Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2801 to 2825 of 3852 results

James 2:1-13, James 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... , had contemplated nature, and this had led him to the one God. He had rejected idolatry, burned the local house of gods, and committed himself to the one God (the story is narrated in the apocryphal book of Jubilees 11–12). Thus Abraham was the originator of the creed “there is one God” (James 2:19). Given this background, it is clear that a Jewish Christian would understand how faith and actions worked together. Unlike Terah in the legends, who agrees with Abraham’s faith but through fear of the ...

2802. Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12, James 3:13-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... catches the passion: A temper rises, a lust is inflamed. Soon the words, whether an internal dialogue unheard outside or actual speech, burst forth into action. The emotions, the whole of the body, are uncontrollably involved. And where does this destructive fire originate? From hell itself! Here the prison of Satan and the demons stand, by metonymy, for the prisoners. Is that argument inspired by God’s Spirit? No. It is inspired, but by the devil himself. The flames of hate and prejudice, of jealousy ...

2803. Praying for Endurance and Healing

James 4:13-17, James 5:1-6, James 5:7-12, James 5:13-20

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... word for trouble refers to the inner experience of misfortune or misadventure. For example, Josephus uses it for military reverses. See further W. Michaelis, “Kakopatheō,” TDNT, vol. 5, pp. 936–37. Sing songs of praise is used fifty-six times in the Greek Old Testament, originally meaning a song with string accompaniment (Pss. 33:2, 3; 98:4, 5; 147:7; 149:3). Later it meant any song of praise (Pss. 7:17; 9:2). In the New Testament one might sing praises in painful circumstances (Acts 5:41; 16:25) as ...

2804. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim. 2:8–15; Titus 2:1–10; Didache 4.9–11; 1 Clement 1.3; 21.6–9; Barnabas 19.1–7; Polycarp, To the Philippians 4.2–6.2. Submit yourselves: The verb hypotassein was originally a military term, “to rank under, place under the command of.” The instruction was not novel. “Rabbi Ishmael said, ‘Be submissive to a superior, affable to a junior, and receive all with cheerfulness’ ” (m. Aboth 3.13). Ishmael, a high priest’s grandson, was taken captive to ...

2805. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... ’s admonition to his readers: above all, love each other deeply. And by way of supporting explanation, he once again turns to the OT for a proof-text: because love covers over a multitude of sins (Prov. 10:12). As a proverb, the expression perhaps originally meant “Love is blind to the faults of others.” It came to be interpreted by Jews as referring to deeds of love, especially almsgiving, that in the Jewish view helped to atone for an individual’s own sins. Significantly, in taking over the OT ...

2806. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... they do so that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. The words they read are not what a prophet has thought up for himself. True prophecy never came about as a result of some individual’s personal ideas: it never had its origin in the will of man. The impulse came from the Holy Spirit of God. When the OT prophets spoke, they were not passing on some understanding or view of their own. They were revealing a message from the Spirit: they spoke from God. It was for this ...

2807. A Call to Persevere

Jude 1:17-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... ) has the shortest text of any, and omits v. 22: “Snatch some from the fire, but on those who dispute/doubt have mercy with fear.” In view of Jude’s predilection for arranging his material in threes (see vv. 2, 4, 5–7, 8, 11), the original text may well have concerned three classes of people. This is the view taken by NIV, and follows the recommendation of Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York/London: United Bible Societies, 3rd ed. 1971), pp. 727–29. 22 Those ...

2808. The Birth of Moses

Exodus 2:1-10

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... to Pharaoh’s death order with the intention of preserving his life. The narrative style is masterful in describing the daughter of Pharaoh and her young women finding the basket. The NIV does not express fully the detail of the discovery present in the original language. Verse 6 could instead be translated, “She opened it and saw him. The little boy! Oh look, the boy is crying! And she was moved to compassion. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said.” The fact that she adopts the child ...

2809. Moses Flees to Midian

Exodus 2:11-25

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... for her and Ishmael in the wilderness (Gen. 16:13) and she gave God the name “Roi” or “the one who sees me” (roʾi). The implication is that God was moving toward them to provide. The last of the four verbs is brief in the original, with the sense simply that God knew. God understood their situation and their suffering. This divine knowledge stands opposite the statement in 1:8 that the pharaoh “did not know . . . Joseph.” God was on the move to enter into their experience, a move that would ...

2810. Aaron to Speak for Moses

Exodus 6:28--7:7

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth” (9:14). They knew for sure only after God’s mighty acts had set the people free (14:4, 18). Israel will know the Lord. The original audience of the book of Exodus was Israel. As such, what the children of Israel knew as a result of God’s action may be the most important contextual theme. “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I ...

2811. The Passover

Exodus 12:1-30

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... roast an unskinned and uneviscerated whole lamb. The celebration is a present event, not just a memorial. It also looks to the future, sometimes leaving an empty place at the table for Elijah and the front door ajar. The Seder liturgy follows the pattern of describing the event of the original Passover, explaining its meaning, and celebrating with eating and drinking.

2812. Crossing the Sea

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... and 18 repeat the Lord’s claims of verse 4: “I will harden” and “I will gain glory (be honored) through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.” (See the discussion and additional note at v. 4.) The NIV omits the original emphatic claim that begins verse 17: “And I, Behold me! I will harden.” This is the whole wonderful, troublesome point of the text. The Lord God, known only to the Hebrew slaves and barely trusted by them, would cause the greatest king of the ancient ...

2813. Hebrew Servants

Exodus 21:2-11

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... with the word “if”: “If he comes alone”; “if he has a wife” (in which case she went free with her husband); “If his master gives him a wife and she bears” children (in which case the wife and children stayed with the owner as his [original] property), or “if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free.’ ” If a bond slave preferred the bondage of his employment (in order to stay with his family) he had to make that decision after the ...

2814. Personal Injuries

Exodus 21:12-36

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... 31). But the question remains, how could the death of an unborn child not be considered a serious injury requiring a greater penalty, at the very least, to the child’s mother? (see Sarna, “Exodus,” p. 461). The LXX clarifies the more reliable original meaning of injury to the child: “If two men strive and smite a woman with child, and her child be born imperfectly formed, he shall be forced to pay a penalty” (v. 22a). Houtman, Exodus, III, pp. 160–71, discusses the extensive secondary literature ...

2815. The Tabernacle

Exodus 26:1-37

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... Adam had complete freedom to be creative. “He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name” (Gen. 2:19b). In detailing the tabernacle design, God revealed that the original intention for the human creation had not changed. God desired to enter into a joint creative enterprise that would influence the future of the world. Additional Notes 26:1 The “tabernacle” described here is the tent of meeting. Exodus also uses “the ...

2816. Rahab and the Spies

Joshua 2:1-24

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... and should not be considered theological points. Early church fathers used typology to associate the red cord with the red blood of Jesus. They taught that as the cord saved the lives of Rahab and her family, so does the blood of Christ. However, the original passage in Joshua did not place any particular prominence on the color of the cord. Red would be visible at a great distance. Even NT allusions to Rahab did not associate the color of the cord with the color of Jesus’ blood. Despite the similarity ...

2817. The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

Joshua 24:1-27

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... representatives of the western tribes at Shechem. The chapter parallels the farewell address in Joshua 23. The farewell address anticipates Joshua’s death, and Joshua 24 describes it. This chapter gives no indication of its compositional history, and scholars disagree on its origin or use in the worship of Israel. The ceremony may reflect an early covenant renewal liturgy at Shechem (see Deut. 11:29–32; 27:1–26; reported in Josh. 8:30–35). Joshua’s reported message in Joshua 22:1–6 summarizes ...

2818. Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites

Judges 1:1-36

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... , the actual allotment fell to Benjamin (Josh. 18:27). As with Judah, the statement that Benjamin failed to dislodge the Jebusites is essentially negative. The author’s use of the later Israelite name for the city, Jerusalem, gives the impression that he believed the original name of the city was Jerusalem and that it was later renamed when taken over by the Jebusites; in other words, that the city never belonged to the Jebusites. Additional Notes 1:1 After the death of Joshua: M. Noth was the first to ...

2819. The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

Judges 2:1-5

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Reproof and Response: As we move into Judges 2, we do not move into a new section. Originally there were no chapter and verse divisions in the Bible; these were added in the sixteenth century to facilitate referencing. Most of the time, interpreters divided chapters and verses correctly, but in some cases they did not. Judges 2:1–5 is an instance when they did not. Judges 2 ...

2820. Othniel

Judges 3:7-11

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... the text is corrupt and the unpointed text should read ’dm, Edom, instead of ’rm, with nhrym being a secondary addition (see Soggin, Judges, p. 47). Boling, however, offers a more cogent hypothesis. He suggests that “the reading ’rm nhrym is the result of a misdivision of an unpointed text (originally ’rmn hrym, “Fortress of the Mountains”) which subsequently suffered a haplography due to homoioteleuton in the Vorlage of LXXA” (Judges, p. 81).

2821. Zebah and Zalmunna

Judges 8:1-21

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... author did not go into as great a detail about what happened in Peniel but summarized, rather glibly, the most important points: Gideon also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town (v. 17). The punishment was more severe than originally promised (v. 9). It appears that Gideon has already begun to mutate into an egotistical tyrant. A major interpretive issue related to this part of the story is whether or not Succoth and Peniel were Israelite towns. Of course, life is life no matter ...

2822. Israelites Fight the Benjamites

Judges 20:1-48

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... and fellowship offerings (renewing, affirming, celebrating covenant) to the LORD. The reference to “all the children of Israel” (or, Jacob) at Bethel recalls the patriarch’s experience there, which gave it its name (Gen. 28:10–22), hence recalling all Israel’s common origins as God’s people. Next, the narrator intrudes directly into the story to give a few important details about the ark of the covenant and the name of the high priest, Phinehas (vv. 27–28). Focus upon the ark of the covenant ...

2823. Ruth Meets Boaz

Ruth 2:1-23

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... (hugged huggad) might well be translated, “It has been explained and reexplained to me.” Boaz has done his homework. Evidently he has gathered information about this Moabitess from a number of sources, not just his foreman. Fully aware of her non-Hebrew origins, Boaz demonstrates a broader vision of community than do the majority of his peers. He has already determined in his heart to welcome her into the Bethlehemite community. He is impressed by the fact that Ruth has left her father and mother and ...

2824. Historical Records from Adam to Abraham

1 Chronicles 1:1-35

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... the Rodanim, are associated with the ancient maritime world—a reference made explicit in Gen. 10:7 but omitted by the Chronicler. See Klein, 1 Chronicles, p. 65. 1:27 The phrase Abram (that is . . .) might be an addition by a later hand. The original Hebrew text probably just had Abraham (like the Septuagint). A later reader probably felt uncomfortable that the patriarch was called by his covenant name here, understandably so in light of the source text in Gen. 11:26, which has “Abram.” It might also ...

2825. The Family of Abraham

1 Chronicles 1:28

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... to Isaac, and not through Ishmael and Keturah. The Chronicler uses “Israel” for “Jacob” throughout. Since the Chronicler’s great concern is to help negotiate the social identity of All-Israel in the late Persian era, this is understandable. He wanted to emphasize that the origin of this people goes back to the covenant bearer, whose name was changed from Jacob to Israel. 1:35–54 The genealogy of Esau starts in 1:35. It is clear that this list is an abridged version of Genesis 36:1–19. Apart ...

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