Watchtower Study, Lessons We Learn from the Kings of Israel, Week of September 30 - October 6, 2024, Comments and Responses.

Watchtower Study, Lessons We Learn from the Kings of Israel, September 30-October 6, 2024, Comments and Responses.

“You will see again the difference between a righteous person and an evil person, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve Him” (MAL. 3:18).

1, 2. What does the Bible tell about some of the kings of Israel?

The Bible tells of more than 40 kings of Israel and tells us about both the good and bad things they did. For example, David is considered a good king because he followed Jehovah, but he also made serious mistakes, such as having an affair with a married woman and having her husband killed.

On the other hand, Rehoboam was seen as an unfaithful king, although he also did some good things, such as obeying Jehovah at certain times.

3. What might we be asking ourselves, and what will we see in this article?

In this article, we may wonder how Jehovah judges the kings of Israel and what criteria he uses to consider a king as good or bad. We will see that Jehovah evaluates kings based on their love for Him, their willingness to repent of their sins, and their practice of pure worship.

THEY LOVED JEHOVAH WITH ALL THEIR HEART.

4. What was a difference between faithful and unfaithful kings?

A key difference between faithful and unfaithful kings was their love and devotion to Jehovah. The kings Jehovah considered faithful loved him with all their hearts and practiced pure worship, while the unfaithful kings, while sometimes doing good things, strayed from true worship and promoted idolatry. 

For example, King Jehoshaphat sought Jehovah with all his heart, while Solomon, at the end of his reign, did not serve Jehovah with a complete heart.

5. What does it mean to serve Jehovah with a complete heart?

Serving Jehovah with a complete heart means worshiping him out of pure love and devotion, not simply out of obligation or because it seems right. It also means keeping that love alive throughout our lives, avoiding anything that might divide our hearts and weaken our relationship with him.

6. How can we love Jehovah with all our heart? (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 5:29, 30)

We can love Jehovah with all our heart by avoiding anything that might divide our hearts and weaken our relationship with Him. This includes staying away from harmful entertainment, materialistic attitudes, and bad company.

To love Jehovah with all our heart, Matthew 5:29,30 teaches us that we must eliminate anything that causes us to stumble, no matter how much we like it. Likewise, we must eliminate from our lives anything that might divide our devotion to Him. 

But it is not enough to cleanse our hearts. According to Proverbs 4:23, we must protect our hearts, since the springs of life flow from them. This implies being careful about what we allow in our lives.

7. Why should we be careful with harmful things?

We must be careful of harmful things because they can affect our relationship with Jehovah and our worship. Just as on a cold day we would not leave the door open to let the cold air into our house, we must “close the door” to negative influences that can chill our hearts and distance us from God.

Staying away from what is harmful helps us remain firm in our faith and continue serving Jehovah with all our hearts.

THEY REPENTED OF THEIR SINS 

8, 9. How did Kings David and Hezekiah react when they were corrected? (See image.)

When Kings David and Hezekiah were corrected, both reacted with humility and repentance.

David, after being confronted by the prophet Nathan about his grave sin, showed true repentance. He not only accepted his mistake, but also expressed his pain in Psalm 51, where he acknowledges his sin and seeks Jehovah's forgiveness.

On the other hand, Hezekiah also showed humility when he was corrected by the prophet Isaiah. Although he had fallen into pride due to the blessings he had received from Jehovah, when he was warned, he sincerely repented. Jehovah, when evaluating his life, considered him a faithful king because he did what was right in his eyes.

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. King David looks remorsefully toward heaven as Nathan speaks to him. 2. King Hezekiah, grieving, rests his face on his fingertips as Isaiah speaks to him. King David and King Hezekiah were humble and repentant when they were corrected for their sins. (See paragraphs 8 and 9.)

10. What did King Amaziah do when he was corrected?

King Amaziah, when corrected by a prophet of Jehovah, was stubborn and refused to heed the warning. Although he had done what was right in certain respects, his heart was not completely devoted to Jehovah, for after being helped by God to defeat the Edomites, Amaziah began to worship the gods of that people.

11. According to 2 Corinthians 7:9,11, what must we do to be forgiven by Jehovah?

According to these scriptures, in order for Jehovah to forgive us, we must repent of our sins and do everything possible to avoid repeating them. This genuine repentance involves acknowledging our mistakes and taking steps to correct them.

Furthermore, it is important to react with humility to correction, whether from Jehovah or from others, and to be willing to make the necessary changes in our lives.

ILLUSTRATION

Picture series: 1. A younger elder speaks to a brother who is looking at a bottle of liquor and a half-full glass. 2. The brother discusses what the Bible and lesson 43 of the Enjoyment of Life book say. 3. The younger elder and the brother preach together from house to house. If we are corrected, we should 1) react with humility, 2) make the necessary changes, and 3) continue to serve Jehovah with all our heart. (See paragraph 11.)

THEY PRACTICED PURE WORSHIP 

12. What was the main difference between the faithful kings and the unfaithful kings?

The main difference between faithful kings and unfaithful kings was that the faithful practiced pure worship and encouraged others to do the same, while the unfaithful strayed from true worship and often supported false worship.

13. Why did Jehovah consider King Ahab to be unfaithful?

Jehovah considered King Ahab unfaithful because, despite some positive actions, he promoted false worship and was influenced by his wife, which led him to disobey God's laws and commit serious injustices.

14. a) Why did Jehovah consider Rehoboam to be an unfaithful king?

Jehovah considered Rehoboam an unfaithful king because, although he performed some good deeds, he eventually abandoned Jehovah's Law and began practicing false worship, alternating between worshiping Jehovah and idols.

14 b) What did the vast majority of the infidel kings do?

The vast majority of unfaithful kings supported false religion in some way, turning away from pure worship and promoting idolatrous practices instead of following Jehovah's teachings.

15. Why does Jehovah place so much importance on pure worship?

Jehovah places such importance on pure worship because kings were responsible for leading the people in right worship. False worship not only led people astray from God, but also led to serious injustices and sins, which directly affected the people's relationship with Jehovah.

16. What is, for Jehovah, the main difference between someone righteous and someone wicked?

For Jehovah, the main difference between a righteous person and a wicked person lies in worship. A righteous individual serves God and practices pure worship, while a wicked person does not. This distinction is crucial, as Jehovah considers pure worship essential to a right relationship with Him.

17. Why should we be careful when choosing the person we are going to marry?

We must be careful when choosing the person we are going to marry because, although a person may have good qualities, if he or she is not serving Jehovah, he or she may not be considered righteous in his eyes.

Marrying someone who does not share our beliefs can lead to negative spiritual influences and deviations in our own worship of God, as happened with Solomon, whose foreign wives led him to worship other gods.

18. What should parents teach their children?

Parents should teach their children the importance of serving Jehovah and promoting pure worship. It is essential for children to understand that Jehovah considers a king good or bad primarily based on whether he promotes pure worship.

Parents should set an example and emphasize that spiritual activities, such as reading the Bible, attending meetings, and participating in preaching, should be priorities in life.

19. Is all lost for someone who has stopped serving Jehovah?

No, all is not lost for someone who has stopped serving Jehovah. He can repent and become God's friend again. Although he may need to accept help from the elders and overcome his pride, any sacrifice is worth the effort to regain Jehovah's approval.

And the case of King Manasseh is an example that, despite having committed serious sins, genuine repentance can lead to forgiveness and the restoration of the relationship with God.

20. If we imitate faithful kings, how will Jehovah see us?

If we imitate faithful kings, Jehovah will see us as righteous people in his eyes. This means loving Jehovah with all our heart, learning from our mistakes, repenting, and making the necessary changes in our lives.

Furthermore, it is crucial that we worship only the one true God. By being faithful to Jehovah, we can expect Him to consider us righteous and worthy of His approval.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE MAIN IDEAS?

How can we love Jehovah with all our heart?

We can love Jehovah with all our heart by avoiding anything that might divide our hearts and weaken our love for Him.

This includes staying away from harmful entertainment, materialistic attitudes and bad company.

It is important to maintain a constant focus on our spiritual activities and make immediate changes if we notice that something is affecting our devotion. Also, we should worship Him out of pure love and devotion, not just out of obligation.

How do we show that we are sorry?

We show that we are sorry by showing humility and sincerity in our acknowledgement of the mistakes we have made. This involves not only feeling remorse, but also taking concrete actions to correct our mistakes and avoid repeating them.

For example, King David genuinely repented of his sin and expressed his sorrow in Psalm 51, showing that his repentance was genuine. Likewise, King Hezekiah also showed humility and repentance when he was corrected for his actions.

How do we show that we practice pure worship?

We demonstrate that we practice pure worship by staying away from false worship and dedicating ourselves to serving Jehovah sincerely and consistently. This includes following his teachings and commandments, actively participating in the preaching work and activities that promote the worship of God, and encouraging others to do the same.

Furthermore, it is essential that our worship be motivated by a genuine love for Jehovah and that we avoid any form of idolatry or practices that are not acceptable in his eyes.