SPIRITUAL GEMS: Week from December 5 to 11, 2022, 2 Kings 13 to 15, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS: December 5-11, 2022, 2 Kings 13 to 15, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS (10 mins.)

2Ki 13:20, 21. Does this miracle support the veneration of religious relics? (w05 8/1 11 ¶3)

In fact, the Bible indicates that Elisha's bones were once venerated. The miracle was due to the power of God As was the case of all the wonders that the prophet performed life.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

By no means since there is no record that Elisha's bones have been venerated at some point, but rather that miracle was due to the power of Jehovah, like all the miracles that the prophet had performed while he was alive.

In addition, Elisha had already died, so the purpose of the resurrection was to show that the power to raise the dead came from Jehovah.

RESPONSE BASED ON THE WATCHTOWER, ANNOUNCING THE KINGDOM OF JEHOVAH 2005: (Highlights from the book of Second Kings)

While Elisha was alive, he had performed 15 miracles thanks to the Spirit of God that was upon him. The Biblical record relates that after Elisha's burial, he was burying another man, when a marauding party of Moabites caused the funeral procession to throw him into Elisha's grave and flee. By touching Elisha's bones, the dead man came to life and stood up.

However, in the Biblical account it is not said that Elisha's bones were ever kept for worship. What happened was that some Israelites passed near his tomb, there they are going to bury a man, suddenly they saw some enemies appear, so they fled and threw the body in Elisha's grave. It was another demonstration of Jehovah's power and was recorded in the Bible to increase our hope in the resurrection.

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

2 Kings 1:3,4. It teaches us that Jehovah is a merciful God, because despite all the disobedience of Jehoahaz, when he begged for help, He listened. So without a doubt we are very happy to know that we serve a God of great mercy.

2 Kings 14:6. Amazías understood a good principle, each person is responsible for his actions, so if someone is undisciplined instead of isolating the whole family, we must show our support for them, since they are also suffering. And that way we can follow the example of Amaziah.

2 Kings 14:24. Jeroboan made Israel commit sins and this helps us to reflect, Since it is possible that our actions influence others to do so, promoting music, programs, entertainment or a lifestyle that violate divine principles, that is why this text it is not encouraged not to encourage evil.

2 Kings 13:14. Note that although he was a faithful servant Elisha got sick because he was still human. However, Jehoash went to see him. We must not forget to set aside time to visit our brothers who have left the service due to illness, since they need our Christian encouragement to continue serving Jehovah despite his circumstances.

2 Kings 13:25. Let us note that Jehoash persevered to recapture her cities up to three times he had to try. In the same way, in the service, people who have stopped studying find it difficult to resume their relationship with Jehovah. That is why we must be persevering like Jehovah and surely we will be able to make them come back as he did.

2 Kings 13:4. It is interesting to see how Jehoahaz not only talked with Jehovah, but the text says that he pleaded with Jehovah, and Jehovah listened to him. When we need help, we should not only pray or talk to Jehovah, sometimes we have to be humble and beg Jehovah for help and surely it will not be heard.

2 Kings 14:24. It says that the country was under a king who persisted in doing what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and it is precisely at this time that Jonah is a prophet, so being a prophet in those times must not have been easy, but still. He faithfully fulfilled his mission, which teaches us that we must always fully comply with the commission entrusted to us, despite the fact that the times in which we live make our work difficult for us, we must continue forward.

2 Kings 14:3. It shows us that since David was a close friend of Jehovah, he became one of the most beloved kings and the one with whom God compared the other kings of Israel. Without a doubt, we all want our God to hold us in such high esteem, and for this we must strive every day to strengthen our faith more and imitate his qualities.

2 Kings 14:11-14. It shows us that the temple was looted, which was very unpleasant in the sight of God. So this event teaches us that we should avoid or be very careful when using furniture and other items in the Kingdom Hall, as we never want to become guilty of misappropriating any items that belong to the general congregation or end up using incorrectly the Kingdom hall.

2 Kings 13:21. It tells us that a man is resurrected by touching the bones of the prophet, so this account of the resurrection reminds us once again that Jehovah has already shown that he has the desire and ability to raise the dead, so we can be sure that the promise of the future resurrection will certainly be fulfilled.

2 Kings 13:23. He says that despite all the mistakes that the Israelites had made, Jehovah did not want to throw them out of his presence, which makes me think that we should never see as hopeless cases those who have weakened their spiritual sense, and even or a Watchtower magazine said that we should consider them as lost sheep, not lost causes. That is why we do not think that we should not worry about someone who has weakened, since the congregation can go on without him. On the contrary, the reality is that Jehovah does not see them that way, he sees them as very valuable people in his eyes and we must also make an effort to see them as Jehovah sees them.

2 Kings 13:23. It teaches us that Jehovah is a compassionate God and that he is always ready to forgive. So we, as his servants, must always strive to cultivate these beautiful qualities that will help us maintain an environment of peace with those around us.

2 Kings 1:33. He says that Jehovah said that he was the one to suffer due to his sins, which teaches me this does not mean that Jehovah punishes us for our sins, but rather that our bad actions or our disobedience to Jehovah will bring us consequences, of which he it will not free us.

2 Kings 13:2. We see how this new king Jehoahaz continues to commit the same sins that those who had been in power before had committed, which makes me think that we should never repeat the bad record of our ancestors, whether they are our brothers, parents or grandparents, But rather see ourselves as a reprimanded example and learn from their mistakes so as not to make them again.

2 Kings 13:4. This verse talks about how Jehoahaz softened the face of Jehovah even though he had not completely turned away from worshiping other gods. This teaches us Jehovah's feelings toward humanity. If I listen to Jehoahaz, how much more will we listen to them, his faithful servants. However, we must strive to do what is right to ensure that Jehovah hears our prayers.

2 Kings 14:3. This verse talks about how Amaziah's worship was right in the eyes of Jehovah but not as right as David's. Although this text makes a comparison, we must remember that it is not right to compare ourselves with others, nor to compare others with someone else, because this can be very discouraged or arouse envy and resentment.

2 Kings 14:3. This verse talks about how Amasias did everything just like his father Jehoash. This teaches me that children can be a reflection of their parents, and hence the importance of setting a good example, since with this positive influence they will be more inclined to do what is right throughout their lives.

2 Kings 15:3. This text mentions that Azariah did what was right in the eyes of God despite his mistakes. This teaches us that Jehovah paid more attention to Azariah's positive things than to his mistakes. Therefore, if we imitate Jehovah, we will look at the qualities of others instead of focusing on his defects, since we will keep in mind that mistakes we all make and we are not more just than Jehovah.

2 Kings 13:14-19. These verses speak of Jehoash not exerting himself vigorously in hitting the ground with his arrows and only doing so three times, for which he would partially succeed in fighting the Syrians. This teaches me that when we have a job to do, a responsibility to perform, or an assignment to carry out, we must do it wholeheartedly if we are to be successful.

2 Kings 13:23. This text mentions when Jehovah showed favor and mercy to the people of Israel, so he did not want to ruin them because of his pact with Abraham. This teaches us that Jehovah is a God of Love, mercy and justice, and that everything he does is in harmony with his purpose.

2 Kings 13:17-19. This verse shows that Jehoash had just heard Elisha make the connection between arrows being shot out of the window and victory. He knew that the arrow represented the salvation of Jehovah, the God of Israel against the Syrians. However, he timidly hit the ground only three times instead of five or six times. This teaches me that as Jehovah's Witnesses we know that the Kingdom message we bring to people is a life-saving message, which encourages us to strive to cultivate courage when preaching.

2 Kings 13:17-19. Also, these verses show that Elisha asked Jehoash to do something that involved faith and trust in Jehovah. Therefore, he was outraged to see that instead of hitting the ground five or six times, Jehovah only hit 3 times. This leaves us a lesson: if we want to be successful in a territory, we must not settle from time to time, but we must be consistent, because only then will we achieve success.

2 Kings 13:17-19. In addition, these verses teach us as Kingdom proclaimers we will encounter many situations in which we should continue to "shoot arrows" or "hit the ground." So if we want to be successful in our service to Jehovah, we must not settle for making the least effort, on the contrary, we must strive to always do more according to our circumstances real age.

In another approach the text of 2 Kings 13:17-19. We see that Jehovah has a clear purpose and that he will do whatever it takes to bring it to pass. However, as the collaborators of him that we are, we have the freedom to decide if we do a zealous service or if we do it halfway. We have the example of Jehoash, who could end Syria or just hurt her. In our case, we may have a zealous ministry or just meet hour requirements. The decision is ours, since we know that Jehovah will always bless our efforts.

2 Kings 13:20-21. These verses show how the power of Jehovah continued to work in Elisha even after his death, since a corpse touched his bones and he came back to life. Today many people are also rescued from spiritual death by studying the Bible, analyzing its prophecies, and accepting the message of the Kingdom. Hence the importance of continuing to preach and teach without rest.

2 Kings 14:5,6. We see that Amasias killed the Servants who had killed his father the king, but he did not kill their sons, because he did it according to the Law and not according to the custom of the time, although this fact left open the possibility of a revenge. From this we learn a lesson of faith, obedience, justice in Jehovah, very good to imitate on behalf of all of us.

2 Kings 14:9-12. These texts show how Jehoash, king of Israel, gave a warning to Amaziah, king of Judah, to which Amaziah out of pride ignored it, with the consequence that he was defeated when both kings faced each other in battle. This fact teaches us that we should not be proud when we are advised with good intentions, it may be that these advices come from our brothers or the elders of the congregation. On the contrary, we must be humble, because if we do not, it could mean our spiritual defeat.

2 Kings 14:9-12. These texts show that Amaziah was proud of his success against Edom, so he decided to take on the kingdom of Israel which looked weak after his defeat against the Syrians. However, Amasias lost the battle and was captured. This leaves us a lesson that reaffirms what we have already learned in the Bible: Pride can mean the destruction of a person.

2 Kings 14:9-12. Also these verses show that King Jehoash wisely and diplomatically used a little story and its application to advise Amaziah. This is a lesson for us. When advising we can use biblical stories and in this way, the person can become more receptive to advice.

2 Kings 14:25. It teaches me that everything Jehovah says is always fulfilled without any fault. 2Ki 13:3. In previous chapters Elisha told Hazael that he would be responsible for the damage that Israel would suffer and here we see the fulfillment since the reign of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, became a great oppressor of Israel, and in this way he fulfilled what the Foretold by the prophet Elisha, the fortified places of Israel would be burned, their chosen men would be put to death with the sword, their children dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women slashed.

2 Kings 14:8-14. Amaziah had managed to have an important victory before challenging Jehoash king of Israel, apparently he was swollen with pride for his recent victory, but Jehovah had predetermined his defeat due to his idolatry, in the end Judah fled and Amaziah was captured, much of the temple treasures were taken to Samaria along with many hostages, arrogance and pride can lead to reckless decisions with tragic results.

2 Kings 14:23. We read that Jeroboam the king of Israel extended the border of the nation according to the word that Jehovah spoke through Jonah. This would indicate that Jonah prophesied around 844 B.C.E., the year of the accession of Jeroboam II of Israel and many years before Assyria, with its capital at Nineveh, began to dominate Israel. These data can help us better understand certain events in our personal study.

2 Kings 14:24, 25. Jonas lived during this time period when the evil King Jeroboam II ruled over the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel, the country was now under a king who persisted in doing what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, so being a prophet in those times should not have been easy, currently many servants of Jehovah fulfill their service in places where the leaders oppose the work, despite that, they faithfully fulfill their mission.

2 Kings 15:1-5. The account says that as soon as Azariah, that is, Uzziah became strong, his heart became haughty and he entered the temple of Jehovah to burn incense on the altar of incense, due to that daring he was punished with leprosy, this reminds us to all of us that we never try to carry out functions that are not our responsibility and respect the theocratic order.

2 Kings 15:19. Tiglath-pileser III, also called Pul, is the first Assyrian king whose name is given in the Bible, invaded the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Menahem and he paid him a thousand talents of silver to withdraw, in his own annals, found in Cálah, Tiglath-piléser confirms this biblical data, saying: "I received tribute from [ ...] Menahem of Samaria”, confirming the veracity of the Biblical account.

2 Kings 15:30. Since Jotham ruled for only sixteen years, the reference here to “the twentieth year of Jotham” seems to be understood as referring to the twentieth year after he became king, that is, Ahaz's fourth year. The writer of Kings may have preferred not to introduce Ahaz, Jotham's successor, at this point in the story because he still had details to supply about Jotham's reign.