Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 2751 to 2775 of 4947 results

2751. Doing What is Good

Titus 3:1-11

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... mysteries seems to preclude their hearing the passage in terms of Pauline theology. 3:7 Beasley-Murray (Baptism in the NT) argues that the verb “to justify” has more a dynamic than a forensic sense in this passage, as in 1 Cor. 6:11. He may be correct, but it may also be that he has not taken seriously enough the metaphorical sense of this word group in Paul. 3:8 For a discussion of the extent and meaning of this trustworthy saying, see G. W. Knight, The Faithful Sayings in the Pastoral Letters, pp. 80 ...

2752. The High Priesthood of Jesus

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... would have been possible. 5:8–9 As a son, i.e., even as God’s Son, Jesus was not exempt from suffering. His obedience was not accomplished in ideal circumstances, but was learned “in the school of suffering” (as NEB appropriately translates). In this sense Jesus serves as a model for the readers. This achievement of faithfulness to the will of God in adverse circumstances is a kind of learning insofar as it means arriving at a new stage of experience. The final stage of that experience is being made ...

2753. The High Priest of a New Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... perceived only by the intellect, but something which occurred in the historical process: the cross of Christ. Copy occurs in the same sense in 9:23. See H. Schlier, TDNT, vol. 2, pp. 32f. Shadow is used similarly in 10:1 (and in Col. 2: ... generally spiritualized in the NT to refer to Christian ministry (see 2 Cor. 9:12; Phil. 2:17, 30), but in Luke 1:23 the original sense is retained. See K. Hess, NIDNTT, vol. 3, pp. 551–53. On the importance of the word better (kreittōn) for our author, see note on ...

2754. A Call to Persevere

Jude 1:17-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... applies to the spiritual growth of believers and is closely associated with the judgment seat of Christ. It points to what God’s grace has achieved in the believer’s life (1 Cor. 3:10, 12), whether or not the believer has been truly building in the spiritual sense (1 Cor. 3:14). The church is composed of elect and precious stones (1 Pet. 2:5), built on Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone and on the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20; Col. 2:7). The believer’s part in the building-up process is often ...

2755. Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-22

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... acted in history to dispossess Egypt of its slaves and the peoples of Canaan of their land. God took the initiative but chose not to act alone. Gifted human leadership was crucial to God’s work in the world from the very beginning. Moses had a strong sense of justice and was not indifferent to evil, no matter who the oppressor or victim. Moses was deeply concerned for the lives of weaker people and was intolerant of abuse by the strong. These concerns were integral to his call. 3:11–15 In these verses ...

2756. Aaron to Speak for Moses

Exodus 6:28--7:7

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... (13:16); and to resting on the Sabbath to remind them that their holiness is a gift from God (31:13, 17). The plagues function in a similar way, as a sign that they come from God. These signs are not ordinary catastrophes, and it is in this sense that they were “miraculous.” The word “wonders” (mopet) refers to a portent or symbol, often of a future event. In Exodus the term describes the staff-to-snake, the snow-white hand, and the plagues (4:21; 7:3, 9; 11:9, 10). The word indicates that these ...

2757. The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... sexuality are common in the ancient Near East, but the death penalty for adultery in Israel was especially severe (e.g., Deut. 22:22). Adultery was a high-handed sin against God (Gen. 39:9). In a limited sense, “no adultery” meant sexual fidelity within marriage. In the most limited sense it meant that no one except her husband was to have sexual relations with a married woman. Whatever the primary social structure in Israel at a given time, (polygamy or monogamy), the bond of marriage was limiting. The ...

2758. Offerings for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:1-9

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... the “tent of meeting” (ʾohel moʿed). The tent of meeting includes the holy place (with the bread table, lampstand, and incense altar) and the holy of holies containing the ark of the covenant. Exodus 26 uses a few of these words in a special sense: “tent” (ʾohel, 26:7) refers to the outer goat hair covering of the tent of meeting; and “tabernacle” here refers only to the inner linen layer (26:1). Moses had used an earlier version of the “tent of meeting” to meet with Yahweh before they ...

2759. Ruth and Boaz on the Threshing Floor

Ruth 3:1-18

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... is he simply unable or unwilling to make a decision? The old Gibeahite faces a fierce challenge. He has to make a split-second decision before a violent mob pounds down his door. Boaz, by contrast, has only to deal with a perfumed young woman. In one sense it seems unfair to compare these two men. Yet the contrasts are telling. Whereas Boaz projects every confidence that he is the man to help Ruth, the Gibeahite seems bewildered. At no time does he appear to understand how futile it is to negotiate with a ...

2760. Levi

1 Chronicles 6:1-30

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... as the genealogy of the “regular Levites” (according to Klein) or “nonpriestly line” (according to Hicks), in contrast to the priestly lineage presented in the previous subsection. The distinction in usage of “Levite” in a generic, tribal sense and in a more specific sense referring to a particular part of the priesthood should, therefore, be kept in mind here. First Chronicles 6:16 functions as an introduction to this genealogy, with 6:17–19 as a segmented version of the descendants ...

2761. The Levites

1 Chronicles 23:1-6

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... The organized cult in the postexilic age is thereby portrayed as a continuation of the past and not as something new that developed during the Persian period. 23:25–26 and 23:28–32 Up to this point references to the Levites were in the generic sense. In 23:25–32 (excluding 23:27; see Additional Note) it becomes clear, however, that a special group of Levites is now meant, namely, those who had a special position in the cultic service. Their functions are explicated in the only direct speech section in ...

2762. The List of Exiles Who Returned

Ezra 2:1-70

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... Jeshua functioned as the high priest during the governorship of Zerubbabel, it is probable that the governor was Sheshbazzar, and so this portion of the material is to be dated very early. 2:64–67 The company is rather the “assembly” (NRSV) in a religious sense, the definitive “assembly of the exiles” of 10:8 and the “assembly of God” of Nehemiah 13:1. The actual total of the individual numbers (29,818) contrasts with the total in verse 64 of 42,360. Possibly the difference is a reference to ...

2763. Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

Ezra 7:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... editor used the announcement of Artaxerxes’ letter to reemphasize Ezra’s double role as priest and “scribe” (NRSV), explaining the latter in terms of an understanding of the Torah as the revelation of the divine will for the life of Israel. The reader can sense by now the editor’s spiritual devotion to the Torah, as ardent as that of Psalms 19 and 119 and of the aged Elizabeth and Zechariah in Luke 1:6. The official document, which is written in Aramaic, defines Ezra in terms of his credentials ...

2764. List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra

Ezra 8:1-14

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... and enabling the successful completion of the journey (v. 31). Ezra envisioned himself as fulfilling the divine will and found each step of faith honored by God. 7:28b–8:14 Ezra had just relived, in the outburst of praise in 7:27–28a, his sense of God’s involvement in the generous commission of Artaxerxes. Now he records that this conviction gave him encouragement to get started. He had a record of the party of volunteers available, which he incorporated into his narrative. For the sake of the story ...

2765. The People's Confession of Sin

Ezra 10:1-17

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... appears to be a modification of earlier capital punishment, expressed in terms of being “cut off from the community of Israel” (Exod. 12:19; compare Ezek. 13:9). Literally, the term used here is “be separated,” in a negative sense. The term recurs in the desirable sense, “separate oneself,” in 9:1; 10:11. The penalty for not attending the assembly convened for such separation was to be separated from membership of the community, like the foreign wives and the children of mixed marriages (compare ...

2766. Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls

Nehemiah 2:11-20

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... sector of the city. Perhaps he had already managed to inspect them inconspicuously during the three rest days of verse 11. 2:16–18 Now it was time to call a meeting of the officials and other leaders in the city. Nehemiah shared with them his sense of divine calling and his mission. Identifying with them by first plural references, he appealed to them to rebuild the wall with him and put right a situation so degrading to the community. He was here recapitulating the data of 1:3, and he continued retelling ...

2767. Builders of the Wall

Nehemiah 3:1-32

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... , vol. 1, pp. 551f., following Rashi). The rendering They restored postulates a second Heb. root ʿazab, which may be preferable to finding here the well-established first root with the sense of the mg. “They left out part of.” It is uncertain whether this verb, meaning “abandon,” can be used in the sense of “leave out, omit” (Blenkinsopp, Ezra-Nehemiah, p. 230). 3:9 Half-district: Chapter 3 mentions five administrative districts of the province, each with its headquarters at an urban center ...

2768. Nehemiah Helps the Poor

Nehemiah 5:1-19

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... put on hold. The enemy response of 6:1 appears to target the progress of chapter 4, as if chapter 5 did not exist. The blatant digression of 5:14–18, in which Nehemiah discusses his conduct over the course of a twelve-year governorship, increases our sense that the previous story is now interrupted. It is clear that chapter 5 as a whole belongs to Nehemiah’s memoirs, but it is difficult to connect the chapter with the surrounding narrative. However, verse 16 supplies a clue that 5:1–13 is still inside ...

2769. Further Opposition to the Rebuilding

Nehemiah 6:1-14

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... compelling than the fact that nowhere else in the OT is it used with a divine subject. The alternative is to construe the verb as an inf. absolute, here equivalent to a first-person sg. perf., as the ancient versions took it (see BHS). Then the sense is, “But my morale rose even higher” (NJB). It is difficult to make a clear-cut decision. It is interesting that the revisers of the NEB switched from the second interpretation (“So I applied myself to it with greater energy”) to the first in the REB ...

2770. The Israelites Confess their Sins

Nehemiah 9:1-37

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... must be “You, Yahweh, are the only (God)” (Clines, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, p. 193). 9:7 Chose Abram: Only here is Abraham’s election mentioned. It is an inference from Deut. 4:37; 10:15. 9:8 Righteous here has the sense of being faithful to the covenant, doing what was right in view of the covenant relationship. The reference to Canaanites . . . Girgashites is to Gen. 15:6, 18–21, and here to vv. 22–25. The geographical list from Genesis is replaced by a more common stereotyped one of three major ...

2771. Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 12:27-47

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... ; see BHS and the NJB. The parallel grouping in v. 41 leads us to the same conclusion. Some priests is lit. “sons of the priests,” not here meaning “young priests” (NRSV, NJPS), but in the idiomatic sense of members of the priestly caste (BDB, p. 121). The phrase also occurs in this sense in Ezra 2:61, although not in the parallel Neh. 7:63, where the absence of “sons” shows that the meaning there is simply “priests.” Trumpets: Priests would sound trumpet blasts to announce the beginning of ...

2772. Nehemiah's Final Reforms

Nehemiah 13:1-31

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... precise force of the verb Must we hear now is uncertain, probably “Shall we then listen to you (and do . . . )” (NRSV); compare the REB, “Are we then to follow your example.” Another option is to take the verb as passive, comparing Deut. 4:32, with the sense that they had never heard of such a thing being done by others in the community. 13:28 The reference to the high priest could qualify either Joiada or Eliashib. Drove him away refers to expulsion to Samaria. 13:29 Them refers to members of the ...

2773. The King's Edict in Behalf of the Jews

Esther 8:1-17

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... ; and to plunder the property of their enemies (v. 11), empowers the Jews. This edict was sent out with haste to give the Jews time to prepare for military combat. The language echoes that of 3:13, for Haman’s original decree was also delivered with a sense of urgency. The effect of the decree was to publicize the right of the Jews to defend (v. 11; avenge, v. 13) themselves and take plunder. Everyone in the empire is hereby alerted to the shift in royal support to the Jewish side in a scheduled civil ...

2774. Further Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 3:1-35

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... honor involves such cultic rites as Deuteronomy 26:2, or Leviticus 2:14. The command may be intended merely in a general sense here and the reward is appropriate to the action: full barns and overflowing vats (a sign of divine blessing). New wine is the ... 21 is “let them not depart(?) from your eyes.” The verb, Hb. lûz, is difficult. It is used in the Hiphil in the same general sense in 4:21, and the Niphal participle, nālôz (perverse) occurs in 3:32. 3:35 The grammar of v. 35b is not clear. The verse ...

2775. Invitation of Wisdom and of Folly

Proverbs 9:1-18

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... set on a table, no less. No such activity has been attributed to Wisdom thus far. 9:3 Another surprising feature is the maids at her disposal, whom she sends out to issue the invitation that follows. Although the MT has the singular (NIV, she calls), the sense must be that it is her message that the maids make public. The mention of the highest point of the city is perhaps natural but puzzling. It is natural since it suggests a commanding and imposing position. It is puzzling because Folly has a seat by her ...

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