“Draw Close to Jehovah”

“Draw Close to Jehovah”
Week of
March 9-15, 2015
cl chap. 21 ¶9-15
Paragraph 9
(John 7:45, 46) Then the officers went back to the chief
priests and Pharisees, and the latter said to them: “Why
did you not bring him in?” 46 The officers replied: “Never
has any man spoken like this.”
(John 8:23) He went on to say to them: “You are from the
realms below; I am from the realms above. You are from
this world; I am not from this world.
Paragraph 10
(Matthew 13:34) All these things Jesus spoke to the
crowds by illustrations. Indeed, without an illustration he
would not speak to them,
(Matthew 11:16-19) “With whom will I compare this
generation? It is like young children sitting in the
marketplaces who call out to their playmates, 17 saying:
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance; we
wailed, but you did not beat yourselves in grief.’
18
Likewise, John came neither eating nor drinking, but
people say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of man did
come eating and drinking, but people say, ‘Look! A man
who is a glutton and is given to drinking wine, a friend of
tax collectors and sinners.’ All the same, wisdom is proved
righteous by its works.”
(Matthew 13:3-8) Then he told them many things by
illustrations, saying: “Look! A sower went out to sow. 4 As
he was sowing, some seeds fell alongside the road, and
the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on rocky
ground where there was not much soil, and they
immediately sprang up because the soil was not deep.
6
But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and they
withered because they had no root. 7 Others fell among
the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them.
8
Still others fell on the fine soil, and they began to yield
fruit, this one 100 times more, that one 60, the other 30.
(Matthew 13:33) He told them another illustration: “The
Kingdom of the heavens is like leaven that a woman took
and mixed with three large measures of flour until the
whole mass was fermented.”
(Matthew 13:47-50) “Again the Kingdom of the heavens is
like a dragnet let down into the sea and gathering fish of
every kind. 48 When it was full, they hauled it up onto the
beach, and sitting down, they collected the fine ones into
containers, but the unsuitable they threw away. 49 That is
how it will be in the conclusion of the system of things. The
angels will go out and separate the wicked from among
the righteous 50 and will cast them into the fiery furnace.
There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their
teeth will be.
(Matthew 18:12-14) “What do you think? If a man has 100
sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the 99 on
the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is
Opening Song: 44
straying? 13 And if he finds it, I certainly tell you, he
rejoices more over it than over the 99 that have not
strayed. 14 Likewise, it is not a desirable thing to my Father
who is in heaven for even one of these little ones to
perish.
Paragraph 11
(Luke 15:11-32) Then he said: “A man had two sons. 12 And
the younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share
of the property that should come to me.’ So he divided his
belongings between them. 13 A few days later, the younger
son gathered all his things together and traveled to a distant
country and there squandered his property by living a
debauched life. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe
famine occurred throughout that country, and he fell into
need. 15 He even went and attached himself to one of the
citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to herd
swine. 16 And he longed to be filled with the carob pods that
the swine were eating, but no one would give him anything.
17
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my
father’s hired men have more than enough bread, while I am
dying here from hunger! 18 I will get up and travel to my father
and say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. 19 I am no longer worthy of being called your
son. Make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and
went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father
caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and
embraced him and tenderly kissed him. 21 Then the son said
to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against
you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ 22 But
the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! bring out a robe, the best
one, and clothe him with it, and put a ring on his hand and
sandals on his feet. 23 Also bring the fattened calf, slaughter
it, and let us eat and celebrate, 24 for this son of mine was
dead but has come to life again; he was lost and has been
found.’ And they started to enjoy themselves. 25 “Now his
older son was in the field, and as he returned and got near
the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one
of the servants to him and asked what was happening. 27 He
said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father
slaughtered the fattened calf because he got him back in
good health.’ 28 But he became angry and refused to go in.
Then his father came out and began to plead with him. 29 In
reply he said to his father, ‘Look! These many years I have
slaved for you and never once did I disobey your orders, and
yet you never once gave me a young goat to enjoy with my
friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours arrived who
squandered your belongings with prostitutes, you slaughtered
the fattened calf for him.’ 31 Then he said to him, ‘My son, you
have always been with me, and all the things that are mine
are yours. 32 But we just had to celebrate and rejoice, for your
brother was dead but has come to life; he was lost and has
been found.’”
Paragraph 12
(Matthew 12:24-30) At hearing this, the Pharisees said: “This
fellow does not expel the demons except by means of
Be·elʹze·bub, the ruler of the demons.” 25 Knowing their
Page 1 of 2
Week of
March 9-15, 2015
“Draw Close to Jehovah”
cl chap. 21 ¶9-15
Opening Song: 44
thoughts, he said to them: “Every kingdom divided against
itself comes to ruin, and every city or house divided against
itself will not stand. 26 In the same way, if Satan expels Satan,
he has become divided against himself; how, then, will his
kingdom stand? 27 Moreover, if I expel the demons by means
of Be·elʹze·bub, by whom do your sons expel them? This is
why they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by means of God’s
spirit that I expel the demons, the Kingdom of God has really
overtaken you. 29 Or how can anyone invade the house of a
strong man and seize his possessions unless he first ties up
the strong man? Only then can he plunder his house.
30
Whoever is not on my side is against me, and whoever
does not gather with me scatters.
reply Jesus said to them: “I will also ask you one thing. If
you tell me, then I will also tell you by what authority I do
these things: 25 The baptism by John, from what source
was it? From heaven or from men?” But they began to
reason among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From
heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe
him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we have the crowd to
fear, for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they
answered Jesus: “We do not know.” He, in turn, said to
them: “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these
things.
(Matthew 17:24-27) After they arrived in Ca·perʹna·um,
the men collecting the two drachmas tax approached
Peter and said: “Does your teacher not pay the two
drachmas tax?” 25 He said: “Yes.” However, when he
entered the house, Jesus spoke to him first and said:
“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of
the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or
from the strangers?” 26 When he said: “From the
strangers,” Jesus said to him: “Really, then, the sons are
tax-free. 27 But that we do not cause them to stumble, go
to the sea, cast a fishhook, and take the first fish that
comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a
silver coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.”
(Luke 10:25-37) Now look! a man versed in the Law stood up
to test him and said: “Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit
everlasting life?” 26 He said to him: “What is written in the
Law? How do you read?” 27 In answer he said: “‘You must
love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your
whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole
mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 He said to him: “You
answered correctly; keep doing this and you will get life.”
29
But wanting to prove himself righteous, the man said to
Jesus: “Who really is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A
man was going down from Jerusalem to Jerʹi·cho and fell
victim to robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went off,
leaving him half-dead. 31 Now by coincidence a priest was
going down on that road, but when he saw him, he passed by
on the opposite side. 32 Likewise, a Levite, when he came to
the place and saw him, passed by on the opposite side. 33 But
a certain Sa·marʹi·tan traveling the road came upon him, and
at seeing him, he was moved with pity. 34 So he approached
him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them.
Then he mounted him on his own animal and brought him to
an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two
de·narʹi·i, gave them to the innkeeper, and said: ‘Take care of
him, and whatever you spend besides this, I will repay you
when I return.’ 36 Who of these three seems to you to have
made himself neighbor to the man who fell victim to the
robbers?” 37 He said: “The one who acted mercifully toward
him.” Jesus then said to him: “Go and do the same yourself.”
(Matthew 22:41-46) Now while the Pharisees were
gathered together, Jesus asked them: 42 “What do you
think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to
him: “David’s.” 43 He asked them: “How is it, then, that
David under inspiration calls him Lord, saying, 44 ‘Jehovah
said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your
enemies beneath your feet”’? 45 If, then, David calls him
Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And nobody was able to say a
word in reply to him, and from that day on, no one dared to
question him any further.
(Mark 11:27-33) They came again to Jerusalem. And as
he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the
scribes and the elders came 28 and said to him: “By what
authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this
authority to do these things?” 29 Jesus said to them: “I will
ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by
what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism by
John from heaven or from men? Answer me.” 31 So they
began to reason among themselves, saying: “If we say,
‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe
him?’ 32 But dare we say, ‘From men’?” They were in fear
of the crowd, for these all held that John had really been a
prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus: “We do not know.”
Jesus said to them: “Neither am I telling you by what
authority I do these things.”
(Matthew 21:23-27) After he went into the temple, the
chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him
while he was teaching and said: “By what authority do you
do these things? And who gave you this authority?” 24 In
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 14
(John 4:9) So the Sa·marʹi·tan woman said to him: “How
is it that you, despite being a Jew, ask me for a drink even
though I am a Sa·marʹi·tan woman?” (For Jews have no
dealings with Sa·marʹi·tans.)
Paragraph 15
(Matthew 7:28, 29) When Jesus finished these sayings,
the effect was that the crowds were astounded at his way
of teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as a person
having authority, and not as their scribes.
(Mark 8:1, 2) In those days, there was again a large
crowd, and they had nothing to eat. So he summoned the
disciples and said to them: 2 “I feel pity for the crowd,
because they have already stayed with me for three days
and they have nothing to eat.
Page 2 of 2
Highlights for the
Week of March 9-15, 2015
1 Samuel 1-4
PLEASE NOTE - The references below are taken from
1 Sam 1:7 - *** w07 3/15 p. 15 How Hannah Found Peace
the 1986-2014 WTLibrary publication Index. Many verses
have additional references that have not been included due
to time & space. We are encouraged to do additional
personal research.
(1 Samuel 1:7) 7 That is what she would do year after year;
whenever Hanʹnah went up to the house of Jehovah, her
rival would taunt her so much that she would weep and not
eat.
1 Sam 1:2 - *** w07 3/15 p. 15 How Hannah Found Peace
(1 Samuel 1:2) 2 He had two wives; one was named
Hanʹnah, and the other was named Pe·ninʹnah. Pe·ninʹnah
had children, but Hanʹnah had no children.
Hannah is one of the two wives of Elkanah, a Levite
who lives in the territory of Ephraim. (1 Samuel 1:1, 2a;
1 Chronicles 6:33, 34) Although polygamy was not part of
God’s original purpose for mankind, it is permitted and
regulated under the Mosaic Law. Elkanah’s family worships
Jehovah, but polygamous marriages often produce strife,
as illustrated in Elkanah’s domestic affairs.
Hannah is barren, whereas Peninnah, Elkanah’s other
wife, has a number of children. Peninnah is Hannah’s
rival.—1 Samuel 1:2b.
Barrenness is considered a reproach among Israelite
women and even a sign of unworthiness in God’s sight. But
there is no indication that Hannah’s inability to bear
children is evidence of divine disfavor. Instead of trying to
console Hannah, however, Peninnah uses her own ability
to bear children to make her rival miserable.
1 Sam 1:3 - *** ia chap. 6 p. 51 par. 1 She Opened Her
Heart to God in Prayer ***
(1 Samuel 1:3) 3 That man went up from his city year after
year to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of armies in
Shiʹloh. That is where the two sons of Eʹli, Hophʹni and
Phinʹe·has, served as priests to Jehovah.
HANNAH busied herself with preparations for the trip,
trying to keep her mind occupied. It should have been a
happy time; Elkanah, her husband, customarily took the
whole family on these annual journeys to worship at the
tabernacle in Shiloh. Jehovah meant for such occasions to
be joyful. (Read Deuteronomy 16:15.) And no doubt
Hannah, from her childhood on, had delighted in those
festivals. But things had changed for her in recent years.
1 Sam 1:5 - *** ia chap. 6 p. 52 She Opened Her Heart to
God in Prayer ***
(1 Samuel 1:5) 5 but to Hanʹnah he gave a special portion,
because Hanʹnah was the one he loved; but Jehovah had
not given her children.
Although the Bible record says that Jehovah had ‘closed
up Hannah’s womb,’ there is no evidence that God was
displeased with this humble and faithful woman. (1 Sam.
1:5) The Bible at times attributes to God events that he
simply allowed to take place for a time.
This torment occurs yearly, with the result that Hannah
weeps and will not eat. Trips that should be joyous for her
thus become times of anguish. Yet, Hannah makes these
journeys to Jehovah’s sanctuary.—1 Samuel 1:3-7.
Do you see how Hannah set a good example for us?
When downhearted, how do you react? Do you isolate
yourself and withdraw from association with fellow
believers? Hannah did not do that. She made it her custom
to be among worshippers of Jehovah. Despite trying
circumstances, we should do the same.—Psalm 26:12;
122:1; Proverbs 18:1; Hebrews 10:24, 25.
1 Sam 1:8 - *** ia chap. 6 pp. 52-54 pars. 6-7 She
Opened Her Heart to God in Prayer ***
(1 Samuel 1:8) 8 But her husband El·kaʹnah said to her:
“Hanʹnah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and
why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Elkanah could not help but notice that his beloved
Hannah was distressed and was not eating, so he
attempted to comfort her. “Hannah,” he asked, “why do you
weep, and why do you not eat, and why does your heart
feel bad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”—1 Sam.
1:4-8.
7
To his credit, Elkanah discerned that Hannah’s
distress had to do with her barrenness. And Hannah surely
treasured his kind assurances of love. But Elkanah did not
mention Peninnah’s malice; nor does the Bible record
suggest that Hannah told him of it
1 Sam 1:11 - *** ia chap. 6 p. 57 She Opened Her Heart
to God in Prayer ***
(1 Samuel 1:11) 11 And she made this vow: “O Jehovah of
armies, if you look upon the affliction of your servant and
remember me and you do not forget your servant and give
to your servant a male child, I will give him to Jehovah all
the days of his life, and no razor will touch his head.”
Hannah’s two prayers, recorded at 1 Samuel 1:11 and 2:110, contain a number of outstanding features. Consider just
a few:
• Hannah addressed the first of the two prayers to
“Jehovah of armies.” She is the first person in the Bible
record to be quoted as using that title. It occurs a total
of 285 times in the Bible and refers to God’s command
over a vast array of spirit sons.
Page 1 of 4
Highlights for the
Week of March 9-15, 2015
1 Samuel 1-4
1 Sam 1:14 - *** ia chap. 6 p. 55 pars. 13-14 She Opened
1 Sam 1:18 - *** ia chap. 6 pp. 55-56 pars. 15-16 She
Her Heart to God in Prayer ***
(1 Samuel 1:14) 14 Eʹli said to her: “How long will you stay
drunk? Stop drinking your wine.”
Opened Her Heart to God in Prayer ***
13
Humans, however, are not as understanding and
empathetic as Jehovah is. As Hannah wept and prayed,
she was startled by a voice. It was Eli, the high priest, who
had been observing her. He said: “How long will you
behave drunk? Put away your wine from upon you.” Eli had
noticed Hannah’s quivering lips, her sobs, and her
emotional demeanor. Instead of inquiring what was wrong,
he jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk.—1 Sam.
1:12-14.
14
How hurtful for Hannah, in that moment of anguish, to
have to face such a baseless accusation—and that from a
man who held such an honored position!
1 Sam 1:15 - *** w07 3/15 p. 16 How Hannah Found
Peace ***
(1 Samuel 1:15) 15 At this Hanʹnah answered: “No, my lord!
I am a woman under great stress; I have not drunk wine or
anything alcoholic, but I am pouring out my soul before
Jehovah.
Imagine how Hannah feels when Eli reproaches her,
saying that she is drunk! Yet, she respectfully answers the
high priest. When Eli realizes that Hannah has been
praying “out of the abundance of [her] concern and [her]
vexation,” he says: “May the God of Israel grant your
petition.” (1 Samuel 1:15-17) At that, Hannah goes on her
way and eats, and “her face [becomes] self-concerned no
more.”—1 Samuel 1:18.
What can we learn from all of this? When we pray to
Jehovah about our concerns, we can let him know how we
feel and make heartfelt requests. If we can do no more to
resolve the problem, we should leave the matter in his
hands. There is no better course to follow.—Proverbs
3:5, 6.
1 Sam 1:16 - *** w01 2/1 p. 20 You Can Cope With
Discouragement! ***
(1 Samuel 1:16) 16 Do not take your servant for a
worthless woman, for I have been speaking until now out of
my great anguish and distress.”
Hannah’s godly response to Eli’s accusation provides a
sterling example for us today. She did not allow herself to
be wrongly accused, but she responded in a very
respectful manner. “No, my lord!” she replied. “A woman
hard pressed in spirit I am; and wine and intoxicating liquor
I have not drunk, but I pour out my soul before Jehovah.
Do not make your slave girl like a good-for-nothing woman,
for it is out of the abundance of my concern and my
vexation that I have spoken until now.”—1 Samuel
1:15, 16.
Did Hannah make her point? Definitely. Yet, she spoke
tactfully to Eli, not presuming to criticize him for his false
accusation.
15
What was the effect on Hannah of opening her heart
to Jehovah and worshipping him there at his tabernacle?
The account reads: “The woman proceeded to go on her
way and to eat, and her face became self-concerned no
more.” (1 Sam. 1:18) The Jerusalem Bible here reads: “Her
countenance was no more sad.” Hannah felt relieved. She
had, in a sense, transferred the weight of her emotional
burden to shoulders infinitely broader and stronger than
her own, those of her heavenly Father. (Read Psalm
55:22.) Is any problem too heavy for him? No—not then,
not now, not ever!
16
When we feel loaded down, overwhelmed, or
overcome with sadness, we do well to follow Hannah’s
example and speak openly to the One whom the Bible calls
the “Hearer of prayer.” (Ps. 65:2) If we do so in faith, we
too may find that our sadness is replaced by “the peace of
God that excels all thought.”—Phil. 4:6, 7.
1 Sam 1:19 - *** w07 3/15 p. 16 How Hannah Found
Peace ***
(1 Samuel 1:19) 19 Then they got up early in the morning
and bowed before Jehovah, after which they returned to
their house in Raʹmah. El·kaʹnah had sexual relations with
his wife Hanʹnah, and Jehovah gave attention to her.
God now turns his attention to Hannah; she becomes
pregnant and gives birth to a son. (1 Samuel 1:19, 20) This
is one of the few occasions of Bible record when God
assumes responsibility for the birth of one who will be his
servant. Elkanah and Hannah’s son Samuel is to become
Jehovah’s prophet, one who is to play an important role in
the establishment of Israel’s monarchy.
1 Sam 1:22 - *** w07 3/15 p. 16 How Hannah Found
Peace ***
“As soon as the boy is weaned, I must bring him, and
he must appear before Jehovah and dwell there to time
indefinite,” she says. When Samuel is weaned, perhaps
when he is three years of age or somewhat older, Hannah
takes him to live at Jehovah’s sanctuary, just as she
vowed.—1 Samuel 1:21-24; 2 Chronicles 31:16.
1 Sam 2:12 - *** ia chap. 7 p. 61 par. 11 He “Continued
Growing Up With Jehovah” ***
Eli had two sons, named Hophni and Phinehas.
Samuel’s account reads: “The sons of Eli were good-fornothing men; they did not acknowledge Jehovah.” (1 Sam.
2:12) The two thoughts in this verse go hand in hand.
Hophni and Phinehas were “good-for-nothing men”—
literally “sons of worthlessness”—because they had no
regard for Jehovah. They thought nothing of his righteous
standards and requirements. From that one failing sprang
all their other sins.
Page 2 of 4
Highlights for the
Week of March 9-15, 2015
1 Samuel 1-4
1 Sam 2:19 - *** ia chap. 6 pp. 57-58 par. 22 She Opened
Her Heart to God in Prayer ***
(1 Samuel 2:19) 19 Also, his mother would make for him a
little sleeveless coat, and she brought it up to him year
after year when she came up with her husband to offer the
yearly sacrifice.
22
Little Samuel was certainly privileged to have a
mother who was so filled with faith in Jehovah. Though he
surely missed her as he grew up, he never felt forgotten.
Year after year, Hannah would come back to Shiloh,
bringing a sleeveless coat for his service at the tabernacle.
Every stitch bore evidence of her love and care for her son.
(Read 1 Samuel 2:19.) We can just picture her putting the
new coat on the boy, smoothing it out, and looking fondly
at him while speaking kind, encouraging words.
1 Sam 2:21 - *** ia chap. 7 p. 63 pars. 16-17 He
“Continued Growing Up With Jehovah” ***
(1 Samuel 2:21) 21 Jehovah turned his attention to
Hanʹnah, so that she could conceive; and she gave birth to
three more sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel
continued growing up before Jehovah.
In verse 21 of the same chapter, we read something
even more heartwarming: “The boy Samuel continued
growing up with Jehovah.” As he grew, his bond with his
heavenly Father got stronger. Such a close personal
relationship with Jehovah is the surest protection against
any form of corruption.
17
It would have been easy for Samuel to reason that if
the high priest and his sons can give in to sin, he might as
well do whatever he wished. But the corruption of others,
including those in positions of authority, is never an excuse
to sin. Today, many Christian youths follow Samuel’s
example and keep “growing up with Jehovah”—even when
some around them fail to set a good example.
1 Sam 2:25 - *** it-2 p. 970 Sin, I ***
Thus, while all sins in reality are sins against God,
Jehovah views some sins as more directly against his own
person, sins such as idolatry (Ex 20:2-5; 2Ki 22:17),
faithlessness (Ro 14:22, 23; Heb 10:37, 38; 12:1),
disrespect for sacred things (Nu 18:22, 23), and all forms
of false worship (Ho 8:11-14). This is doubtless why the
high priest Eli told his sons, who disrespected God’s
tabernacle and service: “If a man should sin against a man,
God will arbitrate for him [compare 1Ki 8:31, 32]; but if it is
against Jehovah that a man should sin, who is there to
pray for him?”—1Sa 2:22-25; compare vss. 12-17.
1 Sam 2:26 - *** w02 12/15 p. 25 View Matters From
God’s Standpoint ***
Another Gilead instructor, Mark Noumair, asked: “Will
You Be Likable?” His theme centered on the words of
1 Samuel 2:26, which describe Samuel as “likable both
from Jehovah’s standpoint and from that of men.” After
considering Samuel’s example, Brother Noumair, who
spent over a decade in missionary service in Africa, stated:
“You too can become very likable in God’s eyes by sticking
loyally to the work God has given you to do. He has given
you a precious missionary assignment.”
1 Sam 2:30 - *** w13 2/15 pp. 25-26 pars. 3-4 Let Nothing
Hinder You From Taking Hold of Glory ***
Jehovah leads his humble servants to glory by honoring
them in numerous ways. He blesses them with an
understanding of his will. (1 Cor. 2:7) He bestows upon
those who listen to his word and obey him the honor of a
close personal relationship with him.—Jas. 4:8.
4
Jehovah also entrusts his servants with the glorious
treasure of the Christian ministry. (2 Cor. 4:1, 7) And this
ministry leads to glory. To those who use their privilege of
service to his praise and to the benefit of others, Jehovah
promises: “Those honoring me I shall honor.” (1 Sam. 2:30)
Such ones are honored with a good name with Jehovah,
and they are likely to be well spoken of by other servants of
God.—Prov. 11:16; 22:1.
1 Sam 2:35 - *** it-2 p. 853 Samuel, Books of ***
(1 Samuel 2:35) 35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful
priest. He will act in harmony with what is my heart’s
desire; and I will build for him a lasting house, and he will
walk before my anointed one always.
The fact that Hannah and an unnamed “man of God”
used the expressions “king” and “anointed one” years
before a king actually ruled over Israel does not support
the argument of some that these passages date from a
period later than indicated in the book. (1Sa 2:10, 35) The
idea of a future king was by no means foreign to the
Hebrews. God’s promise concerning Sarah, the ancestress
of the Israelites, was that “kings of peoples” would come
from her. (Ge 17:16) Also, Jacob’s deathbed prophecy (Ge
49:10), the prophetic words of Balaam (Nu 24:17), and the
Mosaic Law (De 17:14-18) pointed to the time when the
Israelites would have a king.
1 Sam 3:3 - *** w05 3/15 p. 21 par. 6 Highlights From the
Book of First Samuel ***
(1 Samuel 3:3) 3 The lamp of God had not yet been
extinguished, and Samuel was lying in the temple of
Jehovah, where the Ark of God was.
3:3—Did Samuel actually sleep in the Most Holy?
No, he did not. Samuel was a Levite of the nonpriestly
family of the Kohathites. (1 Chronicles 6:33-38) As such,
he was not permitted to “come in to see the holy things.”
(Numbers 4:17-20) The only part of the sanctuary that
Samuel had access to was the tabernacle courtyard. That
is where he must have slept. Apparently, Eli also slept
somewhere in the courtyard. The expression “where the
ark of God was” evidently refers to the tabernacle area.
Page 3 of 4
Highlights for the
Week of March 9-15, 2015
1 Samuel 1-4
1 Sam 3:7 - *** w02 12/15 pp. 8-9 par. 6 “Draw Close to
1 Sam 4:18 - *** w86 6/1 p. 31 Questions From Readers
God” ***
(1 Samuel 4:18) 18 At the moment he mentioned the Ark of
the true God, Eʹli fell backward from his seat beside the
gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old
and heavy. He had judged Israel for 40 years.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, for example, we read that
when Samuel was a boy, he “had not yet come to know
Jehovah.” (1 Samuel 3:7) Did this mean that Samuel knew
very little about his God? No. His parents and the priests
would surely have taught him much. However, the Hebrew
word used in that verse can, according to one scholar, be
“used for the most intimate acquaintance.” Samuel had not
yet come to know Jehovah intimately, as he would later
when serving as Jehovah’s spokesman. As Samuel
continued growing up, he truly came to know Jehovah,
gaining a close personal relationship with him.—1 Samuel
3:19, 20.
1 Sam 3:13 - *** it-1 pp. 706-707 Eli, I ***
Aside from these 12, the Bible mentions Deborah, Eli,
and Samuel in connection with judging. (Judges 4:4;
1 Samuel 4:16-18; 7:15, 16) However, Deborah is called
first a prophetess, and she is linked with Judge Barak, who
particularly took the lead in delivering the people from
oppression. Similarly, Eli was principally a high priest, not a
‘savior’ who led Israel to freedom through battle.
(Nehemiah 9:27) Hence, while Deborah and Eli had a role
in judging Israel, there is reason not to list them with the 12
men who clearly and primarily were especially ‘raised up’
as judges.
(1 Samuel 3:13) 13 You must tell him that I am bringing a
lasting judgment on his house for the error that he has
known about, for his sons are cursing God, but he has not
rebuked them.
Through none other than the young boy Samuel,
Jehovah reaffirms the adverse judgment upon the house of
Eli. (1Sa 3:11-14) Samuel is afraid to relate the message,
but does so at Eli’s request. Eli then meekly submits,
saying: “It is Jehovah. What is good in his eyes let him
do.”—1Sa 3:15-18.
Jehovah Judges His House. Retribution comes
according to God’s word. Israel loses about 4,000 men in
battle with the Philistines. The Israelites decide to get the
Ark from Shiloh and to bring it into the camp, thinking that
this will result in deliverance from their enemies. But the
Philistines step up their battle efforts. Thirty thousand
Israelites are slain. The Ark is captured. Hophni and
Phinehas, who are there with the Ark, die. A man from
Benjamin hurries from the battle lines to bring the report to
Eli. Blind and feeble, 98-year-old Eli is sitting on a seat by
the roadside, his heart atremble concerning the Ark. Upon
hearing that the Ark has been captured, Eli falls over
backward and dies of a broken neck.—1Sa 4:2-18.
Further retribution against the house of Eli came at the
hands of King Saul, who ruthlessly ordered the murder of
the priests of Nob, the descendants of Eli through
Phinehas’ son Ahitub. (1Sa 14:3; 22:11, 18) Only Abiathar,
a son of Ahimelech, escaped the massacre and continued
serving as priest throughout David’s reign. (1Sa 22:20; 2Sa
19:11) However, Abiathar was removed as priest by
Solomon for having offered help to the rebellious
conspirator Adonijah. (1Ki 1:7; 2:26, 27) Thus the judgment
of Jehovah on Eli’s house was fulfilled, and his
descendants were ousted from the high-priestly office for
all time.—1Sa 3:13, 14.
Page 4 of 4
Week of March 9-15, 2015
TMS Study References
Theocratic Ministry School Schedule:
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 1-4 (8 minutes)
Number 1: 1 Samuel 2:30-36 (3 minutes or less)
Number 2: What Did the Bible Foretell About the
Messiah?—nwt page 14
Number.3: Asa (Number 1)—Theme: Be Zealous
for Pure Worship—it-1 pages 183-185
Song: 45
Talk #2 – What did the Bible foretell
about the Messiah?
Asa’s Zeal for Pure Worship. Judah and Benjamin
had become steeped in apostasy during the 20 years
following the split of the nation into two kingdoms. “Like
David his forefather,” Asa demonstrated a zeal for pure
worship and courageously set about cleaning the male
temple prostitutes and the idols out of the land. He
removed his grandmother, Maacah, from her position
as a sort of ‘first lady’ of the land because of her
making “a horrible idol” to the sacred pole, or Asherah,
and he burned the religious idol.—1Ki 15:11-13.
The record at 2 Chronicles 14:2-5 states that Asa
“removed the foreign altars and the high places and
broke up the sacred pillars and cut down the sacred
poles.” However, 1 Kings 15:14 and 2 Chronicles 15:17
indicate that “the high places he did not remove.” It
may be, therefore, that the high places referred to in
the earlier Chronicles account were those of the
adopted pagan worship that infected Judah, while the
Kings account refers to high places at which the people
engaged in worship of Jehovah. Even after the setting
up of the tabernacle and the later establishment of the
temple, occasional sacrificing was done to Jehovah on
high places, which was acceptable to him under
special circumstances, as in the cases of Samuel,
David, and Elijah. (1Sa 9:11-19; 1Ch 21:26-30; 1Ki
18:30-39) Nevertheless, the regular approved place for
sacrifice was that authorized by Jehovah. (Nu 33:52;
De 12:2-14; Jos 22:29) Improper modes of high-place
worship may have continued in spite of the removal of
the pagan high places, perhaps because the king did
not pursue their elimination with the same vigor as he
did the removal of the pagan sites. Or Asa may have
effected a complete removal of all high places; but if
so, such cropped up again in due time and had not
been removed by the time of the conclusion of his
reign, allowing for their being smashed by his
successor Jehoshaphat.
QUESTION 6
PROPHECY
“You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, . . . from you will
come out for me the one to be ruler in Israel.”
Micah 5:2 [Page 1267]
FULFILLMENT
“After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of
Judea in the days of Herod the king, look!
astrologers from the East came to Jerusalem.”
Matthew 2:1 [Page 1307]
PROPHECY
“They divide my garments among themselves,
and they cast lots for my clothing.”
Psalm 22:18 [Page 767]
FULFILLMENT
“Now when the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the
stake, they took his outer garments and divided
them into four parts . . . But the inner garment
was without a seam, being woven from top to
bottom. So they said to one another: ‘Let us not
tear it, but let us cast lots over it to decide whose
it will be.’”
John 19:23, 24 [Page 1455]
Talk #3 – Asa (Number 1)—Theme: Be
Zealous for Pure Worship
*** it-1 pp. 183-185 Asa ***
1. The third king of Judah following the division
of the nation into two kingdoms. Asa was the son of
Abijam (Abijah) and the grandson of Rehoboam. He
reigned for 41 years (977-937 B.C.E.).—1Ki 15:810.
Asa’s zeal for right worship brought blessings of
peace from Jehovah during the first ten years of his
reign. (2Ch 14:1, 6) Later Judah was subjected to
attack by a force of a million warriors under Zerah the
Ethiopian. Though greatly outnumbered, Asa went out
to meet the invasion at Mareshah about 38 km (23 mi)
WSW of Jerusalem in the Judean lowlands. His fervent
prayer before the battle was joined acknowledged
God’s power to deliver and pleaded for Jehovah’s help,
saying: “Upon you we do lean, and in your name we
have come against this crowd. O Jehovah, you are our
God. Do not let mortal man retain strength against
you.” Total victory resulted.—2Ch 14:8-15.
Asa is thereafter met by the prophet Azariah, who
reminds him: “Jehovah is with you as long as you
prove to be with him,” and “if you leave him he will
leave you.” He calls to mind the destructive strife the
nation experienced when alienated from Jehovah and
urges Asa to continue his activity courageously on
Page 1 of 2
Week of March 9-15, 2015
TMS Study References
behalf of pure worship. (2Ch 15:1-7) Asa’s ready
response and strengthening of the nation in true
service to Jehovah results in a great number of
persons from the northern kingdom abandoning that
region to join in a grand assembly at Jerusalem in
Asa’s 15th year of rule (963 B.C.E.), at which
assembly a covenant is made declaring the
people’s determination to seek Jehovah and
providing the death penalty for those not keeping
this covenant.—2Ch 15:8-15.
Intrigue and Warfare Against Baasha. King
Baasha of Israel set out to block the path of any
inclining toward a return to Judah by fortifying the
frontier city of Ramah, located on the main road to
Jerusalem and only a short distance N of that city.
Asa, by some process of human reasoning or
because of heeding bad counsel, now failed to rely
solely on Jehovah and resorted to diplomacy and
conspiratorial maneuvering to remove this threat.
He took the temple treasures and those from the
royal house and sent them as a bribe to King Benhadad I of Syria to induce him to divert Baasha’s
attention through an attack on Israel’s northern
frontier. Ben-hadad I accepted, and his raid on
Israelite cities in the N disrupted Baasha’s building
work and brought a withdrawal of his forces from
Ramah. Asa now conscripted all the available
manpower from the entire kingdom of Judah and
carried off all Baasha’s supplies of building
materials, using them to build up the cities of Geba
and Mizpah.—1Ki 15:16-22; 2Ch 16:1-6.
For this, Asa was confronted by Hanani the
seer, who pointed out Asa’s inconsistency in not
leaning upon the God who had delivered him from
the vast Ethiopian force, reminding Asa that “as
regards Jehovah, his eyes are roving about through
all the earth to show his strength in behalf of those
whose heart is complete toward him.” For his
foolishness, Asa would now face continued warfare.
Resenting correction, Asa unjustly jailed Hanani
and showed himself oppressive to others of the
people.—2Ch 16:7-11.
ruling 17 years, Abijah 3 years, and Asa now in his
16th year). (Soncino Books of the Bible, London, 1952,
ftn on 2Ch 16:1) This was also the view of Archbishop
Ussher. So, too, the apparent difference between the
statement at 2 Chronicles 15:19 to the effect that, as
for “war, it did not occur down to the thirty-fifth
[actually, the fifteenth] year of Asa’s reign,” and the
statement at 1 Kings 15:16 to the effect that “warfare
itself took place between Asa and Baasha the king of
Israel all their days,” may be explained in that once
conflicts began between the two kings they were
thereafter continuous, even as Hanani had foretold.—
2Ch 16:9.
Illness and Death. Asa’s last three years brought
suffering due to an illness of the feet (perhaps gout),
and he unwisely sought physical healing over spiritual
healing. At his death he was given an honorable burial
in his personally prepared tomb in the City of David.—
1Ki 15:23, 24; 2Ch 16:12-14.
Despite the lack of wisdom and spiritual insight he
manifested at times, Asa’s good qualities and freedom
from apostasy evidently outweighed his errors, and he
is viewed as one of the faithful kings of the line of
Judah. (2Ch 15:17) The 41-year reign of Asa touched
or covered the reigns of eight kings of Israel:
Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Tibni
(who ruled a segment of Israel in opposition to Omri),
and Ahab. (1Ki 15:9, 25, 33; 16:8, 15, 16, 21, 23, 29)
Upon Asa’s death his son Jehoshaphat became
king.—1Ki 15:24.
2. A son of the Levite Elkanah and the father of
Berechiah, who is listed as dwelling in “the settlements
of the Netophathites” following the return from the
Babylonian exile.—1Ch 9:16.
NOTES:
The statement at 2 Chronicles 16:1 that Baasha
came up against Judah “in the thirty-sixth year of
the reign of Asa” has caused some question, since
Baasha’s rule, beginning in the third year of Asa
and lasting only 24 years, had terminated about 10
years prior to Asa’s 36th year of rule. (1Ki 15:33)
While some suggest a scribal error and believe the
reference is to the 16th or the 26th year of Asa’s
reign, the assumption of such error is not required
to harmonize the accounts. Jewish commentators
quote the Seder Olam, which suggests that the 36th
year was reckoned from the existence of the
separate kingdom of Judah (997 B.C.E.) and
corresponded to the 16th year of Asa (Rehoboam
Page 2 of 2
Week of March 9-15, 2015
Service Meeting References
Service Meeting Schedule:
10 Min -
Song: 45
10 minutes: “Be Ready for Every Good Work.” Talk
based on the monthly theme. Read and discuss
Proverbs 21:5, Titus 3:1, and 1 Peter 3:15.
Explain how good preparation benefits Christians.
Briefly preview some of the Service Meeting parts
for the month, and discuss how they relate to the
monthly theme.
10 minutes: Interview the Theocratic Ministry School
Overseer. What does caring for your assignment
involve? How do you prepare to conduct the
school each week? Why should students prepare
well for their assignments? What benefits will the
audience receive from reading over the material
before coming to the meeting?
10 minutes: “Are You Preparing for the Memorial?”
Discussion. Briefly review information from page 2
of the March 2013 Our Kingdom Ministry.
Include a demonstration showing a publisher
welcoming a visitor to the Memorial.
Song 8 and Prayer
Interview the Theocratic
Ministry School Overseer.
What does caring for your assignment involve?
How do you prepare to conduct the school each
week?
Why should students prepare well for their
assignments?
Monthly Theme: “Be Ready for Every Good
Work.”—Titus 3:1
10 Min -
“Be Ready for Every Good
Work.”
(Proverbs 21:5) The plans of the diligent surely lead
to success, But all who are hasty surely head for
poverty.
(Titus 3:1) Continue reminding them to be in
subjection and to be obedient to governments and
authorities, to be ready for every good work,
(1 Peter 3:15) But sanctify the Christ as Lord in your
hearts, always ready to make a defense before
everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope
you have, but doing so with a mild temper and deep
respect.
What benefits will the audience receive from reading
over the material before coming to the meeting?
NOTES:
Page 1 of 3
Week of March 9-15, 2015
10 Min -
Service Meeting References
“Are You Preparing for the
Memorial?”
Are You Preparing for the
Memorial?
It was Nisan 13 of 33 C.E. Jesus knew that he
had one final evening to spend with his closest
associates before his execution. He would
celebrate his last Passover with them and then
institute a new observance, the Lord’s Evening
Meal. Such an important occasion certainly
required preparation. Therefore, he dispatched
Peter and John to get things ready. (Luke 22:713) Every year since then, it has been necessary
for Christians who desire to observe the
Memorial to prepare for this event. (Luke 22:19)
What basic things should we do to prepare for
the upcoming Memorial on April 3?
(Luke 22:7-13) The first day of the Unleavened
Bread now arrived, on which the Passover sacrifice
must be offered; 8 so Jesus sent Peter and John,
saying: “Go and get the Passover ready for us to
eat.” 9 They said to him: “Where do you want us to
get it ready?” 10 He said to them: “Look! When you
enter into the city, a man carrying an earthenware
water jar will meet you. Follow him into the house that
he enters. 11 And say to the landlord of the house,
‘The Teacher says to you: “Where is the guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’
12
And that man will show you a large, furnished
upper room. Get it ready there.” 13 So they left and
found it just as he had told them, and they prepared
for the Passover.
(Luke 22:19) Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke
it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body,
which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in
remembrance of me.”
Preparation by the Elders:
• Make arrangements to use the Kingdom Hall
or another suitable facility. It should have
sufficient seating, lighting, and ventilation.
Arrange to have the venue thoroughly
cleaned in advance.
• Select a qualified speaker, a chairman, and
brothers to pray over the emblems.
• If there will be more than one program at the
same facility, coordinate the meeting times
as well as the arrangements for entering and
exiting the building and parking lot.
• Select and organize the attendants and
servers.
• Arrange to have the appropriate emblems, as
well as plates, wine glasses, a suitable table,
and a tablecloth.
Preparation by the Publishers:
• Arrange to have a full share in the Memorial
invitation campaign.
• Make a list of Bible students, relatives,
schoolmates, workmates, and other
acquaintances, and invite them.
• Read and meditate on the Memorial Bible
reading.
• Come to the Memorial ready to welcome
visitors.
Reference: March 2013 Our Kingdom
Ministry, page 2.
Welcome Them!
1
No occasion offers us a better opportunity
to give a witness than the annual Memorial
observance. Consider: This year over ten million
visitors are expected to attend the Memorial
and hear about the two greatest expressions of
love, which were manifested by the ransom.
(John 3:16; 15:13) They will learn about the
blessings available to them because of Jehovah’s
gift. (Isaiah 65:21-23) However, the speaker is
not the only one who will give a witness on this
occasion. All in attendance will have the
opportunity to give a powerful witness by
warmly welcoming the visitors.—Romans 15:7.
(John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that
he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone
exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but
have everlasting life.
(John 15:13) No one has love greater than this, that
someone should surrender his life in behalf of his
friends.
(Isaiah 65:21-23) They will build houses and live in
them, And they will plant vineyards and eat their
fruitage. 22 They will not build for someone else to
inhabit, Nor will they plant for others to eat. For the
days of my people will be like the days of a tree, And
the work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to
the full. 23 They will not toil for nothing, Nor will they
bear children for distress, Because they are the
Page 2 of 3
Week of March 9-15, 2015
Service Meeting References
offspring made up of those blessed by Jehovah, And
their descendants with them.
(Romans 15:7) So welcome one another, just as the
Christ also welcomed you, with glory to God in view.
2
Rather than just finding your seat and
silently waiting for the program to begin, why
not take the initiative to introduce yourself to
those nearby? Visitors may be nervous and
unsure of what to expect. Our warm smile and
friendly greeting will go a long way toward
putting them at ease. To find out if someone is
present as a result of receiving an invitation, you
might ask if this is his first time attending one of
our meetings or if he knows anyone in the
congregation. Perhaps you can invite him to sit
with you and share your Bible and songbook. If a
Kingdom Hall is being used, it may be possible to
give him a brief tour. After the talk, make
yourself available to answer his questions. If
your congregation must leave quickly to make
room for another congregation, you might say:
“I’d like to hear what you thought of the
program. Is there a way that I can contact you?”
Then make arrangements to follow up on the
interest. Elders will especially want to be alert to
encourage inactive publishers who attend.
with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover
the sea.
(Isaiah 65:13, 14) Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Look! My servants
will eat, but you will go hungry. Look! My servants will
drink, but you will go thirsty. Look! My servants will
rejoice, but you will suffer shame. 14 Look! My
servants will shout joyfully because of the good
condition of the heart, But you will cry out because of
the pain of heart And you will wail because of a
broken spirit.
3
For many visitors, this will be their first taste
of the joy, peace, and unity of the spiritual
paradise that we enjoy as Jehovah’s people.
(Psalms 29:11; Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:13, 14) What
impression will visitors take away? Much will
depend on our taking the initiative to welcome
them.
(Psalm 29:11) Jehovah will give strength to his
people. Jehovah will bless his people with peace.
(Isaiah 11:6-9) The wolf will reside for a while with
the lamb, And with the young goat the leopard will lie
down, And the calf and the lion and the fattened
animal will all be together; And a little boy will lead
them. 7 The cow and the bear will feed together, And
their young will lie down together. The lion will eat
straw like the bull. 8 The nursing child will play over
the lair of a cobra, And a weaned child will put his
hand over the den of a poisonous snake. 9 They will
not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy
mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled
Page 3 of 3
Song 8
Blank Page
Week of
March 9-15, 2015
Why We Observe the Lord’s Evening Meal
“Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”—1 COR 11:24.
Paragraph 1
(Matthew 26:1, 2) Now when Jesus had finished saying
all these things, he said to his disciples: 2 “You know that
two days from now the Passover takes place, and the Son
of man will be handed over to be executed on the stake.”
Paragraph 2
(Matthew 26:26, 27) As they continued eating, Jesus took
a loaf, and after saying a blessing, he broke it, and giving
it to the disciples, he said: “Take, eat. This means my
body.” 27 And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it
to them, saying: “Drink out of it, all of you,
Paragraph 3
(1 Corinthians 11:20) When you come together in one
place, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Evening Meal.
Paragraph 4
(Romans 5:12) That is why, just as through one man sin
entered into the world and death through sin, and so death
spread to all men because they had all sinned—.
(Psalm 49:6-9) Those who are trusting in their wealth And
who boast about their great riches, 7 None of them can
ever redeem a brother Or give to God a ransom for him,
8
(The ransom price for their life is so precious That it is
always beyond their reach); 9 That he should live forever
and not see the pit.
(Romans 6:23) For the wages sin pays is death, but the
gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:21, 22) For since death came through a
man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.
22
For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all
will be made alive.
Paragraph 5
(John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that he
gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising
faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting
life.
(Proverbs 8:30, 31) Then I was beside him as a master
worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by
day; I rejoiced before him all the time; 31 I rejoiced over his
habitable earth, And I was especially fond of the sons of
men.
(1 Corinthians 11:23-25) For I received from the Lord
what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the
night on which he was going to be betrayed took a loaf,
24
and after giving thanks, he broke it and said: “This
means my body, which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in
remembrance of me.” 25 He did the same with the cup
Jan 15, 2015
Page 13
also, after they had the evening meal, saying: “This cup
means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep
doing this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Paragraph 6
(Mark 14:22-24) And as they continued eating, he took a
loaf, said a blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
“Take it; this means my body.” 23 And taking a cup, he
offered thanks and gave it to them, and they all drank out
of it. 24 And he said to them: “This means my ‘blood of the
covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many.
Paragraph 7
(Exodus 12:8) “‘They must eat the meat on this night.
They should roast it over the fire and eat it along with
unleavened bread and bitter greens.
(Matthew 16:6) Jesus said to them: “Keep your eyes open
and watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.”
(Matthew 16:11, 12) How is it you do not discern that I did
not speak to you about bread? But watch out for the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they
grasped that he said to watch out, not for the leaven of
bread, but for the teaching of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.
(Luke 12:1) In the meantime, when a crowd of so many
thousands had gathered together that they were stepping
on one another, he started by saying first to his disciples:
“Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy.
(Hebrews 7:26) For it is fitting for us to have such a high
priest who is loyal, innocent, undefiled, separated from the
sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
Paragraph 8
(Matthew 26:28) for this means my ‘blood of the
covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for
forgiveness of sins.
(Matthew 27:33) And when they came to a place called
Golʹgo·tha, that is, Skull Place,
Paragraph 10
(Psalm 148:12, 13) You young men and young women,
Old men and young together. 13 Let them praise the name
of Jehovah, For his name alone is unreachably high. His
majesty is above earth and heaven.
Page 1 of 3
Week of
March 9-15, 2015
Why We Observe the Lord’s Evening Meal
“Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”—1 COR 11:24.
Paragraph 11
(1 Corinthians 11:27-34) Therefore, whoever eats the
loaf or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty
respecting the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 First let a
man approve himself after scrutiny, and only then let him
eat of the loaf and drink of the cup. 29 For the one who
eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and
drinks judgment against himself. 30 That is why many
among you are weak and sick, and quite a few are
sleeping in death. 31 But if we would discern what we
ourselves are, we would not be judged. 32 However, when
we are judged, we are disciplined by Jehovah, so that we
may not become condemned with the world.
33
Consequently, my brothers, when you come together to
eat it, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him
eat at home, so that when you come together it is not for
judgment. But as for the remaining matters, I will put them
in order when I get there.
Paragraph 12
(1 Corinthians 10:16-21) The cup of blessing that we
bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of the Christ? The
loaf that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of the
Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, although many,
are one body, for we are all partaking of that one loaf.
18
Look at Israel in the fleshly sense: Are not those who
eat the sacrifices sharers with the altar? 19 What, then, am
I saying? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or
that an idol is anything? 20 No; but I say that what the
nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God;
and I do not want you to become sharers with the demons.
21
You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup
of demons; you cannot be partaking of “the table of
Jehovah” and the table of demons.
(James 5:14-16) Is there anyone sick among you? Let
him call the elders of the congregation to him, and let them
pray over him, applying oil to him in the name of Jehovah.
15
And the prayer of faith will make the sick one well, and
Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has committed sins,
he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, openly confess your sins
to one another and pray for one another, so that you may
be healed. A righteous man’s supplication has a powerful
effect.
(Luke 3:8) Therefore, produce fruits that befit repentance.
Do not start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as
our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up
children for Abraham from these stones.
Jan 15, 2015
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(Jeremiah 31:31-34) “Look! The days are coming,”
declares Jehovah, “when I will make with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. 32 It
will not be like the covenant that I made with their
forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead
them out of the land of Egypt, ‘my covenant that they
broke, although I was their true master,’ declares
Jehovah.” 33 “For this is the covenant that I will make with
the house of Israel after those days,” declares Jehovah. “I
will put my law within them, and in their heart I will write it.
And I will become their God, and they will become my
people.” 34 “And they will no longer teach each one his
neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know
Jehovah!’ for they will all know me, from the least to the
greatest of them,” declares Jehovah. “For I will forgive
their error, and I will no longer remember their sin.”
(Galatians 6:15, 16) For neither is circumcision anything
nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation is. 16 As for all
those who walk orderly by this rule of conduct, peace and
mercy be upon them, yes, upon the Israel of God.
(Luke 22:20) Also, he did the same with the cup after they
had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new
covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out
in your behalf.
(Hebrews 8:6) But now Jesus has obtained a more
excellent ministry because he is also the mediator of a
correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally
established on better promises.
(Hebrews 9:15) That is why he is a mediator of a new
covenant, in order that because a death has occurred for
their release by ransom from the transgressions under the
former covenant, those who have been called may receive
the promise of the everlasting inheritance.
Paragraph 15
(Luke 12:32) “Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has
approved of giving you the Kingdom.
(Philippians 3:10) My aim is to know him and the power
of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings,
submitting myself to a death like his,
(Revelation 22:5) Also, night will be no more, and they
have no need of lamplight or sunlight, for Jehovah God will
shed light upon them, and they will rule as kings forever
and ever.
Paragraph 14
(1 Corinthians 11:25) He did the same with the cup also,
after they had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means
the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this,
whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
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Week of
March 9-15, 2015
Why We Observe the Lord’s Evening Meal
“Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”—1 COR 11:24.
Paragraph 16
(Romans 8:15-17) For you did not receive a spirit of
slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of
adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “Abba,
Father!” 16 The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that
we are God’s children. 17 If, then, we are children, we are
also heirs—heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with
Christ—provided we suffer together so that we may also
be glorified together.
(1 John 2:20) And you have an anointing from the holy
one, and all of you have knowledge.
(Revelation 14:1) Then I saw, and look! the Lamb
standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who have
his name and the name of his Father written on their
foreheads.
Paragraph 17
(2 Corinthians 11:2) For I am jealous over you with a
godly jealousy, for I personally promised you in marriage
to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin
to the Christ.
(John 3:27-29) In answer John said: “A man cannot
receive a single thing unless it has been given him from
heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness that I said, ‘I
am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of that one.’
29
Whoever has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend
of the bridegroom, when he stands and hears him, has a
great deal of joy on account of the voice of the
bridegroom. So my joy has been made complete.
(Revelation 21:2) I also saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(Revelation 21:9-14) One of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls that were full of the seven last plagues
came and said to me: “Come, and I will show you the
bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 So he carried me away in the
power of the spirit to a great and lofty mountain, and he
showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of
heaven from God 11 and having the glory of God. Its
radiance was like a most precious stone, like a jasper
stone shining crystal clear. 12 It had a great and lofty wall
and had 12 gates with 12 angels at the gates, and on the
gates were inscribed the names of the 12 tribes of the
sons of Israel. 13 On the east were three gates, and on the
north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on
the west three gates. 14 The wall of the city also had 12
foundation stones, and on them were the 12 names of the
12 apostles of the Lamb.
Jan 15, 2015
Page 13
Paragraph 18
(Revelation 7:9) After this I saw, and look! a great crowd,
which no man was able to number, out of all nations and
tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and
there were palm branches in their hands.
(John 10:16) “And I have other sheep, which are not of
this fold; those too I must bring in, and they will listen to
my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.
(Psalm 37:10, 11) Just a little while longer, and the wicked
will be no more; You will look at where they were, And
they will not be there. 11 But the meek will possess the
earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance
of peace.
(Psalm 37:29) The righteous will possess the earth, And
they will live forever on it.
(Psalm 67:6) The earth will give its produce; God, our
God, will bless us.
(Psalm 72:7) In his days the righteous will flourish, And
peace will abound until the moon is no more.
(Psalm 72:16) There will be an abundance of grain on the
earth; On the top of the mountains it will overflow. His fruit
will flourish as in Lebʹa·non, And in the cities people will
blossom like the vegetation of the earth.
(Isaiah 33:24) And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The
people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error.
(John 5:28, 29) Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is
coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear
his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a
resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to
a resurrection of judgment.
Paragraph 20
(Matthew 22:34-40) After the Pharisees heard that he had
silenced the Sadducees, they came together in one group.
35
And one of them, versed in the Law, tested him by
asking: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment
in the Law?” 37 He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah
your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul
and with your whole mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first
commandment. 39 The second, like it, is this: ‘You must
love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two
commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.”
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