SPIRITUAL GEMS: Week from June 19 to 25, 2023, 2 Chronicles from 34 to 36, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS: June 19-25, 2023, 2 Chronicles from 34 to 36, Answers.

Spiritual Gems (10 min.)

2Ch 35:20-23. What do we learn from the mistake faithful King Josiah made? (w17.03 27 ¶15-17)

We learn that when faced with a problem, we would do well to first inquire into Jehovah's will on this matter. To do this, we must search the Bible for the principles that are related and then put them into practice with balance. We can also consult the elders of the congregation.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We learn that sometimes foolishness, being arrogant, can get us into serious trouble, in this case this neighboring King told him that it was a matter of God, not to get involved, and despite that, despite the warning of consideration we see that Josías was foolish, insisted and ended badly.

Josiah could have consulted with the prophet Jeremiah if Neko's words came from Jehovah. But apparently he didn't. In addition, Josías did not have a justified cause to fight against Neko. From this I learn that the defeat and death of Josías was the product of having left Jehovah aside when making that decision. Hence, this reckless act will cost him his life.

The paragraph mentions the example of a sister whose husband is asking her to stay home that day to do something as a couple. If this sister takes Jehovah into account when deciding, she will stay at home to share with her husband on this occasion, showing that she is balanced in all matters as Jehovah asks of us and that she understands that submitting to her husband is also part of do the will of Jehovah. In this way, she takes care of her marriage, she makes her husband happy, her conscience is calm, she obeys Jehovah and later she can continue with her service activities in peace.

Josiah was a faithful king but he died because of a bad decision. From this we extract that always, in every decision of our life, no matter how small or big it may be, we have to investigate what Jehovah's will is and act accordingly. Because any situation can distance us from the people of God.

Sometimes at certain moments in our lives we do things our way and this is sometimes due to imprudence, foolishness or impatience. In this sense, the Bible mentions that a wise man can act like a fool and this is what happened to a good King of Israel named Josías, who wanted to do things his way, because he could confirm, Yes, what he said this king neko, came from Jehovah. He could confirm through Jeremiah a faithful prophet of Jehovah but he did not. On the other hand, Neko was going to Carchemish to fight with another house, not against Jerusalem, and besides, he had not mocked Jehovah or his people, so God's name had been stained.

Therefore, going out to fight Neko was a bad decision. From Josías' error we learn that we should not make hasty decisions, before we must investigate, investigate the Biblical principles that are related and put it into practice in a balanced way, sometimes it is convenient to consult with the elders, in this way we will be able to make good decisions that they do not harm us.

We learn that we must be very careful when making decisions, and above all, before deciding something we must always investigate what Jehovah's will is, but we must always put his principles into practice with balance, so as not to commit imprudence as he did. Josiah.

Even though we have already done a lot of research on the subject, another suggestion is that we should consult with the elders, as there may be other principles that we have not taken into account, and an elder could help us to analyze the matter well.

And analyzing the example of the sister mentioned in the paragraph, we can say that it is very important to obey God and make disciples, but she also says that she must be reasonable, and that is when she must meditate and be balanced, and there is something interesting What we can also see in the paragraph is that the husband is not opposing her work as a Christian, but just wants to spend time with her, which is reasonable.

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

2 Chronicles 34:1,2. The example of Josías teaches us that there are young people who can set a good example in the congregation, in fact, we see little sisters and little brothers who make an effort to be pioneers, and other brothers to be ministerial servants, without a doubt, they are like the Josías of the congregation.

2 Chronicles 34:19,28. In these verses read we can see how Josías makes a heartfelt expression of pain when he understands that there were divine commandments that his ancestors had not obeyed, and by tearing his clothes it was a show of humility and for being humble, Jehovah tells him that he will be collected in his graveyard in peace and would see no misfortune.

2 Chronicles 34:31. In the text we can see that Josiah proceeded to celebrate the pact before Jehovah to follow and obey him with all his heart and with all his soul. This teaches us that we must be determined to be loyal and upright to Jehovah. We must make the determination to stay close to God faithfully. 

2 Chronicles 34:19. We can appreciate Josiah's reaction upon hearing the word of the law, he tore his clothes thus showing humility. This teaches us that the elders can sometimes give us advice and we must show humility and listen to them. It is very important to listen to the advice they give us and if necessary modify our life and our service to God, just as Josías did. 

2 Chronicles 34:18-19. We can realize that Josiah made an effort to please Jehovah, and we know this because when the high priest found the book of God's law in the temple, the secretary read it to Josiah and he realized that he needed to do more things to serve better to Jehovah. From this we learn that it is important to get to know Jehovah better, and we do so by reading the Bible, which will strengthen our friendship with Jehovah and make us happier.

2 Chronicles 34:3-7. In the texts read we perceive how Josías had deep respect, and wanted to walk in the path of obedience to Jehovah, that is why he instituted an intense campaign to eradicate the abominable practices of idolatry that had corroded the vital parts of the nation. This teaches us that just as the word of God was essential in the life of Josías, today we must do the same, we must strive to read the word of God and make part of our lives, in this way we can acquire wisdom and take good decisions that please Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 36:22,23. It shows us that Jehovah will always do what is necessary to fulfill his word, as in this case regarding a prophecy pronounced by the prophet Jeremiah, therefore we have the confidence that all his promises will be fulfilled without lack.

2 Chronicles 36:15-17. Jehovah teaches us that he is compassionate and patient, but his compassion and patience are not unlimited, that is why people have to accept the message of the Kingdom, if they want to survive when Jehovah eliminates the present evil system of things, because there will come a point at which Jehovah will tell his servants not to preach anymore, and that is why it is now where they must make the decision to serve Jehovah or not.

2 Chronicles 34:18-21. It makes us meditate that many times we may come to think that what we are doing in favor of the Kingdom is enough, but it may not be so, for this reason we must always go to the word of God and meditate on it, and on Based on this, we must self-examine ourselves in order to realize if we are failing in something, and if so, correct it immediately.

2 Chronicles 34:3. He says that Josiah began to seek Jehovah, and we must do the same, and we do this by taking a hard look at what we believe and proving to ourselves what is the truth..

2 Chronicles 34:1. We know that Joseph received the influence of his repentant grandfather, Manasseh, and this bore fruit because as the text says, Josiah did something good in the eyes of God. This teaches us that at every opportunity we can plant seeds of truth in adults and children, because they can bear fruit over time.

2 Chronicles 34:9-13. We see how King Josiah repairs the house of Jehovah, which teaches us that now we have the Kingdom and Assembly Halls, we must always keep them in optimal conditions, always clean, and we must even help in their maintenance.

2 Chronicles 34:1-2. It shows us that Josiah did not let a difficult childhood define him, because he began to do what was right in the eyes of God, which teaches those who do not have parents in the truth or who did not have good examples, that even despite All this is possible to have a close relationship with our Father Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 34:3. It says that Josías began to clean Judah and Jerusalem, he removed everything that had to do with idolatry, which teaches us that since we began to study the Bible, we must clean our lives and our homes regarding everything that has to do with it. see with idolatry or occultism, because this is something that completely displeases Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 34:3. He shows that Josiah in the eighth year of his reign, while still a boy, began to seek the God of his ancestor David. This teaches me that even if no one else serves Jehovah in the family, if one remains faithful and loyal, he can become an example to imitate, and perhaps someone else will end up serving Jehovah as well.

2 Chronicles 34:2. It shows that Josiah did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah. This teaches me that the negative circumstances of a person's childhood do not necessarily mean that he cannot come to love and serve Jehovah. So we shouldn't give anyone up for lost.

2 Chronicles 36:16. He shows that the Israelites were mocking the prophets and despising their words until the fury of Jehovah arose against them. And while Jehovah's fury was mainly due to the idolatrous and disobedient behavior of the people, the fact that the Bible specifically mentions the verbal attacks suffered by the prophets is also a sign that Jehovah disapproves of such behavior. And since Jehovah has not changed, this teaches me that he continues to feel outraged every time someone verbally attacks his servants during preaching.

2 Chronicles 35:4-12. It shows that when the Passover was celebrated in Jerusalem in the days of King Josiah, the people entered the temple courtyard according to their paternal houses to offer sacrifices, and the Levites received and prepared the sacrifices of the people according to their divisions based on the paternal houses. . This teaches me that in the commemoration, in the Assemblies, Jehovah's people must behave in an orderly manner and respect the arrangements that have been made.

2 Chronicles 34:19-28. He shows that when Josiah heard the words of the law, he immediately tore his garments as a heartfelt expression of grief at realizing that there were divine commandments that his ancestors had not obeyed. This attitude pleased Jehovah, so he promised him that he would be collected in his cemetery in peace and without seeing his misfortune. This teaches me how much Jehovah values ​​people who show lowliness of heart.

2 Chronicles 34:9-11. He shows that Jehovah's servants enthusiastically supported the maintenance of the lasting places with money, work, time, and with their abilities or talents. This teaches me the importance of helping to maintain our kingdom halls and assembly places. And that we can also do it with our material donations, time or with our work. All in order to give a King Glory to Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 34:1-3. He shows the proclamation of divine judgments against the civil princes of Judah and the King's Sons. Apparently, these powerful prophecies of Zephaniah made the young King Josiah more aware of the idolatry, violence, and corruption that prevailed in Judah, so that he would later launch a campaign against idolatry. This teaches me the importance of thoroughly studying the Bible prophecies related to the last days, in order to make the necessary changes and win Jehovah's approval and protection in the day of his wrath.

2 Chronicles 34:33. He shows that Josiah removed all the detestable things from Israel and caused all to undertake the service of Jehovah, apparently moved by what he heard in reading Jehovah's Book of Law. Hearing him read aloud from him so impressed him that he ardently decided to foster pure duration for the rest of his life. This teaches us the importance of reading and studying the Bible and meditating on its teachings.

2 Chronicles 36:20,21. He shows that one reason for the 70-year captivity of Israel and Babylon was the violation of Jehovah's Sabbath laws. In this way, the country was to enjoy its rest during those 70 years. This teaches me that Jehovah brings punishment to those who for selfish reasons deplete or ruin the Earth.

2 Chronicles 36:17-23. It shows how what Jehovah had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah regarding Judah came to pass. This teaches me that we can completely trust Jehovah and the promises contained in his word. the Bible. since all of them will be fulfilled without fail.

2 Chronicles 36:15-17. He shows that Jehovah is compassionate and patient. However, his compassion and patience are not limitless. This teaches me that the people to whom we preach and teach from the Bible have a limited time to accept the Kingdom message if they want to survive when Jehovah removes the present system.

2 Chronicles 34:7-13. It shows that Josiah sent his men to repair the temple and deliver the money collected to the workers. This teaches me that we must be diligent and responsible in managing the resources that Jehovah gives us.

2 Chronicles 34:1. He shows that Josiah began to reign at 8 years of age. This teaches me that Jehovah can use very young people to do great things for him and for his Kingdom work.

2 Chronicles 36: 16. In contrast to the previous verse, yes, God is compassionate and loving to people but He also dispenses justice. And if people do not repent of doing what is wrong according to the Word of God, his justice will fall on them in due time, justice that will also be reflected towards his faithful servants with the promises he has made to us.

2 Chronicles 36:15. This verse teaches us two aspects of Jehovah, his compassion and his love for mankind, even though he is constantly doing bad things and straying from God. Jehovah warned them time after time that he would repent so that he could forgive them. This also teaches us that we have to imitate Jehovah's perfect forgiveness towards our brothers, his compassion and his love even with our imperfections.

2 Chronicles 35:16. This verse that refers to the story of the previous verses teaches us the order that exists in the people of God and how everything is always prepared, not only the assemblies and big events but all the congregation meetings, in which each one of us It has its role, even if we don't have responsibilities, our role is to build faith among ourselves. For what Jehovah gives us with an excellent order and we are deeply grateful for the planning that always exists in his town.

2 Chronicles 34:20-33. In this passage, after Josiah's consultation, Jehovah said that he would bring calamities on the population for not complying with the covenant and that Josiah would not see it because he humbled himself upon knowing it. Then Josiah did not stay calm with that, but gathered all the people and made them not deviate from following the Lord as long as he lived. What does this teach us? As parents, this world is like a book on how to do wrong, and Jehovah may be angry with our children for their actions, but as parents we must do everything in our power so that they never stray from Jehovah, even though the final decision is theirs.

2 Chronicles 34:2. Josiah did not veer to the left or to the right. We learn that a servant of God like us, who has spent years in the truth, knows perfectly well what Jehovah wants from us. And many situations can be repeated and we can reach a certain point to give in, it is only once, this verse teaches us that we should never deviate, not even a little, even if nothing bad has been done, from the path of God.

2 Chronicles 34:3. Josiah began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of all traces of false worship and idolatry. Of course, in our lives we do not have these images, obviously, but it teaches us that we always have to be cleaning our lives, removing what could be a stumbling block and avoiding getting together with people and situations that could be so in the future.

2 Chronicles 34:1-3. Negative childhood circumstances do not imply that one cannot know and serve God. Josiah may have been positively influenced as a child by his remorseful grandfather, Manasseh. Whatever influenced him, it worked well. The same can happen to us. 

2 Chronicles 36:15-17. The text shows that Jehovah is compassionate and patient, however, his compassion and patience are not unlimited. People need to accept the Kingdom message and want to survive when Jehovah removes the present wicked system of things.

2 Chronicles 36:17,22,23. It teaches us about Jehovah that he always keeps his word.

2 Chronicles 34:3. It reminds us about cleaning our lives of everything that could stain our worship of Jehovah, we may think that we do not have a Baal idol in our house, but perhaps we entertain ourselves with modern Baals, which are seen in movies, videos, music and video games.

2 Chronicles 34:9. It teaches us about the importance of money in the worship of God, it is true that a tithe is not required of us, but it is important to be aware of local expenses and how we can contribute to the routine operation of our local congregation.

2 Chronicles 34:12. It teaches us about Excellence when working in our Kingdom Hall. It does not refer to being perfectionists, but to working in the best way, with enthusiasm instead of doing it to get by, that is, in a way that in the future have any negative consequences.

2 Chronicles 34:12. It also teaches us that many people do not realize the hard work of others, for this reason, many take advantage and use this as an excuse to justify negligence. However, Jehovah saw that those men were working faithfully, and decided to include this detail in the Bible. This reminds us about working willingly for Jehovah, instead of doing it to please men.

2 Chronicles 34:19. He says that as soon as the King heard the words of the law, he immediately tore his garments, a heartfelt expression of pain as he realized that there were divine commandments that his ancestors had not obeyed. We see how his conscience worked for him, we live in a world where it is the opposite, people hate God's law, and have fun disobeying Jehovah, we must be careful not to imitate such a procedure.

2 Chronicles 34:22. He mentions a faithful woman from ancient times, the prophetess Huldá, who transmitted Jehovah's message to the king, this does not remind of God's impartiality towards human beings.

2 Chronicles 34:27. Josiah's heart was sensitive to the word of Jehovah, even though he had not sinned, he felt responsible to a certain degree, this reminds us that there are sincere people who, when confronted by the Bible and what it teaches is wrong, they repent, on the other hand, there are those who don't care, and even decide to persist in their wickedness, without a doubt both ways of thinking will have consequences.

2 Chronicles 34:28. This text shows that Jehovah freed the faithful King Josiah from the time of calamity that would come upon the people, we live in a time where our Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 21:36 that we pray so that we can escape what is coming on this system, without a doubt, Jehovah looks at the heart of each person on this planet, and only we and he know what is inside us, the truth is that Jehovah knows how to deliver his faithful from the hour of trial.

2 Chronicles 34:33. Reading God's word and meditating on his message can have a profound effect on us. When we reflect on the record of The Kings of David's line, we are moved to imitate the example of those who trusted in Jehovah and to avoid the conduct of those who did not. This encourages us to give exclusive devotion to the true God and be faithful. Without a doubt, the message of his word is certainly alive and exerts power just as Hebrews 4:12 mentions. 

2 Chronicles 35:21,22. We learn that we must be selective in our battles, There are things or situations in which we could demand something, but we might wonder if it will really be worth it, and we say this because there are times when it is better to let people and things go, to avoid further complications and unnecessary conflicts.

2 Chronicles 36:5. Unlike Josías who was the last good King in Israel, we see how different they were, Josías tore his garments as a sign of repentance, pain, shame before Jehovah for the great sins of the people, instead Jehoiaquim tore and burned the sacred rolls of God, in our days there are people who burn Bibles and make fun of God and his son, we must take care of ourselves, since there will be consequences.