Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 3526 to 3550 of 4942 results

3526. His Command to Go Into the Land

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Moses’s First Sermon: “Look What God Has Done” (1:1–4:43) 1:1–5 · In what will be the style of the prophets of Israel, the book begins with, “These are the words Moses spoke” (1:1; cf. Jer. 1:1; Hos. 1:1). Moses is to “proclaim . . . all that the Lord had commanded,” and to “expound [make clear] this law,” thus Deuteronomy is “preached law,” the torah of God explained with divine authority and clarity, showing its sufficiency for those times and ours (1:3, 5). Most of the place names cannot be identified, ...

3527. Seeking God with All Our Hearts

Deut 4:1-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Chapter 4 is one of the great sermons of the Bible. This sermon finds its focus and heart in verse 29, “But if . . . you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Years later the prophet Jeremiah will appeal to this text in his letter to the Hebrew exiles in Babylonia (Jer. 29:13). Based on the preceding historical review, Moses here transitions to exhorting Israel as he calls them to follow God’s instruction. The reason or purpose for observing ...

3528. Focusing on the Core of God’s Guidance

Deut 4:44–5:33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Applying the Decalogue: The larger context of 4:44–28:68 is Moses’s Second Sermon and involves the application of the the Decalogue. This opening section focuses on the core of God’s guidance (4:44–5:33). 4:44–49. As in Deuteronomy 1:1 and 29:1, so 4:44 introduces the next sermon with the similar rhetorical expression: “This is the law.” It begins with a summary of the story already rehearsed in chapters 1–3, a use of repetition that is not uncommon in other ancient Near Eastern narrative texts. 5:1–33. ...

3529. Defending the Faith

Deuteronomy 7:1-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Destroying the Canaanites will really be the work of the Lord, for he will “drive [them] out” (7:1). The same Hebrew verb is also used for “loosening” or “taking off” a sandal (Exod. 3:5; Josh. 5:15); thus the Lord will free Israel from these seven nations just as one loosens a sandal from the foot. Elsewhere Canaan is listed as having eleven nations (Gen. 10:15–18), or ten (Gen. 15:19–21), six (Exod. 3:8; 33:2), or three (Exod. 23:28). Israel is to “destroy them totally” (Hebrew haram, a verb meaning “to ...

3530. Knowing What the Lord Requires of Us

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Moses’s style changes in 10:12, as marked by the words, “And now.” The interrogative “What does the Lord your God ask of you” is echoed in Micah 6:8. Moses gives five answers to this rhetorical question: (1) “to fear the Lord,” (2) “to walk in obedience to him,” (3) “to love him,” (4) “to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” and (5) “to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees . . . for your own good” (10:12–13). But this is no call to formalism, for the people must ...

3531. Keeping the Faith Vital

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Chapter 11 brings to a close the section that began with the Ten Commandments in chapter 5 and its exposition of the central principle of the ten words before he gives the exposition of these commandments in chapters 12–26. The fundamental commandment is to “Love the Lord your God” (11:1), with “commandment” appearing in the singular form (cf. Deut. 6:5). They are to keep his “charge” or “requirements,” this word used uniquely here in Deuteronomy. Even though those in the new generation are not the ...

3532. Cancelling Debts, Servants and Animals

Deut 15:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Deuteronomy 15:1 transitions to an exposition of the fourth commandment, with its concern for the Sabbath and the use of time. In this connection, two topics are raised: cancellation of debts (15:1–11) and the release of slaves (15:12–18). Every seventh year there is to be a release (Hebrew shemittah, from the root meaning “to let fall”); as in Exodus 23:11, the land is to be left fallow, but here the debts also are to be remitted. This year of release is part of the symbolism of the Jubilee year, wherein ...

3533. Offerings for Priests and Levites

Deuteronomy 18:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Verses 1–8, on respect and honor for priests and Levites, cover the ground more fully traced in Numbers 18 (see already Deut. 12:12, 19; 14:27–29). The priests come from the Levites, but not all Levites are priests. The Levites are not to receive a tribal allotment, for the Lord is their inheritance (18:2). They are to receive the first fruits of the land (18:4) and to minister in the Lord’s name (18:5). If a Levite desires to move to the “place” of the central sanctuary, he is not to be discriminated ...

3534. The Covenant Renewed At Mount Ebal

Joshua 8:30-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Joshua and the Israelites then travel north to the vicinity of Mount Ebal to hold a covenant renewal ceremony. Such a move is probably prompted by several considerations. To begin, Moses left clear instructions that such a ceremony should take place after Israel crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord would give them (Deut. 11:29–30; 27:1–26). Although Moses did not specify at what point after their entrance into the land such a ceremony should take place, with the Israelites freshly coming off two ...

3535. Allotment for Benjamin

Joshua 18:11-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The first lot comes out for Benjamin, and the description of its inheritance, the most detailed among the seven tribes, includes both a delineation of its boundaries (18:11–20) and a list of its major cities (18:21–28). Where its tribal boundaries are concerned, its northern boundary (18:12–13) is essentially the same as the southern boundary of the Joseph tribes delineated in Joshua 16:1–3, except that instead of continuing westward toward the Mediterranean, Benjamin’s boundary takes a sudden southward ...

3536. Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:1-9

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With the entire land allotted to all the tribes, the Lord then gives further instructions to Joshua regarding cities of refuge (20:1–9). Cities of refuge are first mentioned in Exodus 21:12–13, with further instructions regarding them reported in Numbers 35:6–33 and Deuteronomy 19:1–13. These are essentially centers of asylum where individuals who have unintentionally killed another can go and seek protection from avengers. For ancient Israel allowed blood vengeance: a close relative of a murder victim ...

3537. Gideon's Ephod and Death

Judges 8:22-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

After executing the two kings, Gideon takes the ornaments off their camels’ necks. This curious detail is significant in that such ornaments, along with the pendants and purple garments mentioned in 8:26, were status symbols often associated with royalty. Perhaps not coincidentally, Gideon’s interest in such items is followed immediately by the report of the people’s offer of kingship to him (8:22–27). Admittedly, kingship is never explicitly mentioned in the people’s offer. But the verb “to rule over” ( ...

3538. Micahs Idols

Judges 17:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

17:1–21:25 Review · Chaos in Israelite Society:While the last five chapters have often been referred to as the epilogue of the book, scholars have struggled to understand its connection with what precedes. For unlike the previous section, these narratives feature neither any judge nor any foreign enemy. Instead they seem to concern largely nameless individuals within Israelite society, with the focus being on internal chaos generated entirely from within. Structurally, the cyclical framework that organizes ...

3539. The Genealogy of David

Ruth 4:13-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The Marriage: Family Fortunes and Fruitfulness (4:13–17) · Boaz at last marries Ruth. Although she experienced infertility when previously married to Mahlon, the Lord enables her to conceive with Boaz as he enabled Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel (Gen. 21:1–2; 25:21–25; 30:22–24). The significance of this cannot be overstated. The fact that barren Ruth conceives is a hallmark of the promises to Abraham. More specifically, like the birth of Isaac in the patriarchal narratives, it suggests that David comes from “ ...

3540. Death of Eli

1 Samuel 4:12-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Eli’s family suffers disaster as well (4:12–22). A messenger with “his clothes torn and dust on his head” brings news of Israel’s defeat to Shiloh (4:12). When Eli hears the commotion, he asks what has happened. According to verse 13, Eli had serious misgivings about taking the ark to battle. Old and feeble at age ninety-eight, Eli falls off his chair and breaks his neck when he hears the extent of the catastrophe, especially the news about the capture of the ark. This is worse than the report that his own ...

3541. Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

1 Samuel 7:2-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Approximately twenty years elapse before the Israelites gain any lasting relief from Philistine oppression. Finally, Samuel senses that a genuine repentance is under way, so he challenges the people to rid themselves of their “foreign gods,” identified as their “Baals and Ashtoreths” (7:2–6). Throughout the period of the judges, many Israelites worshiped these deities. Baal was the Canaanite god of rain and agriculture and, ironically, was sometimes described as the son of Dagon. The Ashtoreths were female ...

3542. Israel Routs the Philistines

1 Sam 14:15-52

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

As confusion grows among the Philistine forces, the Lord sends the whole army into a panic by shaking the ground (14:15–23). The earth tremor frightens the Philistines, and they fight among themselves in all the confusion and flee the battleground. It is the same sort of panic that was behind the victory at Mizpah (1 Sam. 7:7–12) and the defeat of the Midianites under Gideon (Judg. 7:22). Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah report the commotion to their commander, and Saul immediately consults Ahijah the priest, ...

3543. David Again Spares Saul's Life

1 Samuel 26:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

David again refuses to kill Saul (26:1–12). As in 24:2, Saul takes three thousand (or three “companies” of) men to track David down in the Desert of Ziph, where he narrowly escaped from Saul earlier (23:24–28). David’s scouts tell him where Saul and his army are camping for the night, and David himself comes close enough to see where Saul and Abner are lying down. With characteristic boldness, David decides to pay a visit to the camp, accompanied by Abishai, his nephew who will later become one of his top ...

3544. Abner Goes Over to David

2 Samuel 3:6-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In the years that follow, David continues to enjoy success in the conflict with Ish-Bosheth. One sign of David’s increasing strength is the number of sons born to him in Hebron (3:1–5). Since none of the six have the same mother, we learn that David has taken four more wives. One of these—Maakah, daughter of the king of Geshur—was probably married to David for political reasons, to make an alliance with the Aramean city-state northeast of the Sea of Galilee. It is Maakah’s son Absalom who will kill David’s ...

3545. God's Promise to David

2 Samuel 7:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

After the Phoenicians have built a palace for David out of the cedars of Lebanon, David wants to build a magnificent temple for the Lord (7:1–7). At first the prophet Nathan encourages him, but then the Lord reveals to Nathan that David will not be allowed to construct the temple. The reason is not explicit in 2 Samuel and differs from the Chronicler’s explanation, that David is a man of war who has shed much blood and that his son Solomon will be “a man of peace and rest,” who will be allowed to build the ...

3546. Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 14:1-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Since David responded so well to Nathan’s indirect approach in 12:1–7, Joab decides to use the same method with reference to his cousin Absalom (14:1–11). The story told by the wise woman bears some resemblance to the struggle between Amnon and Absalom, but it is disguised to the extent that David can make an objective decision before applying it to his own case. He rules in the woman’s favor and in doing so creates tension between his ruling and his banishment of Absalom. Once David has solemnly promised ...

3547. The Ark Brought to the Temple

1 Kings 8:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Even though two long chapters describe the building and contents of the temple, nothing substantial has yet happened. That is poised to change in the next major unit of the narrative, a stretch of text that describes the first activities and ceremonies in the newly built house. The king summons the elders (8:1–11) during the month of “Ethanim” (seventh month). Coinciding with the Feast of Tabernacles, this is an ideal time to bring the ark into the temple due to the number of people in the city and the ...

3548. Jeroboam Rebels Against Solomon

1 Kings 11:26-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Solomon’s opponents are not only external but internal as well. Jeroboam (11:26–40) is of northern provenance, and his industriousness captures the king’s attention, in such a way that he is rewarded with a key promotion over the northern labor force. But Solomon is not the only one to notice Jeroboam: for no specified reason, Jeroboam receives an oracle, delivered by Ahijah of Shiloh. Ahijah has no introduction and has not appeared previously in the narrative, but his hometown of Shiloh is certainly ...

3549. Judah’s Captivity

2 Kings 24:18–25:30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Zedekiah may have changed his name, but he is powerless to change the times. It is under his leadership (24:18–25:12) that the kingdom of Judah reaches its end. For some reason, Zedekiah rebels (or “acts audaciously”) against the king of Babylon, in all likelihood by siding once more with Egypt (25:1−12). Whatever Zedekiah was hoping to achieve through such a rebellion did not happen, and Nebuchadnezzar’s retribution is fierce: Jerusalem becomes a city under siege, and the siege is a long one. Finally, the ...

3550. The Defeat and Death of Saul

1 Chronicles 10:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

10:1–29:30 Review · The Account of David: With chapter 10, 1 Chronicles shifts from its genealogical introduction to the story of the Davidic monarchy. This story begins with the tragic death of Saul, revealing Saul’s role as a foil against which one may see the brilliance of David. The account of David comprises two main sections divided by the story in chapter 21, which reveals how the temple site was chosen. Driving the first main section (chaps. 10–20) is David’s passion for the centralization of ...

Showing results