Sermon and Worship Resources

Deuteronomy 21:18-21

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... , not a murder victim. Hanging is not the means of execution (which is stoning), but a kind of intensification, perhaps for its deterrent effect. The law does not prescribe that the body of a person put to death under the law should be hung up in open view. But it is a known custom, occasionally recorded in exceptional circumstances in the OT itself (e.g., Num. 25:4; Josh. 8:29; 10:26f.; 2 Sam. 21:5–9). This law limits the exposure to the remaining daylight hours of the day of execution. The explicit ...

4327. Curses from Mount Ebal

Deuteronomy 27:9-26

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... formula” is not used here, the chapter obviously does not intend that Mt. Ebal was that place. But then, if it was not, we have an exception to the alleged “rule” that no other sanctuaries were to be allowed—an exception that, in view of its significant position in the book, raises questions about the assumption that Deut. in its origins was so fundamentally intended to achieve centralization. 27:15–26 On the relation of these curses to Israel’s earliest law, and especially the “prohibitives ...

4328. The Offer of Life or Death

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... –32). All the points expressed have been made before, but combining them in this fashion increases their intensity. The issue is a matter of life and death. The context shows that the whole nation and its continuing prosperity on the land are in view. Yet the passage, so typically of Deuteronomy, is expressed in the second person singular, thus presenting the whole matter as an intensely personal choice—a choice that matters more than any other in life. The opening words of the appeal, See, I set before ...

4329. The Death of Samson

Judges 16:23-31

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... his family who went down—to get his body in order to give it a proper burial in the family tomb. Now that we have scrutinized Samson’s story in greater depth, some further comments are in order. A number of interpreters have pointed out that Samson is to be viewed on two levels, as the last of the twelve judges and as a mirror of Israel. He more than any other judge embodied the tragedy that was Israel at that time—born by an act of God, set apart to God from birth (Exod. 19:4–6), blessed to be ...

4330. Solomon's Wisdom

1 Kings 4:29-34

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... where Deut. 17:16–17 is most obviously the text in the background—where Solomon is accumulating both gold (e.g., 1 Kgs. 10:14) and wives (1 Kgs. 11:3). The extremely large number in the Hb. text of 4:26 is to be expected in view of what the text is trying to say about Solomon as the archetypal multiplier of horses—and numbers in the OT characteristically do aim to do much more than simply communicate facts (see the introduction). 4:33 He described plant life . . . animals: Careful observation of the ...

4331. Asa King of Judah

1 Kings 15:9-24

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... just a hint here that Asa, too, departed from God in his old age (cf. 11:4) and was punished for doing so? Additional Notes 15:6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam: It is curious that a reference to Rehoboam should appear here, particularly in view of the reference to Abijam and Jeroboam in v. 7. Presumably the point is to stress the continuity between the two “wars.” It is not just that Abijam has picked his own quarrel with Jeroboam (or vice versa); the feud between the houses of Rehoboam and ...

4332. Ahaziah King of Israel

1 Kings 22:51-53

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... 2 / Baal-Zebub: Lit. “Baal/lord of the flies.” There is some manuscript evidence of a version of this name (“Beelzebub”) in a few Gospel texts that refer to Satan (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19). This is interesting in view of the links between OT spirit possession and NT demon possession that have been noted in our discussion of 1 Kgs. 18 (cf. the commentary on 18:15–29 and the additional note on 18:29). The OT figure of Baal stands explicitly behind the NT figure of Satan ...

4333. Ministers of Baal Killed

2 Kings 10:18-36

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

The Destruction Continues: Elijah had prophesied that the LORD would consume Ahab’s descendants and cut off from him every last male in Israel (1 Kgs. 21:21; cf. the previous prophecies against Jeroboam and Baasha in 1 Kgs. 14:10; 16:3). It comes as little surprise, in view of the literal fulfillment of such prophecy in 1 Kings 15:29 and 16:11–12, to find that Jehu is not content with the deaths of Jehoram and Jezebel but now looks to wipe out Ahab’s family in toto (2 Kgs. 10:1–17). Nor is it any ...

4334. Jeroboam II King of Israel

2 Kings 14:23-29

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah: If the Hb. leḇôʾ ḥamāṯ is indeed intended as the name of a city, then the question arises as to its location. It is commonly supposed to be located to the southwest of Hamath itself. The difficulty with this view, however, is that in 1 Kgs. 8:65 the phrase “from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt” seems intended as a designation of the whole Solomonic empire, analogous to the phrases “from the River to the land of Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt ...

4335. Azariah King of Judah

2 Kings 15:1-7

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah: If the Hb. leḇôʾ ḥamāṯ is indeed intended as the name of a city, then the question arises as to its location. It is commonly supposed to be located to the southwest of Hamath itself. The difficulty with this view, however, is that in 1 Kgs. 8:65 the phrase “from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt” seems intended as a designation of the whole Solomonic empire, analogous to the phrases “from the River to the land of Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt ...

4336. Jerusalem's Deliverance Foretold

2 Kings 19:1-13

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... in Egypt, dried up all her streams with the soles of his feet (v. 24). Did he measure all the trees? How did his feet come to have such absorbent qualities? The passage is not meant to be taken literally. It is the very point that Sennacherib has an exaggerated view of his own accomplishments, as Assyrian kings often did. He thinks of himself as a god. He claims to have brought judgment—as only the LORD can do—upon the cedars of Lebanon (cf. Ps. 29:5; Isa. 2:12–13; Amos 2:9; Zech. 11:1–3) and upon ...

4337. Hezekiah's Prayer

2 Kings 19:14-19

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... in Egypt, dried up all her streams with the soles of his feet (v. 24). Did he measure all the trees? How did his feet come to have such absorbent qualities? The passage is not meant to be taken literally. It is the very point that Sennacherib has an exaggerated view of his own accomplishments, as Assyrian kings often did. He thinks of himself as a god. He claims to have brought judgment—as only the LORD can do—upon the cedars of Lebanon (cf. Ps. 29:5; Isa. 2:12–13; Amos 2:9; Zech. 11:1–3) and upon ...

4338. Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall

2 Kings 19:20-37

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... in Egypt, dried up all her streams with the soles of his feet (v. 24). Did he measure all the trees? How did his feet come to have such absorbent qualities? The passage is not meant to be taken literally. It is the very point that Sennacherib has an exaggerated view of his own accomplishments, as Assyrian kings often did. He thinks of himself as a god. He claims to have brought judgment—as only the LORD can do—upon the cedars of Lebanon (cf. Ps. 29:5; Isa. 2:12–13; Amos 2:9; Zech. 11:1–3) and upon ...

4339. Jehoiakim King of Judah

2 Kings 23:36--24:7

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... judgment is to die, like righteous Josiah (cf. John 19:37), at the hands of a foreign power, a suffering servant to his people. His fate is also to be “restored to health” after three days (like Hezekiah; cf. b. Ber. 10b for the rabbinic view that Hezekiah’s recovery was a near-resurrection from the dead, comparable to the Elisha miracle in 2 Kgs. 4:18–37). There will be a second coming, when Jerusalem and her remnant will once again know salvation. Victory, rather than defeat, will be experienced ...

4340. Jehoiachin King of Judah

2 Kings 24:8-17

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... judgment is to die, like righteous Josiah (cf. John 19:37), at the hands of a foreign power, a suffering servant to his people. His fate is also to be “restored to health” after three days (like Hezekiah; cf. b. Ber. 10b for the rabbinic view that Hezekiah’s recovery was a near-resurrection from the dead, comparable to the Elisha miracle in 2 Kgs. 4:18–37). There will be a second coming, when Jerusalem and her remnant will once again know salvation. Victory, rather than defeat, will be experienced ...

4341. Zedekiah King of Judah

2 Kings 24:18-20a

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... judgment is to die, like righteous Josiah (cf. John 19:37), at the hands of a foreign power, a suffering servant to his people. His fate is also to be “restored to health” after three days (like Hezekiah; cf. b. Ber. 10b for the rabbinic view that Hezekiah’s recovery was a near-resurrection from the dead, comparable to the Elisha miracle in 2 Kgs. 4:18–37). There will be a second coming, when Jerusalem and her remnant will once again know salvation. Victory, rather than defeat, will be experienced ...

4342. The Fall of Jerusalem

2 Kings 24:20b--25:26

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... judgment is to die, like righteous Josiah (cf. John 19:37), at the hands of a foreign power, a suffering servant to his people. His fate is also to be “restored to health” after three days (like Hezekiah; cf. b. Ber. 10b for the rabbinic view that Hezekiah’s recovery was a near-resurrection from the dead, comparable to the Elisha miracle in 2 Kgs. 4:18–37). There will be a second coming, when Jerusalem and her remnant will once again know salvation. Victory, rather than defeat, will be experienced ...

4343. Jehoiachin Released

2 Kings 25:27-30

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... judgment is to die, like righteous Josiah (cf. John 19:37), at the hands of a foreign power, a suffering servant to his people. His fate is also to be “restored to health” after three days (like Hezekiah; cf. b. Ber. 10b for the rabbinic view that Hezekiah’s recovery was a near-resurrection from the dead, comparable to the Elisha miracle in 2 Kgs. 4:18–37). There will be a second coming, when Jerusalem and her remnant will once again know salvation. Victory, rather than defeat, will be experienced ...

4344. The Sons of David

1 Chronicles 3:1-9

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... group as well as the close interrelationships (both familial and in terms of land) with their neighbors. The kind of social identity being negotiated here seems to be inclusive and accommodating, rather than defensive. Additional Notes 3:4–5 I. Kalimi (“View of Jerusalem,” pp. 556–62) investigates all the occurrences of Jerusalem in the Chronicler’s genealogies. Jerusalem occurs three times in the genealogies: here in the list of David’s descendants, in the Levite genealogy in 1 Chron. 6, and in ...

4345. David Conquers Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 11:4-9

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1–4), for example, the interim reign of Ish-Bosheth. Some commentators see a ring structure in this section. According to this view, 1 Chronicles 11:1–9, which tells that All-Israel came to Hebron to crown David, and 12:38–40, which narrates the actual coronation and celebration of David, form the outer circle of this narrative. Included in this circle then are subsections ...

4346. David's Mighty Men

1 Chronicles 11:10-47

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1–4), for example, the interim reign of Ish-Bosheth. Some commentators see a ring structure in this section. According to this view, 1 Chronicles 11:1–9, which tells that All-Israel came to Hebron to crown David, and 12:38–40, which narrates the actual coronation and celebration of David, form the outer circle of this narrative. Included in this circle then are subsections ...

4347. Warriors Join David

1 Chronicles 12:1-22

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1–4), for example, the interim reign of Ish-Bosheth. Some commentators see a ring structure in this section. According to this view, 1 Chronicles 11:1–9, which tells that All-Israel came to Hebron to crown David, and 12:38–40, which narrates the actual coronation and celebration of David, form the outer circle of this narrative. Included in this circle then are subsections ...

4348. Others Join David at Hebron

1 Chronicles 12:23-40

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1–4), for example, the interim reign of Ish-Bosheth. Some commentators see a ring structure in this section. According to this view, 1 Chronicles 11:1–9, which tells that All-Israel came to Hebron to crown David, and 12:38–40, which narrates the actual coronation and celebration of David, form the outer circle of this narrative. Included in this circle then are subsections ...

4349. The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:6

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... Num. 4:15 and Deut. 10:8), but it also signifies the Chronicler’s high regard for the Levites. They are assigned this duty on account of their status, and they therefore occupy a special position within the Jerusalem cult, at least in the Chronicler’s view. The remark in 1 Chronicles 15:3 that David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem links back with similar terminology to the first attempt (13:5). Again, All-Israel is involved. However, the Chronicler this time adds that the ark had to be brought to the ...

4350. David's Psalm of Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:7-43

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... reworked and utilized this psalmic material (and even referred readers to Psalm commentaries for expositions of these texts!), more recent studies emphasize that the quotation of these psalm selections develops its own dynamic in the Chronicler’s hand. This view focuses our attention on the function of this new composite psalm in the Chronicler’s construction. Although some earlier studies thought that the psalm was inserted by later editors and was not originally from the Chronicler’s hand, the ...