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Showing 976 to 1000 of 1044 results

976. Unnoticed at Your Own Party

Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 11:2-11, James 5:7-10

Sermon

King Duncan

W.E. Sangster once told about being invited to a party held to celebrate a wedding. He arrived late and knew nobody there except the friend who invited him. He subsequently played the role of a mere spectator to the evening’s festivities. Everyone, he noted, seemed to be in high spirits. They danced and shouted and sang and laughed and played games and indulged in all sorts of entertainment. They flung streamers across the hall, pranced around in paper caps, had much to eat and drink and generally seemed ...

977. 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 relationship: while Leviticus 18:9 and 20:17 forbid sexual relations with one’s sister (half sister or not), ...

978. Kings of Judah

2 Kings 23:31–24:17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

A fair bit of narrative space is dedicated to Josiah’s kingship, but now there is a sense of narrative acceleration as we move more quickly to the end, beginning with the short and profoundly ineffective reign of Josiah’s son Jehoahaz (23:31–35). Under the control of Pharaoh Necho, Jehoahaz is transferred as a prisoner from Riblah in Syria to Egypt and has to pay a fine (although it is a pittance compared with Hezekiah’s fine, showing how economically crippled the nation is). Jehoahaz dies in Egypt, in a ...

979. Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:17--3:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2:17–20 · Exit of the founders: The founders of the church were torn away from the new converts in Thessalonica, an experience Luke describes in Acts 17:5–10 and Paul recalls here (2:17). The Greek text indicates that the apostles were “made orphans,” an expression that in Paul’s day could indicate a child’s loss of parents or the tragedy of losing one’s children. The separation, however, was only physical—not mental. The longing for the Thessalonians prompted great, even extreme, efforts to return. The ...

980. Today Can Be the First Day of Your New Life!

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s said that in Rome, on New Year’s Eve, there is a tradition of literally throwing old things right out the window, to start the New Year free from the past. I guess the moral of that is, if you are fortunate enough to be in Rome, Italy some New Year’s Eve, you best keep an eye skyward. Somebody might be throwing out a heavy piece of furniture just as you are passing by. That’s their tradition. A pastor named Patricia Farris tells about being in Mexico one year with her husband on New Year’s Eve. They ...

981. When Heartbreak Turns to Heartburn

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Here again we find Luke the physician at his best. Although not one of the original twelve, in his own exquisite and unique way this doctor-disciple of Jesus gives us details with clarity indicating that he is close to Jesus and the disciples and can speak with the authority of an eyewitness to the things he tells us. In his opening phrase in the passage, Luke tells us that "two of them were going to a village called Emmaus." Just a few verses earlier in verse 10 of this chapter, Luke indicates that the ...

982. While You Wait

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Charley Reeb

I don’t know anyone who likes to wait. Whether it is waiting in line, waiting on a package to be delivered, or waiting for a prayer to be answered, waiting is not something we usually enjoy. What we sometimes forget is that there is a great deal of wisdom in waiting. This is why Advent is so important. Advent is a good time to learn about waiting because this season is all about waiting well. For the next few weeks we sit on the edge of our seats waiting for God to come to us in Christ and transform our ...

983. Always Ready

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

David G. Rogne

Some literature students at the University of Chicago once asked Ernest Hemingway what hidden meanings were in his stories. He merely shrugged and said he didn't know of any and that they could make of his stories whatever they wanted. Biblical scholars seem to have a similar attitude toward the story Jesus told about ten bridesmaids who went out to meet a bridegroom. Five of the maidens neglected to bring extra oil for their lamps; they are called the foolish maidens. Five remembered to bring extra oil; ...

984. Being a True Disciple

John 8:31-36

Sermon

David G. Rogne

I attended a church recently where the pastor was lamenting the fact that the Christian church has many members who are fans of Jesus but too few who are committed disciples. He described a fan as an enthusiastic admirer who wants to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits but not so close that it requires sacrifice. Fans may feel fine about repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a fish emblem on their bumpers. Jesus, the pastor said, is not interested in recruiting ...

985. Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22:7-21

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

The concluding section of early Christian letters often contains the author’s benediction, typically expressed as a prayer or doxology, but often accompanied by many other pastoral conventions as well. In his letters, for example, Paul sometimes closes his correspondence by greeting various acquaintances in a particular congregation (cf. Rom. 16), perhaps to encourage them in their faith (cf. 1 Cor. 16:19–20) or to give them instructions (cf. Col. 4:15–16). In several of his letters, he includes a list of ...

986. David Saves Keilah

1 Samuel 23:1-6

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

Saul Seeks Out David: 23:1–6 David’s exile did not mean that he had lost his vision for Israel’s security or his concern for the well-being of his fellow Israelites. The news of particular problems at Keilah stimulated his desire to continue fighting on behalf of God’s people. The Philistines were not taking tribute from the Israelite farmers but were looting the threshing floors. They were waiting until the Israelites had done all the hard work and then depriving them of their livelihood for the next year ...

987. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Lion's Pit: In this familiar chapter, Daniel’s enemies conspire to get him thrown into the lions’ pit for making petitions to his God. Just as we wonder where Daniel is in chapter 3, so we wonder where Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) are in chapter 6, for there is no mention of them. We can be sure that they, like Daniel, would have continued their daily prayers in spite of the threat of being devoured by wild animals, yet there is no explanation for their absence. This ...

988. The Kings of the South and the North

Daniel 11:2-35

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Final Revelation--The Body: We enter now into the body of the last main revelation of the book of Daniel. There has been some progression in the visions of the book from a more general scope, encompassing larger blocks of history, to a more narrow focus on shorter periods of time. So, for example, Daniel 2 spans four and a half centuries by outlining the four human empires of Babylonia, Media, Persia, and Greece, which are swept away by the fifth—the eternal kingdom of God. Aside from the fact that the ...

989. Saul's Jealousy of David

1 Samuel 18:1-30

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

David's Fame Continues to Grow: 18:1–5 David’s victory over the Philistine champion brought several major changes in his life. He ceased being a shepherd at his father’s home in Bethlehem and joined Saul’s service, becoming the squire who is described in 16:21. His service was appreciated by all, his military prowess indicating that his dramatic victory over Goliath had not been a fluke. Saul was so impressed that he gave David significant promotion within the armed forces, an action that officers and men ...

990. Saul Tries To Kill David

1 Samuel 19:1-24

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

Saul Tries To Kill David: 19:1–7 In Saul’s next attempt to destroy David he unrealistically tried to involve those around him who loved David. Jonathan’s fondness for David is expressed by the same word as is used for the pleasure Saul had previously taken in David (18:22). It may be that Jonathan’s calm good sense in removing David from the scene and then facing his father with the realities of David’s support, through which the LORD won a great victory for all Israel, brought Saul back to one of his ...

991. Saul Pursues David

1 Samuel 23:7-29

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

992. The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

John 4:27-38, John 4:1-26, John 4:39-42

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The transition begun in 3:22 is continued in 4:1–4. Jesus moves from Jerusalem to the Judean countryside and from there to Galilee by way of Samaria. The intervening material (3:23–36) enables the reader to make sense of this cumbersome introduction to chapter 4. That Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John (v. 1) has already been intimated in 3:26. That the Pharisees noticed this is suggested by the fact that John’s disciples seem to have been reminded of it by a Jew (3:25). What has not ...

993. “I Am from Him and He Sent Me”

John 7:25-44

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The temple discourse begins anew with a notice that Jesus cried out. This second announcement (vv. 28–29), like the first (vv. 16–19), initiates an encounter with the crowd, yet itself comes as a response to something already expressed. As verses 16–19 addressed the question that perplexed the religious authorities in verse 15, so verses 28–29 address the debate among the people of Jerusalem in verses 25–27. Specifically, they address the objection that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because everyone knows ...

994. Jesus Appears to Thomas

John 20:24-31

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

20:24-29 In John, the unbelief of the disciples as a group is not mentioned explicitly, only their fear of the Jewish authorities. The unbelief is attributed instead to one disciple, Thomas, in particular (vv. 24–25). The appearance to him in verses 26–29 is really an extension of the appearance to the gathered disciples in verses 19–23, even though it takes place a week later. Verses 24–25 link the two incidents together, so that in effect what is said to the disciples in verses 19–23 is said to Thomas as ...

995. Abraham Pleads for Sodom

Genesis 18:16-33

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

18:16–17 This is the beginning of the second major section of this chapter (vv. 16–33). Having accomplished their primary purpose in visiting Abraham and Sarah, the three messengers set out on their journey. The reference to their looking down toward Sodom introduces the subject of this section. Continuing to be hospitable, Abraham walked along with them for a while to see them on their way. Yahweh then spoke. Whether he spoke to himself or to the messengers is not clear. Yahweh wondered if he should ...

996. Jehoiakim King of Judah

2 Kings 23:36--24:7

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

The End of Judah: Josiah, like Ahab, humbled himself before the LORD, and judgment, as in Ahab’s case, did not fall during Josiah’s reign. The implication of the analogy is that we may expect it to fall during the reign of Josiah’s son (cf. 1 Kgs. 21:28–29). This is exactly what we find now, as the story of Kings comes to its end. It is not, however, the first of Josiah’s sons to sit on his throne (Jehoahaz) who experiences the full force of God’s wrath (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:51–2 Kgs. 1:18), or even the second, ...

997. Jehoiachin King of Judah

2 Kings 24:8-17

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

998. Zedekiah King of Judah

2 Kings 24:18-20a

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

999. The Fall of Jerusalem

2 Kings 24:20b--25:26

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

1000. David's Officials

1 Chronicles 18:14-17

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

David’s Wars: In 17:10 the Chronicler made a small change to the verb of his source text. The result was a promise of Yahweh that he would subdue David’s enemies. The narratives that follow in the next three chapters provide proof that Yahweh did indeed fulfill this promise. These chapters emphasize that it is not David’s valor or his political aspirations that drove these military victories. It is rather Yahweh’s initiative in preparing the way for the dispensation of peace and rest that will prevail ...

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