Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1051 to 1075 of 1285 results

1051. Bildad Has the Answer (He Thinks!)

Job 8:1-22

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Daniel J. Estes

... comforting pastor. Unlike Eliphaz, who at least began by affirming Job (4:3–4), Bildad is caustic from the start, dismissing Job’s words as a “blustering wind” (8:2). Bildad intensifies the retribution principle that Eliphaz stated into a rigid formula of double retribution, in which God always prospers the righteous (8:20) and always destroys the wicked (8:13). Bildad uses logic (8:3–7), tradition (8:8–10), and analogies from nature (8:11–19) to argue his position, and he refuses to consider ...

1052. “Have Mercy on Me, Lord, for I Am Faint”

Psalm 6:1-10

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the singing or playing, perhaps both, in a higher or lower octave. of David. The term ledawid designates the author (by David), or collection (for David), or dedication (in honor of David). See “The Nature of the Book” in the introduction. 6:2–4 A double-tracking of three verbal similarities ties the first part of the psalm and the final prayer together, and a fourth capitalizes on the answer to prayer with a wordplay. (1) The verb “have mercy” (6:2a) occurs again in nominal form as the psalmist ...

1053. “Do Not Drag Me Away with the Wicked”

Psalm 28:1-9

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C. Hassell Bullock

... 28 has a more positive view of humankind as a whole. Yet the evildoers of the human family, for whatever reasons, whether purely sinister or politically beneficial, often resort to a division of mind and heart. One is reminded of the double-minded individual whom James indicts, marked by instability and deprived of divine blessings (James 1:8). In this case, however, we are likely dealing with an international situation involving unreliable diplomacy, rather than a personal one, but the matter of integrity ...

1054. “Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit”

Psalm 31:1-24

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C. Hassell Bullock

... means “hanging on.”[9] The “worthless idols” (hable-shaw’) are literally “idols without substance.”[10] See also Jonah 2:8, and comments on 39:8. 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you . . . knew the anguish of my soul. The double verb of joy emphasizes the psalmist’s present state of mind,[11] even though the NIV makes it future. Note the vocabulary of joy shared with Psalm 30 (vv. 5, 11). 31:8 in a spacious place. The Hebrew word for “spacious place” (also Ps. 18 ...

1055. “Your Love, Lord, Reaches to the Heavens, Your Faithfulness to the Skies”

Psalm 36:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... last part of the verse is intended to be a direct quotation of the wicked’s words or merely a summary of that person’s words,[6] it provides the reader with the essence of the wicked person’s attitude. The word “fear” (pahad) is used in a double sense, “fear [pahad] of God” because he is Judge, and the “fear [yir’ah] of God” because he is Savior (e.g., 34:11). Along with several Old Testament texts to support the argument, Paul quotes Psalm 36:1b in Romans 3:18 to declare that both Jews ...

1056. “I Confess My Iniquity; I Am Troubled by My Sin”

Psalm 38:1-22

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C. Hassell Bullock

... anguish”), like Psalm 22:1. 38:9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord. The psalmist addresses the Lord, as he did in 38:1, saying that the Lord (’adonay) is aware of his longings. 38:10 My heart pounds. The Hebrew verb doubles the two root letters (heth and resh: seharhar, root shr) to indicate intensity (e.g., halaqlaqqot, root hlq, “slippery,” Ps. 35:6).14 38:11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds. Three groups of acquaintances are mentioned: “my friends” (lit ...

1057. “The Span of My Years Is as Nothing before You”

Psalm 39:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

... At this point there is no doubt that the psalmist believes his affliction has come by the hand of God. 39:11 When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth. The word “rebuke” carries the double nuance of punishment and discipline (Prov. 3:11). The Hebrew word for “wealth” describes Esau’s “beautiful” clothes in Genesis 27:15 (NIV: “best”) and here may describe the healthy and beautiful flesh of the suppliant before God afflicted him (as in Job ...

1058. “Create in Me a Pure Heart, O God, and Renew a Steadfast Spirit within Me”

Psalm 51:1-19

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C. Hassell Bullock

... , and David begins the psalm with a plea for God’s mercy (51:1–2). In this prayer David describes God’s forgiveness with three metaphors: “blot out” (which means to “wipe clean”), “wash away,” and “cleanse.” Following the literary pattern of double-tracking, these three verbs of forgiveness are repeated in verses 7 and 9, and in reverse order, so as to call attention to these transactions in a slightly different way. The second step is confession, and that is what David does in verses ...

1059. “Be Exalted, O God, above the Heavens; Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth”

Psalm 57:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... for mercy and seeking refuge is found in Psalm 16:1. Tate calls this literary device the “pivot pattern,” which employs a central word and uses it to pivot the ideas on either side, giving the pattern AB C AB.8Goldingay speaks of this phenomenon as a word doing double duty (57:5, 7a–b, 9, 11),9meaning that it occurs in one colon but applies to the following colon too, as in the following examples: Have mercy (A) on me (B), my God (C), have mercy (A) on me (B). (57:1) Steadfast (A) is my heart (B), O ...

1060. “They Will Proclaim the Works of God and Ponder What He Has Done”

Psalm 64:1-10

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the Hebrew verse (dabar mar, “cruel words”) to mean “poison.” See Job 6:4. 64:4 at the innocent . . . without fear.The victims are “innocent” in two ways: morally innocent and unaware of the danger. So the offense is doubled. The attitude “without fear” implies without fear of God or man. Assonance, which emphasizes the vowel sounds more than the consonants, marks the enemies’ volley of arrows, yoruhu welo’ yira’u, “they shoot . . . without fear” (note the repeated “u” sound ...

1061. “May All the Peoples Praise You”

Psalm 67:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

... announces God’s salvation for the nations (see also 1 Chron. 16:23; Pss. 74:12; 98:3; Isa. 26:18; 45:8; 49:6; 52:10). 67:3 May the peoples praise you, God.The verb “praise” (= “to give thanks”) has a double meaning, to praise and to accept God’s authority.8Three words are used for the nations, quite synonymously: “nations” (goyim, 67:2), “peoples” (‘ammim, 67:3, 4, 5), and “countries” (le’ummim, 67:4; NIV: “nations”). However, in the Old Testament generally the preferred ...

1062. The Second Journey to Egypt

Genesis 43:1-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... there was a protracted, heated debate on what was best for the family to do. Jacob reluctantly agrees. The brothers will return to Egypt, with Benjamin, and take some gifts to appease Joseph, much as Jacob brought a gift to Esau to appease him. Jacob also doubles the amount of silver that Joseph put back into their sacks (43:12). Jacob may be without food, but he is not without money. For the first time in many years Joseph sees his younger brother Benjamin, and his emotions get the better of him. After ...

1063. The Plagues of Gnats and Flies

Ex 8:16-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and the floodwaters of judgment. The magicians capitulate at the third plague when they fail to produce gnats, acknowledging “the finger of God” (8:19), by which they mean God’s power evident in the rod. Up until this point, Egypt has suffered double onslaught as Pharaoh tried to keep up with Moses. With the plague of flies, God announces and makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites who live in Goshen. Pharaoh poses the alternative of worship in the land, a futile attempt to ...

1064. Priestly Attire

Ex 28:1-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... over the priest’s robe. It has shoulder pieces on which are engraved the names of the children of Israel. Aaron bears these names before the Lord as a memorial. The breast piece (28:15–29) is a square piece of material attached to the ephod, folded double and worn over the heart. It has twelve stones, one for each of the tribes. The Urim and the Thummim, for making decisions (cf. Num. 27:21), are put into the breast piece. The command to take judicial issues to the priests, who will give decisions in ...

1065. The Arrangement of Tribal Camps

Numbers 2:1-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... II (ruled 1279 to 1212 BC) pictured in his temple at Abu Simbel in southern Egypt (see photo). Including the Levites, there are thirteen tribes descended from the twelve sons of Israel (formerly Jacob). There are thirteen because Jacob granted Joseph a double inheritance by adopting his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who each became a tribe (see Genesis 48). The Levite tribe is to camp inside the hollow square, around the sanctuary, in order to guard its sanctity and thereby protect the Israelites from ...

1066. Cancelling Debts, Servants and Animals

Deut 15:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... not be used as collateral on debts since God owned the land). Since the whole nation has once been slaves in Egypt, but were redeemed by the Lord, they too must act accordingly (15:15). Some versions, such as the KJV and NIV, translate in verse 18 “double” or “twice,” but here (and in Jer. 16:18) the Hebrew word means “an equivalent,” since the slave has saved the master six years of wages. The topic of the firstborn, which was raised in 14:23, is now reasserted, as it concerns bringing them to ...

1067. Four Issues Resulting from War or Death

Deut 21:10-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be shown in a polygamous family to the son of the wife the husband loves. The rights of the firstborn son who is son of the unloved wife are not to be reallocated to the son of the loved wife (21:16–17). The firstborn son is to receive a “double share” (21:17; cf. 2 Kings 2:9). For a son who is blatantly rebellious, the parents are not to take the law into their own hands but to take him to the elders in the gate of the city, and on the elders’ judgment, the son is to be ...

1068. David’s Struggles with Saul

1 Samuel 18:1-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... we are not given any reason. In any event, when Saul’s other daughter, Michal, is offered to David, he agrees to the marriage in spite of the required bride-price. Saul hopes that one of the Philistines will kill David, but instead, David and his men double the bride-price by killing two hundred Philistines. Saul is forced to make good on his offer, and Michal becomes David’s wife. Twice the text states that Michal is in love with David (18:20, 28), so the marriage begins on a positive note in spite ...

1069. Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

2 Kings 2:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Elisha to “ask” for something evokes memories of Solomon in 1 Kings 3. A number of commentators understand the phrase translated literally “two mouthfuls of your spirit” (2:9) as a reference to inheritance (see Deut. 21:17), and perhaps Elisha wants a double portion to avoid prophetic burnout or a repeat of Elijah’s depression. He certainly witnesses Elijah’s departure, and tearing his clothes in two pieces is similar to sacrificing his oxen in 1 Kings 19 and anticipates his taking up of Elijah ...

1070. The Widow's Oil & Elisha's Ministry

2 Kings 4:1-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and revival, and the woman’s journey to Mount Carmel (recalling the God who answers by fire) is “Elisha-like” when she says she will not leave the prophet, just as Elisha once said to his master. Her perseverance is likewise rewarded with a double portion of rescue from death. Right after the account (3:27) about an appalling child sacrifice, we have a narrative about the prophet as a catalyst in the birth and “resurrection” of a promised son, against all odds. In some ways this mirrors the ...

1071. Jehoahaz and Jehoash King of Israel

2 Kings 13:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... as a kind of test as well. Jehoash passes the test with shooting the arrows but fails when it comes to striking them on the ground. Whether his enthusiasm or spirituality is censured here is unclear, but unlike Elisha, Jehoash certainly does not get a double portion as the prophet leaves the stage. Elisha may not exit the narrative as dramatically as his master, Elijah, but his grave site is known, and even his bones can raise the dead. Near the beginning of the chapter God answers a prayer, and now ...

1072. Prologue

Job 1:1-5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is in view in Job 42:8. (3) The banquetlike gathering in the epilogue (42:10–11) has the thread of similar feasting in the prologue (1:4–5). (4) Sympathy and comfort recur (2:11; 42:11). (5) The number of livestock is precisely doubled in the epilogue (1:3; 42:12).(6) A baseline of the number of children is in mind in both (1:2; 42:13). From another angle, in the introduction, under “Composition” and “Structure,” we have already rehearsed some of the arguable dissonance between the bookends ...

1073. Bildad's Second Speech to Job

Job 18:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... mind common Levantine mythological motifs. In the Baʿlu myth among the Ugaritians living on the northern Levantine coast in the second millennium BC, the god Mot (literally “Death”; the related Hebrew word is used in 18:13) is a ravenous eater, consuming by “double handfuls” (COS 1.86:264–65). Speaking to the goddess ʿAnatu, Mot later boasts, “I went searching. . . . There were no humans for me to swallow, no hordes of the earth to swallow . . . [and then] I met up with Mighty Baʿlu, I took ...

1074. Warnings Against Folly, Especially Sexual Infidelity

Proverbs 5:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... seductive to those who lack it. Sweet (Song 4:11) and smooth flattering talk (5:3; cf. 2:16; 6:24; 7:5, 21) may constitute an irresistible combination, but in 5:4 the woman is unmasked. In reality she is like gall and a double-edged sword. The NIV’s “gall” is literally “wormwood” (5:4; cf. Jer. 23:15; Lam. 3:19), a nonpoisonous (despite NLT’s “poison”) plant known for its bitter taste and use in eradicating intestinal worms. The phrase “in the end” introduces an important concept ...

1075. Be Joyful & Reverent

Ecclesiastes 11:7--12:8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... strong” men (= legs, probably designating financial or character strength) bend or grow crooked. The miller maids (= molars) have become too few to grind, while the view through the windows for the ladies of leisure is obscured (= eyes, cf. Judg. 5:28; 2 Kings 9:30). The double doors to the street (= ears, possibly lips, cf. Job 41:14) are shut tight, so that outdoor noises grow faint (12:4a). On edge, one is startled by any sudden noise, such as a bird call, or one sleeps so lightly that the least sound ...

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