The prophet whom Jehovah had sent to warn the newly formed northern nation of Israel of its future destruction, faced a simple test of faith while he traveled back home (1 Ki. 13:1,2).
He was to not eat or drink with any of the inhabitants of that land (1 Ki. 13:9).
When a false prophet deceived him, telling him God changed his mind about the orders given, the first prophet did not inquire of God.
He simply went along with the false prophet, perhaps because he said the words he wanted to hear:
“An angel told me by the word of Jehovah, ‘Have him come back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water,'” (1 Ki. 13:18, 19).
When we suddenly come under pressure to do what we thought was wrong, do we take the time to pray and investigate God’s will?
Or do we simply succumb to the pressure because it’s an easier way out of our immediate problems?
The shallowness of the first prophet’s decision cost him his life (1 Ki. 13:21,22).
Tag Archives: loyalty
2 Samuel, chapters 9-12
Uriah was a Hittite, a descendant of Canaan (2 Sam. 23:39).
Canaanites were the pagan inhabitants of the Promised Land that the Israelites were supposed to have exterminated (De. 20:16-18).
Still, Uriah’s house was close to King David’s (2 Sam. 11:2,3).
He was classified as a “mighty warrior,” (1 Chron. 11:26,41).
These facts, along with his conduct, indicate that he was also a Proselyte- a pagan converted to true worship.
The most outstanding thing we know of him is the zeal he had for fulfilling God’s law.
He went into war with the rest of his army, minus their commander-in-chief, King David.
Where was their leader?
Sleeping with Uriah’s wife (2 Sam. 11:4).
(I am leaving out a few details because the story is widely known.)
When Uriah’s wife became pregnant with David’s child, King David asked Uriah to come back home with the intention of making it appear as if the child were his (2 Sam. 11:5-10).
Uriah respected God’s law and considered his war mission to be holy.
To sleep with his wife while the rest of his army was in battle was unthinkable.
Furthermore, that would have prevented him from immediately joining them, because having a semen emission under God’s law made him “unclean,” (De. 23:9-11).
King David’s plan failed, and he sentenced Uriah to be killed in battle, sending the letter by Uriah’s own hand (2 Sam. 11:12-15).
Uriah had such a level of zeal for God’s law that it cost him his life, but the important thing is that he died faithful (2 Sam. 11:24).
David did not have to die for his own sin, but his son died as a consequence of it, and David did not know another day’s peace for the rest of his life (2 Sam. 12:9-14).
Uriah’s story leaves us with a thirst for justice that is not fully quenched and it helps us see that in this world, sometimes it does not matter how good or innocent we are, we are still subject to injustices.
There may at times be brothers in the congregation in important roles with many privileges who step all over one of the sheep they are supposed to care for (Acts 20:29).
The important thing for us sheep is to not judge or leave the congregation, but to continue serving God faithfully and leave justice in his hands (Rom. 12:19).
1 Samuel, chapters 14 and 15
“[…] Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer was behind him; and the Philistines began to fall before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer was putting them to death behind him.”
~1 Samuel 14:13
By standing up to their people’s oppressors, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were demonstrating great faith in Jehovah, crediting him with the victory before it begun (1 Sam. 14:6).
There is another lesson in their actions: teamwork goes a long way.
They were obviously very coordinated, being able to carry out this extraordinary deed of striking and putting 20 men to death, despite being outnumbered 10 to 1 (1 Sam. 14:14).
Although as Christians we do not participate in deadly combat, we do need to collaborate extensively with other members in the Congregation on a weekly or sometimes daily basis.
The success we experience spiritually is directly related to our ability to subject to theocratic arrangements, which in turn is directly related to being humble (1 Cor. 14:40).
Like Jonathan’s armor-bearer, we need to be willing to sacrifice personal interests in order to demonstrate our unyielding loyalty toward God and our spiritual family (1 Sam. 14:7).
Then we will clearly see Jehovah’s blessings and his loyalty toward us (1 Chron. 16:34).
1 Samuel, chapters 1-4
“Then Elkanah went to his house in Ramah, but the boy became a minister of Jehovah before Eli the priest.”
~1 Samuel 2:11
A few years prior, when Elkanah’s sterile wife Hannah came before Jehovah to pray for a son, the high priest Eli had mistakenly made offensive comments to her, misjudging her for a drunkard (1 Sam. 1:10-14).
Her reply to him reflected a quiet and mild spirit (1 Sam. 1:15-18; 1 Pet. 3:4).
When Hannah’s prayer was answered and her child was ready to be weaned, neither her nor her husband held resentment against the house of Jehovah nor toward his appointed servants.
They understood that the center for pure worship was the tabernacle at Shiloh and did not restrain from taking their son to serve there (1 Sam. 1:21-25).
They had faith in Jehovah that he would look after their son and that it was the best place for him despite the imperfections of those serving there.
Likewise, we should not let the imperfections of others in the congregation deter us from offering ourselves up for greater service.
We may witness personality defects that could work as stumbling blocks, but we should continue to recognize Jehovah’s congregation for what it really is: the center for pure worship (Isa. 2:2,3).
If we do our part and leave the rest in God’s hands, we will surely be blessed, like in the case of Hannah and Elkanah (1 Sam. 2:20, 21; Mal. 3:10).
Judges, chapters 1-4
Strict as God’s commandment on inter-religious marrying may seem, the truth is the person who can most influence our worship and spirituality is our spouse, whether for good or bad.
A person who has an unbelieving spouse lives divided, always trying to find the balance between two sacred priorities.
If both partners hold strong values, this can lead to countless unnecessary arguments that can leave emotional scars on either of them or their children.
Growing up, my father was agnostic and my mother, a zealous evangelizer of God’s word.
In recent years, my father has changed his opinion of the Bible and now participates in bi-weekly Christian meetings alongside my mother.
In effect, they get along a lot better now and are overall more happy than when they each held separate belief systems.
It is as easy now as it was in ancient Israel to underestimate the degree of influence a potential spouse will play in one’s relationship with God, especially because we tend to think of spirituality as an individual soul-searching process.
Sadly, throughout my adult life I have had the experience of witnessing the exact opposite of my parents’ experience.
I have had several friends leave their God-fearing spouses for unbelieving new partners.
This course of action has led these friends to spiritual ruin, and has undone the reputation of their faithful spouses.
It is just as essential, then, to heed God’s advice and seek an intimate relationship with someone of the opposite sex “only in the Lord,” (1 Cor. 7:39).
Joshua, chapters 9-11
“It was Jehovah who allowed their hearts to become stubborn so that they waged war against Israel, in order for him to devote them to destruction without any favorable consideration.”
~Joshua 11:20
Jehovah did not decide the fate of the Canaanites for them.
The previous verse clearly states: “There was no city that made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites inhabiting Gibeon. They conquered all the others by war,” (Joshua 11:19).
Despite Jehovah’s instructions ‘not to make a covenant with them,’ the Israelites had unintentionally established a treaty between themselves and the people of Gibeon (Ex. 34:12; Jos. 9:6-15).
Then, when the other cities attacked Gibeon, the Israelites rightly felt a moral obligation to defend them (Jos. 10:6-8).
Gibeon was spared the peril that the rest of the country suffered because, in their own words, they were ‘plainly told that Jehovah […] commanded Moses his servant to give Israel all the land and to annihilate all its inhabitants,’ (Jos. 9:24).
Thus, instead of arrogantly waging war against God himself, they laid themselves at the mercy of Israel and were indefinitely assigned the role of temple servants (Jos. 9:25-27).
The fact that Jehovah did extend considerable mercy toward the people of Gibeon, even allowing them the privilege of performing duties directly related to sacred worship, highlights his willingness to set aside the execution of his own judgment in order to favor those who seek him out sincerely (Ps. 86:15).
It is different, though, in the case of those who ‘allow their hearts to become stubborn.’
We do not need to be Canaanites or God’s sworn enemies to fall into this trap of obstinate arrogance.
Whether or not we witness God’s saving hand does not depend on who we are or where we come from.
It depends on whether or not we individually heed his words to ‘cleanse our hearts and stop being so stubborn,’ (De. 10:16).
Joshua, chapters 6-8
“Israel took the livestock and the spoil of that city for themselves, according to the orders that Jehovah had given to Joshua.”
~Joshua 8:27
In God’s instructions regarding the siege of the previous city, Jericho, God had ordered Israel to devote everything to destruction.
Only precious metals were to be spared and offered into God’s tabernacle (Jos. 6:17-19).
It’s under these circumstances that the story of Achan and his household takes place.
Motivated by greed, they stole a garment and money, hiding it in their tent (Jos. 7:1, 21).
Consequently, when Israel initially attacked the neighboring city of Ai, Jehovah was not with Israel and they lost thirty-six men (Jos. 7:5, 11, 12).
It is curious that once the other Israelites removed the wrongdoers from among themselves, God proceeded to allow his warriors to partake in the spoil (Jos. 8:2).
But neither Achan nor his household saw any of it, for their sin was considered high treason and they were punished by death (Jos. 7:25).
Had they waited a few more days serving Jehovah faithfully, they would have rightfully had all the spoil they wanted.
Their impatience, however, coupled with their greed and blatant disregard for God’s explicit instructions, led Achan and his household to tragedy.
Despite enduring all the trials through the desert, Achan stands out as an example of stealing, cheating, bad parenting and general deceit.
How sad it would be for us who serve God today to miss out on his promises because we put fleshly interests before our spiritual health.
To listen to an Audio Play about the first few days Israel experienced in the Promised Land, click here and select “Jehovah Delivers Those Calling Upon His name.”
Achan’s story begins 39 minutes into the play.
Joshua, chapters 1-5
“Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and strong. Do not be struck with terror or fear, for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.”
~Joshua 1:9
These words were being repeated to Joshua, Israel’s new leader, since little before Moses died and up until Joshua commanded the men in some of the tribes to be ready for battle (De. 31:7; Jos. 1:6,18).
I have read these words countless times, seeking strength during times of high anxiety.
This time, I cannot help but wonder at how repetitive they are.
Was Joshua visibly reluctant or nervous?
He had already proved himself to be a fearless warrior, zealous guard, and loyal spy (Ex. 17:10; 33:11; Nu. 14:6-10).
Perhaps he had grown accustomed to his role of serving as minister to Moses.
Perhaps invading and conquering a foreign land as well as directing an entire nation suddenly seemed more daunting than it ever had before Moses’ death .
Or perhaps Joshua did have his worries under control and he was simply being reminded to remain calm no matter what.
Whatever the case, Joshua did not step back from the plate.
Chapter Two describes him sweeping into action, ordering spies into a city he is but days away from overtaking (Jos. 2:1).
This passage makes me ask myself: how do I react when I am given a new assignment in the congregation to carry out on my own?
It is normal to feel scared or nervous, but to reject a task simply because it is beyond my comfort zone would reflect a selfish, immature attitude lacking in faith.
Joshua was not born a leader. God trained him and gave him the resources he needed.
All Joshua had to do was stay optimistic, trusting in God, using his common sense.
He made mistakes. We all make mistakes. But his courage kept moving him and his people forward, and so God remained by his side.
Deuteronomy, chapters 4-6
Jehovah knew that eventually the Israelites’ descendants would lose faith in him and be ‘scattered among the peoples,’ (De. 4:27).
There, they would offend him when they fell into the practice of idol worshiping (De. 4:28).
But he would not forsake them.
Within the congregation, this may apply to those who either in the past or future commit serious sins against Jehovah and break the pact they made with him upon baptism.
What recourse do they have when later on in life they find themselves alone and in trouble?
God himself extends the following invitation:
The congregation doors are still open “and he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him,” (2 Ch. 30:9).
Numbers, chapters 33-36
‘They may marry whomever they wish. However, they should marry someone from a family of the tribe of their father.” […]
The daughters of Zelophehad did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. […] so that their inheritance would remain in the tribe of their father’s family.
~Numbers 36:6,10,12
When looking up information on Zelophehad, what we know about him mostly comes from the story about what his five daughters did after he passed away (Insight on the Scriptures, vol. II, pp. 1228-1229).
He was a descendant of Manasseh, having died during the forty years in which Israel wandered the desert, and he never had any sons (Nu. 26:29-33; 27:3).
Had he had at least one son, his family line would have most likely blended into the Scriptures along with the names of Jacob’s many other descendants.
Originally, the promised land was to be distributed from fathers to sons.
But when Zelophehad’s daughters asked, “Why should the name of our father be lost from his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers,” Jehovah replied through Moses:
Zelophehad had no way of knowing that after his death, his name would not only remain, but be used as a reference in matters concerning the just distribution of inheritances and as an example of pious obedience and loyalty.
Who knows what personal sacrifices his five daughters had to make in order to obey Jehovah’s new law concerning the marriage and inheritance of brother-less women.
Did they already have boyfriends or their own personal plans for the future?
At least one of them, perhaps Mahlah, had to be old enough to take the initiative and guide the others before the entire assembly (Nu. 27:2).
In any case, by marrying men within their own tribe, they demonstrated a respect toward God that was obviously influenced by their upbringing.
Zelophehad must have been an excellent father. He would have been very proud of his daughters.
We have no way of knowing the extent to which our actions influence the future, so even when we feel irrelevant, it is important to try wholeheartedly to carry out our roles the best we can.
Bible Reading Highlights 