Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 826 to 850 of 5000 results

826. “When You Ascended on High, You Took Many Captives”

Psalm 68:1-35

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... redemptive events, and of taking a front-row-seat position in Zion’s sanctuary. And the ultimate victory cry is “Praise be to God!” (68:35), while later saints rejoice in “so great a salvation” (Heb. 2:3). See “Illustrating the Text.” Illustrating the Text “Tell me the old, old, story.” Quote: Christ in the Psalms, by Patrick Henry Reardon. In Christian interpretation, Psalm 68 is commonly identified as strongly messianic. It is the “old, old story,” 15the church’s history claimed ...

827. “The Lord Is Great!”

Psalm 70:1-5

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... up those verses intentionally because they carried the weight of his historic burdens as one era was slipping away and another was pressing into reality: urgency (40:13), shame (40:14–15), and humiliation (poor and needy, 40:17). Here we have a good illustration of how duplicate psalms adapt the same words for their distinctive settings. Outline/Structure 1. Prayer that God will hasten to save the psalmist (70:1) 2. Prayer against the psalmist’s enemies (70:2–3) 3. Prayer for all who seek God (70 ...

828. “Even When I Am Old and Gray, Do Not Forsake Me, My God”

Psalm 71:1-24

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... threat to God, because it too comes under his control. In fact, it probably was not until the exilic or postexilic age that Old Testament theology came to distinguish between God as the source of good and Satan as the source of evil. The clearest illustration of this is in the parallel stories of David’s numbering of Israel. According to 2 Samuel, the Lord was angry with Israel and incited David to take a census (2 Sam. 24:1), whereas 1 Chronicles, written either in the exile or postexile, and obviously ...

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

Psalm 72:1-20

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... to celebrate its revival. In the following table the reader will see the connections between and among the last four psalms of Book 2, which may suggest more an editorial viewpoint than an authorial one. The reuse of Psalm 40:14–16 as Psalm 70 is an illustration of the reprocessing style at work in the Psalter as a whole. Teaching the Text To begin our lesson or sermon, we may observe that David, in his prophetic voice (cf. Ps. 71), prays for his son Solomon, asking God to make him the ideal king who ...

830. Ancient of Days and Son of Man

Daniel 7:1-14

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... God’s kingdom. Third, although the messianic reference is central, significant, and personal, there is no clear indication as to whether it speaks of Jesus’s first coming or his return, or whether his kingdom is literal or spiritual—or a combination of both. Illustrating the Text We can be confident that God’s ultimate victory is assured. Human Experience: Most people do not want to know the final score of an important sporting event or the ending to a suspenseful novel before they watch or read it ...

831. The Rise of Media, Persia, and Greece

Daniel 8:15-27

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... Antiochus, asking how they might have responded to such circumstances. Even though our situation is different today, the choice of fidelity versus compromise remains the same. 2. God’s triumph over evil. The righteous punishment of even one wicked ruler can illustrate God’s victory at the end of the age. This gives us assurance that God remains sovereign over the finite power of mere mortals. The ancient world knew its share of terror-inspiring rulers. However, modern believers can be traumatized daily ...

832. What Can I Get By With?

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to feed their families at the end of the day. No one was mistreated. And so it is with God. It is not our merits, or what we do that forms the basis of God’s love for us—it is our need and our response. To illustrate the whole matter of unmerited grace, I share the story of a three-month-old baby, Nathan, who was diagnosed with a congenital problem called nystagmus, a visible condition where the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements. The pediatric ophthalmologist said it would always be that way ...

833. The Creation of the World

Genesis 1:1-2:3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... History (1:1–11:32): The Bible does not begin by attempting to prove the existence of God. It simply assumes this fact. But it does begin by describing God’s creation of the heavens and the earth (1:1–2). This phrase may be an illustration of what is known as merism, the expression of totality through the use of opposites. Thus verse 1 is simply saying that God created everything. This he did in the beginning, which is the Hebrew way of saying, “a long time ago,” without stipulating how long ...

834. Noah after the Flood

Gen 9:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... other hand, cover their father’s nakedness, much as God did with Adam and Eve’s in 3:21. (Note again the emphasis here on “seeing” and “not seeing.”) As a result of Ham’s involvement, Noah curses not Ham but his grandson Canaan. This may illustrate the “eye for an eye” principle of justice. The youngest son of Noah sins, and as a result, a curse is placed on Ham’s youngest son. Other interpretations are possible. This is the only instance of a humanly imposed curse in the five books of ...

835. Abraham’s Test

Genesis 22:1-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a case of Abraham praying for the deliverance of sinners but refusing to pray for the deliverance of his own family? Abraham does not expect this to be the last he will see his son. (“We will come back to you,” 22:5.) Yet this story is as much an illustration of Isaac’s faith as it is of Abraham’s. He willingly submits to his father (22:9), when in point of fact he could have tied up his father, had he so decided. Only when the knife is raised (22:10) is Abraham stopped by the Lord’s angel ...

836. Jacob Flees to Harran

Gn 27:41–29:14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a blessing (28:1–9). Isaac nowhere rebukes his son for his earlier antics, any more than God rebuked Abraham or Isaac for similar ruses. Silence, however, should not be taken as approval. The purpose of the Genesis stories in chapters 11–50 is to illustrate the election of one family through whom nations will be blessed, the promises made to that family, and God’s commitment to those promises. Esau, still holding on, tries to buy a little favor with his parents by marrying a non-Canaanite girl (28:6 ...

837. Jacob Blesses His Sons

Genesis 49:1-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Shechemites (chap. 34). Indeed, Simeon was absorbed into Judah, and Levi was dispersed among the other tribes. These are the only three sons whose fate in Genesis 49 is explicitly connected with earlier material in the Genesis narrative. They provide a further illustration of more pain in Jacob’s life. Even on his deathbed, he is reminded of outrageous acts committed by members of his family. Judah is not disqualified because of his immorality (chap. 38). Clearly Judah is cut out for a place of ...

838. Defending the Faith

Deuteronomy 7:1-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... or three (Exod. 23:28). Israel is to “destroy them totally” (Hebrew haram, a verb meaning “to devote to the ban” or “to dedicate to destruction”). All the spoil belongs to the Lord and is banned from any human use. This principle is best illustrated in the Achan story (Josh. 7:1–26). This type of dedication is an involuntary dedication (the opposite of Rom. 12:1–2, which is a voluntary offering of ourselves up to God). Since the territory will not all be available immediately (7:22), Israel ...

839. Resisting Pride and Self-righteousness

Deut 9:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ESV; cf. 4:24); “He will destroy them”; “He will subdue them before you.” But God’s intervention on their behalf is not to be credited to their “righteousness” or their “integrity” (9:5–6), for they are a stiff-necked people (9:6). Moses easily illustrates the evidence for Israel’s disobedience and stubbornness (9:7–29): at Sinai with the golden calf (9:8–21; cf. Exod. 32:1–34:35), at Massah (9:22; cf. Exod. 17:1–7), at Taberah (Num. 11:1–3), at Kibroth Hattaavah (Num. 11:31 ...

840. Upholding the Sanctity of Life

Deut 19:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... as three cities of refuge have been provided in the Transjordan. In Joshua 20:1–9 we learn these added cities are Kedesh, Shechem, and Kirjath Arba (Hebron). These places of refuge are not for murderers but for those who unintentionally cause someone’s death. The illustration of an ax flying off the handle and killing a victim while the two are chopping wood (19:5) shows that although such a case still involves a killing, the offender can be protected in one of these cities, for it was “without malice ...

841. Installing the New Leader and Moses’ Swan Song

Deut 31:14–32:47

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Rock” (32:4, 15, 18, 30–31), which was an ancient name for God (Gen. 49:24; Ps. 18:2). “Rock” has the idea of stability and dependability, along with being a place of refuge (Ps. 19:14; 31:3–4; 71:3). Jesus likewise uses a rock as an illustration of his own word in the story of the house that is built on a rock (Matt. 7:24–27). Another metaphor is “Father” (32:6, 7), which speaks of God’s close relationship to his children in this world. Again God is “Creator” (32:6) and is “like an ...

842. Othniel

Judges 3:7-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in that elements of the cyclical pattern found in 2:11–19 regularly appear at the beginning and end of each major judge narrative to form a frame. The narratives about the major judges in this section are thus to be understood as concrete illustrations of the cyclical pattern introduced in 2:11–19. 3:7–11 · Unlike the other narratives to follow, the narrative of the Judahite judge Othniel is very brief and consists primarily of stereotypical phrases already found in 2:11–19. Othniel is the only ...

843. Danites Settle in Laish

Judges 18:1-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in 18:1 as new characters are introduced who will play significant roles in the continued unfolding of the story. But first, the shortened version of the refrain appears again in 18:1a, perhaps to highlight the fact that the events to be narrated will again illustrate the anarchy that results from the Lord not being honored as king. The inability of the Danites to take possession of their allotted land has already been disclosed in Joshua 19:47 and Judges 1:34. What the tribe has done to compensate for that ...

844. Widows and Their Worries: Back to Bethlehem

Ruth 1:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in Kings, as do the Jews of Ezra and Nehemiah’s day, because these married, among other foreigners, Moabite women (1 Kings 11:1–8; Ezra 9:1–6; Neh. 13:23–27). Conjoining Israelite relatives to a list with foreigners illustrates the severity of the separation. Essentially, the Israelites were to treat the Moabites like nonfamily members and have nothing to do with them because of conflicting religious practices. Although the narrator refrains from passing specific judgment on Elimelek’s sons, their ...

845. A Worthy Woman Meets a Worthy Man

Ruth 2:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... bowing down to the ground reflects a deep humility and submission to an elder. Her words that follow illumine more of the integrity of her heart. Regardless of Ruth’s naturalization process, she still considers herself “a foreigner,” a point further illustrated in the remark, “I do not have the standing of one of your servants” (2:10, 13). These statements reflect Ruth’s perception about her origin and not her current status as an Israelite. She assumes her foreign origin naturally disqualifies ...

846. The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron

1 Samuel 5:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... beside the image of Dagon, a god of grain worshiped in many parts of the Fertile Crescent and the Philistines’ leading deity. According to popular theology, Israel’s defeat would have meant that Dagon was more powerful than the Lord, but the ensuing events illustrate for the audience the power of Israel’s deity, the Lord. Twice the image topples to the ground before the ark, and the second time Dagon’s head and hands break off. Meanwhile, the Lord afflicts the people of Ashdod with tumors of some ...

847. Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

1 Samuel 7:2-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the central hill country down to Gilgal, near Jericho in the Jordan Valley (7:16). Yet, he is said to have gathered “all Israel” at Mizpah (7:5), and the historian asserts that “all Israel from Dan to Beersheba” knows of Samuel’s prophetic abilities (3:20). What this information illustrates is the historian’s interest in making clear that events and people associated within a limited area often have broader implications for the entire nation.

848. Amnon and Tamar

2 Samuel 13:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Rebellion 13:1–20:26: Although the Lord did not explicitly forbid polygamy, the story recounted in 13:1–14 illustrates why multiple marriages are unwise. Hatred and jealousy among half brothers was a constant problem and sometimes led to murder (cf. Judg. 9:5), especially when one’s own sister is violated (cf. Genesis 34). It is unlikely that the heart of the matter in this story is an unlawful ...

849. Security Clearance

1 Kings 2:1-46

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a risk as in requesting Abishag. The reader has already seen that any play on a member of the royal harem is tantamount to a claim on the throne itself, as the actions of Abner (2 Sam. 3:7) and Absalom (2 Sam. 16:22) grimly illustrate. Whether Adonijah is motivated by love or power, this must be perceived as a bizarre strategy that underestimates his younger brother: why would Solomon consent to such a marriage that strengthens his older brother’s claim? While Bathsheba agrees to take Adonijah’s suit to ...

850. Solomon's Adversaries

1 Kings 11:14-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Lord raised up Hadad of Edom, we note that the specific Hebrew term satan (“adversary”) is used, a stunning contrast with Solomon’s earlier declaration to Hiram (5:18) that no satan can be found on any side. This is a graphic illustration that Solomon’s words can be hollow. In fact, Solomon’s adversaries may be more subtle, since Hadad—like Solomon himself—marries into the Egyptian royal family, and therefore Solomon and Hadad may well share the same father-in-law. Ironically, Hadad is ...

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