Sermon and Worship Resources

Deuteronomy 16:13-17

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Israel’s Rhythm of Celebration: Three Annual Festivals: The sabbatical themes of rest, remembrance, and concern for the poor are all woven into Deuteronomy’s summary of the three major annual festivals, which take their place in what Braulik called the “holy rhythm” of Israel’s life—sabbath days, seasonal festivals, annual and triennial tithes, sabbatical years (“Die Abfolge,” pp. 259ff.)—thus continuing this section’s link with the fourth commandment: “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” The ...

2602. The King

Deuteronomy 17:14-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

The King: It may seem strange that in this section on leadership in Israel the king comes second rather than at the head of the series. The reason is that whereas sound judicial administration by impartial judges is at the very heart of Israel’s covenant theocracy, monarchy as a particular form of political authority is not. The nation can and does survive without kings both before and after the centuries of actual monarchic government. Although in other OT traditions the king can be seen as the human ...

2603. Witnesses

Deuteronomy 19:15-21

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Manslaughter, Murder, and Malice: The whole section 19:1–21:9 may be thematically linked to the sixth commandment, “you shall not murder.” This is clearest in 19:1–13 and 21:1–9, but there are some links in the intervening laws as well, particularly 19:15–21. The organization is not overly tidy, however, and other commandments can be detected; the eighth and tenth, for example (19:14), and the ninth (19:16–19). Israel needed structures of authority and leadership that would preserve their societal ...

2604. Moses Blesses the Tribe

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

The Last Mountain: The Blessing and Death of Moses · The speeches have been made, the sermon has been preached, the song has been sung. All that remains is for Moses to bid farewell and leave the stage, which he does in typical fashion (typical of him, and typical in another sense of his great successor), by climbing a mountain. Just before the final ascent, however, comes his parting blessing on the tribes of Israel. There is something beautiful in the fact that after all the dark chapters of curses, ...

2605. Five Amorite Kings Killed

Joshua 10:16-28

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

Five Kings Attack Gibeon and Joshua Counterattacks: 10:1–5 Adoni-Zedek, king of Jebusite Jerusalem, gathers other kings to make war on Joshua and Israel (9:1–2). The king of Jerusalem is upset over Joshua’s treaty with Gibeon and the treatment of kings in Ai and Jericho. He perceives Gibeon to be more of a threat than Ai because it is a more significant town (lit. great), a city with a king (lit. royal), and has a skilled army (lit. all her men are warriors; 10:2).The king forms a coalition with Hoham king ...

2606. Jair

Judges 10:3-5

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Minor Judges: Framing the Jephthah story are accounts of several minor judges, beginning with Tola and Jair and ending with Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon (Judg. 12:8–15). These, along with Shamgar (Judg. 3:31), are commonly designated as minor judges, because their stories are condensed into a few brief lines. In most cases, all we know about the judge is his tribal affiliation, his geographical location, and how many years he led Israel; sometimes we learn about his economic situation. But, strikingly, the ...

2607. Baasha King of Israel

1 Kings 15:33--16:7

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

From Nadab to Ahab: The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam has been delayed until it has been made clear how different God’s treatment of the house of David is. Now, however, we shall hear that it all turned out as Ahijah had said; as king succeeds king in this fast-moving tale of northern intrigue and violence, we shall also begin to see what he meant by describing Israel as a “reed swaying in water” (14:15). Political stability is certainly not the order of the day. 15:25–32 The ...

2608. Elah King of Israel

1 Kings 16:8-14

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

From Nadab to Ahab: The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam has been delayed until it has been made clear how different God’s treatment of the house of David is. Now, however, we shall hear that it all turned out as Ahijah had said; as king succeeds king in this fast-moving tale of northern intrigue and violence, we shall also begin to see what he meant by describing Israel as a “reed swaying in water” (14:15). Political stability is certainly not the order of the day. 15:25–32 The ...

2609. Zimri King of Israel

1 Kings 16:15-20

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

From Nadab to Ahab: The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam has been delayed until it has been made clear how different God’s treatment of the house of David is. Now, however, we shall hear that it all turned out as Ahijah had said; as king succeeds king in this fast-moving tale of northern intrigue and violence, we shall also begin to see what he meant by describing Israel as a “reed swaying in water” (14:15). Political stability is certainly not the order of the day. 15:25–32 The ...

2610. Omri King of Israel

1 Kings 16:21-28

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

From Nadab to Ahab: The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam has been delayed until it has been made clear how different God’s treatment of the house of David is. Now, however, we shall hear that it all turned out as Ahijah had said; as king succeeds king in this fast-moving tale of northern intrigue and violence, we shall also begin to see what he meant by describing Israel as a “reed swaying in water” (14:15). Political stability is certainly not the order of the day. 15:25–32 The ...

2611. Ahab Becomes King of Israel

1 Kings 16:29-34

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

From Nadab to Ahab: The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam has been delayed until it has been made clear how different God’s treatment of the house of David is. Now, however, we shall hear that it all turned out as Ahijah had said; as king succeeds king in this fast-moving tale of northern intrigue and violence, we shall also begin to see what he meant by describing Israel as a “reed swaying in water” (14:15). Political stability is certainly not the order of the day. 15:25–32 The ...

2612. Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

2 Kings 9:14-29

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

The Axe Falls (at Last) on Ahab: The twelve years of Jehoram, son of Ahab, are completed (2 Kgs. 3:1; 8:25); and the time for judgment has come (1 Kgs. 21:21–29). Elisha is still with us, and Hazael—though not in the way first planned—is king of Aram. Ahab’s drama is approaching its final curtain. Of the players mentioned in 1 Kings 19:15–18, we await only Jehu. Right on cue, he now makes his entrance. Israel will be purged at last of Ahab’s house and the worship of Baal it has introduced. Judah, too, will ...

2613. Jezebel Killed

2 Kings 9:30-37

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

The Axe Falls (at Last) on Ahab: The twelve years of Jehoram, son of Ahab, are completed (2 Kgs. 3:1; 8:25); and the time for judgment has come (1 Kgs. 21:21–29). Elisha is still with us, and Hazael—though not in the way first planned—is king of Aram. Ahab’s drama is approaching its final curtain. Of the players mentioned in 1 Kings 19:15–18, we await only Jehu. Right on cue, he now makes his entrance. Israel will be purged at last of Ahab’s house and the worship of Baal it has introduced. Judah, too, will ...

2614. Shallum King of Israel

2 Kings 15:13-16

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Israel’s Last Days: With the death of Jeroboam II, we have reached the “fourth generation” of the divine promise to Jehu (2 Kgs. 10:30). We expect a return to the unstable government, implied by 1 Kings 14:15 and illustrated in 1 Kings 14–16, that preceded the houses of Omri and Jehu. That is what we now find. Reigns change in quick succession, as Israel plunges speedily towards its doom. All deliverance has ceased, and judgment lies just around the corner. 15:8–12 Scarcely has Jeroboam’s son Zechariah sat ...

2615. Menahem King of Israel

2 Kings 15:17-22

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Israel’s Last Days: With the death of Jeroboam II, we have reached the “fourth generation” of the divine promise to Jehu (2 Kgs. 10:30). We expect a return to the unstable government, implied by 1 Kings 14:15 and illustrated in 1 Kings 14–16, that preceded the houses of Omri and Jehu. That is what we now find. Reigns change in quick succession, as Israel plunges speedily towards its doom. All deliverance has ceased, and judgment lies just around the corner. 15:8–12 Scarcely has Jeroboam’s son Zechariah sat ...

2616. Pekahiah King of Israel

2 Kings 15:23-26

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Israel’s Last Days: With the death of Jeroboam II, we have reached the “fourth generation” of the divine promise to Jehu (2 Kgs. 10:30). We expect a return to the unstable government, implied by 1 Kings 14:15 and illustrated in 1 Kings 14–16, that preceded the houses of Omri and Jehu. That is what we now find. Reigns change in quick succession, as Israel plunges speedily towards its doom. All deliverance has ceased, and judgment lies just around the corner. 15:8–12 Scarcely has Jeroboam’s son Zechariah sat ...

2617. Pekah King of Israel

2 Kings 15:27-31

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Israel’s Last Days: With the death of Jeroboam II, we have reached the “fourth generation” of the divine promise to Jehu (2 Kgs. 10:30). We expect a return to the unstable government, implied by 1 Kings 14:15 and illustrated in 1 Kings 14–16, that preceded the houses of Omri and Jehu. That is what we now find. Reigns change in quick succession, as Israel plunges speedily towards its doom. All deliverance has ceased, and judgment lies just around the corner. 15:8–12 Scarcely has Jeroboam’s son Zechariah sat ...

2618. To Noah's Sons

1 Chronicles 1:1-4

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Let’s Start at the Beginning: When the Chronicler started writing his version of the history of God’s people, he started at the very beginning: Adam! It is surprising that this history, unlike the Deuteronomistic version, situates the history of God’s people within the history of humankind. On the one hand, this is already an indication of the Chronicler’s universalist or inclusivist approach (which is also echoed in the closing of the book in 2 Chron. 36:22–23, where Cyrus, the Persian emperor, is ...

2619. The Japhethites

1 Chronicles 1:5-7

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

From Adam to Abraham: The Chronicler’s family lists start with Adam (1:1) and swiftly continue from there to Abram (1:27). If there was ever an abridged version of some Pentateuchal genealogical traditions, this is it! These twenty-seven verses quickly run through at least three genealogies contained in Genesis 5, 10, and 11. This first of the Chronicler’s genealogies utilizes both linear and segmented forms in its summary of the Genesis traditions. The intention of the Chronicler’s construction is clear, ...

2620. The Hamites

1 Chronicles 1:8-16

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

From Adam to Abraham: The Chronicler’s family lists start with Adam (1:1) and swiftly continue from there to Abram (1:27). If there was ever an abridged version of some Pentateuchal genealogical traditions, this is it! These twenty-seven verses quickly run through at least three genealogies contained in Genesis 5, 10, and 11. This first of the Chronicler’s genealogies utilizes both linear and segmented forms in its summary of the Genesis traditions. The intention of the Chronicler’s construction is clear, ...

2621. The Semites

1 Chronicles 1:17-27

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

From Adam to Abraham: The Chronicler’s family lists start with Adam (1:1) and swiftly continue from there to Abram (1:27). If there was ever an abridged version of some Pentateuchal genealogical traditions, this is it! These twenty-seven verses quickly run through at least three genealogies contained in Genesis 5, 10, and 11. This first of the Chronicler’s genealogies utilizes both linear and segmented forms in its summary of the Genesis traditions. The intention of the Chronicler’s construction is clear, ...

2622. David's Psalm of Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:7-43

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

16:8–36 These verses are the longest of only a few poetic sections in Chronicles. (Interestingly enough, another quotation from a psalm, in this case Ps. 132, can be found in the narrative in 2 Chron. 6:40–42, where Solomon’s transfer of the ark to the temple is described. The excerpt from Ps. 132 is used as part of Solomon’s prayer.) First Chronicles 16:8–22 is paralleled in Psalm 105:1–15; 1 Chronicles 16:23–33 in Psalm 96:1–13; and 1 Chronicles 16:34–36 in Psalm 106:1, 47–48. Whereas earlier ...

2623. Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon: 20:1–30 This battle account is typical of the Chronicler’s novel approach, which includes a battle against foreign nations, a prayer to Yahweh, and a prophetic voice (this time in the form of Jehaziel the Levite). The account starts with the report that the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war against Jehoshaphat (20:1). After his men came to tell him that a vast army had already advanced to the west bank of the Dead Sea, that is, at En Gedi ...

2624. The Return to Jerusalem

Ezra 8:15-36

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

Bringing Glory to the Temple: Ezra was given two mandates in chapter 7. The first was to lead a party of immigrants back to the homeland and to take along the sacred contributions of the Persian court, the Babylon satrapy, and Jews remaining in exile, and deliver them to the temple authorities in Jerusalem. This first assignment is accomplished here. Apart from the conclusion in verses 35–36, this section comes from the Ezra memoirs and falls into three parts: 7:28b–8:20; 21–30; and 31–34. Each part has a ...

2625. Advancement is Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

The Human Dilemma: The segments in this section are connected by the theme of the human individual, both in isolation and in relationships within social, familial, and religious systems. A concern with labor and material prosperity connects this section with the rest of the book. The development of thought is difficult to follow, though, and interpreters disagree not only about the logic of the argument but even about the claims that Qohelet is making. Acknowledging these difficulties, the reader can find ...