Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 2551 to 2575 of 4942 results

2551. Bildad's Second Speech to Job

Job 18:1-21

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

Opening Criticism Bildad’s speech clearly falls into two major segments: the opening response caustically directed to Job (18:1–4); and a longer wisdom rumination or admonition concerning the ultimate destruction of the wicked (18:5–21). The commentators variously divide the latter section into subsections, but in my opinion no particular division is more persuasive than another. The discussions of Clines, Job 1–20, pp. 407–8, and Whybray, Job, pp. 89–91, however, are particularly helpful. 18:1 The heat of ...

2552. The Escape to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-18

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

2:13–15 As soon as the Magi left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. This is the third time thus far in the Gospel that God communicates by means of a dream (in 1:20, to encourage Joseph to go ahead and take Mary as his wife; in 2:12, to warn the Magi to return to their country by a different route). On two subsequent occasions in chapter 2 Joseph will be instructed by means of a dream (vv. 19, 22). In the ancient world people attached great importance to dreams. The dream was viewed as a ...

2553. The Baptism of Jesus

Matthew 3:13-17

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

John the Baptist: At the close of chapter 2, Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus returned from Egypt and took up residence in the Galilean town of Nazareth. The time would have been shortly after the death of Herod in 4 B.C. Chapter 3 begins with the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist some twenty-five to thirty years later. What had been going on in the life of Jesus during this time? Except for one incident, the Gospels remain silent. They were never intended to be taken as biographies. The only thing ...

2554. The King’s Thanksgiving for Military Victories

Psalm 18:1-50

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 18, which is also recorded with some variations in 2 Samuel 22, is a royal psalm, but relatively little of its language is the distinct prerogative of the king (only vv. 43–44 and 50). Many of its phrases are shared by Psalm 144, another royal psalm, and both psalms reveal a composite structure. Psalm 18 is an unusually long psalm, even among the royal psalms (see the comments on Ps. 89), probably because of its composite nature. Verses 1–6 and 16–19 read like a thanksgiving (Hb. tôdâ) of an ...

2555. My Shepherd and My Host

Psalm 23:1-6

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

23:1–6 Psalm 23 is a favorite for many, largely because it unveils an intensely intimate relationship with the Lord wherein he provides protection and providence. Yet, as familiar as this psalm is, there is more than first appears. It is not a tranquil psalm, as many assume. We must observe its intent: it affirms what the Lord provides; it does not pretend to report on worshipers’ circumstances (note the LORD is the grammatical subject). What he provides is peaceable, but the echoes we get of what life may ...

2556. To Be Spared from the Lord’s Judgment on the Wicked

Psalm 28:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

If we attempt to explain this psalm’s development on purely literary grounds, we will be frustrated because psalms were also governed by liturgical and ritual considerations. Otherwise, how do we explain the following features? (a) The psalm shifts between addressing Yahweh directly (vv. 1–4, 9) and referring to him in the third person (vv. 5–8). (b) Without explanation, the speaker shifts from praying, “Hear my cry for mercy” (v. 2), to asserting, “he has heard my cry for mercy” (v. 6). (c) In verses 1–4 ...

2557. The Trustworthy Lord Over Nature, Nations, and Armies

Psalm 33:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 33 is a hymn wherein a liturgist summons the congregation (v. 1) and the musicians (vv. 2–3) to perform their praise of God. The congregation is designated as the “righteous” and “upright,” that is, those admitted through the temple entry liturgy (see on Pss. 15 and 24). The chief quality sought in this liturgy is not moral blamelessness but loyalty to Yahweh (in 24:3–6 “righteousness” is received, not presupposed). The promise of deliverance from death and famine (v. 19), along with the mention of ...

2558. Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

7:7–11 Earlier in the sermon (6:5–15) Matthew brought together a portion of Jesus’ teaching on the subject of prayer. Now he expands it by stressing how important it is for believers to be persistent in prayer. The present imperatives, “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking” (Williams) indicate that prayer is not a semi-passive ritual in which we occasionally share our concerns with God. In Luke, the narrative is immediately preceded by the story of the man awakened from sleep at ...

2559. When I Am Afraid, I Trust in God

Psalm 56:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 56 is one of the many prayer psalms of the individual that laments enemies who are attacking. As is typical, no specifics are offered on the identity of the enemies or the speaker. The opponents are described as lurkers (NIV “slanderers,” Hb. šôrēr) who hound (NIV “hotly pursue”), and press their attack (vv. 1–2). They conspire, hide (NIV “lurk,” Hb. ṣpn) and watch the speaker’s steps (vv. 5–6). While these enemies are depicted as social prowlers hiding in secret, mention is also made of peoples (Hb ...

2560. Defeat in Battle with Edom

Psalm 60:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This psalm concerns an impending attack against Edom (v. 9) and comes out of the background of a recent, devastating battle defeat (vv. 1–4, 10). The divine oracle (vv. 6–8), which is either a citation of an earlier prophecy or a newly delivered one, presupposes a united monarchy, where Ephraim and Judah are part of the same kingdom. Though not apparent initially, the historical superscription can be fitted with the OT’s historical narratives. David did defeat Philistia (v. 8; cf. 2 Sam. 8:1), Moab (v. 8; ...

2561. Intercession for the King to Bring Prosperity to the Land and Justice to the Needy

Psalm 72:1-20

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

72:1–20 Psalm 72 is a royal psalm, used on behalf of the preexilic Davidic kings of Israel/Judah. The opening parallelism of the king and the royal son particularly fits the official coronation of the crown-prince designate, but this may be pushing poetic parallelism too far. The elevated court language is consistent with what we see in other ancient Near Eastern texts. This should not surprise us. By its own admission, the OT is clear that kingship was a foreign import (1 Sam. 8:5). It was an expedient ...

2562. The Destruction of the Temple and the Eruption of Chaos

Psalm 74:1-23

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

The Destruction of the Temple and the Eruption of Chaos With the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah in 587 B.C., the people of God experienced not only a national crisis but also a religious one. They lost three tangible symbols that marked them as the people of God: the land, the Davidic king, and the temple. This psalm laments the temple’s destruction, and it takes on the seemingly impossible task of appealing to the God who has apparently rejected the temple’s “congregation” (Hb. ʿēdâ, not ...

2563. The God of Zion Breaks the Weapons of War

Psalm 76:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This is another of the Songs of Zion (see the Introduction and the comments on Ps. 46), which celebrate Yahweh’s dramatic protection of the temple and its sacred mountain from foreign invasion. Yahweh’s deliverance of Jerusalem from Assyrian invasion in 701 B.C. may be a case in point (Isa. 36–37). 76:1–3 The psalm begins with Judah’s special knowledge of Yahweh. His name, or self-revelation, is great in Israel. The terms chosen to designate Yahweh’s dwelling in Zion point to the antiquity of the tradition ...

2564.

Psalm 77:1-20

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Has God Forgotten to Be Merciful? Nothing like the silence of God in the face of distress brings the sinking feeling of despair. The Bible does not offer a prepackaged answer to this problem, but—remarkably—the divine word is a humane word, and so comes alongside to help. It offers not only God’s words to us but also words that we may bring to God—even when he does not seem to be listening. Psalm 77 gives no hint as to what may have been its immediate occasion. It simply refers to distress (v. 2). It soon ...

2565. The Vinedresser and the Plundered Vine of Israel

Psalm 80:1-19

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

The occasion underlying this corporate prayer psalm appears to be one of extreme national distress: passers-by ravage as they please, burning and destroying (vv. 12–13, 16). The people experience sorrow and strife (vv. 5–6). The question “How long?” implies that this tragedy has persisted for some time. As with most psalms, historical details are omitted so the psalm can be used for any similar national emergency (see the Additional Note). This psalm, besides exhibiting the normal structure of the prayer ...

2566. A Hymn of Yahweh’s Kingship, an Oracle of David’s Kingship, and a Lament over David’s Defeat

Psalm 89:1-52

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

A Hymn of Yahweh’s Kingship, an Oracle of David’s Kingship, and a Lament over David’s Defeat Psalm 89, in its final form, is a royal prayer psalm. It has three distinct sections: a hymn celebrating Yahweh’s right to cosmic kingship (vv. 1–18); a prophetic oracle outlining the Davidic covenant (vv. 19–37); and a lament over the king’s battle defeat (vv. 38–51). The last verse is a doxology for Book III of the Psalter (note that each Book closes with a doxology) and not, therefore, a constituent part. The ...

2567. A Thank Offering for Deliverance from Death

Psalm 116:1-19

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving psalm that celebrates deliverance from near-death distress (cf. esp. Ps. 30). It consists of a proclamation of praise and an introductory summary (vv. 1–2), as well as recollections of the distress (v. 3), of the cry to God (v. 4), and of Yahweh’s deliverance (vv. 8–11). Contained in this report is hymnic praise (vv. 5–6; so cf. 30:4–5, which also “interrupts” a report of deliverance) that confesses a general principle of praise exemplified in this testimony. The closing section ...

2568. Just Justice for the Violent and for the Needy

Psalm 140:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Just Justice for the Violent and for the Needy Psalm 140 is another prayer psalm about personal enemies. They are described in the familiar categories of “the righteous” (v. 13) and “the wicked” (vv. 4, 8). These “men of violence” (vv. 1, 4, 11) are further described by moral adjectives such as “evil” (v. 1, and so they “devise evil”) and “proud” (v. 5) and by a variety of images. They are warlike (vv. 2, 7) and are compared to hunters (v. 5) and “their tongues” to “a serpent’s” (v. 3). The Hebrew ...

2569. Jesus at the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

21:12–13 The temple in Jerusalem consisted of an inner sanctuary (called the naos) surrounded by a series of courtyards. In descending order they were the Court of the Priests, Israelites, Women, and Gentiles. The entire temple area was designated as the hieron. It was in the outer court that the temple authorities arranged booths (called the Bazaars of Annas and belonging to the family of the high priest) to provide animals approved for sacrifice and to exchange foreign currency for coins acceptable for ...

2570. The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Great Commandment: The parable of the wedding feast (vv. 1–14) is regularly considered to be an allegorical revision of an earlier more straightforward parable told by Jesus. Fenton lists as allegorical elements that strike the reader as strange and unnatural the killing of those who brought the invitation (v. 6), the destruction of the guests (v. 7), and the burning of a city while a meal is waiting to be served (v. 7). These are “no doubt additions, made by the Church or the Evangelist” (p. 347). ...

2571. The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Mark 1:9-13

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

1:9–13 In this passage Jesus appears for the first time in the narrative, and the direct relevance of the introduction of John the Baptist earlier in the story becomes clear, for here Jesus is baptized by John. This of course means that Mark’s narrative not only associates John with Jesus as an endorser of Jesus but also associates Jesus with John as one who accepted John’s message and obeyed his call to be baptized. A relationship between Jesus and the Baptist is attested in all four Gospels, but in the ...

2572. The Calling of Levi

Mark 2:13-17

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

2:13–17 Mark introduces a second example of conflict, in this section devoted to conflict stories, by means of this story of Jesus’ call of a tax collector and Jesus’ social association with such people. There are two incidents mentioned here, the call of Levi (vv. 13–14) and the eating with “sinners” (or outcasts; vv. 15–16), and the connection between them is that they both show Jesus associating closely with people deemed unacceptable by the religious purists of his day. In the one case, a tax collector ...

2573. A Prophet Without Honor

Mark 6:1-6

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

6:1–6a Although it is not explicitly stated that this episode took place in Nazareth, the description of the setting as his hometown (6:1, or “his home area”), plus the mention of his family as living there (6:3), make it virtually certain that Nazareth is the intended location. But this story is not just the account of the rejection of Jesus in his hometown, it is also a symbol and portent of his rejection in Jerusalem by the leaders of the Jewish people. As noted earlier, this episode can be seen as ...

2574. Peter's Confession of Christ

Mark 8:27-30

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

8:27–30 This passage should really be read in connection with the following passage (8:31–9:1), which is given a separate heading in the NIV. Together, the two sections give us an open acclamation of Jesus as Messiah, and the first of three predictions of Jesus’ death, which triggers the rebuke of Peter, revealing that his acclamation of Jesus was not based on a full understanding of Jesus’ purpose and activity. The answers given to Jesus’ first question remind us of the list of the same opinions given in ...

2575. The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit

Mark 9:14-32

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

9:14–29 Perhaps the first thing to ask about this story is why it is placed here in Mark’s narrative. The answer to this question lies in the observation made earlier that virtually the whole of 8:27–10:52 is concerned with the two themes of the coming suffering of Jesus and the nature of discipleship. This is why the disciples are so prominent in the story; they are arguing with scribes in 9:14–15, are pictured as unable to cope with the demon-possessed boy in 9:18, and are instructed as to the cause of ...

Showing results