SPIRITUAL GEMS: Week of August 7 to 13, 2023, Nehemiah 5 to 7, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS: August 7-13, 2023, Nehemiah 5 to 7, Answers.

Spiritual Gems (10 min.)

Ne 6:13. Why would Nehemiah have committed a sin if he had hidden in the temple? (w07 7/1 30 ¶15)

Jehovah's law stipulated that only the priests were to perform service duties related to the altar and what was behind the curtain, and that only the Levites could set up, take down, and move the tabernacle. So if someone without authorization even came close, they should be punished with death. Consequently, if Nehemiah hid in the temple he violated the sanctity of the place and the law of Jehovah and for this serious sin he would have deserved to be punished with death.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Nehemiah did not accept Semaya's proposal because he was not a priest. So hiding in the temple so he wouldn't be murdered would have been a sin. Furthermore, Nehemiah reasoned that even if she was his Jewish brother leaving, a true prophet sent by Jehovah would never have counseled her to disobey God's law.

Because Nehemiah was not a priest, hiding in the house of God would have been a sin, that is why he replied: yes, a man like him can enter the temple and continue living. And he with a firm voice he said that he was not going to enter. Then at that moment he realized that God had not sent him, since a true prophet would never have advised him to disobey Jehovah's law.

Without a doubt, it makes us think of practical situations that we could all live as Christians, since a temptation or an indecent proposal can come from everywhere, even in a Broadcasting he mentioned, what would happen if a named elder proposed to us to do something that God condemns, in other words sin and disobey God. So someone could say, well, as the old man told me, I listened to him, because the Bible says that you have to be submissive, but the Bible says and that was clarified by the brother of the Governing Body in that speech, some years ago. That the principle is the same, obey God as ruler rather than any man. So it is good that we observe and always use discernment and our ability to think and, of course, follow Biblical principles.

If Nehemiah had hidden in the temple, he would have committed a sin, and we say this because he was not a priest and therefore did not have the right to enter the temple. As Nehemiah 6: 10,11 mentions, Semaya advised him to hide in the temple to save his life, but Nehemiah knew that this would be disobeying God's law and therefore he refused to do so.

The most sacred place in the temple, known as the "Holy of Holies", could only be accessed by the high priest once a year on the Day of Atonement. So Nehemiah was aware of this fact and that is why he decided not to follow Shemaya's advice.

The reference that helps us answer this question is the Watchtower of 2007 July 1st page 30 and paragraph 15 reviewing that information we can say the following: Despite all the occupations that Nehemiah had, he knew the Law of Moses very well, he knew that only the priests had the right to enter the house of God and it was only to render the sacred service that corresponded to them at the assigned time. Although they were priests, they did not have the authority to enter whenever they wanted, for this reason, Nehemiah expressed the bad intention that Semaya had to make him sin and have died.

So we see that Nehemiah was very clear about his assignment to complete the restoration of the wall of Jerusalem. Therefore, he was careful in what he said and did to fulfill his commission, he is a good example for each of us to be careful with instructions that may come from supposed servants of Jehovah, but that are intended to make us sin.

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

Nehemiah 5:1-11. He shows how Nehemiah deals with the reality that some Jews are oppressing their own brothers, economically exploiting them and driving them into poverty. This deeply unjust situation, Semaya, made Nehemiah take actions to correct it. This teaches me that justice is a priority for Jehovah and should also be for his servants.

Nehemiah 7:6-72. The reconstruction of Jerusalem involved the collaboration of different people and families including Levite priest leaders and other members of the people, the list of donations also shows the joint effort to support the work. The teaching is that teamwork and collaboration are essential to achieve big goals and overcome challenges. What we learned from this text is that today Jehovah's organization has also done many works, which have been completed thanks to teamwork and the collaboration of many brothers, which has allowed great goals to be achieved and overcome many challenges in the field of construction.

Nehemiah 7:1-2. Nehemiah was a responsible leader and rebuilt the walls and placed gates in Jerusalem, appointing God-fearing and trustworthy people to oversee various roles such as gatekeepers, singers, and Levites. The lesson here is that when we have to deal with an issue within the congregation, let's always do so asking for Jehovah's guidance and direction.

Nehemiah 6:16. When the wall was finished, the enemies and the neighboring nations realized that the work had been done with the help of Jehovah. Recognize that our achievements come because of Jehovah, since He gives us the strength to complete all our assignments and helps us to maintain a humble and grateful attitude. So the lesson here is that we attribute our achievements to God's help and not to our own strength. 

Nehemiah 6:15. Despite the opposition, Nehemiah managed to complete the reconstruction of the walls in just 52 days, his perseverance and determination in fulfilling his mission are an example of how to face and overcome challenges. The lesson is that we must persevere to finish what we have started. So when we decide in a spiritual sense to do some support in the congregation we must do it, also following this advice, do it perseveringly until finishing it. 

Nehemiah 6:12. Nehemiah realized that Semaya's advice was misleading and malicious and he discerned that God had not sent him, it is important to carefully evaluate the advice we receive so as not to fall into traps. The lesson is that we must discern between when advice is beneficial for us or when there are bad intentions, and know from which people we can expect good advice, knowing that we should always seek advice from spiritually mature brothers.

Nehemiah 6:9. We see that Nehemiah faced intimidation and threats, but instead of giving in to fear he turned to Jehovah for strength and support, recognizing that only with divine help could he overcome obstacles. So the lesson for us is that we should always seek to strengthen our hope in God and put all our concerns in Jehovah when we face opposition and difficulties. 

Nehemiah 6:6-8. Nehemiah faced false accusations and malicious rumors about his intentions. However, rather than fall for the trap, he maintained his integrity and rejected the unfounded accusations. The lesson is that we should not be swayed by malicious rumors or false accusations.

Nehemiah 6:2-4. We see that Nehemiah faced constant attempts by his enemies to distract them and harm him, but he remained steadfast in his task and did not give in to the manipulation and pressure they tried to exert on him. The lesson here is that we must not give in to the manipulation and threats of our enemies.

Nehemiah 5:17,19. We see that Nehemiah showed generosity and gratitude in his position as governor, sharing what he had with the people and those who visited him, he did not claim undue benefits or take advantage of his position to enrich himself. The lesson here is that we need to be generous to others and grateful for what we have, recognizing that our blessings can be shared with those who are most in need.

Nehemiah 5:14-16. There Nehemiah demonstrated integrity in leading him as governor, avoiding unjust enrichment and oppression of the people. Instead of taking advantage of his position, he focused on serving and working for the well-being of the people, the lesson here is that leaders must act in fear of God, prioritizing the service of God, above their personal interests. 

Nehemiah 5:7-11. Confronting the nobles and rulers who were demanding interest and exploiting their indebted Jewish brothers, Nehemiah urged them to stop lending at interest and return the property they had taken as collateral. The lesson here is that we must be fair and compassionate in our financial transactions and avoid exploiting others with unfair interest or abusive practices.

Nehemiah 5:7-11. Confronting the nobles and rulers who were demanding interest and exploiting their indebted Jewish brothers, Nehemiah urged them to stop lending at interest and return the property they had taken as collateral. The lesson here is that we must be fair and compassionate in our financial transactions and avoid exploiting others with unfair interest or abusive practices.

Ezra 5:1-5. From this text we learn that we must show compassion and solidarity towards those who are going through financial difficulties, since we must not exploit them or try to take advantage of their vulnerable situation, if we did we would be copying the spirit of this world.

Nehemiah 7:1,2. It teaches us the importance of being organized in our work, as Nehemiah organized the inhabitants of Jerusalem into groups and assigned specific tasks to make sure the city was well protected and administered. In our daily lives, we can apply this lesson by being organized and diligent in our work, whether it be in our personal lives or in our ministry.

Nehemiah 5:6, 7. It teaches us the importance of being honest and transparent in our relationships with others, since in our daily life, we can face situations in which we are asked to hide the truth or deceive others to obtain some benefit. . However, we can remember Nehemiah's honesty and transparency in dealing with the problems that arose in his community, and find the strength and determination to make it right.

Chapter 5 of Nehemiah. It shows us that Jehovah is a God who blesses those who serve him faithfully, since Nehemiah had left his position in the King's court to serve Jehovah and help his people, and in the chapter we see how Jehovah blessed him and protected him in his work, from which we learn that if we serve Jehovah faithfully, we can have full confidence that he will bless and protect us at all times.

Nehemiah 5:7-11. It shows us that Jehovah is a God who cares about justice and equity, since in this chapter, Nehemiah faces the injustice of the rich who exploit the poor and force them to pay exorbitant interest on loans, he he angers and reprimands the rich for their unfair behavior, and urges them to return the money and property they had taken from the poor. From this we learn that Jehovah expects his servants to treat others justly and compassionately as he treats each of us.

Nehemiah 6:16-19. It teaches us the importance of trusting in Jehovah and seeking his help and protection at all times, since in our ministry, we may face opposition and adversity, but we can trust that Jehovah will protect us and give us the wisdom and strength to overcome any obstacle. that is presented to us

Chapter 6 of Nehemiah. It teaches us that Jehovah is a God who rewards all those who trust him and work hard to fulfill his purpose. Despite the many obstacles he faced, Nehemiah persevered and completed the wall in 52 days, an incredible achievement and proof of Jehovah's blessing and favor. 

Nehemiah 6:11. It teaches us that Jehovah is a just God who expects his servants to obey his law and live according to his principles, and in this regard Nehemiah left us a great example, since he refused to disobey God's law by hiding in the temple , even when this apparently could have saved his life.

Nehemiah 6:15. It teaches us about Jehovah that he is a faithful God who protects and cares for his servants, since despite the attempts of Nehemiah's enemies to stop his work and harm him, Jehovah protected him and gave him wisdom and strength to overcome obstacles. He does the same with his servants today.

Nehemiah 6:15. We see that Nehemiah's perseverance in completing the wall in just 52 days teaches us the importance of having a clear objective and working hard to achieve it, even when it seems impossible, hence the importance of setting clear goals in our spiritual career.

Nehemiah 6:11,12. This text makes me think that today it is very common for us to face situations in which we may be tempted to do something bad or something that goes against our values ​​and principles. It is there, when we can remember the story of Nehemiah and his refusal to disobey God's law, and find the strength and determination to do what is right, even if it means facing opposition or adversity.

Nehemiah 7:64-65. We are reminded of the text of Matthew 7: 21-23, many will tell Jesus that they are servants of God, or so to speak "Christians", but upon seeing his record, he will tell them that he never knew them, due to their evil deeds, this makes us reflect on where we are and what we are doing, and if we are walking in fear of God.

Nehemiah 6:19 . This text reminds us of the importance of using our words to build, encourage, comfort others, especially in this world there are those who use hurtful language, such as sarcasm, mockery, destructive criticism, that is why we must have a healthy distance from these types of people and never imitate them.

Nehemiah 6:16. Something that our enemies cannot bear is seeing us triumph, moving forward, and that is possible with the help of Jehovah, and there are those who criticize and attack the servants of God in various ways, but in the end one sees who is who by their actions, and those who criticize often end badly, but we, thanks to Jehovah, remain faithful.

Nehemiah 6:13. Nehemiah was tricked, betrayed by his own religious brother, this reminds us that betrayal is something recurring, motivated by money, envy, evil, that is why we must take care of ourselves and learn not to blindly trust everyone, for which We must be observant and remember that this happened to many faithful servants of old, we do well to pray to Jehovah to free us and help with those people.

Nehemiah 6:10-13. Temptations or proposals to sin can come from everywhere, that is, non-believers, family members, even members of the congregation, that is why we must learn to have the character of Christ, and be willing to set limits and say no.

Nehemiah 5:14-19. Governor Nehemiah is a magnificent example of humility, altruism, and discretion for Christian overseers. Even though he applied God's law with great zeal, he did not take advantage of his position for profit, but he cared for the downtrodden and poor. His generosity constitutes an outstanding model for all servants of God.

Nehemiah 6:10-12. This text teaches us that like Nehemiah, we also face adversaries, whether they are supposed friends, lying accusers or false brothers, that is why we must be very careful and remember that someone who loves Jehovah will never ask us to do something that God sentence.

Nehemiah 5:19. Sometimes we might feel that nobody cares about what we do and nobody values ​​our work in the congregation, in our family, but let's remember this text Jehovah is aware and he promises to pay each one of the more than 8 million Jehovah's Witnesses according to his act. Remembering that promise will help us and motivate us to work for Jehovah with joy, instead of living to please other people. The important thing is to please Jehovah, even if that means not having the approval or approval of some people.

Nehemiah 5:12. It teaches us about our reaction when they advise us, since some get angry, others justify themselves, and others don't care and continue, but we see a good reaction here, they agreed to stop doing bad things and also to compensate the damages Without a doubt, the word to correct and bear fruit in each one of us.

Nehemiah 5:13. It teaches us about how important it is to have our word and fulfill what we offer or promise.

Nehemiah 5:14,15. Nehemiah is a prime example of doing the right thing even though others don't notice, appreciate, or acknowledge it. Yet Jehovah does. There were those who exploited and oppressed the people economically, to obtain expensive food and wine, but Nehemiah did not do it because he feared God.

Nehemiah 5:9. It teaches us the importance of fearing God, since there is no doubt that when someone occupies a position of authority, whether secular or spiritual, but does not fear God, just theoretical knowledge of God, they are capable of performing acts of evil and corruption as in this case.

Nehemiah 5:14,15. This text also teaches us another lesson, since it mentions that Nehemiah could have taken advantage of the people's donations to live a comfortable life, drinking and eating very expensive wine and bread, but he did not, because he feared God, without a doubt, If we cultivate the fear of God, we will not take advantage of other people, whether they are believers or not.

Nehemiah 5:7. We can also give this text another application since it teaches us about being brave and not being afraid to give advice if it is our responsibility. We see here that Nehemiah without fear pointed out their faults to the rich, to the nobles, to the rulers, he used the law of God to make them see their sin, reprove them severely and denounce their wrongdoing. In the same way, Christian parents expect it and the named men are not afraid to give advice to those who deserve it. 

Nehemiah 5:7. It teaches us that it is not right to take advantage of others in the congregation with lies and a malicious material or economic way. Here it is mentioned that what they were doing was cruel, imposing more economic burdens on the people through these loans and the interest on the loans. , the town was already burdened by taxes and food shortages. So taking advantage of others to gain advantage is not right.

Nehemiah 5:14-19. He shows that Nehemiah was humble, generous and discreet because although he applied God's law with great zeal, he did not take advantage of his position for profit. On the contrary, he cared for the oppressed and the poor. This makes Nehemiah an outstanding model to be followed by all of Jehovah's servants. 

Nehemiah 6:5. It shows that Sanballat sent an open letter to nehemiah, perhaps with the intention of divulging the false accusations that it contained, so that Nehemiah would get so angry and interrupt the construction to go and defend himself personally, Or perhaps so that its content to the army so much to the Jews who stopped the works completely. In any case, Nehemiah was not intimidated and continued the mission that had been entrusted to him. This teaches me that we must not let intimidation by enemies of the kingdom work paralyze us with fear. Like Nehemiah, we must continue to work on it and trust absolutely in Jehovah. 

Nehemiah 5:2-5. He shows that the money problems were affecting the unity of the people, because those who lent the money did so with usury. This was causing default in payments to the point that many had to give their daughters as servants to their moneylenders. This teaches me that when we do business with our brothers, we should not take advantage or violate Jehovah's standards. Whoever lends to his brother should not charge interest and whoever borrows from his brother should pay as agreed. We must not allow Satan to use money to break our unity and Christian love.

Nehemiah 5:6. It shows that Nehemiah was very indignant at the money problems caused by greed, that they wanted to take advantage of the situation and were endangering the unity of the people. This teaches me that the unity of Jehovah's people is more important than money and other material goods, therefore we must preserve them at all costs.

Nehemiah 5:6,7. He shows that although Nehemiah was a man very determined to act, he was also a man who thought things through carefully. This teaches me that, even if something causes us great indignation, we should not act on impulse. Like Nehemiah, we must meditate and let Jehovah guide our actions if we want to do well and have his blessing.

Nehemiah 5:11,13. It shows that Nehemiah was brave. When someone was doing something wrong he would confront them and urge them to correct themselves. This teaches me that if we see that one of our brothers is doing something wrong, we must have the courage to advise in the light of the Bible so that he can react and correct his path in time, even if it means a bad reaction on his part. .

Nehemiah 5:11,13. It also shows that Nehemiah not only asked the nobles and deputy rulers to feel bad or stop what they were doing, he asked them to pay back the money they had wrongfully taken. This teaches me that when we want to help our brothers to correct a bad behavior, we must not be lukewarm. On the contrary, we must do everything in our power Even if our advice is not exactly the easiest to accept.

Nehemiah 6:1-4. It shows how Nehemiah used discernment not only to avoid being deceived, but also to avoid being distracted from doing his work. The request came four times however Nehemiah stood his ground and did not fall for it. An application that we can give to this example is when they invite us. Whether within the congregation or outside of it, we must always be careful not to trap ourselves by accepting invitations that seem good, but deep down may have something that causes us to violate some biblical principle.

Nehemiah 6:7. It shows that Nehemiah was very focused on his work. He knew that Jehovah wanted it to be so. So he didn't let himself be distracted or fooled. This teaches us that as Jehovah's servants we must also be discerning, since Satan can use any trick to distract us from doing our service in the work of the Kingdom.

Nehemiah Chapter 6. It shows us that Nehemiah faced a series of attempts by his enemies to stop the construction work. However, Nehemiah was not intimidated and discouraged. Both he and the people continued to work with determination and perseverance. This teaches us the importance of moving forward despite opposition and not giving up in the face of challenges that come our way.

Nehemiah Chapter 6. We can give this same text another application, since it teaches us the importance of cultivating wisdom and spiritual discernment, in order to recognize and resist the deceitful tactics of our enemy, the devil.

Nehemiah Chapter 6. This text shows that the enemies tried to instill fear in Nehemiah, with the intention of paralyzing him and making him abandon the reconstruction. However, Nehemiah stood his ground and trusted in Jehovah. This teaches us the importance of trusting in Jehovah and not allowing fear to stop us from continuing our service.

Nehemiah 6:14. He shows that Nehemiah, in the midst of threats and conspiracies, resorts to prayer in response to opposition. This teaches us the importance of prayer in times of adversity or anguish, to seek Jehovah's support and guidance, as well as his strength to move forward.

Nehemiah 7:1,2,4. He shows that singing in the temple was given considerable importance. Even King Artaxerxes favored the singers by dispersing them from paying taxes, tributes and tolls like other special groups. This text teaches me the importance of arriving early to meetings to wash Jehovah with songs together with my brothers.

Nehemiah 7:1-3. He shows that the city gates will open late and close early, indicating that it was a time of high security due to threats from enemies. This teaches us to be alert all the time, since it is not at what moment we will be attacked by our spiritual enemies.

Nehemiah 7:7-64. It shows that in this long list of names, each and every one of these people was very important to Jehovah, since they had decided to return to the promised land to collaborate in the fulfillment of the divine purpose, despite the fact that many had already taken root in it. Babylon. That makes us imagine how wonderful it is to have our name written in the book of life, which we must motivate ourselves to remain faithful and loyal in order not to be saved from it.