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Showing 326 to 350 of 1858 results

326. Coming Down from Above

James 1:17-18

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A collar or some item associated with a dog, and a Bible Boys and girls: Did you know that dogs in the wild seldom, if ever, bark? Wolves, foxes and other wild relatives of our pet dogs howl, growl, snarl, yelp or whine--but they do not bark. Only dogs that have come into contact with humans bark. There are some people who have studied dogs' barks and they believe dogs are trying to imitate human speech when they bark.* Isn't ...

327. Pressing on Toward the Goal

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... primarily of his coming martyrdom, although Ignatius (To the Ephesians 3:1) uses a synonymous term as he contemplates exposure to the wild beasts in the arena: “I have not yet been perfected [apērtismai] in Jesus Christ,” he says; but he welcomes the prospect ... associates as having “renounced secret and shameful ways” (2 Cor. 4:2). (In Jude 13 libertine teachers are compared to “wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame.”) J. A. Bengel (Gnomon, ad loc.) and some later writers have understood ...

328. The Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... . The animals brought forth on this day occupied the land created on the third day. God began by ordering the land to produce living creatures: livestock, or large four-footed beasts, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals. This division of animals into domestic and wild is inherent to the created order. In this command God endowed the land (’erets) with additional generative power. God saw that what was made was good. 1:26 Before undertaking the next act of creation God took counsel ...

329. Jacob Blesses His Sons

Genesis 49:1-28

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... that his father regarded him as the firstborn (de Vaux, Early History of Israel, p. 251). “A fruitful vine” (porat) is a pun on the name Ephraim (’eprayim; Sarna, Genesis, p. 343). Another way to render porat is “a wild colt” (NIV margin). Hamilton favors “wild she-ass,” connecting it with Ugar. prt “cow, heifer” (Genesis: Chapters 18–50, p. 678). This rendering coincides with the animal metaphors used for other tribes. Nevertheless, in the OT the vine serves several times as a metaphor ...

330. Amaziah King of Judah

2 Kings 14:1-22

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... . 5:20–27)? It is Azariah’s reign that sees the beginning of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry (Isa. 1:1; 6:1). Additional Notes 14:9 A thistle in Lebanon: The point is that a puny thistle (i.e., Amaziah), easily trampled upon by any wild beast, should not think too highly of itself in relation to the mighty cedar of Lebanon (Jehoash). It is a mistake to take the detail about the marriage as suggesting that Amaziah had proposed a marriage-alliance with Jehoash (as some commentators do) because nothing else ...

331. Signs and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 4:1-5:17, Ezekiel 6:1-14, Ezekiel 7:1-27

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... LORD! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth” (v. 14). Ezekiel’s exclamation of protest (translated “Not so, Sovereign LORD” ... 29:17–18) and Ezekiel (in 6 verses: 5:12, 17; 6:11–12; 7:15; 12:16; note that 5:17 and 14:12–20 add wild animals to this deadly threesome). Once more, it appears likely that we find here the influence of Jeremiah on the text of Ezekiel. 5:13 They ...

332. Personal Accountability

Ezekiel 18:1-32, Ezekiel 19:1-14

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... to idol worship (7:19; 14:3–4, 7; 44:12). Perhaps, then, a better translation would be, “Let there be for you no stumbling-block of iniquity”—that is, no idolatry. 19:2 Lions. In the ancient Erra epic the hero says, “In the heavens I am a wild bull; in the land . . . I am a lion; in the homeland . . . I am king” (M. B. Dick, “The Neo-Assyrian Royal Lion Hunt and Yahweh’s Answer to Job,” JBL 125 [2006], p. 244). 19:7 He broke down their strongholds. The Heb. reads, “He knew his widows ...

333. Gentiles Exemplify True Discipleship

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... the disciples would have agreed with this) is that the bread from God’s table meant for his people should not be “tossed” or thrown away for the “dogs” to eat. Dogs were unclean animals and would never have been accepted as pets by Jews; they roved in wild packs, scavenging for food, and were shunned in Israel. “Dog” was a common epithet for Gentiles as unclean people (2 Sam. 16:9; Ps. 22:16; Matt. 7:6; Phil. 3:2). 7:28 even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. This is the ...

334. The Story of Israel Now and Later

Romans 2:1-16

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... s day were experiencing the proverbial calm before the storm. Part of the reason for that calm before judgment fell stemmed from God’s mercy and grace. He was giving his Old Testament people time to repent. I had a barber in Chicago who lived a wild life despite being married and having children. He was a party-going, pill-popping hipster. But one morning he told me of an amazing experience that he recently had. He said that suddenly the sense of God’s blessings on his life overwhelmed him—a faithful ...

335. The Faithfulness of God and the Covenantal Curses on Israel

Romans 3:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... Bancroft) uses tough love to break through to the deaf and blind Helen Keller (played unforgettably by Patty Duke). In what has been called “The Breakfast Scene,” Anne Sullivan understands the necessity of bringing Keller, who has been allowed to behave wildly and violently, under control and into a civilized way of life. Over and over Sullivan must overcome Keller’s wild behavior until she is brought into the submission of eating properly. It is a contest of wills; the stubborn will must be taught.

336. Diagnosing “Leprosy”

Lev 13:1-59

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... “hair” is literally “head.” It may refer to an uncovered head without a turban (NIVmg; see comments at Lev. 10:6) or, more likely, connote having the hair hanging loose (ESV). “Unkempt” (root para‘) is used of wild, unrestrained mobs (Exod. 32:25), suggesting hair that is wild—untrimmed and uncombed. The rule to cover “the lower part of the face” is literally to cover the “upper lip” (ESV) or “mustache” (ESVmg). 13:47–59 any fabric that is spoiled with a defiling mold. Here ...

337. Blood Vengeance in Gibeah

2 Samuel 21:1-14

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... in the presence of the Lord, the guarantor of the treaty. The bodies are not buried but are left exposed as a sign of dishonor (1 Sam. 17:44, 46; Ps. 79:2; Jer. 16:4). 21:10 she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night. The execution takes place in April–May (time of the barley harvest), and the victims’ mother protects the corpses until the rains come, signaling that the famine/drought is over (see v. 1) and that the Lord has restored his favor. We are not certain how ...

338. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... ancient Persians used equally horrible methods.2In earlier Assyrian literature, persons who break an oath are put into cages with wild animals to be devoured in public; and later texts (seventh century BC) use the metaphor of a lion’s pit ... since the emperor plans to demolish Pacha’s village to build a royal vacation home. Nevertheless, the challenges they face in traversing the wild and avoiding the pursuit of the emperor’s advisor and her henchman end up bringing the two to understand each other. They ...

339. A Lesson Learned from a Snake

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... turned to drugs, casual lovers and fast company. The next several years of her life were filled with eight miscarriages, welfare, a mental hospital and a host of time in and out of jails. At 38 years of age, Lauren Chapin encountered Jesus. In the midst of her wildness the Prince of Peace came to her and moved her from pandemonium to peace. She said that when she accepted Christ, it occurred to her with a sudden clarity that she was an individual, worthy in her own right, who no longer had to live up to the ...

340. Zophar

Job 11:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... entirely clear. The saying contemplates, literally, a “hollow” person’s ability to become learned. After this, things get muddy. One option is that such a person will become wise only when a wild ass is born a human being (NJPS). The NIV represents another direction: that a witless person will no more become learned than a wild donkey will be born to a human. At first glance, Zophar seems to mean that he believes Job incapable of true wisdom. Yet Zophar’s following words encourage Job to pursue the ...

341. I am a Rose of Sharon

Song of Songs 2:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... her shepherd lover:The literary form of this section is the boasting or admiration song, common in ancient love poetry. The maiden touts her lover and rejoices in the delight his lovemaking arouses in her. The cultivated fruit tree in the midst of a wild wood calls attention to the uniqueness of her lover. To “sit in his shade” (2:3) suggests cool refreshment and the comfort and protection of the lover’s physical proximity. The fruits sweet to her taste are the elements of his lovemaking. In contrast ...

342. Dying To Live

Isaiah 43:16-21

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... with freedom, especially the freedom which God desires to initiate in our lives. The gifted writer Urban T. Holmes III makes this clear for us: Any good gardener knows that beautiful roses require careful pruning. Pieces of living plant have to die. It cannot just grow wild. [Likewise] pieces of us ... need to die if we are to become the person that is in God’s vision.[2] If this is really what it takes to experience something new, most of us would rather settle for the way things are. We may be aware ...

343. Elephants in the Room: Anxiety

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... government? No, because you fear getting a penalty or going to jail! Why do we take out fire insurance? Why do we lock our doors or pay for elaborate alarm systems? Because we like to spend money? No. We want to protect ourselves (J. Wallace Hamilton, Ride the Wild Horses, p. 104). Let’s face it! We are motivated by fear everyday of our lives, and fear causes us to do good and constructive things. I am glad there is fear and worry in the world! I worry enough about my sermons to prepare them instead of ...

344. John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Matthew 3:1-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... honey. The ceremonial instructions in Leviticus 11 allow the eating of “any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper” (Lev. 11:22). Even today, the locust is eaten in many parts of the Eastern world. Wild honey was honey that came from nectar taken from uncultivated shrubbery. John’s ministry took place in the Judean desert, that rather barren wasteland to the west of the Dead Sea. Since John’s execution was at the decree of Herod Antipas, who ruled over Galilee and Perea (Matt. 14: ...

345. To Drown Hell and Burn Heaven

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... her and abandoned her. Peer went on to have many adventures in life, but he never stands for anything and he never seems to see anything through. As an old man, Peer finds his way back to Norway. In the middle of a deep forest he pauses to eat a wild onion. As he peels away the layers of the onion, he thinks about himself and the layers of experience in his own life. Panic strikes him as he searches for the core of the onion. He realizes that his life is like the onion... layer after layer with nothing in ...

346. David Spares Saul's Life

1 Samuel 24:1-22

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... ’s reign (14:47–48) was not an unrealistic eulogy. He was able to take three thousand, or at least three battalions (see additional note on 4:10) with him to fight David. The whole army had not deserted. 24:2 The Crags of the Wild Goats cannot be identified now, but the name is evocative. Wild ibex roamed freely not far from En Gedi, and the crags in question may have been a known grazing area. The ibex would have been a good source of food for David’s men. 24:6 The irony of v. 6 and v. 10 is ...

347. Zophar

Job 11:1-20

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... donkey’s colt might be born a man. This proverb is a muchdebated passage, and scholars have proposed a variety of different interpretations. Pope (Job, p. 86) suggests persuasively that the comparison is between a “witless man” gaining sense and a “wild donkey” (pereʾ ʾadam) being born “tame” (ʿayir). This also retains the sense of improbability that is the crucial element in this verse. It does not seem that Zophar means to suggest that Job is beyond hope, since he spends the rest of this ...

348. Job's Third Reply to Eliphaz

Job 23:1--24:25

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... or “chance” rather than exploitive persons and societal systems that allow such exploitation. Similarly, the term “marginalized” reflects how the poor are pushed to the periphery where they are less visible and can be more easily ignored. 24:5–8 Like wild donkeys in the desert. The wild donkey, or onager, was known for its untamable character and occupation of remote, uninhabited wilderness areas (Job 11:12; 39:5–8; Hos. 8:19; Jer. 2:24). In Job 39:5–8, God will describe the onager as one of ...

349. The Parable of the Lost Son

Luke 15:11-32

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of the estate. He apparently has no concern for the well-being of his father (or family). He has not chosen to stay nearby; rather, he liquidates his inheritance and leaves home. He then went to a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. In the minds of respectable first-century Jewish people the behavior of this son would be considered disloyal and outrageous. But the parable advances from the son’s selfishness to his degradation. He ends up working for a Gentile (as implied by the ...

350. Two Kinds of Wisdom

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

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... in the following verses and in 3:13–18. See further H. Beck and C. Brown, “Peace,” NIDNTT, vol. 2, p. 780. On the poison image in Jewish literature, see Job 5:15; Ps. 58:4, 5; Sirach 28:17–23. Hermas Similitude 9.26.7 reads, “For just as wild beasts destroy and kill a man with their poison, so also the words of such men destroy and kill a man.” See further O. Michel, “Ios,” TDNT, vol. 3, pp. 334–35. 3:9 Thanking or blessing was frequently directed toward God (Matt. 11:25), so that God can ...

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