Sermon and Worship Resources

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Numbers 12:1-16

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... married a Cushite (Num. 12:1). Cushites were from Nubia south of ancient Egypt (Isa. 18:1 places Cush on the Nile) in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Cushites sometimes were captured in war and brought to Egypt (see illustration). Some suggest that this wife was from the Mesopotamian people called “Kassites,”1though Kassites are not otherwise mentioned in the Bible. More likely Moses’s new wife is one of the foreigners who had left Egypt with the Israelites. Moses “sent away” his ...

777. Failure to Enter the Land

Num 13:1–14:9

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... for our lives, we must rely on God to enable us to carry out the tasks he has given us. God is sufficient and trustworthy, and we are in his hands. We must in faith concentrate on the greatness of God, not the greatness of our problems. Illustrating the Text Fear is the enemy of faith. Nature: On February 12, 2014, car lovers everywhere gasped in horror when they woke to their morning news: an enormous sinkhole had opened up beneath the floor of a museum devoted to classic Corvettes. Eight of the cars had ...

778. The Red Heifer

Numbers 19:1-22

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... ’s command, brings uncleanness. War involves death. Killing defiles the killer and requires God’s cleansing. A warrior culture of conquest seems incompatible with the symbolism of God being associated with life, not death. Christians are not to be warmongers. Illustrating the Text We are called to cultivate life, not death. Nature: We learn from the time we are in elementary school that plants love light. The phenomenon of a plant actually growing toward the light is called “phototropism.” It is ...

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

Num 24:15-25

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... spiritually. The same could be true of us. We might have knowledge—knowing the Bible inside out—but lack deep faith or the fruit of true religion, which is love (see 1 Cor. 13:2). “Head knowledge” of God is no substitute for knowing God personally. Illustrating the Text Sadly, it is all too easy for people who know a lot about God not to know God. Biography: Adolf von Harnack was an enemy of Christian orthodoxy in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though he did not start out that way ...

780. The Ark Finds a Resting Place

2 Samuel 6:1-23

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... the Lamb” (21:9), will be inhabited by the people of God from all ages (cf. 21:12–14, the symbolism of which alludes to both the tribes of Israel and the church). This extension of the Zion ideal beyond its Old Testament limits illustrates how the full potential of biblical motifs is sometimes realized in the progress of revelation: imagery and motifs are utilized as analogies and symbols. 2. The Lord expects his people to respect his holiness. David and the people of Israel are excited about bringing ...

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

2 Samuel 11:1-27

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... much like Saul before him. One crime leads to another as his sin snowballs. As we will see in chapter 12, he even becomes calloused to his sin, though he remains quite capable of self-righteously denouncing sin in others. In short, David’s tragic collapse illustrates vividly the truth of James 1:14–15: temptation prompts desire, which gives birth to sin, which produces death. As we will see with David, only the mercy of God can spare one from the ultimate deadly consequence of sin. 2. We cannot hide our ...

782. Blood Vengeance in Gibeah

2 Samuel 21:1-14

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... who lost her two sons, are innocent victims. The heart-wrenching portrait of Rizpah’s trying to keep the birds and wild animals from devouring the decaying carcasses of her sons is a vivid reminder of the unforeseen consequences of sin. Illustrating the Text God’s justice is sometimes harsh. Quote: Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In this classic exploration of life in Christian community, Bonhoeffer (1906–45) discusses the hardness of God and the way Christian community should model it: Reproof ...

783. The Lord Is My Rock

2 Samuel 22:1-51

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to proclaim the good news and produce new disciples of the risen Jesus (Eph. 6:12). The Lord provides the spiritual resources necessary to engage in this war against the Evil One (Eph. 6:10–18). Illustrating the Text The justice of God identifies with and vindicates his oppressed people. See the “Illustrating the Text” section of 1 Sam. 1:1–2:11. God will enable his people in spiritual warfare as they fulfill his commission to the church. Hymn: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” by Martin Luther ...

784. The Ark Heads Home

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... judgment will proclaim God’s glory (Rev. 11:13). Indeed, he tells how an angel will proclaim the gospel, announce impending judgment, and call the nations to worship, exhorting them to “fear God and give him glory” (Rev. 14:7). Illustrating the Text Disrespect and respect for God are visible in specific ways in our lives and others’ lives. Quote: The Trivialization of God, by Donald McCullough. McCullough argues that the way we worship matters greatly in forming our attitude toward God ...

785. Repentance and Victory

1 Samuel 7:2-17

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... he goes down and starts over, repeatedly. Awaiting him at the top are the Indians whom he enslaved. This man’s radical repentance is followed by his devotion to the same Indians he has so wronged. God is superior to pagan gods. See also the “Illustrating the Text” section of 1 Samuel 5. Greek Mythology: Greek pagan gods, as well as all pagan gods, were notoriously fickle, abusive, immoral, and volatile, utterly different from the God of the Bible. An example is Zeus, the child of Cronus, a cruel Titan ...

786. Israel Demands a King

1 Samuel 8:1-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Israel is prone to reject the Lord’s authority and conform to the viewpoints and practices of the surrounding nations (Judg. 2:10–3:5), as illustrated by their request to have a king like the other nations. The New Testament also demands that God’s covenant community be distinct (see esp. ... them of the consequences of their behavior so that they have no excuse when those consequences materialize. Illustrating the Text God’s people may be influenced by the world’s self-destructive thinking. Quote: No ...

787. Be Careful What You Ask For

1 Samuel 10:9-27

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... might get it!” Even when God displays his mercy, he sometimes disciplines his people for their ultimate good (cf. Heb. 12:7–11). Forgiveness does not necessarily eliminate the need for discipline (see, e.g., Num. 14:17–25; 2 Sam. 12:13–14). Illustrating the Text God extends his mercy to those who reject him. Bible: The Parable of the Prodigal Son, a story of waste, purposelessness, jealousy, and love (Luke 15:11–32); Hosea and Gomer, a tale of degradation and restoration. As Jean Fleming puts it ...

788. David on the Run

1 Sam 21:1–22:5

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... directly intervenes through his prophet Gad and tells David to go home to Judah. David’s experience is a reminder that the Lord pursues his chosen servants when they try to run away, whether due to fear or other reasons (cf. 1 Kings 19; Jon. 1). Illustrating the Text When believers allow their faith to waver, they ignore what God has done in their lives and deny their relation to God. Literature: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis. After Lucy has been to Narnia and comes back to tell ...

789. Saul on the Rampage

1 Samuel 22:6-23

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... from God’s servant to God’s enemy is a sobering reminder of the self-destructive consequences of blatant disobedience. Illustrating the Text Power corrupts, generates jealousy and fear, and produces a paranoia that casts allies in the role of enemies. Literature: ... Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. Few fictional works illustrate so vividly the terrible fate that befalls Saul in this passage as this well-known work of fiction (1954) by this ...

790. David Listens to the Voice of Wisdom

1 Samuel 25:1-44

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... their “wrongdoing down on [their] own head” (v. 39; see Judg. 9:56–57; 1 Kings 2:32–33, 44; Joel 3:4; Obad. 15; Ps. 7:16). But we must patiently wait for God’s timing (Rom. 12:19; 2 Thess. 1:5–10). Illustrating the Text The believer must embrace divine wisdom, particularly when tempted to pursue self-vindication. Christian Autobiography: Prison Letters, by Corrie ten Boom. The story of Corrie ten Boom (1892–1983) during World War II is well known. Corrie had suffered with a tremendous need ...

791. David Flees to Gath—Again

1 Samuel 27:1-12

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... God’s name (see 21:10–15 as well). David, at least temporarily, has all but turned his back on his destiny and compromises his identity as the Lord’s servant. How appropriate that the Lord seems to be absent from the scene! This chapter illustrates what can happen when God’s people in desperation seek their own security at the expense of their identity and integrity. Certainly this is an important lesson for the exilic readers of the history, who are in a precarious position in a foreign land. Yet ...

792. Tell It Not in Gath!

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

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... die (28:19). This prophecy is realized at Mount Gilboa. God’s disciplinary judgment is severe, as the horrible details recounted in chapter 31 testify. The gruesome description of how the Philistines treat the bodies of Saul and his sons is especially sobering. The account illustrates the truth of Hebrews 10:31—“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”—and of Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” 2. The demise of God’s ...

793. Job Shatters the Silence

Job 3:1-26

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Daniel J. Estes

... and controlled by Yahweh (cf. Job 41; Pss. 74:14; 104:26; Isa. 27:1).1 The “morning stars” in 3:9 are probably Venus and Mercury, which often appear before sunrise, and perhaps the fainter, more distant planets as well. As Exodus 1:15–19 illustrates, in Old Testament times children were typically delivered by midwives. In his anguish, Job wishes that no midwife had been kneeling by his mother to receive him when he was born (3:12). Alternatively, this verse could also refer to the custom of a child ...

794. Job’s Reply to Eliphaz

Job 6:1–7:21

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Daniel J. Estes

... rest of the book does go on to provide a broad theological framework for addressing the issues that he raises. By shifting the discussion from “why?” to “who?” Yahweh at the end of the book will point Job out of his frustration and back to faith. Illustrating the Text The watchful eye of an all-seeing God can be oppressive if we do not trust in him. Literature: The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Sauron is the titular character and the primary antagonist of this epic fantasy novel by Tolkien ...

795. Bildad Has the Answer (He Thinks!)

Job 8:1-22

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Daniel J. Estes

... time recognize where he slips from truth into error. His theological truth does not mean that he is accurate in what he counsels Job to do, but neither does his faulty advice negate the quality of his teaching about God’s commitment to justice. Illustrating the Text Even a logical analysis of a situation may fall short of the whole picture of God’s truth. Literature: Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. In British author Dickens’s (1812–70) novel Hard Times (1854), he was concerned with pointing out, in ...

796. Job Feels under Attack by God

Job 16:1-17:16

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Daniel J. Estes

... judgment directed at Sodom. Job has no clear revelation as to who this advocate will be or when he might arise, but Job hopes for divine justice all the same. His hope is in God, even though he has no idea how his hope might be fulfilled. Illustrating the Text Job becomes exhausted in the face of his friends’ verbal attacks. Film: My Fair Lady. The musical My Fair Lady, as well as the film of the same name starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn (1964), is based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion ...

797. Job’s Hope against Hope

Job 19:1-29

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Daniel J. Estes

... adversity. In the meantime, Job will have to wait, placing himself and his cause in God’s hands. In this, he serves as an example to us today as we must wait on the Lord while enduring our adversities (cf. Ps. 27:14; Isa. 40:31). Illustrating the Text Like Job, we may feel wronged by God when we go through adversity. Hymn: “How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours,” by John Newton. This hymn was written by Newton (1725–1807), who is perhaps best known for his hymn “Amazing Grace.” What follows are ...

798. Zophar’s Final Words for Job

Job 20:1-29

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Daniel J. Estes

... . In arguing that the wages of sin is death, Zophar is on solid biblical ground. But we must also remember that Romans 6:23 goes on to say that the gift of God is eternal life. Along with his judgment, God also extends his grace to sinners. Illustrating the Text Punishment is a result of wrongdoing; surrender to evil will destroy the sinner. Film: The Days of Wine and Roses. In this beautifully acted and compelling old movie (1962) starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick (remade as When a Man Loves a Woman in ...

799. “The Lord Watches over the Way of the Righteous”

Psalm 1:1-6

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C. Hassell Bullock

... assurance of God’s watchful care that is underwritten by God’s love, and who would not want to be surrounded with love! Meditate on the law day and night. Theological Book: The Case for the Psalms, by N. T. Wright. We can illustrate this constant meditation on the law (torah) by remembering how the Psalms themselves have been used through the centuries as a source of meditation on God and life. Wright encourages Christians to view the Psalms as representing a biblical “worldview,” which is “what ...

800. “You Are My Son; Today I Have Become Your Father”

Psalm 2:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... serve the Lord”/“celebrate . . . with trembling”—the fear of the Lord is the proper spiritual posture (2:11); (4) “kiss his son”—fall down in humble submission to the sovereign God (2:12; cf. James 4:10). This is the gospel in miniature. Illustrating the Text History and parable History: Psalm 2 represents the raw rebellion of the “kings of the earth” against God and his anointed. It is both history and parable. What happened in David’s time is history, and as parable it presents the ...

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