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Showing 4751 to 4775 of 4986 results

4751. Balaam’s Final Prophecies: The Star and the Scepter

Num 24:15-25

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... 21. The fulfillment of these ships from Kittim may be the Sea Peoples’ invasions of Palestine, Syria, and Anatolia in the 1200s BC, which affected wide regions of the Near East. 24:25 Balaam . . . returned home. Balaam either does not arrive or does not stay home. Later he is captured by the Israelites and executed for planning the events recorded in Numbers 25 (Num. 31:8, 15–16; Josh 13:22). Theological Insights Numbers 24:14–25 describes God as exalted (“Most High”) as having the power to ...

4752. Cities of Refuge

Numbers 35:6-34, Numbers 35:1-5

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... is no history of hostility or if there is evidence that it was an accident—a person throws a rock over a cliff unaware that someone is below—those facts can be the basis of acquittal of deliberate murder. 35:25–28 The accused must stay there . . . until the death of the high priest. Negligent manslaughter is nonetheless punished to a lesser degree. A person guilty of unintentional manslaughter is confined to the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. If the guilty party leaves the city ...

4753. The Daughters of Zelophehad (Part 2)

Numbers 36:1-13

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... in Numbers 32:28. 36:3 suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes. If these women marry outside their tribe of Manasseh, Manasseh may lose some of its inheritance in the land. According to the ruling in Numbers 27:1–11, the inheritance should theoretically stay in the line of Gilead-Makir-Manasseh-Joseph. The children borne by these women will be considered to be of the line not of their father’s tribes (assuming that the father is of another tribe) but rather of the women’s deceased father ...

4754. The Lord Thwarts a Curse

2 Sam 16:1-14

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... A (= Adultery) on her chest. Hester, whose husband has apparently been lost at sea, never tells the name of her lover; Dimmesdale, in a profound lack of moral courage, does not confess till the end. Deceiving himself, he rationalizes his sin enough to stay silent about it and continue as the pastor; yet the sin eats away at him daily—the mark of divine discipline. How much better he would have fared if he had immediately confessed to his congregation and submitted to discipline. The dramatic contrast ...

4755. Ruling in the Fear of the Lord

2 Samuel 23:1-7

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... being found distributing antiwar leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother Hans. They were both guillotined. Scholl is celebrated as one of the great German heroes who actively opposed the Third Reich during World War II. Scholl’s confidence in staying true to her principles was extraordinary; her religious faith was the key factor in her decision to oppose the Nazi regime unwaveringly, a decision that led to her death. Among her memorable quotes in the film are these words: “I will cling ...

4756. Saul’s Finest Hour

1 Sam 11:1-15

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Morris (1873–93), a nineteenth-century Liberian prince, converted to Christianity when he was about fourteen. Sometime after his conversion but before he left for the United States, he was captured by a tribe who cruelly tortured him. Knowing he would likely die if he stayed there, he managed a miraculous escape and was taken in by another former slave. The young man’s dream was to go to America, to learn more about God and the Holy Spirit—a particular interest—so that he could return to Liberia to ...

4757. The Lord Guides, Encourages, and Protects David

1 Samuel 23:1-29

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... his relentless quest to capture David (vv. 21–23). But the Lord takes care of David amid danger, proving that when he leads his people into harm’s way, he does not abandon them. The Lord warns David that Keilah is not a safe place to stay, ironically through the ephod brought by Abiathar. When Saul killed the priests of Nob, he effectively cut off communication with God. Abiathar escaped, bringing with him the ephod that David uses to gain vital information that allows him to escape (vv. 9–12). By the ...

4758. David Listens to the Voice of Wisdom

1 Samuel 25:1-44

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... actually protect Nabal’s workers (see vv. 15–16) from wandering outlaw groups and foreign raiders. How should we interpret David’s motives and actions? David may be operating in accordance with the practices of his time. He and his men need to stay alive. To do so, they must creatively scrounge for provisions. To his credit, David refuses to become a bandit who robs and pillages. Instead, he offers his services, as it were, expecting to be rewarded for providing “protection,” when he has the power ...

4759. Escaping a Tangled Web

1 Samuel 30:1-31, 1 Samuel 29:1-11

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... in chapters 21–23, we see the stark contrast between the desperate David, who seeks refuge with Achish, and the exemplary David, who seeks the Lord’s guidance and protection. Before Achish, David is a pretender who resorts to extreme deceit to stay alive. On both occasions God, speaking through the Philistines, confronts David with who he really is and then providentially causes the Philistines to expel him. Once freed from his efforts at self-preservation, David does what he should have been doing in ...

4760. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

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Daniel J. Estes

... . Relinquishing everything, she went to the most wretched quarter of the city, gathered up a few abandoned children, and began her ministry. She chose to live her life within the slums of Calcutta. Muggeridge witnessed horrors in Calcutta he had to turn away from, but he writes that Mother Teresa stayed and reached out, seeming to grow stronger every year.

4761. Zophar Rejects Job’s Complaints

Job 11:1-20

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Daniel J. Estes

... of the retribution principle by stating that if all sufferers are being punished for their own sin, then Jesus should never have hung on a cross. Stories: Consider sharing a story about someone you know whose suffering was largely misunderstood. Try to stay away from celebrities or notorious persons about whom your listeners may already have an opinion. The main point of this story should be transformation you actually experienced in your understanding of that person and how an initial mistrust or sense of ...

4762. Job Presents Evidence against the Retribution Principle

Job 12:1--14:22

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Daniel J. Estes

... is tempted to see as waste. Called to the Colorado Indians of Ecuador when single, she spent almost a year reducing the language of the Indians to an alphabet in order for Bible translation to occur. Not only were her living conditions hard, but while staying among the Indians, she also saw those she loved die, her guide murdered, and finally, the completed manuscript—her year’s work, carried in a suitcase—lost off the top of a bus. The trial is almost beyond her tolerance. She writes, following her ...

4763. Job’s Hope against Hope

Job 19:1-29

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Daniel J. Estes

... the much earlier television series by the same name. In this story, a prominent physician has been wrongfully accused and convicted of murdering his wife. Escaping his captors, he is pursued relentlessly. He maintains a sense of hope and endurance that helps him to stay alive, elude his accusers, and finally bring about justice. This hope is based on the solid foundations of his innocence and on the profound belief that he will be able to prove that innocence to his pursuers, a feat he does accomplish. This ...

4764. Zophar’s Final Words for Job

Job 20:1-29

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... they had worked to achieve. News Story: In recent history, two governors of Illinois (representing both political parties) have been tried for some kind of political manipulation (George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich). George Ryan was sent to jail, even having to stay there while his wife was dying of cancer. Rod Blagojevich also went to jail. A number of senators and members of Congress have had their reputations ruined for perverse and undignified sexual activities. The brazenness of the behavior in so many ...

4765. “You Will Fill Me with Joy in Your Presence”

Psalm 16:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... prudent planner, he had two scoutmasters and an Eagle Scout on the trip to ensure the safety of the students. Wanting to show his value to the team, the pastor went out front to blaze the trail, to show the scouts that he could read the map and stay on the trail. Hiking at a rapid pace, he arrived at the day’s destination long before the scouts. Puffing up with pride, the pastor asked the scouts as they arrived, “What took you so long?” The scouts merely smiled and complimented him. A little later one ...

4766. “When I Awake, I Will Be Satisfied with Seeing Your Likeness”

Psalm 17:1-15

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... legal cases that were too difficult for the courts, individuals could go to the temple and appear before the priest or the judge and receive his decision (Deut. 17:8–13). Some scholars propose that Psalm 17 reflects such an instance, and the defendant stayed overnight to receive the decision the next morning (17:3, 15).2 The form critics are inclined to date this psalm in the late preexilic or early postexilic era, assuming that the psalmist is in the temple (17:3) awaiting his answer.[3] However, the ...

4767. “The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Lack Nothing”

Psalm 23:1-6

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... pursuits, and finding that he [Farel] gained nothing by entreaties, he proceeded to utter an imprecation that God would curse my retirement and the tranquillity of the studies which I sought if I should withdraw and refuse to give assistance when the necessity was so urgent.18 Thankfully Calvin did stay in Geneva, pursued by God’s “goodness and love,” and changed the history of the church and the history of Western civilization.

4768. “Do Not Drag Me Away with the Wicked”

Psalm 28:1-9

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... 26–28. In Psalm 26 the worshiper, much like the suppliant of Psalms 15 and 24, is concerned about the ethical requirement for entrance into the temple (26:2–8), finally arriving there for worship (26:12), where the security and joy of the temple make him want to stay forever (27:4). In Psalm 28 he engages in worship there, lifting up his hands toward the holy of holies (28:2). Outline/Structure Part 1: The king’s prayer and the Lord’s answer (28:1–5) a. The king’s prayer (28:1–4) b. The answer ...

4769. “No One Can Redeem the Life of Another or Give to God a Ransom for Them”

Psalm 49:1-20

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... the beasts that perish” makes the rich appear all the more irrational. 49:13 This is the fate of those. This verse is difficult. Hakham judges it to be “among the most obscure verses in the Book of Psalms.”6The RSV seems to catch the sense while staying pretty close to the Hebrew text: “This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence, the end of those who are pleased with their portion.” Then follows the description of death in 49:14. 49:14 death will be their shepherd (but the upright ...

4770. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

Daniel 2:1-23, Daniel 2:24-49

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... relate to a larger systematic theology of the end times. Acknowledge the considerable diversity of opinions on how God’s kingdom fits into the picture (see “Additional Insights” following this unit), yet hold your speculations on these matters lightly while staying focused on that which is clear in the essential message of the text. Illustrating the Text God is at work throughout history to accomplish his will. Bible: The narratives of Joseph (Gen. 37–50) and Daniel (Dan. 1–6) are strikingly ...

4771. Spiritual Warfare and Jewish Suffering

Daniel 8:1-14

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off, and I will leave no one behind.” He keeps this promise by always standing beside his men while leading them in crisis and staying in the fight until all are off the battlefield. God not only has entered into our spiritual battles against sin and death—and won the ultimate victory—but remains with us as we engage in such warfare daily. Suffering, in part due to sin, requires repentance and faith ...

4772. Gabriel Brings an Answer to Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel 9:20-27

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... . Trying to understand why God allows the wicked to prosper can be a fruitless pursuit. Although our sin may likely be involved, the sin of our persecutor is equally visible before a watching God. Encourage your listeners to trust God through the darkness of suffering and to stay focused on their witness to the God who cares about their pain. Remind them that there is a future and hope for those who seek God with all their hearts (Jer. 29:10–14), that God keeps his covenant of love with those who love him ...

4773. Good for Nothing

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... when the train passed their little farm on the outskirts of town. If they wanted him to return home, they were to tie a white ribbon in the apple tree near the tracks. If they did not want him back, they were to do nothing and he would stay on the train, go West and lose himself forever. Nearing his hometown, the youth’s suspense and discomfort grew to where he could not look. Scudder’s friend offered to watch and the two exchanged places by the train window. A few minutes later, the friend laid his ...

4774. He Couldn't Tell a Lie

Matthew 5:20-26

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... you have to look like a movie star to be a big success in the world. I want to tell you about a man who had scars all over his face. When he was young, he contracted smallpox-- a terrible disease that was very prevalent back then. And the scars stayed with him for life. That may not give you a hint to who he was. Let me give you another one. Some people said that he had wooden teeth that did not fit well. Does that help you? How about if I told you that his face is on this ...

4775. How Do You Get Rid of Evil without Destroying Good?

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... urging people to leave churches where the preacher was not proclaiming the pure, unadulterated doctrine of scripture; of course, he was the one—and those who believed as he did—who determined what pure doctrine was. One wonders how people like that can stay sane, certainly how they can live with what is a blatant arrogant position. What do they say God is going to do with the entire Methodist church, or the Presbyterian, or the Episcopal, or the Lutheran, or the Catholic Church? Doctrine is important ...

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