having a large flock constituted considerable wealth. as we see he did not do it out of necessity, but to get fortune, so to speak he did it with a wrong objective. This teaches me that Jehovah also has many sheep but unlike this king, he does not look at us as if we were merchandise, if not quite the opposite, he sees us as sheep that need care and protection, that is why we should feel happy to have such a loving God.

2 Kings 4:43. We see that the prophet miraculously multiplies the food, these texts give us hope and reinforce our faith in the purpose that Jehovah in the future will fulfill the prophecy that there will be food in abundance under his Kingdom.

2 Kings 4:7. We see that Elisha helped this woman since her husband had served Jehovah, especially what you teach us that although miracles like the ones Elisha did for this woman are not performed today, we do have a great spiritual family on which we can lean when We are going through difficult situations.

2 Kings 4:3. It teaches us that when we pray to Jehovah he is not going to miraculously remove our problems, what he indicates is that we must also make an effort and act according to Jehovah's commandments and that way we can see Jehovah's help in the decisions we make. .

2 Kings 4:26. We see the faith that this woman had in Jehovah, since although her son was dead and she told her husband that everything is fine and went to look for the prophet, what it teaches us is that we must have confidence in the resurrection of what is a reality and will help us to have the strength to be calm to make wise decisions.

2 Kings 3:22. We see how Jehovah uses nature to confuse enemies, so he could obtain a great victory and what teaches us that Jehovah is very powerful, so we should not be afraid of humans. Since he can use the forces of nature in order to save the people from him. 

2 Kings 3:18-24. It shows that through the prophet Elisha, Jehovah foretold that he would deliver Moab into the hands of the Israelites and this was fulfilled when the Israelites entered killing its inhabitants as they went. This teaches me a biblical truth: the word of the Lord is faithful and always fulfilled. Therefore, these verses can be used in the Ministry to illustrate this truth.

2 Kings 3:14. Jehovah responds out of consideration for Jeosaphat but not for the other kings, because they had done what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, what he teaches us is that our worship of Jehovah must be kept clean and not polluted with doctrines or beliefs of religion false since this would lead us away from us the spirit of Jehovah. 

2 Kings 3:22-24. He shows that in the reflection of the dawn light, the water in the newly formed ditches gave the impression of blood, which made the Moabites think that the kings had killed each other. But when they entered the Israelites' camp, the Israelites attacked them to kill them. This teaches me that Jehovah can choose to use natural phenomena to accomplish his purpose.

2 Kings 3:2. It teaches us that the example of parents significantly influences their children, of course, this is not decisive, since there have been cases in which there are excellent parents who have had children who have gone astray, and parents who have not been good examples and have had excellent children. Without a doubt, this makes us reflect on the serious responsibility of being parents and how we are doing it, since we will be accountable to God for what we did or did not do.

2 Kings 4:2. The prophet showed personal interest to ask What can I do for you?, without a doubt this is a quality that we appreciate in others, Especially in those who take the lead, When our named brothers manifest personal interest in the sheep of Jehovah and help giving orientation and practical help, is something that helps us to trust them and the organization.

2 Kings 4:2. This woman was enterprising, hardworking, she asked the prophet for help, Who gave her a good idea and she had a good attitude, as a result she was blessed, Sometimes we need an idea. Which when combined with our good attitude, results in many blessings from Jehovah, But if we do not have a good attitude, and we are not workers and we expect others to do everything, we will not get very far.

2 Kings 4:43. The word of Jehovah is always fulfilled, if he has said that he will take care of his servants and he will not lack anything, this will be so, without a doubt. In fact, that is how it has been, He has taken care of us all this time, before confinement, during and now in another stage after the pandemic, He continues to take care of us.

2 Kings 4:8-10. Eliseo gives us a great example of again using the hospitality and generosity of others, he was a grateful man and valued the hospitality of that woman, and he wanted to show it by supporting us with something in return, If someone shows us generosity or support we must be grateful people, willing to collaborate in whatever is needed as Eliseo did. 

2 Kings 3:11. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining humility, the goal is to serve our brothers instead of coveting a position in the congregation, thinking that it is only about commanding, this ambitious way of thinking could make us a real threat to the brothers of the congregation. congregation, but if we remain humble we will be a true blessing, not because of the place we hold, but because of our good attitude of service. 

2 Kings 4:8-11. It shows that an important woman from Shunem, realizing that Elisha was a holy name of God, agreed with her husband to make a room on the roof to house him every time the prophet visited the place. This teaches me that as Christians it is okay to make efforts and even sacrifices if that is the case in order to be hospitable. especially with our brothers in faith.

2 Kings 3:7. It shows that Jehoshafat the king of Judah showed unconditional support for Jehoram the king of Israel to win the battle against Moab, because they recognized that it was one people. This teaches me that today we all have to make efforts to strengthen the bonds of friendship in the congregation because we are one people, the people of Jehovah. 

2 Kings 4:23. It shows that Elisha performed the miracle of multiplying food to feed the sons of the prophets. Approximately 100 people, only with 20 loaves of bread and a bag of grains, saying they would eat and there would be leftovers. This teaches me that as long as we are faithful and loyal to Jehovah, we will never lack food, even in times of scarcity. 

2 Kings 4:11. It shows that a Shunammite had a room built and conditioned on the roof of her house so that Elisha would use it whenever he visited Shunem, because she highly valued the work that the prophet was doing. This teaches me that we can also make some arrangements in our home to accommodate the traveling Overseer when he visits our congregation, as a sign that we highly value his work in the Kingdom work.

2 Kings 3:11. He shows that Elisha served Elijah for 6 years and among his tasks was to pour water on his hands after eating to wash them. Although this was a humble task, Elisha saw it as a great honor. This teaches me that when we help clean the Kingdom hall and the places where we gather to hold our assemblies, we should also see it as a great honor since we are working for Jehovah, the ruler of the universe.

2 Kings 4:34-36. He shows that after earnest supplication to Jehovah. The prophet Elisha embraced the inert body of a child and the miracle of resurrection took place and also shows that the joy her mother felt was as if she too had been brought back to life. We can use this story in the Ministry to teach that this resurrection was only a small sample of what Jehovah will do when he fulfills his promise to bring the dead back to life and we can also use it to give comfort and hope to those who are grieving. 

2 Kings 4:8-37. He shows that by his sixth miracle Elisha rewarded the Shunammite woman's hospitality by causing her to have a son and he also shows that his seventh miracle was precisely raising that son from the dead. We can use this account in the Ministry to teach that even today Jehovah grants blessings to those who willingly welcome his witnesses and the Kingdom message.

2 Kings 4:8-37. He shows that Elisha by his eighth miracle made a poisonous stew become wholesome by adding flour to it, and in this way he was able to feed the sons of the Prophets. We can use this story in the Ministry to illustrate that in times of famine Jehovah has always found a way to provide food for his servants, thus fulfilling his promise that he would always take care of his people.

2 Kings 4:38-41. The Hebrew word translated "pumpkins" appears in the Bible only in connection with an incident in the days of Elisha during a time of famine when someone had gathered some little-known wild pumpkins and sliced ​​them into the stew pot, when the Others tried it, they were afraid of getting intoxicated and stopped eating, but Eliseo miraculously cured the stew.

2 Kings 4:8-13 . It is very likely that the Shunammite was one of the people that Jesus had present when he said, whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, even though he had been barren for many years, gave birth to a son and received divine help Again during the seven-year famine that struck the country, this poignant account reminds us that our kind treatment of God's servants never goes unnoticed by our heavenly Father.

2 Kings 3:26, 27. When King Mesha was trapped, he took his firstborn son and offered him as a burnt sacrifice on the wall, in his religion it was common to offer his own children as a sacrifice in order to appease anger of his gods, therefore, it is understandable that Mesha, a worshiper of Chemosh, resorted to such drastic measures, for he faced imminent defeat.

2 Kings 3:22. With the reflection of the light of dawn, the water gave the impression of being blood, perhaps because the soil of the newly formed ditches was reddish mud, Jehovah can choose to use natural phenomena to achieve his purposes and that can happen in the future.

2 Kings 3:11. Elisha would pour water on Elijah's hands since, at that time, people used to eat with their hands, without any kind of cutlery and the servant would pour water on his master's hands to wash them, some of Elisha's tasks were quite simple and common; even so, for him it was an honor to serve Elijah, likewise, we must view with humility every task we do in the congregation.

2 Kings 3:4. In biblical times, wool was an important commercial item, that is why the king of Moab paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand unsheared lambs and one hundred thousand rams, these sheep were sent unsheared because their abundant wool increased their value.