Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: thirstiness, dryness, parched, craving, strong desire, longing, yearning, avidity, hunger, voracity, keenness, eagerness, lust, appetite, passion, love, crave, want, covet, desire, hunger for/after, lust for/after, hanker for/after, have one's heart set on

Antonyms: aversion, distaste, apathy, dislike, hatred, antipathy, disgust, disregard, abhorrence, acrimony, wet, animosity, animus, antagonism, bad feeling, bitterness, be averse to, detestation

Showing 4501 to 4525 of 4959 results

4501. Eliphaz's Third Speech to Job

Job 22:1-30

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... is the source of all the good things—the wealth and provisions—with which they filled their houses. Job himself similarly describes the wicked’s rejection of God in 21:14: “Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.’ ” By associating Job with the rebellious wicked, Eliphaz intends to subject Job to self-condemnation. Assuming the inevitability of judgment on such self-focused and unrepentant wicked persons, Eliphaz takes care to stand aloof from the counsel of ...

4502. Job's Final Concession

Job 42:1-6

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... changed. Those who take the repentance route must come up with some sin that Job has committed. Often this sin is pride, or at least the danger of pride (Hartley, Job, p. 536). It seems to me that what Job changes his mind about is his desire for personal vindication. His new understanding of God practically obliterates any need for a public declaration of his innocence. It is enough for him to stand in right relationship with this sovereign God, who is so far beyond human knowing. If the Satan’s question ...

4503. The Birth of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:18-25

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... 28:20). When Joseph awoke from his dream he carried out the instructions he had received from the angel. Mary and Joseph were married but had no union (“sexual relations,” GNB) until after the child was born. One branch of the church, desiring to protect the “perpetual virginity” of Mary, holds that the couple never did have sexual relations. The mention of Jesus’ brothers and sisters in Matthew 13:55–56 points to a different conclusion. Additional Notes 1:19 Public: Gk. deigmatizō means “to ...

4504. Entering the Lord’s House

Psalm 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... designed for individuals who fell into the particular circumstances of false accusation; rather it was a regular liturgy for all entrants into Yahweh’s presence. We may now summarize the development of Psalm 5 as follows. In the opening section a speaker expresses the desire that Yahweh “give ear to my words” (vv. 1–3). In verses 4–6 we hear confessed Yahweh’s abhorrence and judgment of the wicked, who thus may not have an audience with him. The speaker then petitions to be granted entry into ...

4505. Delivering the Helpless from Social Oppression: Part II

Psalm 10:1-18

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... 9:7) / The LORD is king forever and ever (10:16) You have rebuked the nations . . . The nations will perish from his land. The memory of them has perished (9:5–6) / Nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish (10:18). You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted (10:16–17). He will judge the world in righteousness . . . . . . judging the fatherless and the oppressed (10:18) / The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed (9:8–9). Psalm 9–10 presents a powerful appeal to God. It neither retreats from reality ...

4506. God’s Revelation in the Skies and the Scriptures

Psalm 19:1-14

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... and that warn Yahweh’s servant. They lead him finally to petition Yahweh’s forgiveness and to own Yahweh as his Redeemer. Yahweh’s revelation leads not merely to awe and fear of natural powers, nor to legalistic religion, but to a relationship so personal and cherished that one’s desire is simply to be pleasing in Yahweh’s sight.

4507. Salt and Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... to place themselves under the reign of God are to live out their lives. The ethical requirements of the sermon are intended not to drive people to despair so they will then cast themselves upon the mercy of God, but to guide and direct those who desire to please him. It is true that the demands are stated in absolute terms (“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” 5:48), but that is the nature of all great ethical teaching. Although we may not reach the stars, they still serve us ...

4508. The Fulfillment of the Law

Matthew 5:17-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4509. A Victory Procession and Instruction for Temple Entry

Psalm 24:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... verses 1–2, it is doubtful we would notice anything was missing. The answer is twofold: these verses describe Yahweh’s worshipers, and his worshipers are also presented as a reflection of Yahweh himself. (A god may be known by the kind of worshipers he/she desires.) Yahweh has proved himself the victor, but is this good news and if so, for whom? These verses thus explain the character of the conqueror: he is the kind who would be king over a society based on truth. As in all victory celebrations, this ...

4510. Divorce

Matthew 5:31-32

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4511. Oaths

Matthew 5:33-37

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4512. An Eye for an Eye

Matthew 5:38-42

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4513. To Be Spared from the Lord’s Judgment on the Wicked

Psalm 28:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... to his land (e.g., 68:9; 79:1). The closing petitions are thus comprehensive, including both protection and providence. Overall, the liturgy of Psalm 28 reflects a respect for Yahweh and his house as holy, not accessible to the wicked. But once entry is granted, it also reflects a desire that all God’s people enjoy his beneficent care.

4514. Love for Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4515. Taste and See that the Lord Hears and Delivers

Psalm 34:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... ) and to turn from evil and seek peace. As in the wisdom literature of Proverbs, the teacher commands children (Prov. 1:8; 4:1; 5:7; 7:24; 8:32) about the fear of the LORD (Prov. 1:7; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27), and uses the desire for long life and “many . . . days” (Prov. 3:2, 16; 4:10; 9:11) as a motivation for moral behavior (Prov. 2:12; 3:7; 11:27; 16:6; 12:13; 13:21). 34:15–22 Like the first section, this one returns to the theme of deliverance. Its statements ...

4516. Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... . 22:1; epeirase, LXX) Abraham by telling him to offer his son Isaac, the clear meaning is that he put him to the test. James’s word on temptation (as seduction to evil) is that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (James 1:14). The two meanings of “tempt” should be kept separate. For interpreters who understand the prayer eschatologically, the period of trial is the intensely difficult time of suffering that immediately precedes the second coming of ...

4517. Cultivating Faithfulness Until the Flourishing Wicked Wither

Psalm 37:1-40

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... that Psalm 37 forms, certain tensions emerge, where one proverb clarifies or moderates another (cf. Prov. 26:4–5). A righteous person is promised that his feet do not slip (v. 31), but he may stumble (lit. “fall,” v. 24). One is also promised the desires of his heart (v. 4), but one may also possess little (v. 16). And one is not promised to be spared entirely from experiencing times of disaster (v. 19) and of trouble (v. 39). Perhaps most significant is how this collection ends. It is the ultimate ...

4518. Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... who keep on asking that receive and those who keep on seeking that find. God opens the door to those who keep on knocking. Divine delays do not indicate reluctance on God’s part. In the time of waiting we learn patience, and the intensity of our desire is put to the test. God, through Jeremiah, told the exiles in Babylon, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). It is those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” that are satisfied (Matt. 5:6). Jesus ...

4519. The Would-Be Pilgrim Who Thirsts for God: Part I

Psalm 42:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... one (42:1–5) and two (42:6–11); and the repetition found in 42:9; 43:2 ties together sections two and three (43:1–5). The psalm appears to place us at some distance from the temple (42:6–7; 43:3). At issue is the speaker’s desire to “enter” (Hb. bwʾ, rendered “go” or “bring” in 42:2; 43:3, 4) before God’s presence “to offer thanksgiving” (or “praise,” Hb. tôdâ and hôdâ, 42:4, 5, 11, 43:4, 5), but he is inhibited from making the pilgrimage. Whether “deceitful and wicked ...

4520. A Tree and Its Fruit

Matthew 7:15-23

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... Lord is not enough. On the day of judgment false prophets will protest that in the name of Jesus they prophesied, drove out many demons, and worked many miracles, only to be declared evildoers unknown to the Lord. Only those who do what God desires will enter the kingdom of heaven. Judgment is based upon living out the will of God, not on claims of apostolic activity. Lord was a common form of polite address (much like our “sir”), although the present context (final judgment) reflects its later use ...

4521. The Penitential Psalm

Psalm 51:1-19

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... doxology of judgment. This remarkable self-understanding is not common knowledge, nor is it the result of scrutinizing introspection—it is the result of divine revelation: you teach me wisdom in the inmost place (cf. Jer. 17:9–10). Recognizing now that you desire truth in the inner parts, the speaker must realize how much he has missed the mark (which is the basic meaning of “sin,” as noted previously). 51:7–12 The opening verses of this petitionary section echo the petitions opening the psalm ...

4522. The Calling of Matthew

Matthew 9:9-13

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... B.C. Cynic philosopher): “Neither does a physician who is capable of giving health practice among those who are well.” Jesus counsels the Pharisees to go and learn (a common rabbinic formula) what the Scripture means when it says that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. The quotation is from Hosea 6:6. Jesus’ ministry to the ceremonially unacceptable is an act of mercy, and this pleases God more than the Pharisees’ fastidious attention to sacrificial offerings. Mercy translates the Hebrew ḥesed, a ...

4523. A Pilgrim’s Prayer to Fulfill Vows at God’s House

Psalm 61:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... rock of the temple mount. Psalm 27 also uses “tent,” “shelter,” and “rock” as parallel expressions for Yahweh’s dwelling (27:5). It also contains several other connections with Psalm 61: the depiction of Yahweh as a refuge/tower/stronghold (61:3 // 27:1), the desire to worship at his dwelling forever (61:4–5, 8 // 27:4), and the request for guidance (61:2 // 27:11). Second, the ends of the earth (Hb. hāʾāreṣ, v. 2) should probably be rendered “the ends of the land.” The mention of ...

4524. The Pilgrim’s Thirst for God in a Dry and Weary Land

Psalm 63:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... in the opening verse, are not to be disdained, for they compel God’s pilgrims to find ultimate satisfaction in worshiping in God’s very presence. The confession, On my bed I remember you, expresses the devotion the pilgrim feels even in his private moments. The desire to sing in the shadow of your wings (alluding to the symbolism of Yahweh’s cherubim-throne) in connection with God’s help or protection is echoed in another pilgrim psalm (61:3–4; also cf. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1). The expression, My soul ...

4525. The God Who Blesses Israel’s Harvests and His International Praise

Psalm 67:1-7

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... whole. The opening two verses introduce the psalm’s theme by combining the priestly blessing on Israel (v. 1) and the nations’ recognition of Yahweh (v. 2), familiar from the psalms of Yahweh’s kingship. Verses 3–5 develop verse 2, expressing the desire that “all the peoples praise you.” Verses 6–7 develop verse 1, specifying that God’s blessing be on our harvest. (For those fond of discovering such literary features, we may note this forms a chiastic structure.) The psalm thus invokes God ...

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