Watchtower Study Scriptures March 12-18, 2012

Watchtower Study Scriptures March 12-18, 2012

Learn From `the Framework of Truth'

"You have the framework of the knowledge and of the truth in the Law." Rom. 2:20.

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(Hebrews 2:17) Consequently he was obliged to become like his "brothers" in all respects, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, in order to offer propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people.

(Hebrews 9:11, 12) However, when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come to pass, through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, 12 he entered, no, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time into the holy place and obtained an everlasting deliverance [for us].

(Hebrews 7:22) to that extent also Jesus has become the one given in pledge of a better covenant.

(Hebrews 8:1-5) Now as to the things being discussed this is the main point: We have such a high priest as this, and he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a public servant of the holy place and of the true tent, which Jehovah put up, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If, now, he were upon earth, he would not be a priest, there being [men] who offer the gifts according to the Law, 5 but which [men] are rendering sacred service in a typical representation and a shadow of the heavenly things; just as Moses, when about to make the tent in completion, was given the divine command: For says he: "See that you make all things after [their] pattern that was shown to you in the mountain." ·

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(Romans 2:17-20) If, now, you are a Jew in name and are resting upon law and taking pride in God, 18 and you know his will and approve of things that are excellent because you are orally instructed out of the Law; 19 and you are persuaded that you are a guide of the blind, a light for those in darkness, 20 a corrector of the unreasonable ones, a teacher of babes, and having the framework of the knowledge and of the truth in the Law-- shadows of Jesus' sacrifice

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(Malachi 3:6) "For I am Jehovah; I have not changed. And YOU are sons of Jacob; YOU have not come to YOUR finish.

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(Numbers 19:1-13) And Jehovah proceeded to speak to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 "This is a statute of the law that Jehovah has commanded, saying, `Speak to the sons of Israel that they should take for you a sound red cow in which there is no defect and upon which no yoke has come. 3 And YOU must give it to El·e·azar the priest, and he must lead it forth outside the camp, and it must be slaughtered before him. 4 Then El·e·azar the priest must take some of its blood with his finger and spatter some of its blood straight toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. 5 And the cow must be burned under his eyes. Its skin and its flesh and its blood together with its dung will be burned. 6 And the priest must take cedarwood and hyssop and coccus scarlet material and throw it into the midst of the burning of the cow. 7 And the priest must wash his garments and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he may come into the camp; but the priest must be unclean until the evening. 8 "`And the one who burned it will wash his garments in water and must bathe his flesh in water, and he must be unclean until the evening. 9 "`And a clean man must gather up the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place; and they must serve the assembly of the sons of Israel as something to be kept for the water for cleansing. It is a sin offering. 10 And the one gathering the ashes of the cow must wash his garments and be unclean until the evening. "`And it must serve the sons of Israel and the alien resident who is residing as an alien in their midst as a statute to time indefinite. 11 Anyone touching the corpse of any human soul must also be unclean seven days. 12 Such one should purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. But if he will not purify himself on the third day, then on the seventh day he will not be clean. 13 Everyone touching a corpse, the soul of whatever man may die, and who will not purify himself, has defiled Jehovah's tabernacle, and that soul must be cut off from Israel. Because the water for cleansing has not been sprinkled upon him, he continues unclean. His uncleanness is still upon him.

(Leviticus 12:1-8) And Jehovah went on to speak to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, `In case a woman conceives seed and does bear a male, she must be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity when she is menstruating she will be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin will be circumcised. 4 For thirty-three days more she will stay in the blood of purification. She should not touch any holy thing, and she should not come into the holy place until the fulfilling of the days of her purification. 5 "`Now if she should bear a female, she must then be unclean fourteen days, as during her menstruation. For sixty-six days more she will stay with the blood of purification. 6 Then at the fulfilling of the days of her purification for a son or for a daughter she will bring a young ram in its first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering to the entrance of the tent of meeting to the priest. 7 And he must present it before Jehovah and make atonement for her, and she must be clean from the source of her blood. This is the law about her who bears either a male or a female. 8 But if she cannot afford enough for a sheep, she must then take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering, and the priest must make atonement for her, and she must be clean.'"

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(Hebrews 10:1-10) For since the Law has a shadow of the good things to come, but not the very substance of the things, [men] can never with the same sacrifices from year to year which they offer continually make those who approach perfect. 2 Otherwise, would the [sacrifices] not have stopped being offered, because those rendering sacred service who had been cleansed once for all time would have no consciousness of sins anymore? 3 To the contrary, by these sacrifices there is a reminding of sins from year to year, 4 for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away. 5 Hence 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 [offering].' 7 Then I said, `Look! I am come (in the roll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God.'" 8 After first saying: "You did not want nor did you approve of sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin [offering]"--[sacrifices] that are offered according to the Law-- 9 then he actually says: "Look! I am come to do your will." He does away with what is first that he may establish what is second. 10 By the said "will" we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. the spirit behind the sacrifice

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(Leviticus 22:20-22) Anything in which there is a defect YOU must not present, because it will not serve to gain approval for YOU. 21 "`And in case a man should present a communion sacrifice to Jehovah in order to pay a vow or as a voluntary offering, it should prove to be a sound one among the herd or the flock, in order to gain approval. No defect at all should prove to be in it. 22 No case of blindness or fracture or having a cut or wart or scabbiness or ringworm, none of these must YOU present to Jehovah, and no offering made by fire from them must YOU put upon the altar for Jehovah.

(Numbers 18:12, 29) "All the best of the oil and all the best of the new wine and the grain, their first fruits, which they will give to Jehovah, I have given them to you. 29 From all the gifts to YOU, YOU will contribute every sort of contribution to Jehovah, of the very best of it, as some holy thing from them.'

(1 Peter 1:18, 19) For YOU know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that YOU were delivered from YOUR fruitless form of conduct received by tradition from YOUR forefathers. 19 But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, even Christ's.

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(Malachi 1:6-8, 13) "`A son, for his part, honours a father; and a servant, his grand master. So if I am a father, where is the honour to me? And if I am a grand master, where is the fear of me?' Jehovah of armies has said to YOU, O priests who are despising my name. "`And YOU have said: "In what way have we despised your name?"' 7 "`[By] presenting upon my altar polluted bread.' "`And YOU have said: "In what way have we polluted you?"' "`By YOUR saying: "The table of Jehovah is something to be despised." 8 And when YOU present a blind [animal] for sacrificing: "It is nothing bad." And when YOU present a lame [animal] or a sick one: "It is nothing bad."'" "Bring it near, please, to your governor. Will he find pleasure in you, or will he receive you kindly?" Jehovah of armies has said. 13 And YOU have said, `Look! What a weariness!' and YOU have caused a sniffing at it," Jehovah of armies has said. "And YOU have brought something torn away, and the lame one, and the sick one; yes, YOU have brought [it] as a gift. Can I take pleasure in it at YOUR hand?" Jehovah has said.

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Through him let us always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name. 16 Moreover, do not forget the doing of good and the sharing of things with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

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(Leviticus 4:27, 28) "`And if any soul of the people of the land sins unintentionally by his doing one of the things that Jehovah commands should not be done and he does become guilty, 28 or his sin that he has committed has been made known to him, then he must bring as his offering a female kid of the goats, a sound one, for his sin that he has committed.

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(Matthew 5:23, 24) "If, then, you are bringing your gift to the altar and you there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away; first make your peace with your brother, and then, when you have come back, offer up your gift.

(James 5:14, 15) Is there anyone sick among YOU? Let him call the older men of the congregation to [him], and let them pray over him, greasing [him] with oil in the name of Jehovah. 15 And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him. ·

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(Leviticus 3:1) "`And if his offering is a communion sacrifice, if he is presenting it from the herd, whether a male or a female, a sound one is what he will present before Jehovah.

(Leviticus 7:31-33) And the priest must make the fat smoke upon the altar, but the breast must become Aaron's and his sons'. 32 "`And YOU will give the right leg as a sacred portion to the priest from YOUR communion sacrifices. 33 That one of Aaron's sons who presents the blood of the communion sacrifices and the fat, the right leg will become his as a portion.

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(1 Samuel 15:2, 3, 21) This is what Jehovah of armies has said, `I must call to account what Ama·lek did to Israel when he set himself against him in the way while he was coming up out of Egypt. 3 Now go, and you must strike down Ama·lek and devote him to destruction with all that he has, and you must not have compassion upon him, and you must put them to death, man as well as woman, child as well as suckling, bull as well as sheep, camel as well as ass.'" 21 And the people went taking from the spoil sheep and cattle, the choicest of them as something devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal."

(1 Samuel 15:22, 23) In turn Samuel said: "Does Jehovah have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look! To obey is better than a sacrifice, to pay attention than the fat of rams; 23 for rebelliousness is the same as the sin of divination, and pushing ahead presumptuously the same as [using] uncanny power and teraphim. Since you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he accordingly rejects you from being king."

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(Isaiah 1:11-16) "Of what benefit to me is the multitude of YOUR sacrifices?" says Jehovah. "I have had enough of whole burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed animals; and in the blood of young bulls and male lambs and he-goats I have taken no delight. 12 When YOU people keep coming in to see my face, who is it that has required this from YOUR hand, to trample my courtyards? 13 Stop bringing in any more valueless grain offerings. Incense--it is something detestable to me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of a convention--I cannot put up with the [use of] uncanny power along with the solemn assembly. 14 YOUR new moons and YOUR festal seasons my soul has hated. To me they have become a burden; I have become tired of bearing [them]. 15 And when YOU spread out YOUR palms, I hide my eyes from YOU. Even though YOU make many prayers, I am not listening; with bloodshed YOUR very hands have become filled. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the badness of YOUR dealings from in front of my eyes; cease to do bad. ·

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(Galatians 3:19) Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest, until the seed should arrive to whom the promise had been made; and it was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator.

(Psalm 51:17, 19) The sacrifices to God are a broken spirit; A heart broken and crushed, O God, you will not despise. 19 In that case you will be delighted with sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt sacrifice and whole offering; In that case bulls will be offered up on your very own altar. exercise faith in jesus' sacrifice!

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(Hebrews 10:1) For since the Law has a shadow of the good things to come, but not the very substance of the things, [men] can never with the same sacrifices from year to year which they offer continually make those who approach perfect.

(Galatians 3:13) Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: "Accursed is every man hanged upon a stake."

(Hebrews 9:9, 14) This very [tent] is an illustration for the appointed time that is now here, and in keeping with it both gifts and sacrifices are offered. However, these are not able to make the [man] doing sacred service perfect as respects his conscience, 14 how much more will the blood of the Christ, who through an everlasting spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works that we may render sacred service to [the] living God?

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(Galatians 3:24) Consequently the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith.

(James 2:26) Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

(Romans 2:21-23) do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching "Do not steal," do you steal? 22 You, the one saying "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You, the one expressing abhorrence of the idols, do you rob temples? 23 You, who take pride in law, do you by your transgressing of the Law dishonor God?

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Song 13 to Conclude