Daily text, Sunday, February 26 . 2017

[Queen Esther]

           Learn From Jehovah’s Loyal Servants...

Ruthless men seek my life.—Ps. 54:3.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2017/2/26

Abner supported Saul’s efforts to kill David, even though Abner knew that God had chosen David to rule as king of Israel. (1 Sam. 26:1-5) After Saul’s death, Abner could have shown humility and proved his loyalty to God by supporting David, not Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. Later, when Abner had relations with King Saul’s concubine, he may have been seeking the throne for himself. (2 Sam. 2:8-10; 3:6-11) Similarly, lack of humility prevented David’s son Absalom from being loyal to God. Why, “Absalom acquired for himself a chariot and horses and 50 men to run before him”! (2 Sam. 15:1) He also stole the people’s loyalty. Like Abner, Absalom sought to kill David, even though he knew that Jehovah had appointed David as Israel’s king. (2 Sam. 15:13, 14; 17:1-4) The examples of Abner and Absalom make it clear that inordinate ambition can easily cause a person to become disloyal to God. Surely, no faithful servant of Jehovah would pursue such a selfish and wicked course. w16.02 4:9-11