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Showing 4801 to 4825 of 4986 results

4801. David Defeats the Ammonites

2 Samuel 10:1-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... were shaved only during times of personal or national catastrophe as a sign of deep mourning. By cutting off the men’s garments at the buttocks, the Ammonites treat the messengers as prisoners of war. Humiliated, David’s men cross the Jordan River and stay at Jericho until their beards grow back. The Ammonites realize that David will regard their insulting behavior as an act of war, so they summon a substantial number of their Aramean allies for the upcoming battle (10:6–19). The small kingdoms of ...

4802. The Turning Point

2 Samuel 11:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to the battlefield after the rainy season ends in April and May (11:1). This provides a gauge by which to judge David’s choices. David and Joab want to complete the conquest of the Ammonites, so the army is sent to put Rabbah under siege. But David stays home, a decision contrary to custom and one that places him in the way of temptation. Thus he becomes involved with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite (11:1–5). To make it appear that her husband has made her pregnant, David ...

4803. David Flees

2 Samuel 15:13-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his beloved Jerusalem in the face of Absalom’s revolt (15:13–23). David does not want to subject the city to the horrors of war, so he takes his men and heads east toward the Jordan River, unsure how much support he would have if he stayed. Accompanying David in his flight are the men who have been with him since the time he was a fugitive from Saul, as well as several contingents of mercenary troops from Philistine territory. According to 8:18 the Kerethites and Pelethites are commanded by David’s ...

4804. Wise Options

1 Kings 3:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... after the purge in chap. 2). But the fact that God gives him riches and honor anyway can be read in two ways: it might be a sign of approval for the king, or it might be a test. How will Solomon handle the gifts that God bestows? Will he stay faithful until the end of his long life?

4805. Cyrus’s Proclamation and Preparation to Return

Ezra 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the mission (“to build the house of the Lord”). The rebuilding of the worshiping community in Jerusalem is a noble mission. But not all the people are willing to return to Jerusalem. Many Jews have adapted to their context in Babylon and opt to stay there. They realize that to return is a hard and dangerous mission. This was written to present teachings that are still valid today. In God’s work he takes the initiative; he moves in peoples’ hearts. But the people also have to “decide” to act ...

4806. The Decree of Darius

Ezra 6:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... for detail and accuracy is also seen in the correspondence between this report (6:5) and the information the Jews have given to Tattenai (5:15). The answer from King Darius (6:6–12) is very direct and very detailed. The phrase “stay away from there” (6:6) translates a legal term that indicates the accusations against the Jews have been rejected. Comparable documents from the Persian treasury to other subject peoples include similar details. However, the specific mention of the wheat, salt, wine, and ...

4807. Opposition to the Rebuilding

Nehemiah 4:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... them at strategic points (4:16–23). Some keep their weapons in their hands even while they carry building materials. Nehemiah also prepares for mobilizing the defense at specific points if necessary (4:20). He asks the people from outside Jerusalem to stay in the city during the night while the crisis continues. Unfortunately opposition to God’s work today also requires precautions, delays, and increased resources (cf. Eph. 6:10–18), along with the same faith that we see in Nehemiah, who reminds the ...

4808. Nehemiah Helps the Poor

Nehemiah 5:1-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... developing before Nehemiah arrives on the scene, since over ninety years have passed since the first return from exile in 538 BC. But now the intense work on the wall and the external opposition increase the strain on the economy. The need for workers to stay in Jerusalem adds to the hardship of the local workforce and finally brings forth their “outcry” (5:1). The same Hebrew word was used for the “[out]cry” of the Israelites under the Egyptian oppression in Exodus 3:9. The law of Moses is part ...

4809. Warnings Against Folly, Especially Sexual Infidelity

Proverbs 5:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 4:19; 7:23; 9:13, 18). A specific warning against this woman follows in 5:7–14, with the introductory phrase “now then” calling for an appropriate response to what verses 1–6 have just presented (cf. 7:24; 8:32). The farther away from danger one stays, the less likely one is to be drawn in by her wiles (5:8) and suffer for it (5:9–11). Three consequences are noted. (1) You will “lose your honor” (or “splendor,” 5:9a)—perhaps referring, in light of verse 9b, either to possessions amassed ...

4810. Pleasures Accomplish Little

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... that these verses express his later sober reflections on an earlier period of sensual excesses, but the emphasis is rather on the intentional and restrained nature of his investigation (2:3b: “my mind still guiding me with wisdom”; verse 9b: “In all this my wisdom stayed with me”). He begins by testing himself with “pleasure.” The NIV translates the same Hebrew word as “pleasure” in 2:2, 10 and 7:4, but as “happiness” in 2:26; “gladness” in 5:20; 9:7; and “enjoyment” in 8:15. He ...

4811. Recognize that One Must Submit to the Government Despite Injustice

Ecclesiastes 8:2-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . These instructions are reinforced in 8:5a, while the remaining verses offer a threefold rationale: (1) due to the loyalty oath taken by the subject before God (8:1b), (2) due to the monarch’s superior position and power (8:3b–4), and (3) in order to stay out of harm’s way (8:5). The phrase “time and procedure” in verses 5b–6a should be taken as a hendiadys (two words representing a single concept; here, “a judgment-time”), since verse 6a echoes 3:1 and 3:17. The development of thought in ...

4812. Unfaithful Leaders and People

Isaiah 56:9--57:13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... because they love idolatry in all its forms. They have given themselves over to idolatry and immorality.Isaiah describes the extent of Judah’s apostasy. Wherever they are, the people are corrupt, whether they go to the ravines (57:6) or to the hills (57:7), whether they stay at home (57:8) or go to Sheol (57:9).The wicked will be left to themselves. The Lord has been patient in not destroying them thus far. Because they have shown no sign of repentance or fear of him, however, they will not stand in the ...

4813. Trouble from Within

Jeremiah 40:1-6, Jeremiah 40:7--41:15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (39:14). However, some hold that we have here a more detailed account of the story given in 39:11–14. The witness of the commander of the guard to God’s action (40:2–4) seems unusual (but cf. Gen. 41:38; Matt. 27:54). Jeremiah chooses to stay with Gedaliah (40:1–6)—a patriotic gesture—even though he knows the future is with the exiles (Jer. 24:4–7). Gedaliah, of the family of Shaphan the scribe (2 Kings 22:3–14), is appointed governor (40:7–12). He is cordial to Jeremiah; his policy of ...

4814. Trouble in Egypt

Jeremiah 41:16--43:13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the instability that plagues the Jews. Unsure of their next move, they seek guidance from the Lord through Jeremiah, as had Zedekiah’s delegation earlier (42:1–6; 37:3). Divine answers to prayer do not come on demand. God’s word to the inquirers is to stay in the land and not go to Egypt (42:7–22). God’s message allays the group’s fear of the Babylonians’ indiscriminate reprisal for Gedaliah’s murder (41:1–3). Part of the message is the divine-assistance formula, “I am with you” (42:11 ...

4815. Unfaithfulness and Restoration

Hosea 2:2-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... thought their lovers (other gods) would provide fertility for her crops, but it was actually God who sent the rain. If these Israelites find out that these false gods do not provide prosperity and fertility, then they will return and stay with their rightful husband. Therefore, to combat this misunderstanding God will remove all fertility, end all Baal festivals, expose Israel’s foolishness, destroy her crops, and punish her for the days she worshiped Baal, who will be proven powerless; therefore, Israel ...

4816. Man's Plans and God's

Micah 2:1-5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , threat of sure judgment. The use of the woe threat signifies that the object of the oracle is as good as dead. The object of the oracle is described in general terms in verse 1 and then more specifically in verse 2. They are those who stay up at night contemplating how to work evil and then rise early to perform their wicked deeds. Their specific evil that Micah pinpoints is the amassing of real estate at the expense of other people. The land-grabbers both covet (breaking the tenth commandment) and seize ...

4817. The Coming of the Kingdom of God

Luke 17:11-19, Luke 17:20-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the metaphor. Jesus is saying that one should not become attached to material possessions so that one is not ready for his arrival. The one who tries to preserve his or her life in this world will lose it in the next. Disciples must stay faithful to their master while waiting. Verses 34–35 show that the Son of Man will come suddenly and unexpectedly. People will be involved in the ordinary activities of sleeping and eating. However, there will be a separation among people who work closely together ...

4818. Jesus the Bread of Life

John 6:25-59

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... But Jesus knows that further explanation will not complete what is lacking. The gift of faith and the ability to apprehend who Christ really is—these are divine things (6:44–48). Faith is not merely rational persuasion: it includes God’s drawing us (6:44). To stay in Judaism is death (6:49), but to consume the bread of life brings life (6:50–51). But a deeper revelation is to come: the bread to be consumed is Jesus’s flesh offered in sacrifice (6:51). Still, the discourse is urged forward through ...

4819. Jesus Predicts His Death

John 12:20-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the average person accept that the world’s judgment will be inaugurated when one man is crucified (12:31–32)? This crowd cannot (12:34)—but neither could the disciples at this point (Mark 8:31–33; 9:30–32; 10:32–34). But fortunately the crowd stays with Jesus; they keep inquiring. The last question posed to Jesus is in John 12:34: “Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” In the previous chapter Martha could not comprehend all that Jesus revealed (11:21–27), but still she held on to the light she ...

4820. Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

John 21:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the beloved disciple appears even here (cf. 13:23–24; 20:3–4, 8). He recognizes Jesus first, and on his word Peter runs to the beach. It is interesting to think about the beloved disciple’s response in light of this rivalry motif. He stays with the fish and brings them safely to shore. Although Peter’s despair is turned to jubilation at the size of the catch and the appearance of Jesus, the meaning of the miracle lies deeper. Johannine symbolism often produces two levels of meaning (e.g., 3 ...

4821. Fulfillment of the Twelve

Acts 1:12-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Restoration of God’s People in Jerusalem (1:12–7:60) After the disciples witnessed the ascension of Jesus, they “went upstairs to the room where they were staying” (1:13). This room may remind the readers of the “large room upstairs” (Luke 22:12) where Jesus had his Last Supper with his disciples. After the Last Supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray, but the disciples failed to be alert in prayers (Luke 22:45). ...

4822. Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Acts 16:11-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is a “dealer in purple cloth” (16:14) reflects her exalted social status. Second, the mentioning of “her household” may point to her status as a widow, but her possession of a household shows that she is not a poor widow. Moreover, her invitation to Paul and his companions to stay with her also reflects that she is a person of means.

4823. In Athens

Acts 17:16-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Paul’s stay in Athens, a city with rich cultural and intellectual history, provides an occasion for him to preach directly to the Gentiles who are not affiliated with the Jewish synagogues (17:16–34). The theme of this major speech is introduced by a note that Paul “was greatly distressed to see ...

4824. The Riot in Ephesus

Acts 19:23-41

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Sending Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia (19:21–22), Paul stays behind in Ephesus, where he witnesses a great disturbance caused by those who see Paul’s message as a challenge to the cult of Artemis (19:23–41). In this second event in Ephesus that Luke chooses to focus on, one again finds a challenge to “the Way” (19:23; ...

4825. Eutychus Raised from the Dead at Troas

Acts 20:7-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the “Festival of Unleavened Bread” (20:6), and the account of the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples is situated during “the day of Unleavened Bread” (Luke 22:7). Eutychus sinks “into a deep sleep,” and the disciples also fail to stay awake during a critical moment (Luke 22:45). Jesus travels to Jerusalem to suffer, and Paul also travels to Jerusalem with the full realization of his impending suffering (cf. Acts 21:4, 10–11). Jesus delivers his farewell address after breaking bread with ...

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