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 3976 to 4000 of 4653 results

3976. Personal Instructions and Greetings

Titus 3:12-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... 11; 2 Cor. 1:16; 3 John 6, where the same verb, “to help on the way,” occurs in each instance). Nothing further is known of Zenas the lawyer, whose designation probably means that he was a jurist (expert in Roman law) by profession. It is a Pauline touch to identify a professional by his title (cf. “Luke the physician,” Col. 4:14; “Erastus, the city treasurer,” Rom. 16:23). Apollos is assumed to be the well-known, eloquent Alexandrian of that name (Acts 18:24–19:1; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4–22; 16:12 ...

3977. By Faith

Hebrews 11:1-40

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... and his faithfulness. Verse 28 moves from the general to the specific, the means by which the deliverance of the Israelites was effected. Faith made the Passover (Exod. 12:12f., 21–30) a possibility. The destroyer because of the sprinkled blood would not touch the firstborn of Israel (lit., “their [first-born]”). Thus it was Moses’ faith that caused him to obey God. He acted in confidence with respect to God’s faithfulness. The result was the deliverance of the Israelites and the punishment of the ...

3978. Favoritism Forbidden

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

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... with a demand that is common to this kind of speech: Show me [or “prove to me”] your faith without deeds. A better translation would be “Prove your faith without action.” This demand is impossible to meet. Like a horse that cannot be seen, smelled, touched, or ridden, that eats invisible grass and leaves no mark on the ground, such faith is indemonstrable and suspect. Faith is seen in lifestyle, or as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “If I had all … faith but had not love, I am nothing.” On ...

3979. The Christian and the World

James 4:1-12

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... they accept this fact. James moves from behavior to the inner problem when he demands: Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Again a ritual term from the Old Testament is selected (cf. Exod. 19:10), but the defilement now is not outward (e.g., from having touched a dead body) but inward. The nature of the purification necessary appears in the term double-, the same term found in 1:8, meaning, not a person consciously hiding his or her real motives but one who has divided motives. On the one hand, they wish ...

3980. The Living Stone and a Chosen People

1 Peter 2:4-12

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... loyal to his covenant. The priesthood here spoken of is one applying to all Peter’s readers, that is, to believers in general (not to a hierarchy of a select few set apart), as in verse 5, where Christian priestly duties have already been touched upon. As members of a holy nation, all believers are set apart for God (the sense of holy), but without geographic boundaries or without being limited to particular cultures, ages, or ethnic groups. This is a worldwide, spiritual people belonging to God (laos eis ...

3981. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... from the way he writes that they were all Gentiles. The many references to the Hebrew OT suggest otherwise, for Peter would hardly inject an important letter with frequent allusions which his readers might have little chance to appreciate. With a touch of ironical understatement, Peter reminds them that they have spent enough time in the past filling their hours with immoral pagan practices. What those practices were accurately reflects what is known of the contemporary situation in Asia Minor. The acts of ...

3982. Suffering for Being a Christian

1 Peter 4:12-19

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... , and this may have come as a surprise to Peter’s readers in view of all they were already going through, the judgment will begin with the family of God. Christians are not exempt. But what is the purpose behind the judgment of believers? Peter has already touched on this at the beginning of his letter: it is to refine faith, for faith in God’s sight is infinitely precious. On the human level, even gold has to go through the crucible (1:7). But there is another aspect to the judgment faced by believers ...

3983. False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 Peter 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... through the restraints of moral law to gratify lust. The term occurs in the NT only here and in 3:17. See Turner, pp. 254–55. 2:8 Tormented: Ebasanizen is a Greek imperfect, indicating constant action. The verb basanizein basically means to rub on the touch-stone, or to put on the rack. It describes the terrible suffering of the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:6), the eventual torture anticipated by demons at the judgment (Matt. 8:29), and the disciples straining at the oars against the gale (Mark 6:48 ...

3984. The Sin and Doom of Godless Men

Jude 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... wave before being dumped on the shore. Shame is plural in the Greek and could refer to these men’s deeds or to their words (or both). In either case, their effect is to spoil, not to edify; to soil, not to beautify the lives they touch. Wandering stars (planētai): There is a play on words between planētai, wanderers off course, and planē, error (v. 11). Theophilus of Antioch (late second century) uses similar language. The righteous are law-abiding, like fixed stars. But planets “are types of men who ...

3985. Signs for Moses

Exodus 4:1-17

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... ” is from the root ʾaman, from which the modern word “amen” comes. It refers, therefore, to something being “true,” “trustworthy,” “believable.” The second sign of Moses’ believability was not the staff in his hand, but the hand itself. The sign touched Moses’ flesh. It was a sign of power because he would appear to control, with God, his own health and illness. The phrase inside your cloak is, literally, “on your chest,” meaning “on the skin of your chest.” The rhetoric ...

3986. The Plague on the Firstborn

Exodus 11:1-10

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... Lord delivers the long-awaited announcement that, after one more plague, the pharaoh will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. This time the word translated “plague” (negaʿ) is new. When God is the initiator, this word means his “touch” of judgment (Gen. 12:17; 2 Sam. 7:14). This word is more personal than the typical word used for plague (deber). Indeed, the Lord is the one who brings the death (v. 4) that leads not only to their exit, but also to being driven ...

3987. The Covenant Confirmed

Exodus 24:1-18

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... . “Young men” and “young bulls” emphasize this symbol. The lifeblood of the animal that God created communicated this gift of new life in the just ordering of relationships in the book (see comment on 23:10). Under other circumstances the people were never to touch sacrificed blood, which belonged to God alone. The sharing of the blood with God bound them to the Lord’s gift. In Leviticus, by contrast, blood cleansed people from sin. In the NT, Jesus said, “This [cup] is my blood of the covenant ...

3988. The Tabernacle

Exodus 26:1-37

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... ladder with big steps. The bottom of each board was cut as a tenon to fit into mortised (deeply grooved) metal bases. All the upright frames were to be ten cubits long (approx. 15 ft.). God further instructed that the wooden frames be erected side by side and touching, the whole length of the wall (so the stud frames were about 24 in. on center). The north and south sides of the tabernacle had the longer walls, thirty cubits long (45 ft.), made of twenty frames each (by 1.5 cubits wide). The west end of the ...

3989. Consecration of the Priests

Exodus 29:1-46

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... priests. They would also eat part of the ram in the Lord’s presence as a demonstration of their fellowship and solidarity with God’s call on their lives. The least familiar part of the ordination service is the application of the blood of the ram. Moses was to touch Aaron and his sons with the blood on the lobes of their right ears . . . on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. He also was to sprinkle it not just on the altar but also, with the anointing oil, on them ...

3990. Allotment for Simeon

Joshua 19:1-9

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... other tribes in Galilee; Issachar, Naphtali, and Asher border it on the southeast, northeast, and northwest. On the south its border runs from Sarid westward to Babbesheth and then eastward from Sarid to Baberath, Japhia, and Gath Helpher. The northern border touches Rimmon, passing through the modern Bet Netofa Valley to Hannathon. The western border runs southwest and south through the Valley of Iphta El (Wadi el-Mahik) to Kishon (C. G. Rasmussen, Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible [Grand Rapids: Zondervan ...

3991. Samson’s Marriage

Judges 14:1-20

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... bees and some honey, which he scooped out with his hands: There is a wordplay between the forms of the Hb. root “went down” (yrd) and “scraped” (rdh); that the author used this unusual root (rdh) demonstrates that the wordplay was intentional. Samson’s touching a carcass to scrape the honey represented his “going down,” spiritually speaking. 14:10 Now his father went down to see the woman: The NIV (following the Hb. text) states that “his father went down to see the woman,” followed by the ...

3992. Samson's Vengeance on the Philistines

Judges 15:1-20

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... v. 14). He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey and with it struck down a thousand men. Several aspects of this episode are unusual. To begin with, a donkey’s jawbone is a bizarre weapon. Moreover, Samson again violated his Nazirite vow by touching a carcass to get the fresh jawbone. The fact that he singlehandedly struck down a whole military contingent with it is nothing short of miraculous. Samson’s clever little ditty composed for the occasion (v. 16) recalls similar witty compositions (14:14, 18) and ...

3993. Bringing Back the Ark

1 Chronicles 13:1-14

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... 2 Sam. 6:6). The reason for the latter change remains a mystery to commentators. Another small change, which reflects again the Chronicler’s theology, was made in 1 Chronicles 13:10. The source text, 2 Samuel 6:7, mentions that “Uzzah,” after having touched the ark when the oxen stumbled, was “struck” by God and “he died there beside the ark of God.” The latter phrase is clearly meant as locative. The Chronicler, however, changed the phrase into so he died there before God. This small change ...

3994. David Numbers the Fighting Men

1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... to David and his men, David wanted to give an account again of his own sphere of influence. Neither the omission of Levi and Benjamin from the census nor the census in itself is sinful. The census is rather an expression again (analogous to Uzzah’s touching the ark en route to Jerusalem) of David’s own attempt to establish his “house.” But David realizes his sinful act and confesses his guilt before Yahweh. In a divine oracle through the seer Gad the Lord gives David three options for his punishment ...

3995. Esther's Request to the King

Esther 5:1-8

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... that Mordecai refused to bow before him (vv. 9, 13). The emphasis on what people see underscores the importance of protocol in the Persian court—protocol that Mordecai deliberately ignores but Esther skillfully exploits. After a ritual of acceptance in which Esther touched the extended scepter (v. 2), the king offers his kindness in a standard formula of generosity: “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you” (5:3). Such an offer has precedents ...

3996. Triumph of the Jews

Esther 9:1-19

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... for these words (nvkh) was introduced with the “holiday” (hanakhah) proclaimed when Esther became queen in 2:18. In 3:8, Haman informed the king that it was not in his interest to “tolerate” (lehannikham) this certain people (literally, to let them rest, or remain). Now, with a touch of irony, the Jews celebrate rest repeatedly (9:16–18, 22). Rest is also a leitmotif in conquest narratives (Deut. 3:20; 12:9–10; 25:19; Josh. 1:13, 15; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1; 2 Sam. 7:11). In fact, rest is the goal of ...

3997. Let Him Kiss Me

Song of Songs 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... again in verse 4e. And yet, it is also possible that the central woman is the speaker throughout these verses (as in NJB) or that a group speaks the second half of verse 4a (as in NAB). The imagery of these verses evokes the senses of touch (“kiss”), taste (“wine”), and smell (“perfume”). The double mention of wine (vv. 2b and 4d) may evoke a sense of headiness which is replicated in the readers who struggle to make sense of the shifting linguistic landscape. 1:5–6 A woman is speaking to other ...

3998. Unfaithful Israel

Jeremiah 3:6-4:4

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... with gold. At each side of the ark were to be placed gold statues of cherubim. The cherubim are especially powerful spiritual beings who served the role of protectors of God’s holiness. They are at the sides of the ark with their wings outstretched and touching each other, while their heads are bowed. The reason for their posture is that the ark is the most potent symbol of God’s presence in the tabernacle. Indeed, it is seen as the footstool of his throne (1 Chr. 28:2), perhaps even occasionally as ...

3999. How the Lord has Covered the Daughter of Zion

Lamentations 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... debased (to the earth). According to Jeremiah 7, the people of Judah had continued sinning in spite of prophetic warnings because they felt God would not turn against Jerusalem, since the temple was there. The presence of the temple made them think that God touched earth at that site; in other words it was God’s footstool. But God did not remember, God did not regard, this footstool, but brought destruction on it. 2:2 Bet. Here the Lord is described as destroying Judah (again addressed by the intimate ...

4000. How the Gold Has Lost Its Luster

Lamentations 4:1-22

One Volume

Tremper Longman III

... is revolting and horrible. Deuteronomy warned that Israel’s rebellion would lead to such a consequence. In the context of the curses of the covenant, we read: The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For she intends to eat them secretly during the siege and in the distress that your enemy will ...

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