Synonyms: renounce, relinquish, dispense with, forswear, disclaim, disown, disavow, discard, wash one's hands of, give up, stop, cease, drop, forgo, desist from, have done with, abjure, abstain from, discontinue, break off, refrain from, set/lay aside, desert, leave, leave high and dry, turn one's back on, cast aside, break (up) with, vacate, quit, evacuate, withdraw from, surrender, cede, yield, indulge in, give way to, give oneself up to, yield to, lose oneself to/in, uninhibitedness, recklessness, lack of restraint, lack of inhibition, unruliness, wildness, impulsiveness, impetuosity, immoderation, wantonness
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
Showing 901 to 925 of 1185 results
901. Barren No More
1 Sam 1:1-20–2:11
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... As if directly countering this claim, Hannah calls the Lord “holy” (that is, unique) and affirms that he is incomparable. there is no Rock like our God. The term “Rock” refers to a rocky cliff, which is relatively inaccessible and provides protection for those being pursued by enemies. Consequently it depicts God as a place of refuge and safety. 2:6  The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. In the myths Baal engages in a struggle with death; he goes down to ...
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... from his accusation against those who have spared the livestock, Saul wants to distance himself from the people. But in case he is unable to make that distinction, he wants to emphasize that the people’s motives are pure and that they are pursuing a higher good. Theological Insights See “Theological Insights” for 1 Samuel 15:23–35. Teaching the Text The Lord places greater priority on obedience than he does on religious formalism. Saul labors under the faulty notion that God places a priority on ...
903. David on the Run
1 Sam 21:1–22:5
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... senses, however. He is ready to wait on God, albeit in a stronghold in a foreign land (22:4–5). At that point, the Lord 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 ...
904. Saul on the Rampage
1 Samuel 22:6-23
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... their protection. Saul’s hostility has reached new depths. This heightens the tension of the story, for if Saul kills the Lord’s priests, then no one is safe, certainly not David. This paves the way for the episodes to follow in which Saul relentlessly pursues David. Interpretive Insights 22:6  spear in hand. This seemingly incidental detail is ominous, because on earlier occasions Saul has used his spear to try to kill David (18:10–11; 19:9–10) and David’s loyal friend Jonathan (20:33). 22:7 ...
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... 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 for vengeance. After Corrie was released from prison following the war, she ...
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... that, in addition to rejecting Saul and removing his enabling Spirit, God sent an “evil spirit” to oppress and oppose Saul. In this way observers will know that Saul no longer enjoys God’s favor. God opposes his enemies in different ways. He sometimes allows sinners to pursue evil actions, which in turn prompt God’s judgment (Rom. 1:18–32). He may even harden or deceive his enemies (Rom. 9:18; 2 Thess. 2:11–12).4The sobering words of Hebrews 10:31 remind us that it is “a dreadful thing to fall ...
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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... of David. When viewed from another angle, the situation is disturbing because of its incongruity. The one who defeated Israel’s archenemy, the Philistine hero from Gath, is now protecting the ruler of Gath. Such things can happen when an Israelite king pursues God’s chosen servant into exile, and when God’s chosen servant loses focus on his destiny. Theological Insights How are we to assess David’s behavior in this chapter? Against the background of the story’s macroplot, David’s actions are ...
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Daniel J. Estes
... , because it indicates that although Yahweh does permit evil actions within his overall sovereign plan, he is not directly responsible for causing evil to occur. It is not Yahweh’s pleasure that Job be afflicted, but Yahweh has allowed the adversary to pursue his strategy against Job in his attempt to demonstrate that Job does not have the sterling character that Yahweh thinks he has. 2:4–5  Skin for skin! Rejecting Yahweh’s favorable evaluation of Job, the adversary retorts with a proverbial ...
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Daniel J. Estes
... Ahab, a man filled with rage against the great white whale, Moby Dick, because the whale has destroyed the captain’s ship and bitten off his leg. Though he has been warned about his jaundiced view of an experience that could befall any whaler, Ahab pursues the whale—which many critics believe is a symbol of God—believing him to be utterly evil. In response to a warning about his blasphemy, Captain Ahab cries out for vengeance, “The white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. . . . He tasks me; he ...
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Daniel J. Estes
... has to look to the daily news to find examples of people once idolized by millions in whom corruption is subsequently exposed and whose success comes to nothing, even in this world. Point out that God is not mocked, and both the doggedly pursued innocent and the allegedly charmed charlatan are fully known to him and will both be fully loved and disciplined with infallible wisdom. Biblical wisdom is slow to diagnose the cause behind adversity and open to the possibility of righteous suffering. Bible: Take a ...
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Daniel J. Estes
... , we must persevere. Literature: The Odyssey, by Homer. In the Odyssey (ca. 800 BC), Penelope waits for twenty years for her husband Odysseus to return from the Trojan War. Many people try to convince her that he has died. In fact, she is pursued relentlessly by suitors during these years. She finally devises a clever scheme in which she begins weaving a burial shroud, announcing that when it is done, she will choose a suitor. Every night, however, she unweaves some of her work, still believing in Odysseus ...
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Daniel J. Estes
... 2:8). Teaching the Text As Job continues to struggle with the adversity that has afflicted him, he tries to find hope to sustain him. In his speeches, Job looks in various directions to see if he can discern a reason to be optimistic. His mind pursues one direction after another, but each time he comes to the sobering realization that he cannot anticipate any relief from the pain he is experiencing. Wherever he looks, Job can envision no hope. Readers of the book of Job who feel trapped by a severe medical ...
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Daniel J. Estes
... movie (1993), starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, is based on the much earlier television series by the same name. In this story, a prominent physician has been wrongfully accused and convicted of murdering his wife. Escaping his captors, he is pursued relentlessly. He maintains a sense of hope and endurance that helps him to stay alive, elude his accusers, and finally bring about justice. This hope is based on the solid foundations of his innocence and on the profound belief that he will ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... 11. Through this hymn Wesley expresses his dedication to Christian discipleship and service. The central theme of the hymn is devotion to God alone in all our work. The first stanza expresses this well: Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go, My daily labour to pursue; Thee, only thee, resolved to know, In all I think, or speak, or do. Charles’s brother John shared this commitment to complete dedication; he wrote, “I determined, through His grace, to be all devoted to God, to give Him all my soul, my body, and ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... of a deer. The deer is known for its swiftness and sure-footedness. 18:35  your help has made me great. The Babylonian Talmud (Megillah 31a) draws attention to the contrast between God’s sovereign might and his condescension. 18:37–42  I pursued my enemies . . . in the streets. Here the psalmist recounts his exploits in battle, enabled by the Lord himself, and observes that his enemies, whose prayer, says Delitzsch, “was wrung from them by their need,”[9] cried for help just like the psalmist ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... accompaniment (see comments on the title for Ps. 3). While the order of the words is reversed here (not “A psalm of David,” as it usually is), the order does not seem to have much significance. In Psalm 23:6 David affirms that when “goodness and love” have pursued him into the Lord’s house, he will dwell there forever. As a natural follow-up psalm, Psalm 24 is directly concerned with who will or may ascend the mountain of the Lord (24:3). Psalm 24 is a companion to Psalm 15, with Psalm 24:3–6 ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... of joy shared with Psalm 30 (vv. 5, 11). 31:8  in a spacious place. The Hebrew word for “spacious place” (also Ps. 18:19) contrasts with the narrow path, perhaps on a cliffside, where one’s footing is not so sure, especially when the enemy is pursuing. From a narrow place to a broad place is the path of relief (Ps. 118:5). 31:9  my eyes grow weak with sorrow . . . my soul and body. This phrase is Psalm 6:7a verbatim (except for the preposition), another example of formulaic language. Note the body ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... things”]).4Here, “riddle” is parallel to “parable” and is synonymous with it. 49:5  wicked deceivers.The phrase is difficult (lit., “[the] iniquity of the deceivers”). The Greek text (LXX) translates it “iniquity of my heels,” perhaps implying iniquity that pursues. 49:6  those who trust in their wealth.These people compose the psalmist’s secondary audience, but his primary hearers are those who are troubled by the activities of the wealthy and powerful. 49:7–8  No one can redeem ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... . If we live in this world for any length of time, chances are we will experience what we feel is a betrayal from someone we believed was trustworthy. Maybe it is a friend who turned his or her back on us. It could be a friend who pursued our spouse or partner. Possibly it is a parent who abandoned or mistreated us. Maybe it is a business partner who worked against our best interests. It could be an employee who left our business and took some of our customers. Betrayal is a common human experience ...
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C. Hassell Bullock
... of a bar known as the Hell Hole. Among the group were the famous playwright Eugene O’Neill and journalist Dorothy Day. O’Neill began to quote Francis Thompson’s poem “The Hound of Heaven,” which talks about our tendency to run from the God who pursues us. Day was deeply moved by this poem, and sometime later she surrendered her life to the Lord, choosing to live a life of poverty and care for the homeless. Day later wrote in her autobiography about Thompson’s poem: “It is one of those poems ...
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Ronald W. Pierce
... of Scripture—helps us to put our own lives in perspective. Daniel experiences this most acutely after seventy years of service as sage, prophet, seer, and intercessor. Exhort your listeners, regardless of their age, spiritual maturity, or experiences, to pursue spiritual disciplines that help them to know more deeply the person and work of God. Assure them that this will also result in them knowing themselves better in the process. Encourage them to recognize and accept their humanity in contrast ...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
... judge ourselves as well we might—it is to acknowledge, as Paul said, that there is “none righteous, no not one”, for “we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” III. That leads to a final thought this word of Jesus calls us to pursue. Everything on the surface seems harsh and severe and demanding, so you may be surprised that I would offer this final word: Here is a mighty call to faith in the grace of God. I believe this for two reasons. One, remember the context in which the story ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... worse in the same situation. I like that story because it reminds me that some people surrender their dreams without even making an honest effort to achieve them, not because they’re lazy or lacking in ability, but because they are too simply timid to pursue them. I believe that you will agree that shyness can be a curse, but could it ever be considered a sin? Think about that question for a few moments while we ponder the source of timidity. In his very helpful book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... the priests and Levites for their important, hazardous responsibilities and continual vigilance, which would make it hard for those on duty to make a living any other way. Unlike the other tribes, Levi will not inherit a territory in Canaan in order to pursue an agricultural livelihood. Rather, God allots all the tithes (tenth portions; cf. Gen. 14:20; 28:22; Lev. 27:30–32; Neh. 10:38; Mal. 3:8–10) of the Israelites’ agricultural produce to the Levites. To the priests he assigns a permanent ...
925. Balaam's Donkey
Num 22:21–24:25
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... uncovered” (24:4 NRSV) likely refer to his experience when he met the “angel of the Lord” (22:31). But they could also ominously allude to his downfall in spite of possessing extraordinary insight from God. His moral fall is already under way, and he is pursuing a perverse course with his eyes open, knowing what he is doing. Balaam goes on to extol the magnificence of Israel’s encampment and to prophesy the greatness of her future king, who will be exalted above Agag, the later king of Amalek (1 Sam ...
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