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 3351 to 3375 of 4340 results

3351. The High Priesthood of Jesus

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... the source of eternal salvation (cf. 2:10). Source (aitios) can also be translated as “cause” and is reminiscent of the word archēgos (“pioneer” or “leader”) in 2:10 (cf. 12:2). Eternal salvation refers to the finality and definitive character of the saving work accomplished by Christ. Analogous to this expression are “eternal redemption” in 9:12, “eternal inheritance” in 9:15, and “eternal covenant” in 13:20. For an OT parallel, see Isa. 45:17. For salvation (sōtēria), see ...

3352. Final Greetings

1 Peter 5:12-14

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... church (a feminine noun in Greek), as in 2 John 1, 13. Babylon is a coded reference to Rome in the book of Revelation (Rev. 14:8, and five other verses), where other aspects of the OT city on the Euphrates are in view—its pride and godlessness—a character now taken on by Rome in the eyes of both Jews and Christians by the late first century. Chosen together echoes the description of Peter’s readers, as indeed of all Christians, as “chosen” (1:2; 2:9), i.e., by God. Mark is John Mark (Acts 12:12 ...

3353. Making One's Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... apostasizing on account of a moral libertinism which amounts to turning away from this true knowledge of Christ (2:2). Additional Notes 1:1 Simon Peter: See Additional Note on 1 Pet. 1:1; also Cullmann, Peter: Disciple—Apostle—Martyr, pp. 17–21. Other NT characters with the Hebraized name Symeon (as in the Greek here) are mentioned in Luke 2:25, 34; Acts 13:1; Rev. 7:7). Peter’s self-description as a servant (doulos) and apostle (apostolos) recalls the declaration of Jesus: “I tell you the truth ...

3354. The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:1-18

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... (ekpiptein): The verb is used of shipwreck in Acts 27:26, 29. Secure position (stērigmos): a rare word (only here in the NT, although the corresponding verb occurs in 1:12 and in 1 Pet. 5:10). But the term contrasts nicely with the character of the false teachers and their dupes, whom Peter calls astēriktos, unstable (2:14; 3:16). The verb stērizein is applied to Peter himself in Luke 22:32, “When you have turned back, strengthen (stērixon) your brothers.” 3:18 Grow (auxanete, present imperative ...

3355. The Sin and Doom of Godless Men

Jude 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... inciting Israel to lie with Moabite women, who in turn seduced Israel into worshiping Baal. That broke the first of the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3). By the first century A.D., Balaam was considered a notorious character in Jewish tradition. So Jude’s readers would readily pick up the meaning of the allusion. At the time Jude was writing, the name of Balaam was a byword for antinomianism (Rev. 2:14). Grammatically, Balaam’s error can be taken in a passive ...

3356. A Call to Persevere

Jude 1:17-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... and applied in the OT to perfect animals suitable to be offered on the altar to God (Exod. 29:38; Lev. 1:3; 3:1). God can do still more. He can bring us into his presence, not with the fear and shame that would be appropriate to our characters, but with great joy, his great joy as well as ours. God’s supreme object is to make the church of believers fit to be presented to himself (Eph. 5:27) as a sacrificial offering, “through” the actual perfect sacrifice of “Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Pet. 1:19 ...

3357. Jethro Visits Moses

Exodus 18:1-27

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... bowing down and greeting him with a traditional kiss. Then they “each asked the other about their health” (shalom, NIV greeted each other) and entered Moses’ tent to talk privately. This is a rare personal glimpse that adds credibility to Moses’ narrative character. He had a peer, friend, and human counselor. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done and Jethro believed in the Lord. For the first time in Scripture a non-Israelite is “converted” to faith in the Lord ...

3358. At Mount Sinai

Exodus 19:1-25

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... 20:18–19). 19:20–25 The warnings about forcing one’s way to the Lord were reinforced. These verses interrupt God’s speaking in the hearing of the people. (Direct speech with the people resumes in 20:1.) The interruption has a necessary theological character. It begins by repeating the description of the Lord’s descent from verse 18: The LORD descended . . . and called Moses to the top of the mountain. God did not again descend. God was already there. When God called, Moses climbed the mountain and ...

3359. Consecration of the Priests

Exodus 29:1-46

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... ; Lev. 9:4–6, 23–24). God gave the theological context of Aaron’s ordination in verses 44–46. The Lord, not Moses, would be the prime mover in the consecration of the altar, priests, and tent of meeting. The actions would have a sacramental character. God had given the instructions and would be present in the actions. In order to reinforce this, the Lord says “I will” seven times (vv. 43–45). Two “I am” statements follow the “I will” statements, so the reader does not think that animal ...

3360. Rahab and the Spies

Joshua 2:1-24

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... , 1982], p. 98). Consequently, Bible students can suspend judgment about the time, nature, and location of the Jericho of Joshua and still learn the lessons of Jericho in Joshua’s excellent narrative. 2:1, 4–7 Rahab the prostitute: Rahab remains a controversial character in the Bible. A resident of Jericho, she is called a harlot (Hb. zona; Josh. 2:1). Her name comes from a root word meaning “to be broad” or “wide.” Her occupation has sparked disagreement over whether she was a secular or sacred ...

3361. Disobedience and Defeat

Judges 2:6-3:6

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... the author exaggerates the scope of Israel’s sin, but exaggeration as a rhetorical technique is widely used in preaching, as one can hear on any given Sunday almost any place in the world. Again, Deuteronomic literature is highly homiletical in purpose and character. The effect of not knowing the Lord is expressed not in intellectual categories but in ethical ones: they did evil in the eyes of the LORD (v. 11). This emphasis upon conduct pervades biblical faith, both Jewish and Christian. Faith is not ...

3362. Ehud

Judges 3:12-30

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... almost blinded by the brilliant brushstrokes of its color. Such accolades may come as a surprise to people who are at most embarrassed and at the least puzzled that the story is even in the Bible. They are put off by its graphic character. Its sanctioning of deception and murder stretches to the limit most modern Christian sensibilities regarding proper moral conduct. Despite its David-and-Goliath storyline, the story of Ehud has not found its way into many children’s Bible story books. To appreciate the ...

3363. The Song of Deborah

Judges 5:1-31

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Deborah' Song: The Song of Deborah is a rare treasure in the OT, an ancient epic poem embedded in a narrative. While it shares this nearly unique character with a handful of other such texts (Exod. 15:1–18; Deut. 32:1–43; Isa. 38:10–20; Jonah 2:2–9), there is wide agreement that it is the oldest literary witness to early Israelite life and faith. Some scholars believe that it, or part of it, is ...

3364. Jephthah and Ephriam

Judges 12:1-7

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... as much as accused them of this in his reply (vv. 2–3), which highlighted the lack of communal solidarity that has grown ever more acute as the book of Judges progresses. Even his reference to the Lord underscored this flaw in the national character and should have called the Ephraimites back to their ancient covenant commitments to the Lord and to their fellow Israelites. But then as now it was difficult to think about covenant commitments when self-interest was at stake. 12:4–6 The Ephraimites ...

3365. Samson’s Marriage

Judges 14:1-20

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... the covenant it represented. So Samson’s “going down” communicates subtly yet clearly that his actions were less than exemplary. 14:1–4 In biblical literature, a figure’s first words and first actions are always significant, for they reveal one’s character. The is true of Samson, whose first actions were revealing: he went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. His first words, spoken to his parents, were equally revealing: I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get ...

3366. A Levite and His Concubine

Judges 19:1-30

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... next words Levite who lived (Hb. ger) call to mind the previous passage (17:7), as do geographical references to the hill country of Ephraim and Bethlehem in Judah; possibly this was one reason the author juxtaposed the stories. 19:2b–10 As the central characters move onstage, we first hear about the Levite’s concubine but do not see her. She is absent, having run away from her husband and gone back to her father’s house in Bethlehem. The Levite went to retrieve her, “to speak to her heart” (NIV ...

3367. Israelites Fight the Benjamites

Judges 20:1-48

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... all (Hb.) the tribes of Israel. The general scene recalls the Israelites’ unity before the Lord at Mount Sinai and was thus meant to call people back to the covenant—with the Lord and each other—that brought them into existence. The assembly took on the character of a tribunal as they invited the Levite to tell his awful story (v. 3). He willingly obliged (vv. 4–7), but his story differed in some details from the narrator’s account. He maintained that the intention of the men of Gibeah was to kill ...

3368. Israel's Sons

1 Chronicles 2:1-55

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... say! Surprisingly enough, this very Judah is the father of the lineage under discussion in this central part of the Chronicler’s genealogies. It is quite telling that the golden line of Israelite covenantal history does not shy away from the dubious characters. Father Jacob/Israel was, of course, another example. All five “sons of Judah” are mentioned in the Genesis 38 narrative. The Chronicler took over some small elements of this narrative, such as the statement that the first three sons were born ...

3369. Simeon

1 Chronicles 4:24-43

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... . The temporal remark in 4:31, these were their towns until the reign of David, seems to indicate that these towns ceased to be in Simeonite possession when David started reigning. This might be the case, although there are indications that the Simeonite character of the southern region extended into the monarchic period. This temporal remark is, however, not attested in the Joshua 19 list and could be considered to come from the Chronicler’s hand. Should that be the case, it confirms the Chronicler’s ...

3370. Levi

1 Chronicles 6:1-30

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... by a section on the Kohathites (6:22–28), with a concluding section on the Merarites (6:29–30). The attentive reader will notice that there are some differences between the Levite genealogy provided here and the one in the previous section, illustrating the fluid character of this type of literature. One striking feature of the present list is that Samuel is included in the Levite lineage, as part of the Kohathites (6:27–28). According to 1 Samuel 1:1, though, he originated from the tribe of Ephraim ...

3371. Bringing Back the Ark

1 Chronicles 13:1-14

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... to Knoppers, having participants from all over the land paying appropriate honor to David’s leadership implies wide public support for his transfer of the ark and models for the Chronicler’s own time an inclusive Judaism in line with its present international character (1 Chronicles 10–29, pp. 585–86). 13:5–7 We have seen different expressions being used to refer to the ark. Van den Eynde shows that the Chronicler links the ark and the theme of kingship and closely connects ark, temple, and ...

3372. The Levites

1 Chronicles 23:1-6

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... , the indication that the Levites had carried “the tabernacle” seems strange. We know from other sections in Chronicles that they used to carry the ark of the covenant, but not “the tabernacle.” This confusion is probably witness to the composite character of the literature here, but it also reminds one of the information in Numbers 3:21–37 and 10:17, which note that Levite families had special duties regarding the tabernacle. The new dispensation for the Levites is motivated with reference ...

3373. David's Plans for the Temple

1 Chronicles 28:1-21

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... see Additional Note on 28:2). The reason for David’s disqualification from building the temple is repeated here (as in 22:8): because you are a warrior and have shed blood. The Chronicler emphasizes this not so much as a blemish on David’s character but to prepare the way for Solomon’s reign, which will be a period of rest and peace. Differently from the speech reported in 1 Chronicles 22, the Chronicler now emphasizes David’s lineage and divine election (28:4–5). The divine election narrows down ...

3374. Rebuilding the Altar

Ezra 3:1-6

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... applied to the foundation, although we are not informed what aspect of it sparked the protest. In light of the upbeat nature of Haggai 2:1–9, it is probable that the narrator, in echoing it, wanted to draw attention to the “not yet” character of the restoration to the land. In terms of Psalm 126, the restored fortunes enjoyed thus far by the returned exiles fell short of eschatological expectations. Rather than surpass the glory of Solomon’s temple, as Haggai promised it would one day, this second ...

3375. Nehemiah Helps the Poor

Nehemiah 5:1-19

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... 6:14. This one seems to reflect Nehemiah’s attempt to defend himself against subsequent criticisms of his administration. Verses 14–18, as well as 4:10–5:13, gave him an opportunity to plead his integrity over against those who were maligning his character. The editor retained these petitions from the memoirs, which he used as the source of information about Nehemiah’s achievements on behalf of God’s people. Additional Notes 5:1 For a defense of ch. 5 in its present setting, see Williamson, Ezra ...

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