Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2601 to 2625 of 5000 results

Hosea 8:1-14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... me they cry; ‘My God, we, Israel, know you’!” Each individual claims that his or her relationship with Yahweh is still an intimate one of knowledge and obedience. But Yahweh knows better. Israel has rejected the good, verse 3. That which is good, according to the Bible, is God (cf. Mark 10:18 and parallels). He is the possessor and source of all goodness (e.g., cf. Ps. 16:2; 25:8; 34:8; 73:28, etc.). No one can be good apart from God, and to do God’s will is to do the good. Indeed, no one can have ...

2602. A Call to Repentance

Joel 1:13-20

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... , walk according to God’s will, and love, serve, and praise God with all our hearts and minds and strength and will (Deut. 10:12–21; Mark 12:28–34; Rom.12:1–2). Sin, then, is rejecting that relationship and following our own ways and wills. Sin is refusing to let God ... –32). It also tells us that we face a final judgment of our ways in the day of the Lord. Both Jesus and Paul refer to that day (Mark 13 and parallels; Matt. 25:31–46; Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:8; 3:13; 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16 ...

2603. The Nations Judged

Joel 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... semitism is finally the attempt to be our own gods and goddesses. But the promise of Genesis 12:3 is finally focused for us in that decisive descendant of Abraham, Jesus of Nazareth, and we now will live or die eternally according to how we react to him (Mark 9:37 and parallels; John 13:20; Matt. 25:31–46). God will level three charges against the nations in this court case against them. First, they will be accused of scattering Israel among the nations in the exiles of 721, 597, 587, and 582 BC. When the ...

2604. Jonah Flees from the Lord

Jonah 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... sailors have already prayed to their various gods with no saving result. Perhaps the unknown God of Jonah will hear and keep them all from perishing. The captain hopes to locate at least one god who has power to say to the storm “Peace, be still!” (cf. Mark 4:39 RSV) and thus rescue them all from perishing. But of course the captain does not know that Jonah, in his disobedience, has turned his back on God. Jonah cannot abruptly shift and pray to Yahweh when he finds himself in a jam—a caution to every ...

2605. Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Micah 1:1-7

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... 12:26–28; 1 Cor. 1:18, 24; 2 Cor. 5:17). The prophetic preaching was therefore an instrument of the working of God in nature (cf. Mark 11:12–14, 20–21) and in history. The word came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah is a common name in the OT and is attached ... . The prophets and psalmists of the OT knew the awfulness of God’s holy presence and influence upon the cosmos (cf. Mark 13 and parallels). When the sovereign of the universe comes, it changes the world. Why is Yahweh coming? Verse 5a–b supplies ...

2606. Man's Plans and God's

Micah 2:1-5

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... why such judgment on Jerusalem is necessary. 2:1–3 Most commentators join this short woe oracle to the taunt song and pronouncement of judgment in 2:4–5, because both concern the Judeans’ loss of their land. But the opening phrase of verse 4, “in that day,” usually marks the beginning of an oracle, and while 1:10–16 reflects the situation of 701 BC, and 2:1–3 possibly comes from the same time, 2:4–5 probably refers to the fall of Jerusalem. To be sure, the whole of 2:1–5 could be directed ...

2607. Deliverance Promised

Micah 2:12-13

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... one of the oldest images for God in the Bible (cf. Ps. 80:1). It is found repeatedly in the Psalms (23:1; 28:9; 78:52) and in the writings of the prophets (Isa. 40:11; Jer. 23:3), and it is then applied to Christ in the NT (Mark 6:34 and parallel; 14:27 and parallel; John 10:11–17; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; Rev. 7:17). While the figure embodies the thought of tenderness and care (cf. Isa. 40:11), it also serves as a royal image (cf. Ezek. 34:23). Kings ...

2608. Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Micah 3:1-12

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... with the power of God, like an empty container filled to the brim. (Cf. Jeremiah, who is filled with the wrath of God, Jer. 6:11, and with indignation, 15:17.) The Hebrew weʾûlām ʾānōkî, “but I,” at the beginning of verse 8 is intended to mark the strongest kind of contrast. Micah has been given power by God (cf. Eph. 3:7) to perform his prophetic function; he has been given the divine word, which in its force can be like a hammer shattering rocks (Jer. 23:29) or like a burning fire (Jer. 20:9 ...

2609. Deliverance and Destruction

Micah 5:5-15

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... them, but on its God, whose hands held the future. Diviners are included in that list of persons in Deuteronomy 18:9–14 whom Israel is to shun (cf. Ezek. 13:6). The images, stone pillars, and Asherah poles that Micah 5:13–14 marks for God’s destruction were all used in foreign and specifically Canaanite cult practices. Contrary to our usual understanding, it was not believed by the foreign peoples that such idols contained their deities. Rather such objects were considered to be transparent bearers of ...

2610. Israel's Guilt and Punishment

Micah 6:9-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... in the MT. On the whole, the general meaning of this oracle is clear. This passage follows immediately after 6:6–8, in which justice, community solidarity, and careful attention to Yahweh’s will have been set forth as the marks of covenant faithfulness. This oracle shows that such marks are sadly lacking among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Those accused are the leaders of the city (v. 9c RSV), the rich (v. 12), and the commercial dealers (v. 11). But the inhabitants of Jerusalem also come in for their ...

2611. The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

Nahum 1:1-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... came forth who counseled wickedness be Manasseh or Amon? It could then be Judah that experiences the destruction described in verse 8. Indeed, soon after Nahum’s day it does so. 1:12–13 The introduction This is what the LORD says suggests that verse 12 marks a new start, and the change in subject matter fits with this. Verses 2–11 focused on Yahweh and “his foes . . . his enemies.” Perhaps Judah needed to be asking “Is it I?” It is quite likely that Judah was addressed in verses 9–11, and no ...

2612. Warnings and Exhortations for Jerusalem and Judah

Zephaniah 2:4-7, Zephaniah 2:8-11, Zephaniah 2:12, Zephaniah 2:13-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... be uprooted (ʿaqar). It is as if the destiny of the places is written into their names; in being abandoned and uprooted they are becoming themselves. On the Woe (hoy, better, “Oh!” or “Hey!”), see the comment on Nahum 3:1. This exclamation usually marks the beginning of a declaration, but here as in Habakkuk 2:18–20 it has a place in the midst of the declaration. The rhetorical significance of this placement will become clearer at 3:1 (see the comment below). There the “Woe” will encourage us ...

2613. A Call to Return to the Lord

Zechariah 1:1-6

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... )—which is exactly the message of Zech. 1:2–6. 1:6b “Then they repented and said, ‘The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’” The NIV includes this sentence within the quotation marks, indicating that it is part of the oracle. The NIV also begins a new paragraph with this half-verse. In this way the translators show that Zechariah is still addressing his audience in the second year of Darius, telling them about the previous generation’s ...

2614. The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Zechariah 4:1-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... of the project. If it was a plumb line, then the rejoicing would have been over progress made, not to celebrate the end of the job. A completion stone was part of an ancient Near Eastern ceremony that marked the transformation of a temple from building project to sanctuary. An explanation of These seven may mark the return to the vision of the lamp stand. The seven lamps are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth. Persian emperors had officials who bore the title, “Eye of the King.” The ...

2615. The Flying Scroll

Zechariah 5:1-4

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... the boundary between the parts of the temple complex that were accessible to everyone (the courts) and the indoor spaces to which only the priests were admitted (the holy place and holy of holies). The scroll and the sworn curse that it contained also marked a boundary. Those who violated the terms written on the scroll were outside the community. The portico is also historically related to covenants and curses. The pillar next to which King Josiah stood as he read the book of the covenant was probably one ...

2616. The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

Zechariah 13:7-9

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... NT offers a transformed understanding of this passage in light of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus uses the proverbial shepherd saying from verse 7 to warn his disciples that they would be scattered and put to death when he was arrested (Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27; see also Matt. 25:56; Mark 14:50). The shepherd who dies becomes, in Jesus, the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, and who will gather all of his sheep (John 10:14–18). Additional Notes 13:8 According to Meyers and Meyers (Zechariah 9–14 ...

2617. The Day of the Lord

Malachi 4:1-6

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... God’s people may be prepared to survive the Day of the Lord. Subsequent interpretation expanded the scope of Elijah’s ministry. The Septuagint of verse 6 adds “neighbors”; Sirach 48:10 says he is to “restore the tribes of Jacob” (NRSV); and in Matthew 17:11 and Mark 9:12 Elijah is to be the one who “restores all things.” Malachi includes other promises about the day when the Lord will come and act, but this is the first time in the book that he uses the title the day of the LORD. This term ...

2618. Jesus Clears the Temple

John 2:12-25

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... temple authorities. Only after his Passion could his disciples “remember” the passage in this way. Similarly, the riddle about the temple can only be solved by one who knows that “the Son of Man … must be killed, and after three days rise again” (cf. Mark 8:31). That such knowledge was “after the fact” is stated explicitly in verse 22. Before the fact, there seemed to be no alternative to taking the prophecy literally, and the temple authorities did just that (v. 20). The charge that Jesus was ...

2619. The Last Day of the Feast

John 7:45--8:11, John 8:12-30

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... the Mishnah, Sukkah 5.2), it is the natural setting for the accompanying discourse. That it is called the treasury rather than the Court of the Women may simply echo other narratives in which “the treasury” is the scene of Jesus’ temple ministry (e.g., Mark 12:41–44 and Luke 21:1–4, where contributions to the treasury actually figure in the story). Jesus and the Unbelievers Verses 21–29 serve to document Jesus’ indictment of the Pharisees in verse 19, “You do not know me or my Father.” The ...

2620. Spiritual Blindness

John 9:35-41

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... sayings of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels: for example, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17); or “But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding’ ” (Mark 4:11–12). Jesus is speaking to no one in particular at this point; his words are recorded for the instruction of the reader. But because “the shoe fits ...

2621. The Triumphal Entry

John 12:12-19

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... it to full advantage. Jesus himself had once asked, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). Now he stood, with the world at his feet, about to lose his own life—“so that the world may live” (cf. 6:51 ... source of the crowd’s acclamation), but the New Testament writers seem to have in mind a shout of praise. Both here and in Mark 11:9–10/Matthew 21:9, the Greek text leaves the Aramaic untranslated (cf. also Didache 10.6: “Hosanna to the God of David ...

2622. Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

John 13:31-38

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... 3.13) but in its basis in the self-giving love of Jesus on the cross (“As I have loved you …” cf. v. 1). The new command is John’s equivalent of the “new covenant” mentioned by Luke and Paul (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; cf. Mark 14:24; Matt. 26:28). All our literary witnesses agree that something decisive happened at Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, but Paul and the synoptic writers connect that something with the liturgy of the Lord’s Supper; for John it has to do with everyday life and ...

2623. Jesus’ Love and the World’s Hatred

John 15:1-17

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... the branches, v. 5). The result is not a full-blown parable (both 10:1–5 and 10:12–13 are more like parables in the sense of telling a real story), but something similar to the interpretations attached in the synoptic Gospels to the parables of the sower (Mark 4:13–20 and parallels) and of the weeds in the field (Matt. 13:36–43). Jesus identifies himself in relation to the Father in verses 1–4, and in relation to the disciples in verses 5–8. The vine or vineyard metaphor is an ancient one for ...

2624. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:1-5, John 17:6-19, John 17:20-26

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... you have given him, v. 2). Verses 1–3 set the tone for the entire prayer, and their scope is universal. They (and not vv. 1–5) mark the prayer’s first major division. Verses 4–8 (with the exception of v. 5) are not petitions at all. They are, instead, a kind of last ... disciples were meant to apply to the contemporary church as well. But occasionally the bridges become visible—for example, in Mark 13:37 (“What I say to you I say to everyone: ‘Watch’!”) and Luke 12:41 (“Peter asked, ‘Lord ...

2625. Jesus, Peter, and the Beloved Disciple

John 21:15-25

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... disciples love Jesus—as evidenced by the fact that Jesus has just revealed himself to them (v. 14). The purpose of the question is not to set Peter in competition with the other disciples (cf. Mark 14:29) but simply to single him out from the rest and examine his love in particular. The question marks a transition from the appearance narrative to the last half of the chapter, a transition that Peter’s impetuous actions in verses 7 and 11 might have led the reader to expect. The thrice-repeated pattern ...

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