Sermon and Worship Resources

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1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... as a result (1 Sam. 6:19–20), foreshadows the Uzzah incident (2 Sam. 6:6–7). Both stories are stern reminders to Israel that the Lord must be treated with the utmost respect, for he is holy (1 Sam. 6:20). This is a lesson the Philistines have learned the hard way. The appeal of the Philistine leaders to honor the Lord (1 Sam. 6:5) serves as a foil in this chapter to the flippant way the Israelites later treat the ark. It also anticipates Samuel’s calls for Israel to repent in following chapters of the ...

527. Israel Demands a King

1 Samuel 8:1-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... , by John Bunyan. Bunyan (1628–88) provides many scenes of warning in this classic allegory (1678). When Christian and Hopeful leave the Delectable Mountains, the shepherds (divinely appointed by God) warn them, “Beware of the Flatterer.” By sad experience, the pilgrims learn the foolishness of neglecting this advice. They come to a place where two roads run parallel, both seeming straight. As they think what to do, a man “very black of flesh but covered with a very light robe” (a flatterer ...

528. Meet Israel’s New King

1 Sam 9:1–10:8

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... alone with three animals and the remnants of the ship. Though not the most courageous or resourceful of men, he begins to adapt. Then he reads his Bible, is marvelously converted, and gives thanks for having been shipwrecked, because of what he has begun to learn. He journals, “‘Now,’ said I aloud, ‘My dear father’s words are come to pass: God’s Justice has overtaken me, and I have none to help or hear me: I rejected the Voice of Providence.’” And again, “Thus we never see the true state ...

529. Saul’s Finest Hour

1 Sam 11:1-15

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... 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 teach. Finally he was hired on board a trading ship as a sailor, where he was again abused cruelly. By the time the ship reached America, because of his ...

530. David’s Faith Ignites a Victory

1 Samuel 17:1-58

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... . He places his faith in the living God, who has proved himself trustworthy in David’s experience. As frail human beings, who are so easily influenced by our physical senses, we are prone to let the challenges of the present swallow up what we have learned in the past and paralyze us. David’s faith does not allow this to happen. He remembers how God has delivered him from powerful predators, and he is convinced that the past will be repeated in the present. David is obviously skilled with the weapons ...

531. David on the Run

1 Sam 21:1–22:5

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to his destiny (22:5). David has found a “stronghold” (metsudah) in Moab (22:4–5), where he feels secure, but it is time for him to realize that the Lord is his true stronghold and source of protection. Through the coming years, David indeed learns this lesson. Later, as he reflects on how God has delivered him from all his enemies (2 Sam. 22:1), he declares that the Lord is his stronghold (see 22:2, where the word metsudah is translated “fortress”). Historical and Cultural Background First Samuel ...

532. The Lord Guides, Encourages, and Protects David

1 Samuel 23:1-29

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... (v. 2). Now, ironically, Saul is again summoning an army, but for the purpose of besieging Keilah and capturing David. (For a similar ironic echo of the account in chap. 15, see 22:19 and the comment there.) 23:12 They will. David should be learning an important lesson here. Earlier he sought refuge with human beings (Achish of Philistia and the king of Moab), but humans are unreliable and will do what is expedient even when they should be grateful for past favors. The Lord alone is a dependable refuge ...

533. David Spares Saul’s Life

1 Samuel 24:1-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... growth, and become perfectly familiar with the language, and yet be as far from its attainment as ever. Our great aim should be to be deaf to self, to listen quietly to God, to renounce every bit of pride and devote ourselves to living. Let’s learn to talk less and do more without caring whether anyone sees us or not.6 Quote: St. Teresa of Avila. This renowned Spanish nun (1515–82) once wrote, “Let nothing disturb thee; let nothing dismay thee. All things pass; God never changes: Patience attains all ...

534. Tell It Not in Gath!

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

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... absolutely essential if we’re going to live God-responsively, live God-abundantly. . . . [Today] there’s no lament because truth isn’t taken seriously, love isn’t taken seriously. Human life doesn’t matter as life-God-given. . . . David not only lamented with this lamentation, he ordered the people to learn it: memorize it and inhabit it as their experience. . . . A failure to lament is a failure to connect.11

535. Adversity of a Righteous Man

Job 1:1-22

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Daniel J. Estes

... the Lord. The numerous psalms of lament, such as Psalms 3, 13, 22, 42, and 142, provide us examples of godly people expressing their deep pain to the Lord and then trusting him with their trouble. Like Job and the psalmists learned, our adversity can lead us into new frontiers in our knowledge of and confidence in the Lord. Illustrating the Text All humans face adversity in some form or another. News Stories: Recent statistics about medical problems, financial difficulties, and natural disasters illustrate ...

536. Eliphaz

Job 4:1-5:27

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Daniel J. Estes

... cares for the natural world and intervenes on the side of needy people. Even though Eliphaz misjudges Job and is reproved by God for that (42:7–8), Eliphaz does see clearly many of God’s wonderful attributes and activities. Thus, there is much truth to be learned in what he says, along with some tragic errors in how he applies his knowledge to Job’s situation. Eliphaz is wrong when he urges Job to confess his sins, but he is right in extolling how God’s discipline can result in blessing. In both the ...

537. Job’s Reply to Eliphaz

Job 6:1–7:21

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Daniel J. Estes

... into an erroneous sense that God is the culpable, or blameworthy, agent for the evil he is experiencing. In this, he speaks beyond his knowledge, because the prologue tells the reader that these adversities have come upon him at the instigation of the adversary. Job learns from his adversity that he cannot depend on the loyalty of his friends. No doubt this has come as a surprise and a deep disappointment to him, for he supposed that in his despair he could count on their support. Even the best of friends ...

538. Bildad Has the Answer (He Thinks!)

Job 8:1-22

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Daniel J. Estes

... (Pss. 89:14; 97:2; 99:4). Bildad’s appeal to tradition in 8:8–10 fits well the approach of traditional wisdom. Because wisdom is rooted in the observation of life, those who have accumulated many observations are wise. The wise teacher learns from the observations made by others in the past, adds personal observations, and then teaches all of this to the next generation. Although this approach is valid in general, Jesus criticizes the teachers of his day who value their traditions above the revealed ...

539. Zophar Rejects Job’s Complaints

Job 11:1-20

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Daniel J. Estes

... 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 judgment you felt based on his or her suffering gave way to respect and compassion once you learned the truth about his or her situation. Gospel Highlight: This is a great time to point out the way in which God made him who knew no sin to be sin for our sake. Consider reading the passage from Isaiah 53 about the Suffering Servant, and ...

540. Job’s Hope against Hope

Job 19:1-29

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Daniel J. Estes

... unimaginable deprivation in a German concentration camp during World War II. Betsie, never strong in health, grew steadily weaker and died in the camp on December 16, 1944. Some of her last words to Corrie looked to the future: “We must tell them what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here.”1 Film: The Fugitive. This suspenseful movie (1993), starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, is ...

541. Job Destroys the Friends’ Major Argument

Job 21:1-34

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Daniel J. Estes

... same apparent end—that cannot be explained by the human mind. Humans must therefore concede that the ways of God are inscrutable rather than try to shoehorn God’s ways into categories that satisfy what finite humans can comprehend. As Job will come to learn at the end of the book, humans need to accept that what God does may transcend what they can understand. Because God is trustworthy, we must leave in his hands those things that surpass our understanding, confident that our wise and good Lord knows ...

542. “I Will Not Fear Though Tens of Thousands Assail Me”

Psalm 3:1-8

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C. Hassell Bullock

... . Life’s crises call for a renewal of our faith in the God who answers from his holy mountain. There are obviously good reasons for insomnia and fear, but when our sleep is constantly interrupted by worry, it may be an indicator that we have not yet learned how to rest ourselves in the arms of the one who says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). And further, Jesus instructs his disciples not to be anxious about tomorrow, because tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Our faith in ...

543. “In Peace I Will Lie Down and Sleep”

Psalm 4:1-8

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C. Hassell Bullock

... need for God’s grace. As you consider your broken relationships, do you recognize your own need for God’s mercy? Forgive and bless. Sports: NBA basketball star Chris Paul had just signed to attend Wake Forest University, and the next day he learned that his grandfather had been murdered. Paul’s grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, was randomly selected and then robbed and beaten to death by five teenagers. Paul was very close to his grandfather, who was well respected in the community, so you would expect ...

544. “I Love You, Lord, My Strength”

Psalm 18:1-50

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C. Hassell Bullock

... : “I love you, Lord.” We may conclude the lesson/sermon on the topic of grace (see the sidebar), emphasizing David’s affirmation in the larger context of God’s love for Israel corporately (Deut. 7) and for him personally (18:19; 91:14). Broadly speaking, we do not learn to love as much by loving as we do by being loved (1 John 4:19). It is mandatory, indeed, that we read the whole of Scripture in the context of God’s love. When the Lord told Israel that he chose them only because he loved them, he ...

545. “Blessed Is the One Whose Transgressions Are Forgiven”

Psalm 32:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... and conclusion:[4] 1. Introduction (32:1–2) 2. The first movement: the crisis caused by sin (32:3–5) a. Suffering (32:3–4) b. Confession (32:5) 3. The second movement: salvation as an accomplished fact (32:6–9) 4. Conclusion: Lessons learned and call to rejoice (32:10–11) Historical and Cultural Background Psalm 32, like most of the psalms in Book 1, is attributed to David, and the imagery of “hiding place” (32:7) and the metaphors for forgiveness (32:1–2), which David personally ...

546. “May Your Unfailing Love Be with Us, Lord”

Psalm 33:1-22

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C. Hassell Bullock

... no matter what.[11] “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love” (v. 18). God reaches out to us in grace. True Story: Anne Graham Lotz (daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham) has shared a story about learning of God’s grace from her father. One day as she was speeding down a mountain road, Anne hit her neighbor’s car. It was her fault, and she did not know how to tell her father. Finally, her dad was waiting for her in the kitchen, and she ran ...

547. “I Confess My Iniquity; I Am Troubled by My Sin”

Psalm 38:1-22

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C. Hassell Bullock

... response depends on the nature and character of each child. In the same way, God’s discipline in the life of each person is unique. God provides discipline that is most effective for that individual. Our responsibility is to be open to God so that we recognize his discipline and learn from it.

548. “The Span of My Years Is as Nothing before You”

Psalm 39:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Once the repressed thoughts about our transitory lives are verbalized, valuable lessons about our status as foreigners in this world can be learned. Understanding the Text Psalm 39 is an individual lament, perhaps prompted by sickness, as was Psalm 38, and the suppliant prays that God will remove his “scourge” (39:10) from him so that he not die. This psalm shares resemblances to Psalm 381and anticipates shared ideas with Psalms 40 and ...

549. “As the Deer Pants for Streams of Water, So My Soul Pants for You, My God”

Psalm 42:1-11, Psalm 43:1-5

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the psalmist in 42:1–2. One example is Frank Laubach (1884–1970), who served for many years as a missionary to the Philippines. It is estimated that through his efforts one-half of the ninety thousand people who lived in the region in which he ministered learned to read and write. Laubach sought not only to educate and plant churches but also to live each moment with a sense of God’s presence. He hungered and thirsted for God. In Letters from a Modern Mystic, letters written by Laubach while he was in ...

550. “Create in Me a Pure Heart, O God, and Renew a Steadfast Spirit within Me”

Psalm 51:1-19

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C. Hassell Bullock

... heart” (51:17). Despite the ostensible contradiction, they may in effect be complementary (see below). See “The Text in Context” in the unit on Psalm 50. The psalmist commits himself to the duty of teaching others God’s ways (51:13), having learned them from God himself, while the suppliant of Psalm 25 (25:4, 9, 12), without explicitly committing himself personally to the task, prays that the Lord himself will execute the didactic function. The poetic neighborhood in which Psalm 51 is located gives ...

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