Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, April 11 [Press play below]
Press play below to hear today's Bible Chapters: 2 Samuel Chapter 15 and 16
Examining the Scriptures Daily
Friday, April 11
It is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away. Hebrews 10.4.
Outside the entrance of the ancient tabernacle was a copper altar on which animal sacrifices were offered to Jehovah.
[Quotation] Exodus 27.1 and 2: “You will make the altar of acacia wood; it will be five cubits long and five cubits wide. The altar should be square and three cubits high. 2 You will make horns on its four corners; the horns will be part of the altar, and you will overlay the altar with copper. [End Quotation]
[Quotation] Exodus 40.29: He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, so that he might offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. [End Quotation]
However, those sacrifices could not provide complete forgiveness of sins for the people.
[Quotation] Hebrews 10.1 through 3: For since the Law has a shadow of the good things to come, but not the very substance of the things, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make those who approach perfect. 2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have stopped being offered, because those rendering sacred service once cleansed would have no consciousness of sins anymore? 3 On the contrary, these sacrifices are a reminder of sins year after year, [End Quotation]
The continual sacrifices of animals at the tabernacle pointed to the one sacrifice that would fully redeem humankind. Jesus knew that Jehovah had sent him to the earth to offer his human life as a ransom sacrifice for mankind.
[Quotation] Matthew 20.28: Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.” [End Quotation]
Hence, at his baptism, Jesus presented himself to do what Jehovah wanted.
[Quotation] John 6.38: for I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. [End Quotation]
[Quotation] Galatians 1.4: He gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from the present wicked system of things according to the will of our God and Father, [End Quotation]
Jesus’ life was offered “once for all time” to atone for, or cover permanently, the sins of everyone who exercises faith in Christ.
[Quotation] Hebrews 10.5 through 7: So when he comes into the world, he says: “‘Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but you prepared a body for me. 6 You did not approve of whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.’ 7 Then I said: ‘Look! I have come (in the scroll it is written about me) to do your will, O God.’” [End Quotation]
[Quotation] Hebrews 10.10: By this “will” we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. [End Quotation]
Watchtower October 2023 pages 26 and 27 paragraphs 10 and 11
[Click on the link below to access the 2025 Memorial Bible Reading schedule]
Today's Bible Chapters: 2 Samuel Chapter 15 through 16
15.1 After all these things, Absalom acquired for himself a chariot and horses and 50 men to run before him.
15.2 Absalom would rise up early and stand at the side of the road to the city gate. Whenever any man had a legal case that was to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call him and say: “From what city are you?” and he would say: “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
15.3 Absalom would say to him: “See, your claims are right and proper, but there is no one from the king to hear your case.”
15.4 Absalom would say: “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then every man who has a legal case or judgment could come to me, and I would see that he receives justice.”
15.5 And when a man came near to bow down to him, Absalom would extend his hand and grab hold of him and kiss him.
15.6 Absalom would do this to all the Israelites who would come in to the king for judgment; so Absalom kept stealing the hearts of the men of Israel.
15.7 At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king: “Let me go, please, to Hebron to pay my vow that I made to Jehovah.
15.8 For your servant made this solemn vow when I was dwelling in Geshur in Syria: ‘If Jehovah will bring me back to Jerusalem, I will make an offering to Jehovah.’”
15.9 So the king said to him: “Go in peace.” With that he rose up and went to Hebron.
15.10 Absalom now sent spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying: “As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, announce, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’”
15.11 Now 200 men from Jerusalem had gone there with Absalom; they were invited and went unsuspectingly, unaware of what was happening.
15.12 Further, when he offered the sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy kept gaining momentum, and the people who supported Absalom were growing in number.
15.13 In time an informer came to David, saying: “The heart of the men of Israel has turned to Absalom.”
15.14 At once David said to all his servants with him in Jerusalem: “Get up, and let us run away, for none of us will escape from Absalom! Hurry, for fear he may quickly overtake us and bring disaster on us and strike the city with the sword!”
15.15 The king’s servants replied to the king: “Whatever my lord the king decides, your servants are ready to do.”
15.16 So the king went out with all his household following him, but the king left ten concubines to take care of the house.
15.17 And the king continued on his way out with all the people following, and they stopped at Beth-merhak.
15.18 All his servants leaving with him and all the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and the Gittites, 600 men who had followed him from Gath, were passing by as the king reviewed them.
15.19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: “Why should you also go with us? Go back and dwell with the new king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your place.
15.20 Yesterday you came, so today should I make you wander with us, to go when I must go and where I must go? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may Jehovah show you loyal love and faithfulness!”
15.21 But Ittai answered the king: “As surely as Jehovah is living and as surely as my lord the king is living, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there your servant will be!”
15.22 At that David said to Ittai: “Go and cross over.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over, together with all his men and children.
15.23 Everyone in the land was weeping loudly while all these people crossed over, and the king was standing by the Kidron Valley; all the people were crossing over to the road leading to the wilderness.
15.24 Zadok was also there and with him were all the Levites carrying the ark of the covenant of the true God; and they set the Ark of the true God down; and Abiathar went up, while all the people completed crossing over from the city.
15.25 But the king said to Zadok: “Take the Ark of the true God back to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Jehovah, he will also bring me back and let me see it and its dwelling place.
15.26 But if he should say, ‘I have found no pleasure in you,’ then let him do to me whatever seems good in his eyes.”
15.27 The king said to Zadok the priest: “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and take the two sons of you men with you, Ahimaaz your own son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
15.28 See, I will linger by the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
15.29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of the true God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
15.30 As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went up; his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. All the people with him also covered their heads and were weeping as they went up.
15.31 David was then told: “Ahithophel is among those conspiring with Absalom.” At this David said: “Turn, please, the advice of Ahithophel into foolishness, O Jehovah!”
15.32 When David came to the summit where people used to bow down to God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him, with his robe ripped apart and dirt on his head.
15.33 However, David said to him: “If you go across with me, you will be a load on me.
15.34 But if you return to the city and you say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O King. I was the servant of your father in the past, but now I am your servant,’ you can then frustrate the advice of Ahithophel for me.
15.35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? You must tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests everything that you hear from the house of the king.
15.36 Look! There with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, and through them send to me everything that you hear.”
15.37 So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city as Absalom was entering into Jerusalem.
16.1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba, the attendant of Mephibosheth, was there to meet him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were 200 loaves of bread, 100 cakes of raisins, 100 cakes of summer fruit, and a large jar of wine.
16.2 Then the king said to Ziba: “Why have you brought these things?” Ziba replied: “The donkeys are for the household of the king to ride, the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the wilderness to drink.”
16.3 The king now said: “And where is the son of your master?” At this Ziba said to the king: “He is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give back the royal rule of my father to me.’”
16.4 The king then said to Ziba: “Look! Everything that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Ziba replied: “I bow down before you. May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
16.5 When King David reached Bahurim, a man of the family of Saul’s house named Shimei, the son of Gera, came out shouting curses as he approached.
16.6 He was throwing stones at David and at all the servants of King David, as well as at all the people and the mighty men on his right and on his left.
16.7 Shimei said as he cursed: “Get out, get out, you bloodguilty man! You worthless man!
16.8 Jehovah has brought back on you all the bloodguilt for the house of Saul, in whose place you have ruled as king, but Jehovah gives the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Now calamity has overtaken you because you are a bloodguilty man!”
16.9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king: “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, please, and take off his head.”
16.10 But the king said: “What do I have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse me, for Jehovah has said to him, ‘Curse David!’ So who should say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
16.11 David then said to Abishai and all his servants: “Here my own son, who came from my own body, is seeking my life, and how much more now a Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he may curse me, for Jehovah told him to!
16.12 Perhaps Jehovah will see my affliction, and Jehovah will restore goodness to me instead of the curses shouted at me this day.”
16.13 With that David and his men kept going down the road while Shimei was walking alongside the mountain abreast of him, shouting curses and throwing stones and a lot of dust.
16.14 At length the king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted, and they refreshed themselves.
16.15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel arrived in Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
16.16 When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came in to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom: “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
16.17 At this Absalom said to Hushai: “Is this your loyal love toward your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?”
16.18 So Hushai said to Absalom: “No, I am on the side of the one who has been chosen by Jehovah, this people, and all the men of Israel. I will stay with him.
16.19 And again I say, Whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.”
16.20 Absalom then said to Ahithophel: “Give me your advice. What should we do?”
16.21 At that Ahithophel said to Absalom: “Have relations with your father’s concubines, those whom he left behind to take care of the house. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and those who support you will be strengthened.”
16.22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had relations with the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.
16.23 In those days the advice that Ahithophel gave was considered as the word of the true God. That was how all the advice of Ahithophel was esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.