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“O Jehovah, who can be a guest in your tent?” (PSA. 15:1).
1. What does Psalm 15:1-5 help us?
Psalm 15:1-5 helps us find very useful lessons to get closer to God and cultivate an intimate friendship with him.
These verses from Psalm 15 help us draw closer to Jehovah and have an intimate friendship with him, because they teach us about the importance of integrity, speaking the truth in our hearts, respecting others, despising what is evil, to be God-fearing, to keep our promises and to always act with Justice.
2. What might David have been thinking about when he mentioned Jehovah's tent?
David could have been thinking of the tabernacle that stood in Gibeon for a time, but he could also have been referring to God's holy mountain, possibly Zion in Jerusalem, where David prepared a tent to place the ark of the covenant until a place could be built. more permanent.
3. Why should we be interested in Psalm 15? (See also the image).
We should be interested in Psalm 15, because it points out some qualities that we must develop to continue being friends of Jehovah, qualities that are essential to cultivating an intimate friendship with him, and being guests in his symbolic tent.
ILLUSTRATION
Some Israelites walking along a road and entering a large tent or tent. For the Israelites of David's time, the idea of being guests in Jehovah's tent was an easy image to understand. (See paragraph 3).
LET US WALK IN A FLAWLESS MANNER AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT
4. How do we know that being baptized is not enough to have Jehovah's approval? (Isaiah 48:1)
We know that it is not enough to be baptized to have Jehovah's approval, because in biblical times it was not enough to be an Israelite to be a guest of Jehovah, since some invoked God, although they did not do so with sincerity or justice, as indicated. In Isaiah 48 verse 1, those who were truly sincere had to learn Jehovah's standards and comply with them and the same thing happens today, to have God's approval, it is not enough to be baptized and be part of the Christian congregation, you must keep doing what is right.
And as mentioned in Psalm 15 verse 2, the friend of God is the one who walks blamelessly and the one who does what is right, it is important that here the verbs walk and do imply a constant and progressive action. Hence, baptism is not enough to have Jehovah's approval, because it only marks the beginning of the life of integrity that Jehovah's servants must lead according to his righteous standards.
And although we are all imperfect, Jehovah considers us to be walking blamelessly if we do our best to obey his righteous standards throughout our lives and in all aspects of our lives. Hence, baptism is an important beginning, but it is not enough to have Jehovah's approval.
5. What does it mean for Jehovah to walk blamelessly and do what is right?
For Jehovah, walking blamelessly and doing what is right is not simply attending a place of worship weekly, it means striving to obey Jehovah in all aspects of life, even when we are alone, it also involves obeying him in things that could seem insignificant, because that is how we show our love and earn their affection.
6. According to Hebrews 6:10-12, why is it not enough that we have been faithful in the past?
According to Hebrews, it is not enough that we have been faithful in the past, because Jehovah wants us to continue serving him with all our soul until the end, and although Jehovah does not forget our good deeds of the past, if we want to receive his friendship for all eternity and remaining in his tent we must continue serving him all our lives without getting tired.
LET'S SPEAK THE TRUTH IN THE HEART
7. What does it mean to speak the truth from the heart?
Speaking the truth from the heart means being sincere and honest in all things, and not only avoiding lying, this implies having a genuine and upright attitude, both in our actions and in our thoughts, which is essential to maintain a close relationship. with Jehovah, since he is a friend to those who live righteously, but he detests those who lead a twisted life.
8. What bad behavior do we have to avoid?
We must avoid pretending to obey Jehovah's laws in public while disobeying them in private, as this behavior is considered twisted and can lead to hypocrisy in our worship.
And in addition to avoiding feigning obedience in public and disobeying in private, the paragraph highlights the importance of not doubting the wisdom of Jehovah's rules because this can lead us to be disobedient in matters that seem insignificant to us, and as a consequence our behavior will become getting worse and worse, especially if we do not see the bad consequences immediately, so our worship, instead of being pure, will be hypocritical.
9. What does what happened when Jesus met Nathanael teach us? (See also the image).
What happened when Jesus met Nathanael teaches us the importance of having a sincere heart and being authentic. When Jesus saw Nathanael, he highlighted his sincerity and congratulated him for being a person without deception.
This shows that Jesus values these qualities in people which invites us to reflect on the value of being genuine and authentic in our own lives and these qualities, wishing that Jesus could also see that sincerity in us.
ILLUSTRATION
Philip speaking and pointing with his hand towards Jesus. When Philip presented him, Jesus said that there was no deception in Nathanael. Could he say the same about us? (See paragraph 9).
10. Why should we control the tongue? (James 1:26).
Because using it incorrectly can cause a lot of harm to others, and it would also prevent us from being guests of Jehovah. James verse 1:26 emphasizes that if someone does not control his tongue, even though he thinks he is worshiping God, in reality he is only deceiving his heart, because that worship of Jehovah is vain for him. This underscores the importance of speaking correctly and respectfully to maintain a good relationship with Jehovah and with others.
Psalm 15 verse 3 states that the person whom Jehovah welcomes into his tent does not slander with his tongue, does nothing wrong to his neighbor, and does not tarnish the reputation of his friends, so these are other reasons to control the tongue in our treatment of others to avoid causing harm and to be guests in Jehovah's tent.
11. What is slander, and what action is taken when a slanderer does not repent?
It is a false accusation that can damage someone's reputation, when a slanderer does not repent, he is removed from the Christian congregation, because as Jeremiah 17 verse 10 says, Jehovah repays each one according to his conduct, and according to his works.
12, 13. In what situations might we unintentionally tarnish the reputations of our friends? (See also the image).
We might unintentionally tarnish our friends' reputations by saying negative things about them in situations such as when a sister leaves full-time service, when a couple leaves Bethel, or when it is announced that a brother is no longer an elder or ministerial servant. . Speculating about the causes of these changes and discussing our opinion with others can be harmful, especially if we do not know all the details.
Most likely that is what the brothers in the image are doing after hearing an announcement from the platform that some brother or sister has lost a privilege in the congregation.
Speculation, negative comments and unfounded opinions can lead to great damage to the reputation of others, and turn those who do it into slanderers. And as Psalm 15 verse 3 says, no one who wants to be a guest of Jehovah should do anything bad to his neighbor, much less tarnish his reputation.
ILLUSTRATION
Two brothers talking during a meeting at the Kingdom Hall. One of them is frowning and points to a brother who is presenting a speech at the meeting. It is easy to make negative comments about others and even border on slander. (See paragraphs 12 and 13).
LET US HONOR THOSE WHO FEAR JEHOVAH
14. How does Jehovah's guest know if someone is “despicable” and should be rejected?
Jehovah's guest knows if someone is despicable and should reject him, based on the criteria that Jehovah establishes and not on his own judgment. Consequently, we must reject those people who practice sin without repentance, those who treat our faith and beliefs with disrespect, and those who try to damage our friendship with Jehovah.
15. What is one way to honor “those who fear Jehovah”?
One way we can honor those who fear Jehovah is by keeping our promises, even if it means personal sacrifice or losing out. This includes keeping the marriage vow and the promises made to our children. This is important, because by breaking our promises we can hurt others. On the other hand, when we strive to fulfill them, we show love to Jehovah and our neighbor.
16. How else do we honor Jehovah's friends?
Another way to honor Jehovah's friends is to be hospitable and generous by including our brothers in our moments of leisure, strengthening our ties of friendship with them and with Jehovah. In addition to imitating Jehovah's example of hospitality.
LET'S STAY FREE FROM THE LOVE OF MONEY
17. Why is money talked about in Psalm 15?
Money is talked about in Psalm 15, because it is easy to lose our balance and fall into the love of money, which could harm others and spoil our friendship with God. In Bible times, some took advantage of their poor brothers by charging interest on loans, and there were judges who accepted bribes to convict innocent people, both of which are practices that Jehovah hates.
18. What questions should we ask ourselves? (Hebrews 13:5).
We should ask ourselves the following questions: “Am I always thinking about money and what I want to buy? If someone lends me money, do I delay paying it back to them thinking they don't need it? Do I feel important because I have money? Is it difficult for me to be generous? Do I consider that all brothers who have money are materialistic? "Do I like to be friends with the rich and leave aside the poor?"
JEHOVAH LOVES HIS FRIENDS
19. Why has Jehovah given us the requirements found in Psalm 15?
Jehovah has given us the requirements found in Psalm 15, because he wants us to be happy, since these requirements teach us how to obtain his blessing and protection, because as the final part of Psalm 15 says, he who acts according to the rules Nothing will ever shake the Lord.
20. What wonderful future awaits Jehovah's guests?
For Jehovah's guests who remain faithful, a wonderful future awaits in which the Anointed Ones will be received in heaven, where Jesus has prepared many places for them to live, and the rest of us Christians will enjoy the blessings promised in Revelation on earth. 21:3, being guests of Jehovah for all eternity.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What does it mean to walk blamelessly and do what is right?
It means that we do our best to obey him, we comply with his rules in every aspect of our life.
What should we do and what should we avoid to honor “those who fear Jehovah”?
We must show kindness and respect to God's friends, this includes being hospitable and generous, we must avoid negative speech and if we make a vow we must fulfill it. Since we love God and our neighbors, we will do everything possible to keep our word.
Why is it important to have a balanced attitude towards money?
It is important to have a balanced attitude towards money, because it could harm others and spoil our friendship with God, as greedy people will not receive eternal life.
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