Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3126 to 3150 of 3852 results

Job 4:1–5:27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , suffering is brought on by humans themselves (5:7). This last verse is the heart of Eliphaz’s consolation here. Job should not feel victimized by outside forces. Something within Job’s human condition is responsible. 5:8–16 · Job must acknowledge the human-originated cause behind his plight and appeal to God. Eliphaz, if he were in Job’s shoes, would certainly make a case to the deity (5:8). Eliphaz offers a doxology (5:9–16) of rather stereotypic language, affirming God as an adjuster of moral ...

3127. Psalm 149

Psalm 149:1-9

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ). God’s people are to praise him because he takes joyful interest in them and blesses those who humble themselves before him (149:1–4). God’s people, moreover, are to honor him by carrying out his judgment on those who oppose God (149:6–9). This judgment does not originate from the saints’ own hatred of their enemies but from the recorded decision of God (149:9) and is a judgment that they are to inflict because of their love for God (149:6).

3128. The Initial Appeals of the Parents and Lady Wisdom

Proverbs 1:8-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... lesson out of ten (or more) in the prologue, exhibiting the basic structural features that the additional lessons will follow. On the basis of posited Egyptian literary models, scholars have often divided up this section into a number of originally independent “lectures.” Nevertheless, a convincing case can be made that the prologue as a whole presents a carefully composed and unified argument. Michael Fox lists the following three features as typical in these lessons: (1) the exordium, or introduction ...

3129. Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

Proverbs 1:20-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In 1:20–35, wisdom is presented not simply as an abstract capacity or skill but as a person who directly addresses those most lacking in wisdom. Although the nature and origin of Lady Wisdom (Hebrew hokmah is a feminine noun) have been much discussed, this figure is best understood as both a poetic personification of a divine attribute and a foil, or conceptual antithesis, to the promiscuous or foolish woman. The designation for Lady Wisdom is literally “wisdoms,” possibly an intensive ...

3130. Agur’s Message: Relying on God’s Word, Learning from His Work

Proverbs 30:1-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... will be noted below). The words of Agur son of Jakeh and of King Lemuel are both called an “oracle,” a term otherwise applied to prophetic utterances (30:1; 31:1; cf. the opening verses of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Malachi), perhaps thereby claiming divine origin and authority (so the NIV’s “an inspired utterance”). Less likely, the Hebrew word massa could designate a region in the Arabian Peninsula named after one of Ishmael’s descendants (i.e., Massa; cf. Gen. 25:13–14; 1 Chron. 1:29–30; see ...

3131. Everything is Ephemeral

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... “assembler” or author/editor of wise sayings (cf. 12:9–10). It is clear from the royal activities and achievements noted in chapters 1–2 that the book sets forth “Solomon’s”—rather than a later monarch’s—wisdom, whether as the actual originator of its teachings or merely as a literary foil or voice for a later author. In biblical scholarship, it has become conventional to refer to the author as Qoheleth, thus distinguishing him from the historical king. In calling himself Qoheleth (1:12 ...

3132. Recognize that Bad Days Can Bring about Good

Ecclesiastes 7:1--8:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a thousand but not a single woman” (Fox, 271). 3. God did not make humans this way. The author concludes with his most significant discovery or “explanation” (“This only have I found,” 7:29), drawing again on Genesis 1–3. Although originally created morally “upright” (cf. Prov. 20:11; 21:8), individuals soon sought out “many schemes.” Alternatively, the repetition here of two key words from the opening verse of this subsection (“search” and “scheme,” 7:25) may merely express his ...

3133. Be Joyful & Reverent

Ecclesiastes 11:7--12:8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and thirst goes unquenched. The subunit concludes in verse 7 with a more literal contrast. Whereas the dust returns to the earth (the phrase echoes Genesis 3:19 and 2:7; cf. Job 10:9), the “spirit,” or life-breath, returns to God, who originally issued it. This verse thus parallels Ecclesiastes 3:20–21. The reference in verse 7b to God as “giving” the human spirit (Hebrew ruah) recalls his description as Creator in verse 1a and offers a final rationale for “remembering” him. One should avoid ...

3134. The King and the Maiden Banter

Song of Songs 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of Solomon.” The expression “song of songs” is an idiom for the superlative in Hebrew—“the best song.” The word “song” is a generic term for any happy, festival song (cf. Isa. 24:9; 30:29). The possessive pronoun attributing the work to Solomon, if original, is ambiguous at best. The opening sections of the poem find the maiden in the royal court of King Solomon, with no indication as to how she came to be there (although 6:11–12 implies she was taken from the countryside against her will ...

3135. The Branch from Jesse

Isaiah 11:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... takes up the theme of the messianic rule. Assyria and all world powers will fall like “lofty trees” (10:33), but the Lord will raise up his Messiah as a “shoot” (11:1–9). This shoot does not spring from one of the branches of a tree; its origin is the roots. The Messiah is a shoot from the roots of David’s dynasty. The new leadership over God’s people must come from David’s dynasty, but it is also separate from the old dynastic interests. Kingship may cease in Judah, but God’s promise to ...

3136. Sin and Punishment

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... wrong road turn around. Not so Israel (8:4–13). The word “turn” occurs five times in verses 4–5. Like horses with blinders, Israel stubbornly charges ahead. Israel has less sense than birds or animals, whose instinct at least returns them to their original place or owner. There are four other problems: (1) Pseudowisdom. Judah prides herself in the possession of the law, possibly a reference to the newly found law book (Deuteronomy?) in 621 under Josiah (2 Kings 22:1–10). “The lying pen of the ...

3137. Restoration of Isarel

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is more explicitly “experiencing God.” The new covenant marks the end of the teaching profession. The new covenant passage, the longest Scripture quoted in the New Testament (Heb. 8:7–12), is said to be fulfilled in Christ. Quite possibly, judging from verse 33, originally only Israel was in view. Later, Judah was included (31:31). The New Testament promise includes the Gentiles. Just as the first half of the poetic Book of Comfort ends with an oathlike statement (30:23–24), so also here (31:35–37 ...

3138. A Further Description of Judgment

Ezekiel 6:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to the mountains, see Ezekiel 36:1. The high places God will destroy are not the mountains (though juxtaposition of the two is deliberate). They are sacrificial platforms on a natural height. They represent phenomena in Israel’s religious praxis that originally may have been innocent and only later became blasphemous. Altars for sacrifice and altars for incense will also be destroyed, along with idols. This Hebrew word for “idols” is used thirty-nine times in Ezekiel. It may be that the Hebrew ...

3139. Idolatry in the Temple

Ezekiel 8:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to take darkness as part of the ritual rather than camouflage. The third abomination Ezekiel observes is women mourning for Tammuz (8:14). Tammuz is the Hebrew equivalent of the Sumerian god Dumu-zi, whose name means “the faithful son.” He was originally a human being who was deified and later banished to the underworld. That women are weeping for Tammuz reflects the pagan ceremony observing Tammuz’s annual death and descent into the netherworld. Normally this ceremony took place in the fourth month ...

3140. The Execution of the Idolaters

Ezekiel 9:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... detestable things (9:4). The heavenly scribe is to put a mark on the foreheads of these faithful believers who have not compromised religious convictions. The Hebrew says: “put a taw on their foreheads.” Taw is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and in the original Hebrew script it was shaped like an x. We are reminded here of the mark on Cain (Genesis 4) that saved him from the wrath of his fellow man. Or one may think of the blood at the Passover on the doorposts that saved the occupants inside ...

3141. God’s Glory Leaves the Temple

Ezekiel 10:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , many of the details are similar to those in chapter 1. For instance, a cherub’s face replaces a bull’s face as one of the four faces. The bull was a popular feature of Canaanite religion, which might explain the substitution. Verse 15a describes the original ascent of the cherubim, something Ezekiel refers to again in verse 19. Here (10:15b) he identifies them as living creatures. They fly to the east gate of the temple. Reflection on what he sees makes Ezekiel realize that what is in front of him are ...

3142. A Lament for Tyre

Ezekiel 27:1-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... will eventually come to naught. Verses 4–7 elaborate on the precious materials brought from afar for the construction of the ship. It is not just the luxuriousness of these materials. Rather, they are products that Tyre receives in trade, as the places of origin indicate. Ships are for trade, for transporting cargo from place to place. Since Tyre’s wealth and status derived from trade, how right it is to refer to Tyre as a ship. The cities surrounding Tyre provide not only materials for the ship’s ...

3143. Vision of the Four Beasts

Daniel 7:1-14, Daniel 7:15-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... third animal has four heads. These suggest four kingdoms, or the extent of his rule (the proverbial four corners of the world). The fourth and most terrifying is the beast that oppresses kingdoms. It has ten horns, from which comes another horn uprooting three of the original horns. This horn looks like a human face and is full of pride. Ten is a symbol of completion and need not be limited to a future kingdom consisting of “ten” nations, which some call a revival of the Roman Empire. This kingdom is to ...

3144. Unfaithfulness and Restoration

Hosea 2:2-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in the wilderness of Sinai (Deut. 8:1–8; Jer. 2:2). Then Israel will respond positively like she did at the time of the exodus, when she sang about God’s greatness (see Exodus 15). This implies a renewal of the covenant relationship originally confirmed at Mount Sinai. Then God will pour out his abundant covenant blessings and reverse the curse on the people resulting from Achan’s sin (Joshua 7) in the Valley of Achor (meaning “valley of trouble”) and turn their dwelling place into a blessed ...

3145. Hope: God Loves You

Hosea 11:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... positively to God’s call and turn back to him. The people of Israel will come trembling, humbly fearing him and following him in a new exodus from the lands of their captivity. Then God will resettle them in the land he originally promised them. God’s loving forgiveness and gracious restoration will elicit a positive response from the Israelites. This indicates a major transformation of the hearts and minds of the Israelites. They will no longer be rebellious but will renew their covenant relationship ...

3146. The Lord’s Call for Judah’s Repentance

Joel 2:12-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... not for outward expressions of mourning but for an internal response of true sorrow and penitence. In the prophetic address to the rebellious community, he adapts an abbreviated version of the formula in Exodus 34:6–7 describing divine attributes (originally recited by the Lord to Moses, who desired to see the presence of God). The formula reveals the inherent character of God, who forgives covenant misconduct and remains faithful to his commitments to Israel. The Lord not only demonstrates forbearance ...

3147. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Unlike other prophetic books, Obadiah’s oracle contains no information about the time or place of its origin, nor does it include any autobiographical data about the prophet. The brevity of the superscription matches the brevity of the book, perhaps to focus attention on the message rather than on the prophet himself. The word used to describe Obadiah’s prophecy (“vision”) is a technical term having to do ...

3148. The Lord’s First Commission to Jonah and Jonah’s Disobedience

Jonah 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... through drawing lots. Lots were often used as a means to seek divine direction in decision making. God’s sovereignty is once again demonstrated, as the lots indicate Jonah is somehow responsible for the raging storm. In an effort to discover more about the origin of the threat, the sailors ask Jonah to identify his occupation, his birthplace, and his ethnicity (1:8). All three of these answers would help the sailors understand which god was angry with Jonah, and help them determine how to appease that god ...

3149. Man's Plans and God's

Micah 2:1-5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... eighth commandment) land belonging to others. This sin is particularly grievous since the land was given to the Israelites by the Lord, so that each family might possess some. Thus, certain laws were in effect to protect the ownership of the land by the original recipients (Leviticus 25). The story of Naboth and Ahab (1 Kings 21) provides a good historical example of this type of sin. As happens so frequently in the Prophets, the Lord chooses an appropriate punishment for these greedy and selfish men. It is ...

3150. Deliverance Promised

Micah 2:12-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Suddenly the prophet speaks in positive tones (2:12–13). This abrupt transition has caused many to question the plain meaning or originality of this short oracle. However, we know so little about the prophecy’s structure or history of development that it is safest to accept the text as it is. Micah glimpses that beyond the punishment of the exile God will once again bring his people together. The two opening phrases—“ ...

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