Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: thirstiness, dryness, parched, craving, strong desire, longing, yearning, avidity, hunger, voracity, keenness, eagerness, lust, appetite, passion, love, crave, want, covet, desire, hunger for/after, lust for/after, hanker for/after, have one's heart set on

Antonyms: aversion, distaste, apathy, dislike, hatred, antipathy, disgust, disregard, abhorrence, acrimony, wet, animosity, animus, antagonism, bad feeling, bitterness, be averse to, detestation

Showing 2526 to 2550 of 5000 results

2526. A Prophecy Against Babylon

Isaiah 13:1--14:23

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... up-to-date. What we can say is that the prophecies describe an arc that spans Yahweh’s purpose at work in the world as a whole, over at least two centuries. The prophecies enable us to understand Yahweh’s way of working in Israel’s world over a long period, and thus in ours. 13:1 Babylon here appears in Isaiah for the first time; it is the subject through 14:23. Its prominence in chapters 13–23 may reflect two facts. In Isaiah’s day, Babylon was significant as a powerful city that was inclined to ...

2527. The Helper of Israel

Isaiah 41:1-29

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... that Babylon’s own day would come. Indeed, 13:17–22 has already announced the fall of Babylon to—the Medes. So Yahweh has ample grounds for claiming that the rise of Cyrus fits easily within the pattern of actions undertaken and words spoken over a long period (v. 27). The Babylonian gods and their prophets can make no such claim, so verses 28–29 reiterate the conclusion in verse 24. Additional Notes 41:2a The line reads literally “Who stirred up from the east tsedeq [he] calls him to his/its feet ...

2528. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... accident that rape came to be used as a metaphor for the fall of a city. Rape has followed war throughout history, for as long as humans have taken up weapons against one another. The Bible is certainly not lacking in evidence for this brutality (see, e.g., Isa ... odd to us, but its imagery would have been familiar to Ezekiel’s audience. First, A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors (v. 3) snatches the topmost shoot from a cedar of Lebanon, carrying this plant off ...

2529. Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia

Ezekiel 25:1-7, Ezekiel 25:8-11, Ezekiel 25:12-14, Ezekiel 25:15-17

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... (see, e.g., Ps. 137:7; Lam. 4:21–22, and the entire short book of Obadiah). However, we need not date Ezekiel’s oracle against Edom to that time. As we saw in the oracle against Ammon, Ezekiel’s oracles against the nations address long-simmering resentments between Judah and its neighbors. The intense rivalry between Judah and Edom had deep roots; the exact historical event to which Edom’s vengeance refers in verse 12 remains unknown (but see 35:1–15). As with Ammon, the punishment God meted out ...

2530. The Law of the Temple

Ezekiel 43:13-27, Ezekiel 44:1-31, Ezekiel 45:1-12, Ezekiel 45:13--46:24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... with the tabernacle (Exod. 35:30–33; 38:1–2). Ezekiel 43:13–17 says nothing of the materials used for the altar, however 9:2 calls the altar before the temple “the bronze altar.” Further, the dimensions do not quite match: even if we use long cubits, that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth (v. 13), the altar Chronicles describes is somewhat larger in breadth and length than the one in Ezekiel 43 (though both are said to be square). In short, verses 13–17 may indeed be an old description of ...

2531. Jesus Defines Himself as Lord in Contrast to the Leaders of Israel

Mark 12:41-44, Mark 12:35-40

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... the heart Parable: There once was a rich man who gave his wife expensive and wonderful gifts. She never lacked for any material possession, as her husband provided all she ever wanted—except his time, energy, and focus. In order to gain and maintain his riches, the man worked long hours, and even when he was home, his focus was not on his wife but rather on work and his own pleasure. Contrast this picture with that of a poor man who lived in the same town. He was not able to give his wife much in the way ...

2532. Power over Illness and Death

Luke 7:11-17, Luke 7:1-10

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... had to rush him to the hospital. While there, he directly asked him if he had confessed his sins and asked Christ for forgiveness. Hesitatingly, his father said, “No,” and after a long pause he added, “But I think it’s about time I did.” Alcorn, shocked, led his father in a prayer of confession, read Scripture to him, and told him how long he had prayed for him. “The prayers of so many—beginning with my mother and me twenty-two years earlier—had finally come to fruition. To have prayed so ...

2533. Challenge and Counterchallenge

Luke 20:9-19, Luke 20:1-8

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... there is also a poignant echo of Abraham’s intended sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:2). 20:14 the inheritance will be ours. It is most unlikely that in reality the murder of the owner’s son would allow the tenants to take possession as long as the owner himself was still alive (as indeed the sequel in 20:16 makes clear). But a parable does not have to reflect real life, and the tenants’ scheme prompts the reader to recognize that the confrontation in Jerusalem represents the climactic showdown between ...

2534. Two Testing Questions

Luke 20:27-40, Luke 20:20-26

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see . . . that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.” We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. . . . But we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those ...

2535. Jesus Takes the Initiative

Luke 21:5-38, Luke 21:1-4, Luke 20:41-47

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “The times of the Gentiles” is not known as a phrase with a distinct meaning at the time. To speak of “times fulfilled” suggests a divine control of history, and so in context the phrase seems to mean “for as long as God permits the Gentiles to have the upper hand.” No specific cutoff point for the period of Gentile dominance is stated. 21:25–26 There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. Nothing in the text indicates a change either of time or of ...

2536. Paul Reinterprets the Story of Israel

Romans 2:17-29

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C. Marvin Pate

... Historical and Cultural Background 1. Circumcision was instituted by God as the sign of his covenant with Israel, beginning in Genesis 17:9–14 and continuing throughout the Old Testament and beyond. 2. “Circumcision of the heart” is a phrase used in the Old Testament to express the longing that one day Israel will obey God from the heart; that is, they will inscribe the commandments on stone into their life (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:25–26; Ezek. 44:9; see also 1QpHab 11.13; 1QS 5.5; Jub. 1.23 ...

2537. The Spirit and the Glory of the Age to Come and the New Covenant

Romans 8:28-39, Romans 8:18-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... in Paul’s apostolic hardship lists in 2 Corinthians 11:26–27; 12:10. These afflictions may be general trials, but more probably they refer to the messianic woes of the end time (see the sidebar).3 8:36 “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Paul cites Psalm 44:22 (43:23 LXX), from a passage that laments the suffering of the righteous. In similar fashion, the apostle wants his readers to know that suffering for Christ is to be expected (cf. Rom ...

2538. Worship and Proper Attire

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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Preben Vang

... the Corinthians to send a message of religious pluralism to visitors. Paul likely has heavenly beings in mind, however. From the perspective of worship and testimony, Paul’s reference to angels may reflect the same thinking that is behind Peter’s statement about angels longing to know the gospel (1 Pet. 1:12). Such positive participation of angels in worship fits well with Jesus’s own statement about angels rejoicing when sinners repent (Luke 15:7, 10; cf. Heb. 1:6; 12:22–23). 11:13–16 Judge ...

2539. Resurrection and Transformation (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... just as legally bound as they will be on their fiftieth wedding anniversary; in God’s eyes they are one flesh in every way. On the other hand, knowing what this new reality means and having any idea how to live into it fully are still a long way off. That part takes a lifetime to figure out and unpack. In the same way, the moment a person receives the gospel by faith, he or she is declared perfectly righteous in Christ Jesus, eternally accepted as his son or daughter by adoption through faith in Christ ...

2540. The Fifth Trumpet (First Woe)

Revelation 8:6--9:21

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J. Scott Duvall

... reflects the character of God as both loving and holy, compassionate and righteous, and serves as a warning to believers not to be deceived by idolatry (cf. texts that summarize the gospel such as John 3:16–21 and Rom. 6:23). 1. God is patient and long-suffering, desiring all people to repent and find life. Craig Keener reminds us that “the death of one-third of the world is judgment, but it is also mercy.”5We see God’s patience in the progressive nature of the judgments (e.g., from a fourth in ...

2541. The Seventh Trumpet (Third Woe)

Revelation 11:15-19

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J. Scott Duvall

... the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” As the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, we hear loud angelic voices in heaven declaring the arrival of the eternal reign of God and his Christ. The long-awaited messianic kingdom has arrived as God and his Messiah have now become king of the whole earth (cf. Isa. 9:7; 52:7; Dan. 2:44; Zech. 14:9). The singular references in “the kingdom” and “he will reign” point to the unity of Father and Son ...

2542. The Beast from the Earth (The False Prophet)

Revelation 13:11-18

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... is amazing how we can unconsciously adjust to our environment. False worship and religious propaganda are dire threats to our faith. Quote: The Knowledge of the Holy, by A. W. Tozer… Perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear. The long career of Israel demonstrates this clearly enough, and the history of the Church confirms it. So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and her moral standards ...

2543. Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

Revelation 15:1-8

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... and loses its power or turns outward and loses its focus. Worship that is God-centered allows us to celebrate aspects of his character that are too often ignored, such as his faithfulness to judge evil and bring justice for his people. Just as believers cry “How long, O Lord?” when they suffer at the hands of ungodly people and evil systems (6:9–11), so they celebrate and worship when God makes things right. The forces of darkness don’t deserve to win. And they won’t win. They won’t get away ...

2544. The Conclusion

Revelation 22:7-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... , display some of the details of this majestic work.)11 There is no substitute for obedience. Bible: One of the most tragic, grief-filled chapters in the Bible comes in 1 Samuel 15. King Saul has been instructed to lead Israel against Amalek, fulfilling doom God had destined long before. Samuel, God’s prophet, had told Saul to do one simple thing: destroy it all. But Saul found that too hard to do. It was easy to muster an army. It was easy to go into battle. It was easy to triumph. But it was hard for ...

2545. The Choice: Obedience or Punishment

Lev 26:1-46

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... Jesus, but to trust and obey. God’s mercy is greater than our sin. Object Lesson: Using a tape measure or a one-minute sand timer, illustrate the concept of finite distance or time. As humans, we think in terms of “this far and no farther” or “this long and time runs out.” Those limitations often influence our understanding of God. We can come to believe that God can extend mercy only to someone who has gone “this far” from him. We mistakenly believe that God will be patient only for “this ...

2546. Zophar’s Final Words for Job

Job 20:1-29

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Daniel J. Estes

... s judgment as a “bronze-tipped arrow” (20:24), he alludes to one of the primary weapons of the ancient warrior. For hand-to-hand combat, the sword and dagger were used, and at the medium range the spear was the first choice. But to make a long-range impact, the warrior would employ a bow and arrows (see Ps. 127:4–5 for a metaphorical use of this image to speak of the effect a father can have through his children).1A weapon made of bronze would be especially lethal. Although Zophar speaks specifically ...

2547. “When I Awake, I Will Be Satisfied with Seeing Your Likeness”

Psalm 17:1-15

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C. Hassell Bullock

... but God issues his facsimiles of grace in every age, based on his self-revelation in the wonderful deeds of salvation history. Based on this and many other psalms, it falls within the bounds of permissibility to review one’s moral demeanor before God, so long as one acknowledges oneself, in the final analysis, to be ultimately the product of God’s covenant grace. Illustrating the Text When wrongly accused, look to the Lord for vindication. News Story: Just after 1 a.m. on July 27, 1996, a bomb exploded ...

2548. “Trust in the Lord and Do Good”

Psalm 37:1-40

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... the tone for the psalm, admonishing the reader not to be angry or anxious about evildoers and their prosperity. 37:2 for like the grass they will soon wither. This is the first solution to the problem of evildoers that the psalmist introduces—they will not last long. 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. The first part of this verse is really the alternative program that the psalm puts forward (see Prov. 3:5). The image of dwelling in the land is a metaphor ...

2549. “Ride Forth Victoriously in the Cause of Truth, Humility and Justice”

Psalm 45:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... itself a superlative way to say it—and whose kingdom is ruled by a “scepter of justice” (45:6). Indeed, this King is the same monarch Isaiah sees in the coming kingdom of God (Isa. 9:6–7), for whom the whole world longs, but they do not long as deeply to receive as God longs to give. Teaching the Text We might call the Old Testament a “glimpse book,” giving us glimpses of the future of God’s kingdom and its leaders. Psalm 45 is a chapter in that book, a picture view of the ideal king, snapped ...

2550. “Why Do You Boast of Evil, You Mighty Hero?”

Psalm 52:1-9

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... holēn tēn hēmeran). Evidently the Septuagint translator read the Hebrew hesed (“unfailing love”) as hamas (“violence”).2 52:2 your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. The RSV makes the last phrase of verse 1, “all day long,” the beginning of this verse, although it makes sense where it stands in 52:1 if we understand the sentence as suggested above. The word “destruction” appears again in verse 7 (see the comments on 52:6–7, below). Like a “sharpened razor ...

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