Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 4826 to 4850 of 4958 results

4826. Aaron Begins His Duties

Leviticus 9:1-24

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... the hormone that let them know about the pregnancy in the first place. Pregnancy tests depend on the detection of HCG, which appears when a woman is pregnant. Its presence says, “Baby is coming!” One of the surest signs of true faith is willing obedience. In fact, believers cannot really claim to possess faith or love God if they are not seeking a life of obedience. Obedient actions are like a spiritual hormone indicating that new life is really kicking inside the believer’s heart.

4827. Living by God’s Sexual Standards

Leviticus 18:1-30

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... alone. Rather, they need, as lawbreakers, humbly to seek God’s mercy via atoning sacrifices offered in faith. Paul would not have read Leviticus 18:5 as contradicting all this. Paul is probably addressing legalists here. Legalists could quote Leviticus 18:5 to claim that eternal life is earned by law-keeping. Paul alludes to this viewpoint by citing Leviticus 18:5, though he knows that the text does not actually teach it. He cites Deuteronomy 30:12–14 to show that the legalists’ understanding of ...

4828. Vows, Redemption, and Tithes

Leviticus 27:1-34

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... main overall lesson is that we are to keep our commitments to God. 1. We must give what is expected. God mandates that firstborn and tithes be given to him by Israel. When God redeems Israel from Egypt in the plague of the firstborn, he makes a special claim on firstborn animals (Exod. 13:2; 22:29–30). Thus the firstborn is not an Israelite’s to vow. The firstborn already belongs to God (Lev. 27:26). Similarly, God expects Israel to give him a tithe of crops and herds (Lev. 27:30–33). God has given ...

4829. The Census and Duties of Levites

Num 3:1–4:49

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... . They are also gatekeepers, not only protecting the sanctuary from intruders, but also regulating who is allowed to enter the sanctuary area for specific and legitimate purposes (1 Chron. 9:17–27). 3:12–13 all the firstborn are mine. God makes a special claim on all firstborn males, both human and livestock, when he redeems the firstborn through the Passover lambs (Exod. 12:11–13, 23; 13:1–2). Israel is subsequently to give the firstborn livestock to God and offer a lamb to redeem firstborn sons ...

4830. Racism and Envy

Numbers 12:1-16

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... contrast with uncleanness for the rest of her life had the leprosy not been healed. Seven days also relates to the seven-day ritual described in Leviticus 14:1–20, which Miriam undoubtedly undergoes. Again there is poetic justice: having made the claim that she is close to God, Miriam’s punishment is to go away from God’s presence. 12:16 Hazeroth .This is tentatively identified with ‘Ain Khodara northeast of traditional Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa) on the way to ‘Aqabah.9 Thus, along with ...

4831. Immorality and Apostasy

Numbers 25:1-18

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... . With poetic justice, the spear punishes the region of the woman’s sexual organs (cf. Num. 5:21). the plague . . . stopped . . . but those who died . . . numbered 24,000. Phinehas’s action, and perhaps that of the judges (v. 5), limits God’s plague. In claiming the lives of twenty-four thousand, this plague kills the last of the older generation (Num. 26:64–65). Paul, in alluding to Numbers 25, says “in one day twenty-three thousand of them died” (1 Cor. 10:8). Paul perhaps does not count those ...

4832. The Second Census

Numbers 26:1-65

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... our prayers (1 John 5:14–15), and that we will inherit eternal life and heaven (2 Pet. 3:13; 1 John 2:25). Since God has regularly carried out his threats and kept his promises in the past, we most certainly should heed his warnings and claim his promises in the present. Illustrating the Text God always carries out his threats. Human Experience: Many of us probably remember a scene like the following from our childhood. We are in the backseat of the car with a sibling. It’s a family road trip. Everyone ...

4833. Making a Successful Future

Numbers 34:1-29

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... ’s promise to Israel was, the inheritance promised to Christians is even greater. Like the Israelites, we can be sure that God will distribute this inheritance wisely and fairly. As in the Israelites’ case, hope of inheritance should motivate us to lay claim to our full allotment by living out the Christian life as God’s children and heirs. The more we understand our inheritance, the more it motivates us to live for God. Illustrating the Text A vision of future possibility can motivate present action ...

4834. David the Conqueror

2 Sam 5:6-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... offered several other alternatives for the meaning of the word and the statement.3(2) If one follows the reading of the Hebrew text, then the lame and blind are described as hating David. The terms “lame” and “blind” are figurative, playing on the boastful claim of the Jebusites that even the blind and lame can defend the city (v. 6). If one follows the marginal reading, then the lame and blind are the objects of David’s disdain. But this does not mean that David dislikes those with handicaps (cf ...

4835. The Ark Finds a Resting Place

2 Samuel 6:1-23

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... of saying she is in the wrong and gets what she deserves. Her childless condition also means that Saul’s family line will have no part in the Davidic royal dynasty. It is possible that a child born to David and Michal would have first claim to the throne because Michal is David’s first wife. But Michal’s failure to have children eliminates that possibility.4 Theological Insights The sovereign and omnipresent God of the universe cannot be confined to an earthly dwelling place (1 Kings 8:27). He rules ...

4836. “Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave”: Power Poisons the Conscience

2 Samuel 11:1-27

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... his tracks. With Uriah dead and gone, many might assume that sometime during his visit to Jerusalem, he had relations with his wife and fathered a child. But there are several servants who know better. By marrying Bathsheba, the king can silence all doubt and safely claim the child as his own.4 But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. David seems to be safe, but then we are reminded that David cannot hide his crimes from the watchful eye of the Lord. David tells Joab, “Don’t let this upset ...

4837. “Your Sin Will Find You Out”: The Lord Confronts His Sinful Servant

2 Samuel 12:1-31

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to this point, the only individuals to say the words “I have sinned” are Saul (1 Sam. 15:24, 30; 26:21) and Achan (Josh. 7:20). On an earlier occasion David was able to say to Saul, “I have not sinned” (1 Sam. 24:11), but he cannot claim innocence now. On the other hand, his confession of his guilt, without any attempt to deny wrongdoing or to justify his actions, sets him apart from his predecessor (1 Sam. 13:11–12; 15:13–25). The Lord has taken away your sin. In this case, divine forgiveness ...

4838. The Return of the King Brings Turmoil in the Kingdom

2 Sam 19:9–20:26

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... that this pardon is designed to communicate to Benjamin and the northern tribes his willingness to let bygones be bygones. If David can pardon Shimei, then certainly he will welcome them back as his supporters. 19:43 the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel. The tribal unity sought by David is in serious jeopardy, despite his efforts to promote reconciliation. 20:1 a troublemaker named Sheba. The narrator leaves no room for a sympathetic view of the Benjamite ...

4839. Be Careful What You Ask For

1 Samuel 10:9-27

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... the Lord your God chooses.” 10:25 the rights and duties of kingship. At first glance one might identify the “rights and duties of kingship” (mishpat hammelukah) with the “rights” of the king (mishpat hammelek) mentioned in 8:9, 11 (where NIV paraphrases, “will claim as his rights”). In this case the scroll mentioned in verse 25 would be a perpetual reminder of the Lord’s earlier warning—a sort of “I told you so” document to be brought out when the people complain about the king they ...

4840. Saul’s Finest Hour

1 Sam 11:1-15

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... 2:19). However, during the judges’ period the Ammonites did make war with Israel on occasion. They allied with the Moabite king Eglon (Judg. 3:13) and later crossed the Jordan and threatened the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim (10:9). They also claimed territory east of the Jordan that Israel had taken from the Amorites, arguing that it originally belonged to them (11:13). Now in Saul’s time the Ammonites are again creating problems as their king, Nahash (cf. 1 Sam. 12:12), besieges the Israelite ...

4841. Samuel Confronts the People

1 Samuel 12:1-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... the Egyptians’ crops. Interpretive Insights 12:1 have set a king over you. The Lord has instructed Samuel to “listen” to all that the people are demanding (8:7) and to “give” them the king they want (8:22). On the surface, one might think that Samuel is claiming here that he has done this (“set a king” in 12:1 and “give . . . a king” in 8:22 translate the same verb). However, in chapter 9 the Lord makes it clear he is not going to give them the kind of king they want, complete with an ...

4842. Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:1-35

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... sincere. He implies that his disobedience was due to pressure from his men. At the same time, his words are self-incriminatory. He confesses that he “gave in to” them. The Hebrew text reads, “I obeyed them.” Earlier, when Samuel accused him of disobedience (v. 19), Saul claimed to obey the Lord (v. 20), but now he acknowledges that he has obeyed the people, not the Lord (cf. v. 11). 15:29 for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind. To make sure there is no doubt in Saul’s mind ...

4843. God’s Protection Takes the Form of a Faithful Friend

1 Samuel 20:1-42

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... or sermon is dealing with that theme (see, e.g., Prov. 17:17; 18:24). But if one is teaching or preaching through 1 Samuel, the real point of the story lies elsewhere. Throughout this section of the book, the narrator is validating David’s claim to the throne of Israel and demonstrating that God has rejected Saul. As noted above, Saul disobeys God and resists his plan, while Jonathan submits to God and embraces his chosen servant. The point of the story—and of Jonathan’s friendship with David, when ...

4844. The Lord Guides, Encourages, and Protects David

1 Samuel 23:1-29

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... who places his servant in harm’s way also guides and protects; this theme of divine guidance and protection dominates the story in the coming chapters. It contributes to the author’s agenda of contrasting David with Saul. As we see in chapter 23, Saul claims divine assistance (see v. 7), but it is clear that God is really helping David. The Lord gives the Philistines into David’s hand, but he also uses the Philistines to divert Saul and to protect David. First Samuel 22:20–23 describes Abiathar’s ...

4845. David Spares Saul’s Life

1 Samuel 24:1-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... BC Phoenician inscription from Samal, Kulamuwa speaks of his concern for his people: “But I was to some a father; and to some I was a mother; and to some I was a brother” (COS, 2:148). In another Phoenician inscription, dating to around 700 BC, Azatiwada claims, “Ba‘al made me a father and a mother to the Danunians” (COS, 2:149). Interpretive Insights 24:4 I will give your enemy into your hands. The prophecy cited by the men is not recorded elsewhere in the history, though we have no reason to ...

4846. Escaping a Tangled Web

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

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... be responsible for Saul’s death.1 Chapter 29 relieves this tension by showing how David escapes the tangled web that his deception has woven. David’s critics may have accused him of being a traitor and of fighting against Israel. After all, David claimed to have killed Judahites (27:10), and he actually marches with the Philistine army (29:1). But in reality he has fought the enemies of Israel while under Achish’s authority (27:8) and is released from service because the Philistine commanders are not ...

4847. Tell It Not in Gath!

2 Samuel 1:1-16, 1 Samuel 31:1-13

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... of his reign over Israel. Nevertheless, David does not interpret the incident in that manner. The death of Saul and his sons clears the pathway to the throne for David, but he does not celebrate. When he finds out about Saul’s death, he executes the man who claims to have killed the king. He also composes a lament for Saul and Jonathan as a somber testimony of his loyalty. As his first act after being enthroned in Hebron, he will later reward the men of Jabesh Gilead for their loyalty to Saul (1 Sam. 31 ...

4848. Adversity of a Righteous Man

Job 1:1-22

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Daniel J. Estes

... .” Later, in 1:8 and 2:3, Yahweh repeats this description, affirming Job’s impeccable character as a man of integrity and piety. As a sterling example of biblical wisdom, Job loves what Yahweh loves, and he avoids what displeases Yahweh. This is not a claim that Job is morally perfect as Yahweh is perfect, but rather, within the bounds of human fallenness, the righteousness of Job is commended by Yahweh. 1:3 He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. By every tangible measure, Job is ...

4849. Eliphaz

Job 4:1-5:27

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Daniel J. Estes

... s situation, he treats it as a generic case that can be adequately explained by retribution theology alone. His rhetorical question assumes the answer is “No one.” However, later in the book Job will adduce numerous counterexamples that undermine Eliphaz’s absolute claim (see chap. 21). 4:8 As I have observed. Here and in 5:3 Eliphaz appeals to personal observation as the source of his knowledge. By this he is employing the predominant procedure of traditional wisdom, which scrutinized the world in ...

4850. Job Feels under Attack by God

Job 16:1-17:16

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Daniel J. Estes

... under God’s attack, but he still dares to hope for God’s justice. Understanding the Text In his rebuttal to Eliphaz in Job 16–17, Job begins by countering many of the charges made previously by his friends. He vigorously rejects their claims to possess knowledge that is superior to his, and he dismisses their arguments as irrelevant to his specific case. Job’s strong language indicates that he is indignant and disgusted with them (16:1–6). Job then addresses God directly, expressing his feelings ...

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