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Showing 801 to 825 of 975 results

801. Saul’s Finest Hour

1 Sam 11:1-15

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord alone is his people’s Savior and source of security. Understanding the Text In chapter 10 we read of how the Lord gave Israel a king yet placed limitations on him (v. 25). However, not everyone was pleased with this arrangement or with the Lord’s choice of a king (v. 27). Indeed, hesitant Saul appeared to be an unlikely candidate for the job; his apparent qualifications were only superficial. The chapter ends in tension. Would Saul be an effective leader and deliver Israel from their ...

802. Séance in Endor: Bad News from Beyond the Grave

1 Samuel 28:1-25

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: Those rejected by God forfeit his guidance and must face the inevitability of judgment. Understanding the Text The narrator briefly suspends the story of David’s escapades while based in Philistine territory and turns his attention back to Saul. In chapters 29–30 he resumes David’s story before again focusing on Saul in chapter 31. The switch back and forth between the two principal characters reflects their geographic separation, yet also foreshadows their contrasting destinies. David and Saul ...

803. Eliphaz Turns Up His Criticism of Job

Job 15:1-35

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Eliphaz insists that Job is a sinner who deserves God’s punishment. Understanding the Text Job 15 contains Eliphaz’s second speech to Job, and it is evident that civil discussion between them has broken down considerably. In fact, in the second cycle (Job 15–21) the dialogue between Job and his friends becomes more strained, abusive, and insulting as the friends focus almost completely on the divine punishment due to wicked people like Job. In chapter 15, Eliphaz is not as courteous as when he ...

804. Job Hears the Whispers of God’s Works

Job 26:1--31:40

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: When Job considers God’s greatness, he realizes how little he himself knows. Understanding the Text When Bildad says in Job 25:6 that humans are mere maggots and worms before the transcendent God, Job apparently interrupts him. Although Job agrees with much of Bildad’s lofty view of God, he draws different implications from their shared theology. Bildad claims that God’s greatness means nothing can thwart his justice, so life in God’s world is thoroughly predictable, but Job declares that God’s ...

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

Psalm 1:1-6

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: We begin the spiritual story of Israel, and ours as well, with the psalmist’s search for and delight in God’s Word. Understanding the Text Psalm 1 is often viewed as a wisdom psalm because it puts forth the merits of the moral life as two “ways,” the “way of the righteous” and the “way of the wicked” (1:6), which is characteristic of wisdom thought. For the psalmist the matter was very simple: one must choose between the two ways. When the final edition of the book of Psalms was forming, Psalm 1 ...

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

Psalm 4:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God does not do business without a contract (covenant), and its terms, sometimes severe, translate into mercy and blessing when we trust him. Understanding the Text We have already discussed the relationship of Psalms 3 and 4 (see “The Text in Context” in the unit on Ps. 3), which is not coincidental. In fact, readers of the Psalms have noted the appropriateness of Psalm 3 as a morning prayer (3:5) and Psalm 4 as an evening prayer (4:8), whether the editor of the collection intended that purpose ...

807. “Their Violence Comes Down on Their Own Heads”

Psalm 7:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: While God’s justice is ultimately the solution to the problem of evil, evil also carries in itself the gene of self-destruction. Understanding the Text Psalm 7 is an individual lament, as are Psalms 3–6. The two ingredients that constitute this type of psalm are the lament and the reasons for lament.1 The lament is against David’s enemies, expressed in 7:1, 6, 14, 15, and 16. Whereas the innocence of Psalm 6 was more implied than explicit, here the psalmist is so convinced of his innocence that ...

808. “Ascribe to the Lord the Glory Due His Name”

Psalm 29:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God has many voices, sometimes proclaiming his majesty and power through nature, while his people acclaim the message in worship. Understanding the Text In this beautiful psalm of praise, the “voice of the Lord,” the central thrust of Psalm 29, heard in the frightful storm, announces in nature’s accent the lordship of Yahweh, ending in the peaceful lull of the storm. In Psalm 96 (v. 10a) the announcement of the Lord’s reign sends the heavens and the earth and all creation into passionate ...

809. “May the Net They Hid Entangle Them”

Psalm 35:1-28

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Rather than taking vengeance for injustice into our own hands, we can pray that its perpetrators will become victims of their own contrivances. Understanding the Text Psalm 35, the first of the imprecatory psalms, deals with the issue of divine justice in a bare-bones way. In one sense, it is an individual lament (Craigie), but in its total effect, it is more a prayer for deliverance (Wilson). The form critics, seeking the cultural context for such prayers, are inclined to view the psalm as a ...

810. “God Is Our Refuge and Strength, an Ever-Present Help in Trouble”

Psalm 46:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Human effort is necessary to build God’s kingdom, but the final word is that we should “be still” and recognize that God is the real Builder. Understanding the Text Psalm 46 is a type of poem that challenges form criticism’s assumptions. Gunkel has identified it as a subtype of the hymn, which he labels “Zion Songs.”1 Goldingay helpfully lays out the features of this psalm that overlap with other types and concludes that the psalm of trust is the best choice of categories.2 Indeed, the spirit of ...

811. “The Lord Most High Is Awesome, the Great King over All the Earth”

Psalm 47:1-9

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God’s covenant of grace with Abraham, far from being exclusive, is an implicit call to the people of the whole world to become members of this covenant. Understanding the Text Psalm 47 is a good example of what Gunkel calls a hymn, and he includes it in a subcategory of Zion songs. Mowinckel has followed Gunkel’s study by proposing a new classification, the enthronement psalms,1postulating that ancient Israel celebrated a fall festival at which they reelevated Yahweh to his throne, or at least ...

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

Psalm 51:1-19

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God delights in the spiritual transaction of repentance that begins in the human heart. Understanding the Text Bernhard W. Anderson calls Psalm 51 “one of the pearls of the Psalter.”1Among the seven penitential psalms,2this one, in Weiser’s estimation, is the most important because it “demonstrates the essence of true penitence.”3This psalm falls generally under the classification of the individual lament, and more specifically, to use Kraus’s subcategory, “Songs of the Sick and Anguished.”4As a ...

813. “Endow the King with Your Justice, O God”

Psalm 72:1-20

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Prayer for the blessing of the nations is also a prayer for the poor and needy of the world. Understanding the Text Psalm 72 is generally classified as a royal psalm. This means its focus is on the king and his kingdom. Some commentators view it as a coronation psalm, which is a little difficult to see because it does not have the same references to the establishment of the kingship as does Psalm 2:7. However, it could have been used in some capacity when Israelite kings were crowned. It is one ...

814. How to Deal with Demons

Matthew 12:38-50

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is an old story about Albert Einstein. He was going around the country from university to university on the lecture circuit, giving lectures on his theory of relativity. He traveled by chauffeur-driven limousines. One day, after they had been on the road for a while, Einstein’s chauffeur said to him, “Dr. Einstein, I’ve heard you deliver that lecture on relativity so many times that I’ll bet that I could deliver it myself.” “Very well,” the good Doctor responded, “I’ll give you that opportunity ...

815. Serendipity

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

My wife is a clown! Wait now—let me explain that. I mean that literally, not figuratively. I don’t mean she’s a clown in terms of being a cutup, an always-clowning-around type of person. I mean she is literally a clown, and she has been involved for about ten years in a clown ministry. Her name is “Serendipity,” given to her by a longtime preacher friend. One thing that name means is “unexpected” and “unsuspected.” The fellow suggested the name because God’s grace comes at unexpected times from unexpected ...

816. The God of Peace

Philippians 4:4-9

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A piece of chalk Boys and Girls: Christmas is a time of peace and good will on earth. At least, that's what we hope for and long for. The next three Sundays we're going to be talking about pride. Christmas is a time when we honor the lowly things of this world, the little things, the insignificant things, the little town of Bethlehem, the little stable, the little manger, the shepherds. Do you know what pride is? Pride is what causes us to puff ourselves up and think that we are more important than ...

817. Can It Be Sin to Be Shy?

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a wonderful story from long ago about a man in Maine named Ike who was exceedingly shy. Ike fell in love with a beautiful young maiden named Anna. Anna seemed to Ike to be too wonderful for him to ever ask her to be his wife. So, he went on loving her in silence for ten years. He remained single, as did she. During this time, he built a fine house, with a barn and outbuildings, and a beautiful rock garden. Still, though he was very much in love with her, he hadn’t yet dared to propose. Finally, ...

818. Various Laws

Leviticus 19:1-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Instructions in Worship and Ethics: Leviticus 19 contains a remarkably diverse group of laws, mixing moral or ethical injunctions with religious or ritual instructions. Such a combination of categories is not found elsewhere in the ancient Near East, where religious and ethical laws are separated in different collections. This combination of ethics and religion in the Bible emphasizes that for God’s people, every aspect of life is holy and under his control. Thus, the heading in 19:2 calls for the ...

819. Organization of Sanctuary Personnel

Num 3:1–4:49

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The Levite tribe (including priests) is not included in the military census because it is responsible for taking care of the Lord’s sanctuary (Num. 1:47–53; 2:33). Nonpriestly Levites are to serve as assistants to the priests. In addition to the regular care and guarding of the sanctuary and its contents, the Levites are responsible for packing up, transporting, and reassembling the tabernacle when the Israelites journey from one place to another. The Levites belonging to the three subdivisions of their ...

820. Law of Purification from Corpse Impurity

Numbers 19:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Leviticus and Numbers have repeatedly mentioned the severe physical ritual impurity of corpse contamination (Lev. 21:1–4, 11; Num. 5:2; 6:6–12; 9:6–12), the possibility of purification from it on the seventh day after defilement (Num. 6:9), and the means of cleansing through sprinkling water of purification (Num. 8:7; cf. v. 21). Numbers 19 explains the nature of the water and specifics of the sprinkling. A comprehensive remedy for corpse contamination comes as a relief after all the deaths that have ...

821. The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

Joshua 24:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Some time later, Joshua gathers the tribes of Israel and their leaders at Shechem and speaks to them again (24:1–28). Because of the similarity in subject matter between the two speeches, some consider them merely different reports of the same speech. However, the two speeches likely represent two different occasions. While those present for the first speech are mainly leaders representing all Israel (23:2), 24:1 seems to suggest that all the tribes are also present for the second speech. Moreover, while ...

822. Northern Exposure

1 Kings 13:1-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The main story line of 1 Kings 13 features an interlude on the prophetic word, an anomalous chapter that in various ways contributes to the overall plot of the narrative. The first scene (13:1–10) takes place at Bethel, probably in the shadow of the newly constructed golden calf. It features a confrontation between Jeroboam and an unnamed man of God from Judah. The unexpected interruption as the new king is paying homage at this alternative place of worship grabs the reader’s attention. More dramatic than ...

823. Kings of Israel

1 Kings 15:33–16:28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

At some point during the twenty-four-year reign of the usurping Baasha (15:33–16:7), the prophet Jehu arrives with a strong denunciation. The fact that Baasha does a good imitation of Jeroboam is the initial reason for the prophetic word, as the hitherto unmentioned Jehu announces that the house of Baasha will experience an identical fate. Jehu’s confrontation certainly anticipates prophetic activity in the next major section of 1 Kings (chapters 17–22), and his phrase “from the dust” (16:2) evokes ...

824. Ascending the Throne

2 Chronicles 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2 Chron. 1:1–9:31 Review · The Account of Solomon: A substantial portion of the account of David (1 Chronicles 22–29) is devoted to a description of David’s preparations for the succession of his son. These preparations are focused almost exclusively on Solomon’s function as temple builder and patron. The Solomon who emerges after the death of David at the end of 1 Chronicles 29 is a Solomon without tarnish. While two failures of David are incorporated into his account, both events key to the creation of ...

825. Psalm 2

Psalm 2:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Whereas in 1:2 the righteous meditate on God’s truth, in 2:1–2, the wicked plot (literally “meditate”) God’s destruction and that of the Messiah (the Anointed One). Psalm 2 inaugurates the second major theme of the Psalms: the Messiah as final resolver of the problems believers encounter. The nations rage at God, seeking their own way, but God laughs at their folly, countering with his own fury that shakes them to their core (2:3–5). The psalmist reveals the relationship between God and his appointed king ...

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