LET'S SEARCH FOR HIDDEN PEARLS, Week of February 7 to 13, 2022, 1 Samuel 1 to 2, Answers.

LET'S SEARCH FOR HIDDEN PEARLS: February 7-13, 2022, 1 Samuel 1 to 2.

Let's look for hidden pearls (10 mins.)

1Sa 2:10. Why did Hannah ask Jehovah to give “her king power” if there was no king in Israel? (w05 3/15 21 ¶5)

Hannah was aware that there was no king in Israel. However, he was also confident that Jehovah would not leave his people long without spiritual guidance. This is why Hannah was praying for a future king who would lead God's people to pure worship.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

For the Israelites it was normal to talk about a king because the Law itself would have predicted that there would be one in the future apart from mentions of ancestors that spoke of a king of the people, so Hannah was praying about a future king.

The Mosaic Law predicted that the Israelites would have a human king. On his deathbed, Jacob prophesied: “The scepter [symbol of royal authority] will not depart from Judah.” Furthermore, concerning Sarah the ancestor of the Israelites, Jehovah said: “Kings of peoples will come from her.” So Hannah was praying about a future king.

Because Ana was referring to the future king that there would be, since according to the Mosaic law it had been predicted that Israel would have a human king, Jacob had also prophesied that the scepter would not depart from Judah, and regarding Sarah Jehovah said that among their descendants would be kings.

Although Ana knew that there was no king. She said that to Jehovah since she had prophesied that Jehovah would give her people a king. So Hannah was praying about a future king.

Because in this sentence Hannah was praying about "a future king." The idea of ​​a future king was in no way predicted that they would have a human king. Also, Jacob on his deathbed, prophesied: that "the scepter, which is a symbol of royal authority, will not depart from Judah." Furthermore, Sarah had said that "Kings of peoples shall come from her." So all of these prophecies pointed to the time when the Israelites would have a king.

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

1 Samuel 1:2. Jehovah teaches us that his righteous rules and advice are for our good. Like forbidding polygamy, because he knew that this would bring jealousy and problems in the marriage. We see many of this jealousy for similar relationships in the world. Jehovah knows what is best for us and advises us to lead happy lives.

1 Samuel 1:2. Ana is one of the two wives of Elcaná and although polygamy was not part of God's original purpose for humanity, it is allowed and regulated by the Mosaic Law, but that did not mean that such families were free of problems, in the case of Ana suffered because her rival Peniná had several children, but instead she was barren and sterility is a dishonor for the Israelites and Peniná makes her rival's life bitter, so now it is understandable that Jehovah and the Christians see this badly practice of polygamy.

1 Samuel 1:2,6. Peniná's attitude towards Ana was reflected in the cruel treatment she gave her, instead of comforting her due to her infertility, she took advantage of any moment to make fun of her. This teaches me: that we must carefully consider how we treat our brothers. Are we known for being a source of comfort or for being indifferent or worse, that we are happy for the evil of others? The truth is that Jehovah does not miss anything, which is a serious warning for those who, out of jealousy and hatred, use seemingly harmless acts to hurt others, so let's avoid cruel treatment and ridicule!

1 Samuel 1:3. Elkaná had the custom of going up himself and the whole family to worship Jehovah and offer sacrifices, it is a good example that the heads of families should strive to lead the family, instill in them the excellent habit of attending meetings, and worshiping Jehovah , instead of thinking that you don't want to pressure them and let them do what they want.

1 Samuel 1:5. Although the biblical account says that Jehovah "had closed the womb" of Ana, there is no evidence that God was displeased with this faithful and humble woman. Sometimes the Bible attributes to God events that simply happened because he allowed them to for a time.

1 Samuel 1:6,7. Penina made fun of Ana. This teaches me to take care of my words that we can inadvertently offend. Well, we must think about how the person will react. Although it does not reflect mockery, we must be careful when we ask married couples about having a child. It can hurt the sister maybe because she can't have it or because they decided so. These questions are personal to the couple.

1 Samuel 1:6. We see that this verse calls the other wife a “rival” and I know that he mocked her for not having children, which was considered a divine blessing at the time. Extrapolating this to the congregation, our brothers are brothers, not rivals. Regardless of their material possessions or spiritual privileges, we must treat them as brothers and not rivals.

1 Samuel 1:6. Although the affection that Ana received for Elcaná is more than perhaps Peniná received, what is clear is that, blinded by jealousy, Peniná found a thousand ways to make her rival suffer. Their great advantage is their children. She has had one after another, and her arrogance grows with each child she brings into the world. Instead of pitying Ana and comforting her, Peniná takes the opportunity to delve deeper into the wound, she wants to hurt her rival, and there is no doubt that she succeeds, likewise Christians should avoid trying to hurt their brothers, even if it is based on a "supposed" sense of justice.

1 Samuel 1:7. Peniná reminded her over and over and this hurt Ana. This teaches us an important lesson in how we treat our brothers, however well-intentioned we may be. Phrases like: “now that they are married, when will the child?”. What this can cause, as in Ana's case, is a lot of pain instead of good. We must respect the personal life and privacy of our brothers.

1 Samuel 1:8. Elqaná set a wonderful example in strengthening others with words. First, without setting himself up as a judge, he asked Ana: "Why does your heart feel bad?" Those words encouraged her to express her feelings. Then, he confirmed her affection, asking her: «Am I not better for you than ten children?».

1 Samuel 1:9,11. We see that Ana takes her time to pray, she opens her heart before Jehovah, without a doubt this case gives us an example of how we are expected to address God in prayer, and that is that we must speak to him frankly, without reservations, unburdening all our concerns with him.

1 Samuel 1:10. Ana went to pray Jehovah about the anguish she felt for not being a mother. This teaches me to see Jehovah as our salvation and help. When we go through difficult times, sometimes the fear can be very great that we concentrate more on the problem than on Jehovah's help. But just like Ana. She knew that Jehovah would give her that peace. An example to imitate when we are emotionally discouraged.

1 Samuel 1:11. Hannah offered a vow to Jehovah. This teaches me not only to ask Jehovah but also to know how to give. For example, one of the most important vows is when we are baptized. Dedicate our life to Jehovah. The question is, are we fulfilling it? We have all felt the hand of Jehovah at some point. But let us also fulfill our vow with our creator.

1 Samuel 1:11. Ana recognizes that she depends on Jehovah for her affliction to be solved and she promises by vow that if Jehovah remembers her he would offer her son as a Nazarite and promises to dedicate him for life to Jehovah as a Nazirite, for such a vow to be valid he has to be authorized by the husband, and, due to his way of acting, Elcaná approves the promise of his beloved wife, it is interesting to see that for Ana the most important thing was to trust that Jehovah would answer her prayer and that is how it was, we can have that same confidence by praying to Jehovah and he will answer our prayers at the appropriate time.

1 Samuel 1:10,11. Ana is an example of how we should pray to Jehovah today. And not only that, she made a vow (let us remember that they were voluntary but sacred) in order to obtain what she wanted. When we pray to God, we not only have to open our hearts, but ask Him for what we need. God will never let the righteous fall as Psalm 55:22 says.

1 Samuel 1:13,14. Eli rushed in and sentenced this woman with the ugly accusation that she was drunk. This teaches us that we should not rush to react or react too hotly. But to be open and communicative with our spouse or siblings, because as much as we may think we know them, we may not always know what they are going through.

1 Samuel 1:14. Unfortunately, human beings are not as understanding and compassionate as Jehovah. As Ana prays with tears in her eyes, a voice shakes her. It is Eli, the high priest, who has been watching her. "How long will you behave like a drunk? Take your wine away from you », she tells him. Elí has ​​seen how Ana's lips tremble, her sobs, her emotional breakdown. But instead of asking what's wrong, he jumps to the conclusion that the woman is drunk. We all must watch our words, especially those who lead the flock.

1 Samuel 1:15. Hannah received a very ugly accusation when she really did not do anything wrong, but on the contrary, she was sincerely praying to Jehovah. She could react in the same tone as this priest, but she was humble and did not. This teaches us that in marriage with our spouse sometimes we can be wrong and judge us wrongly, but we must imitate Ana, explain the situation and not respond in the same way.

1 Samuel 1:16. It shows us that sometimes human beings are not as understanding as Jehovah, since while Ana prays with tears in her eyes, Elí can see how Ana's lips tremble, her sobs, her agitation, but instead of asking her what's wrong , is quick to conclude that she is drunk, however, Ana once again gives us a precious example of faith and does not allow the imperfections of any man to get in the way of her worship of Jehovah, let us not allow the judgments and comments of bad brothers deliberately ruin our relationship with Jehovah.

1 Samuel 1:15,17. We read that Eli, the high priest, makes an accusation against Ana, without a doubt this was very painful for her, but without a doubt she left us a great example and that is that we should not allow the imperfections of any man to get in the way of our worship of Jehovah.

1 Samuel 1:18. Hannah fully trusted Jehovah, threw his burden on him, and felt liberated. Although the problem that she was distressing had not disappeared, she felt much better. This teaches us that we have to pray to God and throw off our burden, we will feel better and in time, we will see the hand of God in solving the problem.

1 Samuel 1:19,20. Jehovah teaches me that he is a God who listens to the sincere prayers made by his servants, because here we read that he effectively answered Ana's pleas by giving her the son he so desired.

1 Samuel 1:20. Jehovah fulfilled Hannah's request, and gave her a son. This teaches me about Jehovah's power, although for humans it seems impossible we see that Jehovah fulfills it. That is why we must trust that not a word from him fails. As long as we do what is right in his eyes.

1 Samuel 1:21. It says that Elqaná went up with all of his household to offer Jehovah the annual sacrifice, which is undoubtedly a good example for family heads who must take the initiative to strengthen their family in a spiritual sense, by going to meetings preaching and not neglecting family worship.

1 Samuel 1:22. Ana fulfilled the voluntary and sacred vow that she made to Jehovah by giving her son as a Nazarene by birth. Although we currently do not make vows of this type as we used to, we have made a very important one and that is dedication and baptism. Just as Hannah fulfilled it, we should imitate her faith and trust, and dedicate our lives to the pure worship of Jehovah.

1 Samuel 1:23. Elcaná had the custom of going up, he and the whole family to worship Jehovah, even so it was understandable this time and he supported Ana, it is important that we strive to be reasonable and support our own in difficult times, we are not in a military organization in which we sacrifice our own by a procedure.

1 Samuel 1:25,28. It shows us the magnificent example that Ana and Elqaná give to Christian parents, because they gave their son to serve Jehovah, today many parents are still willing to lend their sons and daughters to Jehovah, that is why since they were little they encourage them to undertake some feature of full-time ministry.

1 Samuel 1:28. Hannah said that her little son will be Jehovah's every day. This teaches parents, although Jehovah does not ask us to let our little children have the true biblical words engraved on their hearts and minds.

1 Samuel 2:1.  Ana thanked Jehovah because he gives us strength and helps us endure and respond to our enemies, it is important to lean on Jehovah as Ana did.

1 Samuel 2:4. These words of Ana show the confidence that she had that Jehovah supports his servants who seem weak since he says that they will receive strength while the bows of the enemies will be broken, we can apply this text when we think about the future test that we are going to to face during the Great Tribulation since we will seem weak before the attacks of our enemies but at that moment we will receive the strength to endure, while the weapons of our enemies will be shattered.

1 Samuel 2:6. One of the things this pandemic has taught or reminded us is that life is fragile. We have seen how many of our brothers have passed away in recent months. As witnesses we know of the hope of the resurrection, and we must have the full confidence that Hannah had that Jehovah will bring our loved ones out of the grave. Let us fully trust Jehovah and his promises as Ana did.

1 Samuel 2:9. This text teaches me about Jehovah his faithfulness, he protects the loyal. This we have seen in the past and in the present how Jehovah cares for all his servants. Although we do not expect Jehovah to intervene miraculously today, we know that he protects and supports his witnesses through his holy spirit and his angels.

1 Samuel 2:12. In the book of Samuel we read that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, “were men of no use; they did not acknowledge Jehovah.” These two ideas go hand in hand. Hophni and Phinehas were "Useless Men" (literally, "sons of worthlessness") because they "did not acknowledge" or respect Jehovah. Their disregard for God's righteous standards led them to commit grave sins.

1 Samuel 2:12. In the biblical record we read that the two sons of Eli were people who were worthless and did not respect Jehovah, despised God's just standards, and this contemptuous attitude led them to commit serious sins and even their bad actions and their disrespect for the norms of Jehovah made other priests also treat the offerings of the people with great disrespect, likewise today it can be the case of children of Christians who do not respect the biblical norms and who are a bad influence for the rest of the community. congregation.

1 Samuel 2:18. This verse teaches us that our children from a very young age can and should participate in the sacred service to Jehovah. It is the best way for a father to instruct his son in the faith, and even if he is the one who decides whether or not to continue serving God when he is older. If we instill these values ​​as a child, his relationship with Jehovah will be so strong and close that when the difficult moments of adolescence arrive, he will not have any doubts.

1 Samuel 2:22,23. Adding to their sins, these wicked ones committed acts of immorality with the women who served in the tabernacle, so that all Israel came to know about it. And the report of their terrible desecration of God's sanctuary reached Eli's ears. Herein lay Eli's greatest failure. As the father of Hophni and Phinehas and, most seriously, as the high priest of Israel who had been anointed by God, Eli should have taken immediate disciplinary action by removing these two men from their priestly office and expelling them from serve in the sanctuary. Furthermore, these men should have been punished for their crimes according to the law.

1 Samuel 2:26. Here it is mentioned that Samuel was becoming someone very appreciated by Jehovah and for the people he was someone and that was because he had very good qualities when performing any service, we can make ourselves very pleasing in the sight of God if we faithfully fulfill the work that we do. he has entrusted us, whether to serve as pioneers, missionaries or have a position of responsibility in the congregation, we must see our assignments as a sacred divine commission and adopt God's thinking when carrying out their work.

1 Samuel 2:26; 3:5-8,15,19. We become "more pleasing" to God and men if we diligently carry out the work God has assigned us, take advantage of the spiritual education we receive, and are courteous and respectful.

1 Samuel 2:29. The account about Eli strongly emphasizes these facts that we cannot ignore: We, as servants of God, must obey the biblical advice to teach our children the Word of God every day and, although we show them love and consideration, we must "raise them in the discipline and mental regulation of Jehovah." If parents allow their children to do wrong things, especially those who are in the lead, they cannot help but lose the respect of the children and the congregation. Later, parents like these will realize that they have destroyed the line of communication, and sadly, they will see that they lose their children, that they go to the ways of the world.