DAILY TEXT, From today Tuesday, October 17, 2023, Each of you must respect your mother and father. I am Jehovah his God (Lev. 19:3).

DAILY TEXT, From  Tuesday, October 17, 2023,  Each of you must respect your mother and father. I am Jehovah your God (Lev. 19:3).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2023

Tuesday October 17

Each of you must respect your mother and father. I am Jehovah your God (Lev. 19:3).

It is clear that we must obey the divine command to honor our parents. Let us remember that Leviticus 19:3's command to respect parents comes right after the words “You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:2). Every Christian could ask himself: “Am I well fulfilling the divine command to honor my parents?” If we see that we have not done everything we should in the past, let's set a goal to improve. It is true that it is not possible to change the past, but from now on we can strive to do more things with and for our parents. Maybe we can spend more time on them. Can we offer them more material, spiritual or emotional support? If we do, we will be obeying the command of Leviticus 19:3. w21.12 4, 5 paras. 10-12. 

What other advice do we find in Leviticus 19:3? b) How can we follow the example of Jesus told in the story of Luke 4:16-18?

Leviticus 19:3 teaches us another lesson about holiness. There he said that the Sabbath had to be respected. Since Christians are not under the Law, it is not necessary for us to keep a weekly day of rest. But we can learn a lot from what the Israelites did on that day and the blessings they received for keeping it. They were to dedicate the Sabbath to resting from their daily labors and worshiping Jehovah.b Therefore, Jesus went to the synagogue that day and read from the Word of God (Ex. 31:12-15; read Luke 4:16-18) . The divine command found in Leviticus 19:3 to observe the Sabbaths should motivate us to take time out of our daily activities to give more attention to spiritual matters. Do we think we need to improve in this aspect? If we regularly devote time to spiritual matters, our friendship with Jehovah will grow stronger and stronger. And that is fundamental to being saints.

What essential truth is highlighted throughout chapter 19 of Leviticus?

Leviticus chapter 19 repeatedly mentions an essential truth that will help us continue to be holy. Verse 4 ends by saying, “I am Jehovah his God.” These or similar words are found 16 times in this chapter. This reminds us of the first of the Ten Commandments, which says: “I am Jehovah your God […]. Have no other gods besides me” (Ex. 20:2, 3). Every Christian who wants to be holy must make sure that nothing and no one is more important than his friendship with God. And, since we call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses, we are determined not to do anything that will tarnish his holy name (Lev. 19:12; Isa. 57:15).

What should the verses in Leviticus 19 that talk about sacrifices drive us to?

The Israelites showed that they accepted Jehovah as their God by obeying his laws. Leviticus 18:4 says, “Keep my judicial decisions and walk according to my statutes and obey them. I am Jehovah your God.” Chapter 19 includes some of these statutes that he gave to the nation of Israel. For example, verses 5-8, 21, and 22 talk about animal sacrifices. These were to be done in a way that would not profane “a holy thing of Jehovah.” Reading these verses should prompt us to want to please Jehovah and offer sacrifices of praise that are acceptable to him, as Hebrews 13:15 encourages us to do.

What principle from Leviticus 19 reminds us that those who serve God are different from other people?

To be holy, we must be willing to let it be known that we are different. This is not easy, because sometimes schoolmates, coworkers, family members who are not believers, and others can pressure us to do things that interfere with our service to Jehovah. When they do, we have to make an important decision. What will help us choose well? Let's look at an interesting principle found in Leviticus 19:19, which says in part: “Do not […] put on a garment made of two kinds of thread mixed together.” This law made it clear that Israel was different from the nations that surrounded it. Nowadays, there is nothing wrong with us wearing clothes that mix, for example, cotton and polyester, or wool and rayon. But it would be wrong for us to be like people who believe and practice things that are against what the Bible teaches, no matter if they are schoolmates, co-workers, or family members. Of course, we feel natural affection for our family members and show love to the people around us. But, when we have to make important decisions, we are willing to show that Jehovah's servants are different. Let us remember that, if we want to be holy, it is essential that we be separated for God (2 Cor. 6:14-16; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4).

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