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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

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4951. Don’t Be Deceived By False Hopes

Amos 5:18-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... soul (Deut. 6:5), not just on the external act of sacrificing to God. So the people should not be deceived and think that God will be pleased with those who are worshiping the Assyrian star god, called Sikkuth or Kiyyun. One cannot bow down to other gods and still claim to be honoring the one true God. Because they have done these things, Amos warns his audience that God Almighty will send Israel into exile far beyond Damascus, into the land of Assyria (5:27).

4952. No One Can Escape from God’s Hand

Amos 9:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... people. But Amos argues that God also delivered other nations (the Philistines and Arameans) from difficult situations in other countries and brought them to new lands. Does this mean that God will never judge these nations? Obviously, no Israelite would say this. God also claims that he views the Cushites from southern Egypt as similar to Israel; thus, Israel is not the only nation God cares about. The real key to understanding God’s future action is not to view it as an extension of God’s past acts ...

4953. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and emphasizing the certainty and finality of Esau’s judgment. 19–21 · Yahweh’s kingdom established:Characteristic of prophetic literature, Obadiah’s oracle concludes with the promise of restoration for the remnant of Israel. The promise of people moving to claim territories formerly occupied by enemies (vv. 19–20) enlarges the thought found in verse 17. Although the translation of verse 20a is difficult (here it seems best to read “the exiles of this army [or host], the sons of Israel, will ...

4954. The Lord Protects and Rescues Jonah

Jonah 2:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the flow of the narrative are what prompt some to argue that the passage is a later addition. However, other narratives contain mixed genres, and there is no reason to assume that a writer cannot vary in literary style. Others claim that the placement of a thanksgiving psalm before the text describing Jonah’s salvation seems inappropriate. Obviously, though, Jonah did not write down the psalm while in the belly of the sea creature but in retrospection; this presents a logical explanation for ...

4955. Jonah’s Second Commission and Nineveh’s Response

Jonah 3:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , the Lord “relents” (NASB; a different Hebrew verb from 3:9) and spares Nineveh from destruction. While some scholars believe this verse affirms that God can be swayed from a course of action by the repentance or the fervent prayer of creatures, such a claim would deny that God is all-knowing by suggesting that God cannot know for certain how a human being will respond. Consequently, the Lord’s acts are dependent or contingent on the actions of his creatures, which subjugates the divine will to human ...

4956. Assyria

Zephaniah 2:13-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’ pride in their way of life were idolatrous from God’s perspective. The prophet sarcastically personifies Nineveh by proclaiming its divine status. For Judah, the statement “I am the one! And there is none besides me” (2:15a) was a confession of the unique and exclusive claim of Yahweh (cf. Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 45:5, 18, 21–22; 46:9). The mood of the oracle changes rapidly. Sarcasm changes into lament (2:15b). The end of Assyria will be celebrated by all who pass the ruins of the city. The scoffing ...

4957. The Second Coming and Reception

Zechariah 12:1-9, Zechariah 12:10-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Lord Jesus as their Messiah. Verse 10 gives remarkable information about the one to whom they will look. (1) Since God is speaking, the “me” to whom they look is clearly God. (2) The one they have pierced is God. This conforms to Jesus’s claims to deity. (3) This passage links him with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:5, who “was pierced for our transgressions.” John 19:34–37 sees the piercing of Jesus’s side by the spear as a fulfillment of this verse. (4) This passage clearly anticipates ...

4958. Catching the Kingdom

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Illustration

Russ M. Locke

In his book THE COMPASSIONATE CHRIST, Dale Oldham compared the attitude that many people have about the Kingdom to a yapping dog that resided in his neighborhood. The dog was always chasing a cat that lived next door. Whenever he saw the cat, he would go after it as if it were his only aim in living. So long as the cat ran, everything was lovely. But occasionally the cat would stop suddenly and face the dog. Then the dog would put on the brakes and act as if the whole thing were only a joke. Evidently the ...

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