Daily Text and Bible Reading: Tuesday, March 31 [Press play below]
Press play below to hear today's Bible Chapters: 1 Samuel Chapter 15 and 16
Examining the Scriptures Daily
Monday, March 31
The wisdom from above is ... ready to obey. James 3.17.
After Gideon was appointed as judge, his obedience and courage were tested. He was given the dangerous assignment to destroy his father’s Baal altar.
[Quotation] Judges 6.25 and 26: That night Jehovah said to him: “Take the young bull that belongs to your father, the second young bull that is seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred pole next to it. 26 After you build an altar to Jehovah your God on top of this stronghold with the row of stones, take the second young bull and offer it as a burnt offering on the pieces of wood from the sacred pole that you cut down.” [End Quotation]
Later, after gathering an army, Gideon was twice directed to reduce its size.
[Quotation] Judges 7.2 through 7: Jehovah now said to Gideon: “There are too many people with you for me to give Midian into their hand. Otherwise, Israel might brag about itself against me and say, ‘My own hand saved me.’ 3 Now, please, announce in the presence of the people: ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return home.’” So Gideon put them to the test. With that, 22,000 of the people returned home, and 10,000 remained. 4 Still Jehovah said to Gideon: “There are yet too many people. Have them go down to the water so that I may test them for you there. When I say to you, ‘This one will go with you,’ he will go with you, but when I say to you, ‘This one will not go along with you,’ he will not go along.” 5 So he took the people down to the water. Then Jehovah said to Gideon: “Separate everyone who laps up the water with his tongue just as a dog laps, from those who bend down on their knees to drink.” 6 The number of those lapping up the water, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men. The rest of the people bent down on their knees to drink. 7 Jehovah now said to Gideon: “I will save you with the 300 men who lapped the water, and I will give Midian into your hand. But let all the other people go back home.” [End Quotation]
Finally, he was told to attack the enemy camp in the dead of night.
[Quotation] Judges 7.9 through 11: During that night, Jehovah said to him: “Get up, attack the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your attendant. 11 Listen to what they say, and afterward you will have the courage to attack the camp.” At that he and Purah his attendant went down to the edge of the encamped army. [End Quotation]
Elders should be “ready to obey.” An obedient elder readily submits to what the Scriptures say and to direction from God’s organization. He thus sets a good example for others. Still, his obedience may be tested. He may, for instance, find it hard to keep up with the direction he receives. In some cases, he may wonder whether certain direction is really practical or wise. Or he may be asked to take on an assignment that could put his freedom at risk. How can elders imitate Gideon’s obedience in such situations? Listen carefully to direction and apply it.
Watchtower June 2023 pages 4 and 5 paragraphs 9 through 11
Today's Bible Chapters: 1 Samuel Chapter 15 through 16
15.1 Then Samuel said to Saul: “Jehovah sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel; now listen to what Jehovah has to say.
15.2 This is what Jehovah of armies says: ‘I will call to account the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they opposed them along their way coming up from Egypt.
15.3 Now go, and strike down the Amalekites, and devote them to destruction along with all that they have. You must not spare them; you are to put them to death, man as well as woman, child as well as infant, bull as well as sheep, camel as well as donkey.’”
15.4 Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim: There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.
15.5 Saul advanced as far as the city of Amalek and set an ambush by the valley.
15.6 Saul then said to the Kenites: “Go, depart from among the Amalekites, so that I do not sweep you away with them. For you showed loyal love to all the people of Israel at the time they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from the midst of Amalek.
15.7 After that Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is next to Egypt.
15.8 He caught Agag the king of Amalek alive, but all the other people he devoted to destruction with the sword.
15.9 However, Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the flock, the herd, the fattened animals, the rams, and all that was good. They did not want to devote them to destruction. But all the goods that were worthless and unwanted, these they devoted to destruction.
15.10 Then the word of Jehovah came to Samuel:
15.11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and he has not carried out my words.” Samuel became very upset, and he kept crying out to Jehovah all night long.
15.12 When Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, Samuel was told: “Saul went to Carmel, and there he erected a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”
15.13 When Samuel finally came to him, Saul said to him: “May Jehovah bless you. I have carried out the word of Jehovah.”
15.14 But Samuel said: “Then what is this sound of the flock in my ears and the sound of the cattle that I hear?”
15.15 To this Saul said: “They were brought from the Amalekites, because the people spared the best of the flock and the herd for sacrificing them to Jehovah your God; but what was left we devoted to destruction.”
15.16 At this Samuel said to Saul: “Stop! Let me tell you what Jehovah said to me last night.” So he said to him: “Speak!”
15.17 Samuel continued: “Were you not insignificant in your own eyes when you were made head of the tribes of Israel and when Jehovah anointed you as king over Israel?
15.18 Jehovah later sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, and devote the sinful Amalekites to destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them.’
15.19 So why did you not obey the voice of Jehovah? Instead, you rushed greedily toward the spoil and did what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah!”
15.20 However, Saul said to Samuel: “But I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah! I went on the mission to which Jehovah sent me, and I brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and I devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
15.21 But the people took sheep and cattle from the spoil, the best of what was devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Jehovah your God at Gilgal.”
15.22 Samuel then said: “Does Jehovah take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look! To obey is better than a sacrifice, and to pay attention than the fat of rams;
15.23 for rebelliousness is the same as the sin of divination, and pushing ahead presumptuously the same as using magical power and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he has rejected you from being king.”
15.24 Then Saul said to Samuel: “I have sinned, for I have overstepped the order of Jehovah and your words, because I feared the people and listened to what they said.
15.25 And now, please, pardon my sin, and return with me so that I may bow down to Jehovah.”
15.26 But Samuel said to Saul: “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from continuing as king over Israel.”
15.27 As Samuel was turning to go, Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his sleeveless coat, but it ripped away.
15.28 At this Samuel said to him: “Jehovah has ripped away the royal rule of Israel from you today, and he will give it to one of your fellow men who is better than you.
15.29 Moreover, the Excellency of Israel will not prove false or change his mind, for He is not a mere man that he should change his mind.”
15.30 At this he said: “I have sinned. But honor me, please, in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Return with me, and I will bow down to Jehovah your God.”
15.31 So Samuel returned behind Saul, and Saul bowed down to Jehovah.
15.32 And Samuel said: “Bring Agag the king of Amalek near to me.” Then Agag went to him reluctantly, for Agag had been saying to himself: ‘Surely the threat of death is past.’
15.33 However, Samuel said: “Just as your sword has bereaved women of children, so your mother will be most bereaved among women.” With that Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before Jehovah at Gilgal.
15.34 Samuel now went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his own house at Gibeah of Saul.
15.35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, for Samuel went into mourning for Saul. And Jehovah regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
16.1 Jehovah eventually said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul now that I have rejected him from ruling as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have selected from among his sons a king for myself.”
16.2 But Samuel said: “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” Jehovah replied: “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.’
16.3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice; then I will make known to you what to do. You must anoint for me the one whom I designate to you.”
16.4 Samuel did what Jehovah said. When he came to Bethlehem, the elders of the city were trembling at meeting him, and they said: “Does your coming mean peace?”
16.5 To this he said: “It means peace. I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, after which he summoned them to the sacrifice.
16.6 As they came in and he saw Eliab, he said: “Surely here before Jehovah stands his anointed one.”
16.7 But Jehovah said to Samuel: “Do not pay attention to his appearance and how tall he is, for I have rejected him. For the way man sees is not the way God sees, because mere man sees what appears to the eyes, but Jehovah sees into the heart.”
16.8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel, but he said: “Jehovah has not chosen this one either.”
16.9 Next Jesse presented Shammah, but he said: “Jehovah has not chosen this one either.”
16.10 So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse: “Jehovah has not chosen any of these.”
16.11 Finally Samuel said to Jesse: “Are these all of your boys?” To this he said: “The youngest has been left out until now; he is pasturing the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse: “Send for him, because we will not sit down for the meal until he comes here.”
16.12 So he sent for him and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and handsome in appearance. Then Jehovah said: “Get up, anoint him, for this is the one!”
16.13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah began to empower David from that day forward. Samuel later rose and went his way to Ramah.
16.14 Now the spirit of Jehovah had departed from Saul, and a bad spirit from Jehovah terrorized him.
16.15 The servants of Saul said to him: “You see that a bad spirit from God is terrorizing you.
16.16 Let our lord, please, command your servants before you to look for a man who is skilled at playing the harp. Whenever a bad spirit from God comes upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better.”
16.17 So Saul said to his servants: “Find me, please, a man who plays well, and bring him to me.”
16.18 One of the attendants said: “Look! I have seen how a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite plays skillfully, and he is a courageous, mighty warrior. He can speak well, and he is handsome, and Jehovah is with him.”
16.19 Saul then sent messengers to Jesse and said: “Send to me your son David, who is with the flock.”
16.20 So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a skin bottle of wine, and a young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David.
16.21 Thus David came to Saul and began serving him. Saul grew to love him very much, and he became his armor-bearer.
16.22 Saul sent a message to Jesse: “Please let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
16.23 Whenever a bad spirit from God came upon Saul, David took the harp and played it, and Saul found relief and felt better, and the bad spirit would depart from him.