Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 951 to 975 of 1185 results

951. Punishment of Midianites

Num 31:1-54

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... notice that nations who try to destroy the chosen people, even by deception, will surely be held accountable. If this seems harsh, we should remember that there was no United Nations organization in the predatory ancient Near East. People who showed weakness soon ceased independent existence. The operation commanded by God is a holy war that deploys a symmetrical army of twelve thousand, composed of one thousand soldiers from each of the twelve tribes (31:3–5; cf. Rev. 7:4–8—twelve thousand from each ...

952. The Song of Deborah

Judges 5:1-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in Deuteronomy 33:2. The mention of these southern locations likely reflects an early tradition in which the Lord’s dwelling is believed to lie in the south. The plight of the people is next described in 5:6–8, as village life is portrayed as having ceased and the main roads as having been abandoned. According to 5:8, the root cause of this decimation is that the people have forsaken the Lord and chosen new gods. As the Lord gave his people into the hands of foreign oppressors in judgment, war came to ...

953. The Ark in Jerusalem and the Tabernacle in Gibeon

1 Chronicles 16:7-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... daily offerings (Exod. 29:38–43; Num. 28:1–8) alongside these musical Levitical clans. The content of their musical worship is cited in verse 41: “to give thanks to the Lord, ‘for his love endures forever.’” Ultimately this duality of worship centers would cease, but not until the temple was built by Solomon. Chapter 16 ends with a focus on the community as a whole in 16:43, as both David and the people return to their own homes, David specifically to bless his family. This echoes the earlier ...

954. Psalm 114

Psalm 114:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of people departs from a foreign nation and becomes the people among whom God establishes his royal residence (114:1–2). Creation is terrified, not by that departing nation, but by the God of that nation (114:3–6)—the Red Sea parts (Exod. 14:21–22); the Jordan River ceases flowing (Josh. 3:15–16); and mountains and hills shake (Judg. 5:4). The whole earth (Ps. 114:7–8) is to tremble before such an omnipotent God, who also causes water to flow out of solid rock (Num. 20:11; Deut. 8:15).

955. Psalm 121

Psalm 121:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 5, 7 [2×], 8), the psalmist depicts God as protecting his people. God shields them from death (121:3; cf. 66:9), from nature’s attacks (121:5–6), and from evil things (121:7). God is the source of help (121:1–2), who never ceases offering that help (121:3–4)—the one who protects against danger from inanimate sources (121:5–6) and against evil (harm) from animate sources (121:7–8). The hills (121:1) are likely either those filled with danger through which pilgrims passed (thus wondering where ...

956. Be Joyful & Reverent

Ecclesiastes 11:7--12:8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the world. These verses contain a partially allegorical portrayal of the debilitating effects of old age, offering a striking contrast to the youthful traits of 11:9–10. This is accomplished through the description of an estate where “business as usual” has ceased, perhaps due to the storm of verse 2 or a resident’s death, as verse 5 implies. The imagery is enigmatic and its meaning, accordingly, disputed, although the basic point of the scenario is clear. Verse 3 describes the reactions of four ...

957. The Branch from Jesse

Isaiah 11:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... one of the branches of a tree; its origin is the roots. The Messiah is a shoot from the roots of David’s dynasty. The new leadership over God’s people must come from David’s dynasty, but it is also separate from the old dynastic interests. Kingship may cease in Judah, but God’s promise to David will be kept. The messianic shoot does not conform to the old way. He introduces God’s rule on earth, symbolized by the presence of the “Spirit of the Lord” (11:2). The new stage in God’s kingdom will ...

958. Tyre

Isaiah 23:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... vessels that plied the seas (23:1–5). The rumor of Tyre’s destruction is spread all around the Mediterranean area. From Larnaka, the port of Cyprus, to the ports around the Mediterranean, it is known that “the marketplace of the nations” (23:3) has ceased doing business. Egypt too will hear. Its reaction is anguished. Isaiah calls on the people of Tyre to flee to Tarshish on the Atlantic coast southwest of Spain (23:6–9). Even though the prophet may not have the exact region of Tarshish in mind ...

959. Ephraim

Isaiah 28:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... The people themselves will go from terror by day to terror by night. That day will bring no peace or comfort. The prophet likens this to a time when the bed is too short and the blanket too small (28:20). Isaiah further exhorts the people to cease their scoffing lest the judgment of God be intensified. The political leaders also scoffed at the prophet. They did not believe that trust in the Lord (“a tested stone,” 28:16) was the answer to Judah’s political woes. Instead, they had relied on a covenant ...

960. God’s Response

Isaiah 65:1-16, Isaiah 65:17-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... judgment and exile. The Lord will create a “new era”—“new heavens” and a “new earth” (65:17). The new era is characterized by the joy of the people of God because Yahweh himself rejoices over his people. The sorrow of past sufferings will cease because of the comfort of the Lord. The new era is described in terms of physical health and longevity, the enjoyment of God’s benefits in physical ways, answers to prayer, and peace and the absence of malice and corruption. Even their children will ...

961. Not One is Upright

Jeremiah 5:1-31, Jeremiah 6:1-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... have no awe before him. Irreverently, their eyes and ears are closed to God’s wonders. Along with the evils of omission are evils of defiant action. In a rebellious spirit they have deserted their God, much to their own hurt, for the rains have ceased. Sinning people cheat themselves out of what is good. On the human plane there are likewise sins of action and sins of neglect. Evil persons, like hunters of game, fill their traps (cages) to the limit. By their clever maneuvers, they exploit other people ...

962. Seventy Years of Captivity

Jeremiah 25:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Babylon’s path to Egypt. “Completely destroy” (25:9) is a chilling term from the language of holy warfare, where it means “to destroy as in a sacrifice, leaving no survivor.” Social life (marriages), business (millstones), and home life (light) will cease. Seventy years (25:12), if intended literally, are best calculated from 605 (an early Babylonian attack) to 535 (the first return came in 538). Other uses of the number, including in Assyrian texts, suggest the number seventy to be a symbol for ...

963. Restoration of Isarel

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... over the second one announcing recovery. The proverb about grapes and blunt teeth restates (and exaggerates) Exodus 20:5 and Numbers 14:18. Complaints that the children’s miseries (the exile) were the result of the fathers’ sins (Manasseh) will cease. People are individually accountable. In the justly famous salvation oracle of 31:31–37, an unprecedented announcement takes shape. A covenant, differing from a contract, is an arrangement of bonding between persons. The old covenant from Sinai (Exod. 19 ...

964. A Cedar in Lebanon

Ezekiel 31:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is due to God. Unfortunately, the tree’s height goes to its head. Majestic stature breeds arrogance. As a result, God hands the tree over to a ruthless nation. The Babylonians are ferocious woodcutters who quickly level the tree. As a result, the tree ceases to provide shelter for birds, animals, and people. All other trees are addressed with an implicit warning in verse 14. If this magnificent tree vaunted itself and perished all the same, what will happen to lesser trees (other empires) if they become ...

965. Vision of the Kingdoms

Daniel 8:1-14, Daniel 8:15-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... referentially as speaking of the invasion of the Seleucid (Syrian) king Antiochus IV Epiphanes into Judah, when, due to persecution and sacrilege in the temple for more than three years (1,150 days), the evening and morning sacrifices (“the 2,300 evenings and mornings”) ceased (8:14). It is true that Antiochus had no regard for God, acted as “the Prince of the host” (8:11 NIV 1984, KJV), and required the Jews to worship the images of humans. It is true that the defeat of Antiochus marked the end ...

966. Vision and Exhortation about the End

Amos 8:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ) just after the northern tribes declared their independence from Judah. The “way/custom of Beersheba” (see NASB, NRSV; the NIV has “god of Beersheba”) must also refer to the pagan religious practice at that city in the southern part of Judah. The people who worship at these syncretistic places will cease and never be seen again.

967. Moab and Ammon

Zephaniah 2:8-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Lord. Because they have reviled the covenant people, they are subject to the curse: “Whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3). When the Lord acts on behalf of his own, he will appear as “awesome” or terrifying to the nations. Taunting will cease and their gloating words will not be heard anymore because of the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel. The nations along with their national deities and idols will disappear from the earth. In place of paganism and idolatry the prophet looks forward to ...

968. Jesus Heals Many

Mark 1:29-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... each believer to serve the Christian community in tangible ways. What Jesus has done to one person in healing Peter’s mother-in-law he now does to the whole community (1:32–34). After sunset on Saturday, Sabbath prohibitions against work and travel ceased, and Capernaum shows up en masse with people suffering from a host of physical and demonic maladies. Mark closes the day’s activities in Capernaum with a reference to Jesus’s forbidding the demons to speak (1:34). This unexpected command seems to ...

969. Jesus Calms the Storm

Luke 8:22-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... over nature, demons, disease, and death. Hills and gorges surround the Sea of Galilee, and sudden windstorms would sweep down onto the lake. Fearing imminent death by drowning, the disciples arouse Jesus and implore his aid. At Jesus’s command the storm ceases, and calm returns. Immediately Jesus communicates the lesson for the disciples: “Where is your faith?” (8:25). Their confidence should have been in Jesus and his saving power. Then the disciples pose a question: who is this one who has such ...

970. The Cost of Being a Disciple

Luke 14:25-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to discipleship, one needs to recognize from the beginning that Jesus demands total and complete commitment. Only those who have such a radical commitment can be Jesus’s disciples. The illustration of the salt makes a similar point (14:34–35). A disciple who is not salty is one who ceases to be radically committed. Such disciples are good for nothing.

971. The Trial Before Festus

Acts 25:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... .3; Claudius 14). When it was established as a formal legislation in 18 BC, this provision did not simply enhance the rights of individual Roman citizens; it also allowed the Roman emperor to have direct control of the provinces when provincial officials ceased to be considered the final authority to which citizens had to submit. Provincial officials who failed to acknowledge such rights of Roman citizens were liable to death. In this context, the emperor to whom Paul was appealing would have been Nero (AD ...

972. Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , and always perseveres in its attempt to do these things. Such love also “never fails” to express itself—whether in the past, the present, or the future—among those who belong to God. It will continue to do so even after prophecies, tongues, and knowledge cease (13:8; there is no indication here that Paul thought any of these events likely before the time when God’s kingdom is perfectly or completely manifested [13:10; 15:20–28]). For our knowledge of God and our words spoken in worship in the ...

973. Correcting Cephas

Galatians 2:11-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... section Paul has shown why the gospel is compromised through ethnic favoritism and that with his leadership the Galatians can progress in the gospel. Moving toward the opponents’ position is nothing more than a giant step backward. Many commentators have debated where Paul ceases his address to the erring Peter (and the other Jews involved in the Antioch incident) and where he begins to address the Galatians once again. The present writer agrees with the NIV, which includes 2:15–21 with the rest of Paul ...

974. A Call to Christlike Obedience

Philippians 2:12-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... salvation. Paul continues his call to the Philippians to have an attitude like Christ in 2:14. Not only does Paul call the Philippians to humility and service, but he also warns them against spreading disunity in the Christian community. Paul’s call to cease complaining is connected to his prayer in 1:10–11. He wants them to be pure and blameless, living out the Christian life with inner unity and outward holiness in spite of the condition of the world around them (“warped and crooked generation” is ...

975. Here's Mud In Your Eye

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... blind, now I see" (v. 25), explains this man who had never seen daylight before and who became in an instant the subject of the most exciting miracle in the gospels. From that day forward that young man could no more be silenced than a bird can cease singing its song. His is the most fascinating reaction of the five miracles recorded in the chapter. Helen Keller was asked on one occasion whether being blind was the worst affliction in the world. She smiled, "No. Not half so bad as having two good eyes and ...

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