SPIRITUAL GEMS: Week of September 18 to 24, 2023, Esther 6 to 8, Answers.

SPIRITUAL GEMS:  September 18-24, 2023, Esther 6 to 8, Answers.

Spiritual Gems (10 min.)

Est 7:4. Why would annihilating the Jews have harmed the king in the end? (w06 3/1 11 para. 1).

First would be loss of income, as mentioned Esther cautiously points out that the sale of the Jews into slavery would have been a significant source of income for the royal treasury. The 10,000 pieces of silver promised by Haman was a relatively small amount, compared to the potential economic benefit that would have been obtained from enslaving large numbers of Jews. The annihilation of the Jews would result in the loss of this source of income.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Second is political destabilization. The execution of a large group of people including Queen Esther, who was Jewish, had caused great upheaval in the kingdom, this could have led to political and social instability which would have harmed its government, stability and the peace of the kingdom, since maintaining control and prosperity were of great importance.

Also the loss of the queen would also harm the king, Esther was the queen and she was Jewish. So if she had carried out the annihilation of her along with the other Jews. This would have meant the death of the queen, which would have been a significant loss and a blow to her position as king, meaning that the king would still not have been able to defend her and also the king would have been seen as weak.

Esther pointed out that destroying the Jews would harm the king by mentioning the possibility of selling them into slavery instead of killing them. The 10,000 pieces of silver he promised me was much less than what the king would have earned if the Jews had been sold into slavery. Furthermore, if the plot was carried out, the king would lose the queen.

It would have hurt the king because the 10,000 pieces of silver that Haman had promised were much less than what the royal treasury would have earned if Haman had plotted to sell the Jews into slavery. No one else, with this plot the king would have also lost Queen Esther.

Esther stressed that the destruction of the Jews would harm the king, because instead of annihilating the Jews, they could be sold into slavery.

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

Esther 6:1. The Bible relates that that night the king could not sleep. It is very likely that it was Jehovah who caused the King's insomnia. The lesson we can learn is that when we leave things in God's hands, we may find that His solutions to our problems are better than anything we could have come up with.

Esther 7:9. It shows how Haman's actions ultimately turned against him despite his malicious plans to harm Mordecai and the Jews, and he ended up being condemned by King Ahasuerus. So the lesson or key here is that haughtiness and the belief in superiority over others can have serious consequences. 

Esther 6:11. Mordecai's humility is an example of virtue and in contrast to Haman's arrogance. Despite receiving unexpected praise and honors, Mordecai did not allow this to change his character or behavior. So instead of becoming proud and seeking revenge, he maintained his integrity and humility. This lesson teaches us that humility is an admirable quality, which helps us stay true to our principles and values, even in situations where we might be tempted to act with arrogance or egotism. 

Esther 6:10. Haughtiness, or the belief of being superior to others, can lead to arrogance and treating others with contempt. In the case of Haman, his pride led him to try to harm Mordecai, without realizing that his plans would eventually turn into evil. against him. The lesson we can learn from this story is that humility is an important virtue. Being humble involves recognizing that we are all equal in the eyes of God and others. No matter how powerful or influential we believe ourselves to be, we must treat others with respect and consideration.

Esther 8:14. We see that the messengers acted quickly and obediently. This shows the importance of immediate action when it comes to implementing important decisions. In our case we must be like those messengers by obeying Jesus' command to preach and bring the good news of the Kingdom diligently.

Esther 8:3. We learn from Esther the bravery she demonstrated, approaching the king and begging him to cancel Haman's plan to exterminate the Jews. This lesson highlights the importance of standing up for what is right, even when we face great risks.

Esther 7:2. The fact that the king asks Esther what he wants, we read that the king tells Esther tell me and I will give it to you. We can see how the king offered her help. This is a reminder of the importance of open communication and teaches us that the willingness to listen to others is important in solving problems and conflicts, but for this it is important to have good communication.

Esther 7:9-10. We read that Haman was hanged on the tree that he himself had prepared to kill Mordecai. This teaches us that those who have harmed others can face the consequences of their actions, and it gives us Hope to read stories like this, as they help us understand that although we now live in a world of injustice, Under the Kingdom of God it will be different, because Jehovah, just as at the right time he caused Justice to be done in the case of Haman, he will soon do so with his enemies.

Esther 7:2 In this passage, King Ahasuerus generously offers Queen Esther anything she desires, even up to half of his kingdom. If Esther had been an interested woman, she would have asked for material things, but she was not interested in prominence or leading an ostentatious life, on the contrary she asked to save her people and she even included herself when asking for her life. This lesson teaches us the importance of prioritizing the lives and safety of people, especially those who are vulnerable or in danger. and that we must be supportive and care for those who need protection and support.

Esther 6:11. Despite receiving honors and being carried on a horse through the city square, Mordecai does not let this get to his head. Instead of being proud, he returns to the door of the King's palace. This attitude shows his humility and his virtuous character, an example that we can copy inside and outside the congregation, we should never let an appointment or responsibility we have go to our heads.

Esther 6:11-12. We see how Aman, who intended to humiliate and destroy Mordecai, is forced to publicly honor him. This is a very important lesson because it reminds us that we should not have an arrogant, haughty attitude and believe that we are superior to others, nor humiliate anyone, because circumstances can change unexpectedly, and people who try to harm others Others may find themselves in embarrassing situations and end up facing the consequences of their actions.

Esther 6:8-9. Haman suggests that the honest man should wear royal robes and ride an ornate horse. This highlights how for Haman the most important thing was his image, demonstrating prominence, this is exactly what we see today in society and how sometimes the image is valued more than the qualities of a person. The lesson is that we must remember that true honor must be based on real actions and merits, we must strive to practice good qualities and it should not be to impress others, nor to appear to others something that one does not have.

Esther 8:8. The king again made another discreet one in which he allowed the Israelites to fight for their aunt. The room already showed that we as Christians also participate in a spiritual struggle because Satan wants to be eager to destroy our faith and makes a reference to us. a Corinthians 10:3-4. Where it says that we go with humans, we do not war like humans. So how our Victory is going to be for us to emerge victorious is by imitating the example of Esther, when we face problems we have to act tactfully with wisdom and with great patience, and being courageous defending both Jehovah and our brothers.

Esther 6:6. In these verses we see how King Ahasuerus seeks to honor someone and Haman, assuming that he himself is the honored one, proposes a public act of recognition, all of this because he had an attitude of pride, thinking that he is the man whom The king wants to save. This self-aggrandizing attitude can lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and conflicts. And the lesson here is that it is important to maintain humility and not automatically assume that we are worthy of honors, we must strive to avoid an attitude of arrogance. 

Esther 8:15-16. It shows us how a distressing time then becomes a time of happiness, it was terrible that the lives of the Jews were in danger, all of them were going to die, but acting in consequence of Jehovah's advice to seek his support and guidance, made that things went well. It is a lesson for us when we go through problems. Well, where are we going to look, who are we going to look for, always Jehovah and then he will bless our efforts to follow his guidance in these difficult times.

Esther 6:13. Haman's friends and his wife tell him the truth, they tell him: If Mordecai, who you have begun to fall before, is of Jewish origin, you will not defeat him, there is no doubt that you will fall before him. This text shows me that in reality Jehovah's enemies will never prevail. Jehovah will always get ahead helping his people, so that they always get ahead.

Esther 8:9. We see that Mordecai ordered the decree to be written to each province in its own writing style and to each people its own language, including the Jews, thus ensuring the reach of the message and that everyone could understand it. This reminded me of the immense translation work that our organization carries out with the same objective and also confirms to me how important it is to nourish ourselves spiritually in our mother tongue, this will allow the Biblical truths to reach the heart and motivate us to act.

Esther 8:17. I like the phrase he says at the end and many who were from other towns became Jews, because the terror of the Jews had fallen on them. And that shows us how the name of Jehovah could be sanctified, no one was going to go against Jehovah and his people, because his Name had been made known, the power he has, that he could save them from anything. . Likewise, when we take a step to defend and sanctify the name of Jehovah, we are supporting Jehovah and Jehovah will demonstrate that he supports us.

Esther 8:3. In the text we appreciate Esther's humility, so much so that she fell at the king's feet and begged him, crying. This teaches us that we must cultivate this excellent quality, since we must strive to be a humble person like Esther, in this way we will gladden the heart of Jehovah.

Esther 8:1-2. Esther and Mordecai trusted Jehovah and demonstrated true humility, thanks to his good attitude Jehovah allowed them to work to save his people from destruction. This is an excellent example of humility and trust in Jehovah that we should imitate.

Esther 7:9-10. We can see that things did not go as Haman planned, because Jehovah had another purpose for Mordecai. Today we also go through difficulties and opposition from Satan, but we are certain that these are not the plans that Jehovah had for us, and very soon he promises us many blessings.

Esther 7:1-7. We see that Esther gathers courage and uncovers the plans of Haman, an evil man who harassed God's people. This teaches us to be brave and not be intimidated by what opposes our beliefs. If when talking to someone about our beliefs, we do so tactfully, it is more likely that the person will want to continue listening and not cut off the conversation.

Esther 7:3. In the verse we observe that Esther knew it was time to speak. Just like you, we must know that there is time for everything and treat dedicated matters with wisdom and tact. This example teaches us that if we ever need to bring up a serious problem, we should find the appropriate time to express our feelings in a patient and respectful manner.

Esther 6:6. In this verse we can notice that Haman's attitude was very proud. This bad example teaches us that as Christians we must avoid being proud and believing ourselves to be better than others, because Jehovah hates that type of people.

Esther 8:15. It teaches us about taking care of our outward appearance when facing someone in authority as Mordecai did. If we do so before another human being, how much more will we strive to present ourselves to worship Jehovah with a clean and neat exterior and interior appearance.

Esther 8:9. He mentions that each people was written in their own language. This reminds us how important it is to learn from the Bible in our heart language, and take advantage of the tools that the organization gives us to preach in other languages ​​in our territory.

Esther 8:6. It makes us think about the empathy and feeling of humanity that Esther had, something that today the people who govern or lead the masses lack, for the most part. She was doing very well in the Royal Palace, but she stated that she would not bear to know that she was comfortable while the people of her were in disgrace, these qualities will help us now and in the future.

Esther 8:5. Esther was wise not to mention the king's responsibility for the decree designed to annihilate his people. Likewise, we must be cautious when giving testimony to prominent leaders. 

Esther 8:3-6. Just like Esther, the apostle Paul, and others, we can and should turn to authorities and the courts for protection against our enemies.

Esther 6:6-10. The case of Haman reminds us of the words of the Proverb that says that pride is before a crash and a haughty spirit before a stumbling block.

Esther 7:4 . Esther's example teaches us the usefulness of knowing how to persuade. If we ever need to expose a serious problem to a loved one or a person in high authority, the combination of patience, respect and sincerity will not help much.

Esther 7:2. It makes us think about what we would have asked for if we were in Esther's place, she offered up to half of the kingdom, yet she was always modest and was not an ambitious or greedy person, she used her position to help her people, in order to to be at peace, that was what she asked for, peace for her and hers.

Esther 6:10. This reminds us of the words of Matthew 7:12, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, in the end, when someone does something bad to us, that person is actually doing it to themselves, since this will come back to them. eventually, how it happened to Haman, therefore, we must pay attention to what we give or wish for others, since this will return to us later.

Esther 6:3. It reminds us of the words of Hebrews 6:1 that Jehovah will reward the actions of his faithful, perhaps some forget the good things we have done for them, perhaps they do not even thank us, but Jehovah and Jesus Christ are taking note, that motivates us not get tired of doing good.

Esther 6:2-3. It reminds us that our actions, especially those in favor of the Kingdom and our brothers, are being written in a record book before Jehovah, this motivates us to continue faithfully serving Jehovah. 

Esther 8:7-14. It shows that the couriers left in haste by the king's order. This was because there was urgency in spreading the word about the king's new decree. This teaches me that today we must also show a sense of urgency when it comes to preaching the message of the Kingdom of God. We also have the mandate to preach with a sense of urgency of a saving message. Consequently, we must meditate on the way in which we are performing our service. 

Esther 8:17. It shows that many Persians apparently became Jewish proselytes because they concluded that the fact that the previous decree had been counteracted indicated that the Jews had Divine favor. Today, many people around the world also become Jehovah's Witnesses because they come to the conclusion that we have the truth and consequently the favor of God. 

Esther 8:1-17. He shows that now the Jews could take the initiative against those who wanted to destroy them and how because of this, instead of fasting and lamenting, they began to gather together to mount their defense. This teaches me that we must always be united and willing to fight for our Freedom to preach the good news of the Kingdom.

Esther 8:5. It shows that Esther was wise in not mentioning the responsibility the king had in the decree designed to annihilate his people. This teaches me that we too must be cautious when we testify before authorities.

Esther 7:8. It shows how Haman's cowardice and manipulation are exposed. Reason for which, he ends up being hanged on the tree that he himself had ordered to be erected to hang Mordecai. This teaches me that divine justice can sometimes seem late. But this story shows us that Jehovah delivers justice in due time. On the other hand, this story contains a lesson that should be learned by all those who try to destroy God's people.

Esther 7:3. It shows that Esther assures the king that she will respect his decision. This was a very different action from the one taken some time ago by the Vasti queen, who purposely humiliated her husband. On the other hand, Esther does not criticize the king for the folly of having trusted Haman. Rather, she begs him to protect her because her life is in danger. These are valuable teachings for Christian wives today, so they would do well to imitate Esther's respect and submission to her husband, the king.

Esther 7:1-6. It shows how Esther uses the wine banquet as a strategy to expose Haman's malicious plans in order to protect the people from him. This teaches me that even though we are doing Jehovah's will and have his help, sometimes it will be necessary to carefully plan our actions and the strategies we will use in order to achieve our objectives.

Esther 7:1. It shows that King Ahasuerus and Haman attend the banquet hosted by Queen Esther. This banquet is very important because it would mark the beginning of a series of events that would lead to the salvation of the Jewish people. This teaches me the importance of creating opportunities, planning strategically, and demonstrating courage in serving Jehovah's purpose and protecting our spiritual brothers.

Esther 6:13,14. He shows how his wife and Haman's advisors announce his fall to Mordecai. And while they were still talking to him, the king's eunuchs arrived to take him to the second banquet that Esther had prepared. This teaches me that sometimes events can develop quickly and circumstances can change in an instant, highlighting for us not only the importance of always being prepared, but also of being aware of the possible consequences of our actions.

Esther 7:1. This text also shows Esther's bravery in inviting King Ahasuerus and Amanda to the banquet despite knowing that she was risking her life by revealing the truth. This teaches me that sometimes it is necessary to face difficult situations with courage and determination in order to collaborate in the fulfillment of Jehovah's will, so we must be willing to give our lives if necessary.

Esther 6:12. It shows that after the ceremony, Mordecai returned to the royal gate. But Haman went to his house lamenting and with his head covered perhaps out of shame. This teaches me that pride and evil ultimately lead to defeat, sadness and humiliation.

Esther 6:11. It shows that Haman took the clothes and the horse, dressed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the streets of the city, proclaiming before him: "This is how you treat the man whom the king wishes to honor." This teaches me that divine justice can humiliate at the least expected moment those who, due to some position of relative power, become proud and seek to harm innocent people with their evil actions.

Esther 7:10. Haman considered himself very powerful and influential, and his actions reflected his arrogance. However, this same arrogance led to his own execution. The passage shows how his own scaffold, which he had prepared for Mordecai, ended up being used for his execution. This story in the external book teaches the importance of humility and the warning that haughtiness and the belief in superiority over others can have negative consequences. It is a reminder that, ultimately, our actions and attitudes can have an impact on our lives, and excessive pride and contempt for others can always lead to our downfall.

Esther 6:1-10. It teaches me that although good deeds sometimes go unnoticed by some, they never go unnoticed by Jehovah. And even if they are not rewarded immediately, in due time, they will be rewarded by God. That is what happened to Mordecai when King Ahasuerus honored him for having long ago denounced two royal court officials who had hatched a plan to assassinate him.

Esther 6:1-7. It shows that when King Ahasuerus realizes that Mordecai had not been rewarded for uncovering a murder plot against him, he asks Haman to suggest an appropriate reward. Haman, assuming that he would be the one to receive the honor, proposes a lavish and detailed ceremony. . But he is horrified when he finds out that the honors go to Mordecai. This teaches me that humiliation can be a powerful lesson for those who take excessive pride, as vanity leads to disappointment.

Esther 6:6-11. It shows that Haman was surprised when the king ordered Mordecai to be honored and not him. After all his bragging to his wife and his friends to murder Mordecai, Haman had no choice but to obey because otherwise it would have meant death. This teaches me that the displays of pride are simply the beginning of ruin, for Jehovah hates pride but delights in humility.

Esther 7:3. In this text we see that Esther says to the king: "If I have your favor and if it seems good to you to give me what I ask, I beg you to save my life and the lives of my people." Esther knew how to handle a delicate matter with wisdom and tact, using persuasion. His example teaches us that if we ever need to expose a serious problem to a family member, it is important that we be respectful and sincere patients.

Esther 7:5-7. We see that Esther answered the king saying that this adversary and enemy is this wretch, Haman. We see how Haman is exposed as the manipulative coward that he is. Here we learn that Jehovah is able to trap those who act with evil and cunning in his own traps just as he did in the case of Haman.

Esther 7:10. We read that they hung by hand on the tree he had prepared for Mordecai, Haman was proud and there was only one end for him. This text teaches us that we must avoid feeding pride, since just as we will end up very badly.

Esther 8:3-6. In this text we see that Esther once again risked her life by appearing before the king without an official invitation. She wept for his people and begged him to rescind the terrible order. This teaches us the importance of fighting injustice and protecting the vulnerable.

Esther 8:5. We see that Esther was discreet, since she avoided referring to the responsibility that her husband shared in that perverse plan. Likewise, if someone returns to the congregation after being away for a long time, let us warmly welcome them instead of commenting on their clothing or lack thereof. Tact includes being Kind and recognizing what not to say.

Esther 8:17. We read that many who were from other towns became Jews. It is evident that they considered Ahasuerus's decree as a sign of divine support in favor of the Jews. In the same way today the other sheep loyally adhere to the Anointed Ones and are united in pure duration to Jehovah. Because they know that it is Jehovah who has chosen his Anointed Ones.

Esther 8:7,8. We see that the king empowers Esther and Mordecai to make a new law that allows the Jews to fight in its defense. Just like the Jews in the time of Esther. Jehovah's Witnesses rightly appeal to governments and courts when they require protection from their enemies. With Jehovah's blessing, many important battles have been won in the courts.