SPIRITUAL GEMS: Week of August 14 to 20, 2023, Nehemiah 8 to 9, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS: August 14-20-2023, Nehemiah 8 to 9, Answers.

Spiritual Gems (10 min.)

Ne 8:2, 8. If the Israelites “could understand what they heard,” why did the Levites have to explain the Law to them? (it-1 171 para. 2).

According to Nehemiah 8:2, the Levites explained the law to the assembled Israelites in Jerusalem, even though they could understand what they heard. This is because the exposition and explanation of the law by the Levites had the objective of providing a greater understanding and deeper meaning of what was being read.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We can get the answer from the book Insight, volume 1, page 171, specifically in paragraph 2. He mentions that it may have been for two reasons: first, those who had lived in Babylon had adopted the Aramaic language and the reading of the law of the Jews was in Hebrew, therefore they needed to be paraphrased or, so to speak, translated from Hebrew into Aramaic so that those present could understand it. And a second possible reason, according to the law the Levites had the obligation to explain or give an additional comment regarding the application of the law that was being read, since the great majority of those who returned had not been reading the law nor Understanding its meaning, the Levites took care that they could fully understand it.

We remember that the Israelites had returned from the Babylonian exile and had forgotten some important things and one of those important things was the Hebrew language, instead Aramaic. And of course we never stop learning, that is to say, no matter how much we have heard a matter, there will always be something to learn. This exposition or interpretation of the law in front of them, may have meant paraphrasing the Hebrew text from Aramaic, possibly because the Hebrews they had adopted the Aramaic language during their stay in Babylon, however a commentary on the text must also have influenced so that the Jews, even in the case of those who understood Hebrew, better understood the deep meaning of what was being read.

These Israelites, in a certain way, could understand these laws, but the Levites had to explain this to them, since they might be able to answer some questions and some doubts that they had regarding the law, that is, they wanted to understand it in depth and for that reason they consulted with these Levites.

Although some Israelites could understand Hebrew, not all may have had a thorough or complete knowledge of the law and its meaning. Furthermore, after having been in exile in Babylon for a time, it is likely that some Israelites would have adopted Aramaic as their primary language. Therefore, the Levites had a responsibility to explain the law of the true god to ensure that everyone, regardless of their level of linguistic comprehension or knowledge, could understand the deeper meaning and teachings contained in the law.

Perhaps it was because the Hebrews had possibly adopted the Aramaic language during their stay in Babylon, so the Levites had to paraphrase the Hebrew text in the Aramaic language. However, it is possible that perhaps it was also because the Levites had to include some comment so that they better understand the deep meaning of what was being read, even if they understood the Hebrew language.

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

Nehemiah 8:2. It teaches us how important it is to understand the information in our language, for this purpose the organization has been in charge of translating the publications on the jw.org website into as many languages ​​as possible.

Nehemiah 9:9. Jehovah saw the suffering of Israel in Egypt and heard their cries for Help. That teaches us about Jehovah that he is a God who shows empathy and compassion towards those who are suffering. Just as God heard and responded to the cry of his people, we too must be willing to help those who need help and support.

Nehemiah 9:3. This text teaches us that we must be willing to spend considerable time listening and reflecting on the sacred scriptures. It also reminds us of the importance of regularly setting aside time to read the Bible.

Nehemiah 9:9. This verse also shows us that Jehovah is sensitive to the needs and sufferings of his people. He is not indifferent to our struggles and difficulties. Since in moments of difficulty we can trust that Jehovah is willing to listen to us and answer us.

Nehemiah 8:15. He says that upon examining the law, they received the order to proclaim and announce to all the cities and to Jerusalem that they should gather leafy branches to make booths. This leaves us as a lesson the importance of sharing and transmitting Jehovah's teachings to others and being active in proclaiming the good news of God's Kingdom so that others can join in obedience to true worship.

Nehemiah 8:13. This verse leaves us a great lesson and that is that we must have an attitude of humility and obedience when seeking to understand the sacred scriptures. Since we must be willing to learn, recognize that we are imperfect and make mistakes, and once we take time to read and meditate on the Bible, it is important to be obedient to the instructions that come from Jehovah. 

Nehemiah 8:9. He teaches us that the happiness that comes from Jehovah is presented as a strength. From this verse we can learn that this happiness is not temporary or superficial, but has the power to strengthen us in the midst of difficulties and challenges. This encourages us to trust in Jehovah and find in him the necessary strength to face any situation. This trust in God can overcome any sadness or difficulty we are experiencing.

Nehemiah 8:1. The lesson of this text is that when attending the meetings we must all have the same purpose, which is to let ourselves be taught by Jehovah through his word the Bible, but not only listen, we must also apply and ensure that our lives revolve around the Yahweh principles.

Nehemiah 9:8. This verse also highlights the deep mercy of God towards his people despite their disobedience and rebellion and mistakes and sins of the people, God did not abandon them in the desert. This lesson teaches us that Jehovah's mercy is limitless and that he is always ready to guide and protect those who seek direction from him, even when we find ourselves in difficult situations.

Nehemiah 9:8. There he says that Jehovah saw the heart of Abraham. This teaches us about Jehovah that only He is the only one who can know what we have in our hearts, we cannot deceive Jehovah, but we are also glad that despite being human he is imperfect, he saw something in our hearts and has given us the opportunity to seek him out and become his friends.

Nehemiah 9:6. The text emphasizes how Jehovah is the creator of the heavens, the earth and everything in them. This teaches us about Jehovah, that without a doubt he deserves our exclusive adoration on our part, and we can be grateful for everything he has done for us, giving him our loyalty by living a life up to his just standards.

Nehemiah 9:1-13. It shows that the Israelites dressed in sackcloth and confessed their own sins and the mistakes of their parents, this leaves us as a lesson the importance of showing sincere repentance and the personal responsibility we have in acknowledging our sins before God.

Nehemiah 8:18. At present we must copy the same example, every day take the time to read the sacred scriptures, just as we eat daily to nourish ourselves, in the same way feed ourselves in a spiritual sense and we only achieve that by having a constant reading and study of the word of God.

Nehemiah 8:14-15. The lesson we draw from these verses is the importance of obeying Jehovah's commandments, not only those that have to do with his will, but also we do well to obey his wise advice that benefits us so much in our daily lives.

Nehemiah 8:14-4. Nehemiah read the Law of Moses aloud and began to teach and share the word of God with the people. This teaches us that it is important to read the Bible today, but not only for our benefit and spiritual growth, but also to teach others and also these verses teach us that when we read the Bible we must do it with dedication and attention for greater benefit.

Nehemiah 9:31. In this text we see how, despite the fact that they were very rebellious, Jehovah always proved to be a loving and merciful God, for many years he was patient with everyone, as he is today, and also, as we have seen, we have to repent and ask Jehovah for forgiveness , since we are sure that Jehovah will bless and forgive us.

Nehemiah 9:17. This text teaches all of us that Jehovah is a God willing to forgive and understand us, since he is a compassionate God and he does not understand himself, despite the fact that the Israelites at that time became rebellious Jehovah helped them. Once again Jehovah demonstrated that he is a God of love and that he understands and forgives us.

Nehemiah 9:2. It teaches us that we have to separate ourselves from everything that has a bad influence on all of us, that is why we have to avoid many dangers, and like the Israelites of that time, we also have to separate ourselves from all the bad things that stalk us, from the same way to move away, which will help us so that everything goes well for us and most important of all we will have a clear conscience before Jehovah.

Nehemiah 9:15. This text teaches us that when we need something or when we are suffering or having a bad time, Jehovah will always be there for us, giving us his guidance and support, just as at that time he produced and gave many blessings to the people of he. This teaches us how Jehovah blesses his servants, in the same way we have to act well, not like at that time when they did not pay attention and were very arrogant.

Nehemiah 9:2. This text teaches us that just as they repented of their sins, we also think and reflect on our sins, mistakes and remember that Jehovah loves us and he will do everything possible through the elders to help us.

Nehemiah 8:14. We see that everything that Jehovah commanded was carried out there, We also have to pay attention to everything that Jehovah commands us through his organization, That is why it is very important to always follow step by step everything that is said or said What. In this way we can have a better and happy life, always making the best decisions.

Nehemiah 8:3. We see that the Israelites bowed down to Jehovah as a sign of respect. This text teaches us that we must be respectful when praying in the congregation or going out to preach, and the important thing is to have a humble attitude, which will help us show respect in all aspects of our Christian life.

Nehemiah 8:5,6. It shows that Ezra praised Jehovah before reading the book of the law and all the people exclaimed amen. This teaches me that we should always approach Jehovah with humility and gratitude, acknowledging his greatness and seeking his direction in our lives.

Nehemiah 8:12. It shows that after listening to the reading of the Book of the Law for approximately 6 hours, the people celebrated with joy and joy. They recognized the goodness and faithfulness of Jehovah. This teaches me that having the word of God in our lives should be a reason for joy and its truths and its promises, reasons for rejoicing. 

Nehemiah 8:2,3. He shows that it was not only important to listen to the reading of the Book of the Law, it was also important for everyone to understand. This teaches me that I shouldn't settle for skimming through the Bible. On the contrary, I must strive to study it in depth and meditate on it in order to understand and then more fully put its teachings into practice in my life.

Nehemiah 8:3. He shows that everyone listened attentively to the reading of the Book of the Law. This attitude demonstrated respect and appreciation for the sanctity and authority of God's word. This teaches me that when I read and study the Bible I must show that same attitude.

Nehemiah 8:2. He shows that men, women, and children with the ability to understand gathered together to hear the reading of the law. This text highlights the importance of worshiping Jehovah in union with the brothers, as one people, and it teaches me that I must make an effort to attend all the meetings of the Congregation and our beloved Assemblies.

Nehemiah 8:1. It shows us that the people gathered in the square to listen to the reading of the Law of Moses. This teaches me the importance of taking time to read and study the Bible and shows me that both are essential for my spiritual growth.

Nehemiah 9:21. This text helps me to encourage my Bible students and people from the territory who show concern for daily needs, rather than for their spiritual needs, to change their attitude. This text is useful to explain to them the benefits we obtain by putting Jehovah first, since whoever trusts in him will lack nothing.

Nehemiah 9:29-32. It teaches me that Jehovah is a long-suffering God and therefore I must work to limit him. Jehovah was patient with the Israelites for a long time, even when they did not listen to his commands. Therefore, imitating Jehovah's patience will lead me to be more tolerant with all people, but especially with people who find it difficult to understand the message we carry.

Nehemiah 9:11. This text reminds us when Jehovah protected and freed his people from captivity in Egypt and teaches us that as long as we are obedient and stick to his instructions, he will protect us and help us face any adversity that comes our way. Meditating on this in a personal way gives me confidence to keep going even if the circumstances are not the best.

Nehemiah 9:19-21. These texts describe how Jehovah took good care of his people during the 40 years in the desert and makes us see how he continues to care for us today. While it is true now that a pillar of cloud or fire is not used to guide us, he does use his organization to help keep us alert, and to remember the urgency of the times, to give us spiritual nourishment and instructions, and to keep us United .

Nehemiah 8:8,12. He mentions that when they read the law of Jehovah they gave meaning and understanding to the reading and the result was that everyone understood what had been read. This teaches me that we should strive to apply all the instructions we are given to become better readers and teachers so that our Bible students and the people we preach to grasp the true meaning of God's word.

Nehemiah 8:4-6. He shows that Ezra was standing on a wooden platform that he had made for the occasion. That shows that they had been made for the occasion. This shows that they had taken the time to do it so that it would be more practical for him to read the law before the people and have a much greater effect on those who listened. This teaches me that we must strive to make the word of God have an effect on the people who hear it from our lips when we preach or teach. Therefore, we must improve our reading more and more.

Nehemiah 8:4-6. This text also shows that Nehemiah was not alone as he read God's law to the people. There were men to his right and to his left supporting him. This teaches us that the Ministry, so to speak, we also have the support of our brothers on the right and on the left when we go out to preach, since that support encourages us and motivates us to preach with courage.

Nehemiah 8:10. This text in part says go eat the best food, because today is a holy day for our Lord. Do not be sad because the happiness that comes from Jehovah is your strength. This teaches me that the joy of Jehovah comes from recognizing and meeting our spiritual need. As well as accepting that we need Jehovah's direction in our lives.

Nehemiah 8:3. It shows that Ezra read from dawn to noon before the men, women, children, and all who could understand what they heard, and they all listened attentively to the reading from the Book of the Law. This teaches me that as parents we must teach our children to sit down and pay attention to what is said in the Kingdom Hall meetings and in our assemblies, since as the verse says, even the children listened carefully.

Nehemiah 8:3. This text also teaches us that we can resemble a section of our current assemblies, where we all get up early to be together and listen to the word of Jehovah as a single spiritual people.

Nehemiah 8:3. It teaches us about paying attention in meetings, this can be a challenge, perhaps fatigue, some personal problem, distractions. But it is very important to make an effort to concentrate and something that could help us is to write down the points that call our attention, such as the title of the quoted speech and text, since that will help us better understand the information.

Nehemiah 8:5. It teaches us the importance of using the Bible in front of the people in preaching, and we say this because it is a powerful visual effect for people to read directly from the Bible when we preach to them and give Bible courses. In this way the word of God will reach effectively in the hearts of the people to whom we preach.

Nehemiah 8:8. It teaches us about the importance of improving our way of presenting the message of the Kingdom. Without a doubt, this is an art, and a continuous process, but we see that they were not limited to reading, but to explain what was read, the organization has taught us about imitating this Method in preaching by explaining the illustrations and applying the texts we use.

Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of Jehovah comes from recognizing and meeting our spiritual needs, as well as following theocratic direction. It is of the utmost importance that we study the Bible diligently, attend Christian Meetings regularly, and participate enthusiastically in the work of Preaching the Kingdom and making disciples.

Nehemiah 8:8. We could also use this text in the Ministry, since as teachers of the word of God we give it meaning when we articulate the words well and give them due emphasis, if we do not open our mouths correctly, and pronounce correctly, the message will not be understood or the biblical text that we are reading in preaching or when we read in public.

Nehemiah 9:1. We see that their wearing a sack, a dark-colored garment made of goat hair fabrics, was a sign of sadness. Similarly, putting earth or ashes on his head or body meant great lamentation or humiliation. The Jews did this to show their painful and humble recognition of their sins. After this they made a confession contract or a solemn promise. This text teaches us that we must acknowledge our sins before Jehovah and humbly reckon with him, we must acknowledge and confess our sins in order to preserve our relationship with God.

Nehemiah 9:5. The true Worship has several objectives But one of them is very important the praise to the Holy name of the true God. The Angels in heaven give praise to the true God and bless his holy name, they treat him as something sacred, the most sacred, the text says that his blessed name is above any blessing and praise.

Nehemiah 9:6. It shows us that Jehovah is the creator, the maker of the heavens and the Earth, this is connected with what Revelation 14:6,7 says, to adore and fear the one who made the heavens and the earth.

Nehemiah 9:8. It teaches us the utmost importance and care that we must have with our figurative heart, God saw the heart of Abraham and saw that he was faithful, today Jehovah examines the good as well as the bad, all the millions of hearts throughout the world, This It makes us meditate that if God is looking at our heart at this moment, what could he find there, that is why it is very important that we pay attention to what we keep in our hearts.

Nehemiah 9:18. There were those who created their own god or golden calf, And decided to worship God in their own way, instead of doing it in God's way. Today there are people like this, they want to set the rules and decide for themselves what is right and wrong, and they look for the texts of the Bible that suit them. Without a doubt, in the end, God will give to each one according to his conduct.

Nehemiah 9:20. This text reminds us of the importance of begging Jehovah for his holy spirit, so that we have understanding, discernment and most importantly be obedient to everything Jehovah commands us.

Nehemiah 9:29. He teaches us about avoiding being arrogant and refusing to listen to God's commands. In fact, after Armageddon, at the end of the thousand years, there will be so many people, like the sand of the sea, who will not be saved by having that same attitude, certainly not among this group.