Synonyms: thirstiness, dryness, parched, craving, strong desire, longing, yearning, avidity, hunger, voracity, keenness, eagerness, lust, appetite, passion, love, crave, want, covet, desire, hunger for/after, lust for/after, hanker for/after, have one's heart set on
Antonyms: aversion, distaste, apathy, dislike, hatred, antipathy, disgust, disregard, abhorrence, acrimony, wet, animosity, animus, antagonism, bad feeling, bitterness, be averse to, detestation
Showing 1026 to 1050 of 1245 results
Understanding Series
Norman Hillyer
... 2:11; 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:1, 8, 15, 17. This is friendship based not on a social relationship but on a common faith in God through Jesus Christ. See Additional Note on 1 Pet. 2:11. Make every effort: Spoudazein means “be zealous, be eager, give diligence, make haste” (also used at 1:10, 15). The need is to concentrate urgently on developing one’s Christian manner of life by following the example of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:21). Spotless (aspilos): Metaphorically “free from censure, irreproachable” (as in 1 Tim ...
Understanding Series
Cheryl A. Brown
... and Judahites in exile—and God’s people at any time and any place. 5:28–30 As the spotlight fades from the figure of a woman standing over the crushed foe, it moves ahead to yet another woman, Sisera’s mother, standing at the window of her palace, eagerly looking for some sign of her son’s chariot. His return is so long delayed that she has begun to worry; the silence of his chariot is deafening. Her ladies try to ease her fears by getting her to focus on the positive, and what could be more ...
1028. Gideon
Judges 6:1-40
Understanding Series
Cheryl A. Brown
... you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (v. 14). The Lord’s commission works together with human compassion and awareness of need. But it is one thing to point out a need and another to meet that need. Gideon was not eager to get involved, partly because of his self-doubt and partly because of the magnitude of the task (v. 14): But Lord, . . . how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family (v. 15). Gideon again looks like Moses ...
Understanding Series
Cheryl A. Brown
... style between him and Gideon, who in a similar crisis was able to negotiate a peaceful settlement by skillful diplomacy. The fact that Jephthah does not attempt to solve the crisis diplomatically, given his past performance, and the fact that the Ephraimites are so eager to resort to armed conflict because of injured egos, exposes a community steadily slipping into chaos. 12:1–3 The men of Ephraim called out their forces. No sound was made, no voice was raised in objection to the sacrifice of Jephthah’s ...
Understanding Series
Roland E. Murphy
... here there is a play on the word, “have one’s fill,” which occurs in both lines (cf. the REB). The saying calls for purposeful work. 28:20 Antithetic. By faithful is meant one who is a person of integrity, in contrast to one who hastens (NIV, eager) to get rich. Haste is always suspect, often implying wrongdoing of some sort (19:2; 23:4–5; 28:22). 28:21 Synthetic. A legal ideal is affirmed in the “not good” sayings (cf. 18:5; 24:23). The ideal, however, can be transgressed for even the slightest ...
Understanding Series
John Goldingay
... Zerubbabel and Joshua in the temple, but speaking to the whole people through them. Haggai was overtly challenging both the governor and the senior priest, though this might not really be a confrontational challenge. One can imagine that both leaders would be eager to restore the temple; their problem might be getting the community to give its energy to the task. It is in fact the people’s attitude that Haggai directly seeks to change. Governor, priest, and prophet might be agreed about what was ...
1032. Four Chariots
Zechariah 6:1-8
Understanding Series
Pamela J. Scalise
... had stood at attention (ytsb) there, presenting themselves as God’s servants (see Deut. 31:14; Josh. 24:1). The Lord’s authority extends throughout the whole earth, and even the winds are divine emissaries. 6:6–7 The horses in the vision are eager to set forth, and they obey God’s command with alacrity, So they went throughout the earth. The angel/messenger’s interpretation describes the direction of their movement. There are four directions for the winds to blow, but from Jerusalem there are only ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... happy anticipation. You can guess why. He charged an exorbitant fee to tow waterlogged cars across the border. Along came this old station wagon, packed with this family from the U.S.--a man, a woman, and three small children. They were obviously tired and eager to return home. The man approached the tow truck driver about a tow across the border. The truck driver demanded an outrageous sum of money. As the man considered his options, a Greyhound bus pulled up to the road. Suddenly, the man knew what to ...
1034. Why the Chimes Ring
Isaiah 35:1-10, Mark 12:41-44
Children's Sermon
King Duncan
... who start out toward church on Christmas Eve to offer their gifts to the Christ child. On their way to church they stumble across the nearly frozen form of an old woman who has no one to help her. The older boy, Pedro, decides to forgo the eagerly anticipated pageantry of the Christmas Eve celebration in order to warm and comfort the woman they have discovered. So he sends his offering of a piece of silver to church by his younger brother. At the church, members of the village are gathered to see whose gift ...
Children's Sermon
... our Scripture lesson for the day the people of Israel were going through a difficult time. They wondered why God had forgotten them. It reminded me of the story of a famous author who had written a new book. When it came out, he was on vacation. Naturally he was eager to find out if people were buying his new book. So he wrote his publisher a letter to find out. The letter didn't have any words on it. All it had was this: (Hold up "?") What is this? That's right. It is a question mark. When the publisher ...
Understanding Series
F. F. Bruce
... Macedonian churches (among which the Philippian church, of course, was included). The fact that their cooperation in the gospel had continued without intermission until now suggests that nothing was happening among the Philippian Christians to cause Paul serious disquiet. 1:6 Their eager partnership in Paul’s gospel ministry was a sure sign of the work of grace that had begun to be accomplished in their lives when they first believed the saving message. Paul voices his conviction that he who began a good ...
1037. Thanks for Their Gifts
Philippians 4:10-20
Understanding Series
F. F. Bruce
... greatly in the Lord, meaning “I gave joyful thanks to the Lord” (when I received your gift). Paul is grateful to the Philippian Christians for the gift they have sent, but his rejoicing arises chiefly from the evidence it supplies of their continued eagerness to cooperate with him in the gospel. Some commentators have found Paul’s wording here very oddly chosen for an expression of thanks: Dibelius speaks of his “thankless thanks.” But his words have to be read in the light of the deep mutual ...
1038. Children of God
1 John 2:28--3:10
Understanding Series
Thomas F. Johnson
... affirmed that he and his readers are children of God (3:1); that is what they are now, in reality, at the present moment. What their future identity will be (lit., “what we shall be”) has not yet been made known. Paul says that “the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” (Rom. 8:19), and that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). While there is much about our existence in God’s ...
Understanding Series
John E. Hartley
... avoiding his request to acquire his own property. They did not yet indicate whether they would permit Abraham to take full ownership of the land. 23:7–9 Abraham stood up. Since negotiations were usually conducted while sitting, his standing indicated his eagerness to persuade the Hittites to let him acquire a piece of property that he could call his own. After showing deference by bowing down before them, Abraham sought to establish common ground by restating their willingness to let him bury his dead ...
Understanding Series
John E. Hartley
... eyes, while Rachel was stunning in her beauty. The younger’s gaining ascendancy over the older is a common motif in the patriarchal narratives. Since Leah was less desirable, Laban no doubt chafed at the thought of receiving a smaller bride price for her. Jacob eagerly accepted the offer to set his wages because of his love for Rachel. He proposed that he work . . . seven years as the bride price for Rachel. Agreeing to these terms gladly, Laban led Jacob to believe that at the end of the seven years he ...
Understanding Series
Iain W. Provan
... note on 18:29), but that is not to say that his words are of no account. When Jehu tells them what has been said, they immediately proclaim him king (v. 13; cf. 1 Kgs. 1:34, 39; Matt. 21:8; Mark 11:8; Luke 19:36). They seem most eager to do so. Perhaps Jehoram’s lack of military success had already caused unrest in the army. 9:14–29 The terms of the prophecy are broadly in line with those of Elijah’s prophecy to Ahab in 1 Kings 21:21–24 (cf. also 1 Kgs. 14:6–11 ...
1042. Ezekiel a Watchman
Ezekiel 33:1-20, Ezekiel 33:21-33
Understanding Series
Steven Tuell
... Now, Ezekiel turns from the Judean survivors to his own exilic community (vv. 30–33). This audience seems enthusiastic. God tells Ezekiel: “your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses” (v. 30). However, as eager as they are to hear what Ezekiel has to say, his message seems to have made no difference in their lives. The Lord declares, “With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain” (v. 31). Ezekiel’s prophecies ...
Understanding Series
Steven Tuell
... the land as Eden from that verse: the wealthy people of Israel are living at the center of the land (v. 12)—better, with the NRSV, “the center of the earth” (compare 5:5; see the Additional Note on 38:12, and the discussion of 28:13–14). Eager to share in the spoils, Sheba and Dedan, wealthy traders of the desert reaches to the south and east, together with the merchants of Tarshish to the north, egg Gog on in his dreams of conquest: “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot ...
1044. “Who Is This?”
Luke 9:10-17, Luke 9:1-9
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... basic needs. Commentary: Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe (b. 1929) writes, Our Lord was not the kind of person who could teach the Word and then say to hungry people, “Depart in peace, be ye warm and filled” (James 2:16). The disciples were only too eager to see the crowd leave. . . . They had not yet caught the compassion of Christ and the burden He had for the multitudes, but one day they would. . . . This miracle was more than an act of mercy for hungry people, though that was important. It was also ...
1045. Priorities
Luke 12:35-48, Luke 12:22-34
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... kingdom. “The kingdom of God” means his effective rule (see on 4:43). To “seek” that rule is to place oneself under God’s control and to allow one’s priorities to be molded by his values and purpose. There may also be the sense of being eager to see God’s rule effectively established in society (as in the Lord’s Prayer [11:2]), but that seems a less central idea in this context. these things will be given to you as well. “These things” are food and clothing, the necessities of life. The ...
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... from Roman power (see Acts 5:36–37; 21:38). 17:24  the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning. It will be suddenly and universally obvious when “the Son of Man is revealed” (17:30). That is why they should not, in their eagerness to see that day, give credence to charlatans who claim that the Son of Man has already appeared, but only in secret (17:23). 17:25  But first he must suffer. They should not hope for a premature glorification of the Son of Man that bypasses the destiny ...
1047. The Revolutionary Values of the Kingdom of God
Luke 18:31-34, Luke 18:18-30, Luke 18:15-17
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... at the top. It was generally assumed, as indeed much of the Old Testament wisdom literature had taught, that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and of a life lived according to his standards, and thus was a goal to be eagerly pursued. The wealthy deserved respect and exerted social influence over those less successful. The specific reference to “the Gentiles” in 18:32 reminds us that Judea, unlike Galilee, was directly subject to Roman power, and that the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem had only ...
1048. Getting Ready for the Passover
Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... specifically required at the Passover meal. The traditional depiction of the Last Supper (e.g., the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci), with the diners sitting along one side of a long table, may be artistically convenient but is culturally inaccurate. 22:15  I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. It was important to Jesus that their last meal together be a Passover meal, even if held a day in advance. The explanation of his coming death in 22:17–20 will depend on the ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... Thomas Schreiner points out, it is this theme that integrates the other key ideas in 1:16–17 and, indeed, in the entire letter: salvation, justification by faith, and the order of salvation (Jew first, then Gentile). Schreiner catches the ensuing logic of 1:15–17: Paul is eager to preach at Rome (1:15) because he is not ashamed of the gospel (1:16a), and he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is God’s power for salvation (1:16b), and the gospel is God’s power of salvation because it conveys the ...
Teach the Text
Preben Vang
... fill all in all (15:28), but its gifting is sufficient to demonstrate Christ’s presence among them. Following Christ in the present may be marred with difficulty, but such difficulties are not due to a lack of gifting from God. As believers long to see Christ and eagerly await the time when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall call him Lord (Phil. 2:10), they should continue to imitate the one who called them in love. God’s love builds up; human knowledge puffs up (1 Cor. 8:1). 4. God is faithful ...
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