SPIRITUAL GEMS 2022: Week from December 26 to January 1, 2023, 2 Kings 20 to 21, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS 2022: December 26-January 1, 2023, 2 Kings 20 to 21, Answers.

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

2Ki 21:13. In what sense would Jehovah use a level to measure Jerusalem? (it-2 492).

Jehovah would use a level to measure Jerusalem in the sense that he would check its degree of perverse morality, that is, Jehovah would judge Jerusalem and its rulers to expose their iniquity. And then he would cause the destruction of her just as he had done Samaria and Ahab's house before.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

In the sense that God would judge Jerusalem and its rulers, and would do so by exposing their iniquity and causing the destruction of that city, How it happened in the year 607 before the common era.

The Leveling Instrument served as a basis to later verify if a structure was well made. When Jehovah said that he would use his standard, he meant that he would use his righteous standards as a standard that he would use to check how Jerusalem had acted in following these righteous standards. And we see that Jerusalem was not up to it, since it exposed the iniquity and the bad way of acting of its rulers.

Just as good builders use a level instrument to verify the construction of a building and its subsequent structure. Jehovah predicted that he would use the same measuring line with Jerusalem and its rulers that he applied to Samaria and the house of Ahab. This warning was received through the Prophet Isaiah and its fulfillment would reveal who the true servants of God were, since it would result in life while those who were not would result in destruction.

Through Isaiah the wicked and boastful rulers of the people, who were in Jerusalem, received a warning of coming calamity and the declaration of Jehovah. The standards of true law and genuine justice would reveal who really were God's servants and who were not, resulting in life or destruction. This was not only for God's people of old, but also in modern times, as Jehovah measures his servants as a group and individually to see if they measure up to his standards, this lays bare what is in our heart.

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

2 Kings 21:37. It shows that Manasseh put in the house of Jehovah the carved image on the holy pole that he had made instead of obeying the warnings of God's prophets. Manasseh flooded Jerusalem with idolatry, this account warns us that we must be very careful not to fall into idolatry in order to keep our worship pure so that Jehovah approves it.

2 Kings 21:9. We see that Manasseh's wrongdoing had consequences for others and affected the people, leading them to indulge more in worshiping false gods, which teaches us that when we do wrong, the fruit of this not only affects us but also other people.

In the text of 2 Kings 20:9-14. We see how Hezekiah boasted of the wealth that he had, but this was expensive for him, as Babylon ended up taking all the treasure that Hezekiah had shown him. What it teaches us is that we should not be showing off what we have achieved or obtained, for example: Assignments, privileges or responsibilities in the congregation, since everything we have is thanks to the blessing that Jehovah gives us and not to our own talent or ability, since without Jehovah we could achieve nothing.

2 Kings 21:3. It shows that Hezekiah gave his son a good example, but he did not follow in his footsteps, which shows the parents that even if we set a good example for our children to serve Jehovah, they can choose a different decision from the one we instilled in them, So we should not feel discouraged, because Jehovah knows that we did everything possible to teach our children the ways of Jehovah.

2 Kings 20:5. We see that Jehovah is merciful, since upon seeing Hezekiah's crying he showed him compassion and healed him. This fact teaches us that the God we serve is not a frivolous or emotionless being, on the contrary, he is a God who pities his servants and is attentive to his physical and spiritual needs.

2 Kings 20:9. We see Jehovah's patience because when Jehovah had already told him that he would heal him, Hezekiah still asked him for a test and I am willing to give it to him. This makes us have more love for the God we serve. 

2 Kings 21:10-15. He shows that both the ten-tribe kingdom and the two-tribe kingdom were led into captivity for the same cause of abandoning the true worship of Jehovah in favor of false ones. This teaches me that if a Christian neglects his spirituality, he can also fall into the captivity of Satan by allowing himself to be seduced by the things of the world. Hence, we must always be alert.

2 Kings 20:12. A show of Christian love is to make gifts to our brothers, widows, needy, precursors, advanced age, young people, singles, married and children. Since Jehovah likes us to be generous with other brothers, it could be a card, some monetary object, Of course, it is not something that we publish on social networks. But Jehovah, Jesus, the saints and angels take pleasure in generosity.

2 Kings 20:3. We should beware of showing off to others, or acting recklessly by revealing too much private information about ourselves to others, as this could be used against us when we least expect it. The organization has taught us by example that there are certain things that are confidential and private and should not be revealed to others.

2 Kings 21:6. Sin is wrong but this verse teaches us that sin has different scales of severity, it says "On a large scale what was wrong", when someone commits a mistake you have to learn to discern the severity but above all the attitude of the person. 

2 Kings 20:12. The king of Babylon sent a gift to Hezekiah, but it was not because he esteemed it, it was more of a trap. Like a Trojan horse, sometimes a disguised enemy might give us a gift in order to learn more about us and then move against us. That is why we must take special care of those enemies disguised as friends.

2 Kings 20:3. Perhaps Hezekiah displayed all that wealth to impress the king of Babylon as a possible ally against the King of Assyria. Of course, this action could have aroused the greed of the Babylonians. The Prophet Isaiah was against all science or dependence on Babylon, which for so long had been an enemy of God, therefore, when he heard how Hezekiah had treated the Babylonian messenger, he pronounced the prophecy inspired by Jehovah that in time I will see him where they would take everything, including some of Hezekiah's descendants, to their land.

2 Kings 20:10. Some say this refers to the steps or degrees of a sundial for measuring time, and it is possible that Hezekiah's father obtained such a sundial in Babylon, since the use of sundials extends beyond from the 8th century BC, both in Babylonia and Egypt. However, the Jewish historian Josephus, in discussing the story, says that these house steps were in his house, apparently indicating that they were part of a staircase. There may have been a column placed along the steps to receive the sun's rays and cause a shadow to spread gradually along the steps and serve as a measure of time. The executed Miracle evidently had transcendental effects, in any case, Jehovah performed a miracle.

2 Kings 21:16. One of Manasseh's sins was that he shed so much innocent blood, it was so much that he filled Jerusalem from one end to the other. That is why Jehovah did not grant him forgiveness, but this guilt remained as a stain on Israel. This teaches me that today it is the same, many nations and ethnic groups are guilty of the injustices and the bloodshed of more than 100 million human beings. Jehovah loves life, therefore there is no doubt that those guilty of shedding innocent blood do not deserve to live, which is why he will execute sentence against them very soon.

2 Kings 20:20. This text mentions that Hezekiah made the pool and the aqueduct that carries water to the city, many archaeologists wondered how it was built and why a sinuous path was used and not a straight one, the excavations show that Hezekiah followed the serpentine path of a natural channel under the hill so this was a real feat of engineering. This teaches me that humans have the ability to learn from natural designs. But who gets the most credit is the supreme engineer and the great designer Jehovah, also once again archeology confirms the veracity of the Biblical accounts.

2 Kings 20:12-17. Hezekiah showed the Babylonian messengers all his treasure house, this presumptuous act created a problem for him, because as the Prophet Isaiah said all this would be plundered by Babylon and there would be nothing left. This teaches me how reckless it is to flaunt the possessions we have. Christians do not want to arouse greed in others, rather the wisdom of the Bible has taught us that modesty and respect and humility are the pillars of true friendship and that we are worth the good qualities we have and not the possessions we have. we own. 

2 Kings 21:1-6. We see that Manasseh did on a large scale what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, in view of this Jehovah decreed that calamity would fall on Jerusalem and Judah, just as he had already scourged Samaria Israel. This teaches me that although Jehovah is a merciful, patient and forgiving God, he does not tolerate those who insist on doing what is bad, from this we learn that we must always strive to do what is right in Jehovah's eyes if we want to have his approval and blessings.

2 Kings 20:7. Isaiah had to do something for the wound to heal. This teaches me that if we ask Jehovah for something, we do not wait idly for the answer to our prayers, we also do our part, so Jehovah will gladly help us.

2 Kings 21:20,21. It shows how Amun followed the bad example of his father Manasseh, since he served the same disgusting idols and bowed down to them, this should serve as a warning to those of us who are Christian fathers and mothers if we want our sons and daughters to be good servants of Jehovah , we must set a good example and not just advice and guidance.

2 Kings 21:1-26. We see that during most of his 55 years of rule Manasseh did what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, and his son Amun followed the same line, this shows that sometimes as parents we may expect our children to do excellent things, but we do not realize that with our life example we are teaching them the opposite. Therefore, this story teaches us that if we want our children to be good Christians we must start by being ourselves first.

2 Kings 20:20. He shows that Hezekiah had prepared the city in times of peace so that he could face a siege by his enemies. This teaches me that just as Hezekiah prepared himself in favorable times, because he knew of the threat of the Assyrians, today Jehovah's faithful servants must also prepare to face the future and predicted persecution, if we do so we will have the endurance and spiritual strength to successfully endure what comes.

2 Kings 20:2. We see that Hezekiah knew that his death was near and so he prayed to Jehovah for help and almost immediately. Jehovah answered him and granted him 15 more years of life. This teaches me that although today Jehovah is not going to grant us miraculous cures in difficult times and anguish due to illness, we can pray fervently to him to give us the strength we need either to endure or to accept what he has to happen.

2 Kings 20:6. Jehovah heard Hezekiah's prayer, and gave him 15 more years of life. In our case, we are not going to expect that we are immune to death. But what we can be sure of is that Jehovah does whatever it takes to fulfill his purpose.

2 Kings 21:2. Although Manasseh had a good example of obedience to Jehovah, he did not follow in his father's footsteps, surely he tried to instill in him a deep love for Jehovah's high standards, but we must be aware that children do not always imitate their parents.

2 Kings 21:6. He shows that Manasseh not only did terrible things that caused pain and harm to the people, but also greatly offended Jehovah. This teaches me that with our bad decisions we harm ourselves and also those around us, but above all we offend Jehovah. Therefore, this example of Manasseh should lead us to reflect in order to be more careful when making decisions, especially the most important ones.

2 Kings 21:23. The son of Manasseh did not obey Jehovah either, and his end was disastrous. This makes it clear to us that definitely, what is not on Jehovah's side, he does not have his blessing and protection.

2 Kings 20:2. Hezekiah, although he was in the last moments of his life, remembered Jehovah. This makes me think that if we go through a serious illness, not because of that, we will stop having our friendship with God, on the contrary, we must be closer until our last second of life

2 Kings 21:10. Manasseh knew that his birth was thanks to the fact that Jehovah extended his father's life, even so he did not listen to the warnings that Jehovah gave him, we do not turn a deaf ear, when we have spiritual information, a way to thank what Jehovah gives us , is by obeying everything He commands us.

2 Kings 21:9. Bad influence causes, in other unfavorable acts, and that is what the people of this world want to do with Jehovah's servants, with lies they try to question our faith, or believe in false information, in order to divert the Jehovah's laws,

but we should not let that influence us, rather let us stay away from them, avoiding reading apostate content.

2 Kings 21:14. Jehovah is a God who demands exclusive devotion, and that is why he took action on the matter. This teaches me about Jehovah, the respect that his name has, when governments attack, Jehovah will defend his name.

2 Kings 21:6. We see how dangerous it is to depart from Jehovah in the case of Manasseh, he burned his son, and although in our case that will not happen. Let us remember that it depends on our actions, as parents we must obey Jehovah in everything, otherwise it could cause the spiritual death of our children.

2 Kings 20:2-6. It shows us Jehovah as the hearer of prayer. Prayer is a gift from Jehovah, so we must value it as such and take advantage of it both in favorable times and in difficult times. Jehovah is always ready to listen to us. But what about us? Are we always ready to talk to him? This story should lead us to self-examine and see the state of our communication with our beloved heavenly father.

2 Kings 20:35. We see that despite his weaknesses and mistakes, the sum of what Hezekiah had done in his time and according to his circumstances was what was necessary for Jehovah to hear his prayer. This teaches me that I must make an effort so that beyond my errors resulting from imperfection, Jehovah accepts my worship and listens to my prayers.

2 Kings 20:5,6. Jehovah is a reasonable God, and he sees the attitude and heart of his servants. Seeing Hezekiah's reaction, God granted him 15 extra years of life. This teaches me to be humble and always maintain that attitude. Instead of living in arrogance, presumption and pride, death and disease come to remind us how fragile we are, and experiencing them is the only one that maintains us and gives us hope. They are Jehovah and our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Kings 20:7. He shows that during the dry season the boils were treated with poultices and the therapeutic value of compressed figs was also recognized, however King Hezekiah knew that his recovery was due to Jehovah's intervention. This teaches that in all circumstances we must give the honor and glory that Jehovah deserves, instead of granting miraculous gifts to anything in this world.

2 Kings 20:8-11. Although Jehovah is not obligated to do so, he gave Hezekiah a guarantee that he would recover from his illness, that 15 years would be added to his life, and that Jerusalem would be delivered from the Assyrians. This teaches me about Jehovah's generosity and humility and sets an example for me to imitate. If the sovereign of the universe shows these signs of humility to all his faithful servants, we must strive to be humble too and demonstrate it in an evident way.

2 Kings 20:1,2. If we were told that we were going to die, what would our reaction be? Are we ready or do we feel that there is still something pending? In a certain way, death comes to all of us and at the moment we least expect it, but if we are living in an Integral way, we will be ready because we are in good standing with Jehovah and that is the only solvency that not many people have in our days.

2 Kings 20:3. Hezekiah walked faithfully in the ways of Jehovah, not all kings could have the solvency to say and know that they had lived faithfully to Jehovah, In a similar way in our days Not all those who say they believe in God have the solvency to walk faithfully, That is why in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, he mentions that many people would have a religion, but it would not change their way of life, that is, they would continue living for the flesh and pleasures, it is good that we strive day by day and Jehovah of our effort.

2 Kings 20:2,3. When we receive bad news we must lean on Jehovah. Many people lean on alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, others even take their own lives and they do it because they can't sustain so much load. But this verse teaches us that we can look up to Jehovah, search for him and pray to him from the heart, knowing that he will provide the way out and the strength to endure situations and challenges that do not arise.