Genuine hope is like a bright light. It helps us to see beyond present trials and to face the future with courage and joy. Only Jehovah can give us a sure hope, which he does by means of his inspired Word. (2 Tim. 3:16) In fact, the words “hope,” “hoped,” and “hoping” appear over 160 times in the Bible and refer both to the eager and sure expectation of something good and to the object of that expectation. When faced with trials and hardships, Jesus looked beyond the present and hoped in Jehovah. “For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2) Because he was keenly focused on the prospect of vindicating Jehovah’s sovereignty and sanctifying His name, Jesus never deviated from his course of obedience to God, no matter what it cost him. w06 10/1 3:1, 2
The morning stars joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause.—Job 38:7.
The angel foremost in power and authority—the chief angel—is named Michael the archangel. (Jude 9) He is none other than Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 4:16) Countless ages ago when Jehovah purposed to be a Creator, the very first of his creations was this angelic Son. (Rev. 3:14) Later, through this firstborn Son, Jehovah created all other spirit creatures, of whom our text for today speaks. (Col. 1:15-17) They came into existence long before humans. “God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace,” states 1 Corinthians 14:33. Accordingly, Jehovah has his spirit sons organized into three basic categories: (1) seraphs, who serve as attendants at God’s throne, declare his holiness, and keep his people spiritually clean; (2) cherubs, who uphold Jehovah’s majesty; and (3) other angels who carry out his will.—Ps. 103:20; Isa. 6:1-3; Ezek. 10:3-5; Dan. 7:10. w07 3/15 1:4, 5
If you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him!—Luke 11:13.
Pray for God’s holy spirit, and allow it to lead you. (Gal. 5:19-25) If you were to persist in sin, God might withdraw his spirit from you. After David sinned in connection with Bath-sheba, he begged God: “Do not throw me away from before your face; and your holy spirit O do not take away from me.” (Ps. 51:11) Because of being an unrepentant sinner, King Saul did lose God’s spirit. Saul sinned by offering up a burnt sacrifice and by sparing the flock, the herd, and the king of the Amalekites. (1 Sam. 13:1-14; 15:1-35; 16:14-23) “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth,” wrote the apostle Paul, “there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left.” (Heb. 10:26-31) How tragic it would be if you were to carry sin to that point! w06 11/15 1:9, 10
This is what love means, that we go on walking according to his commandments.—2 John 6.
Jesus demonstrated perfectly what it means to love God. Love moved him to leave his heavenly home and to dwell on earth as a man. It impelled him to glorify his Father by the things he did and taught. Love moved him to be “obedient as far as death.” (Phil. 2:8) That obedience—an expression of his love—opened the way for faithful ones to have a righteous standing before God. Paul wrote: “Through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] many were constituted sinners, likewise also through the obedience of the one person [Christ Jesus] many will be constituted righteous.” (Rom. 5:19) Like Jesus, we show our love by being obedient to God. Those who truly love Jehovah long for his guidance. Recognizing that they cannot successfully direct their own steps, they trust in God’s wisdom and submit to his loving direction.—Jer. 10:23. w06 12/1 1:9, 10
To the day after the seventh sabbath you should count, fifty days, and you must present a new grain offering to Jehovah.—Lev. 23:16.
When Jehovah spoke to Abraham, He indicated that Abraham’s “seed” would be more than just one person. It would be “like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore.” (Gen. 22:17) The appearance of other members of the “seed” was foreshadowed by the Festival of Weeks. When Jesus was on earth, the Festival of Weeks was known as Pentecost (from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth”). At Pentecost 33 C.E., the greater High Priest, the resurrected Jesus Christ, poured out holy spirit upon the small group of 120 disciples gathered in Jerusalem. Thus those disciples became anointed sons of God and brothers of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:15-17) They became a new nation, “the Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16) From small beginnings, that nation would finally number 144,000.—Rev. 7:1-4. w07 1/1 1:7, 8