Sermon and Worship Resources

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 1301 to 1325 of 4943 results

1301. The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... best expressed as in NIV. Epiphaneia often carries with it the idea of splendor (used of Jesus’ second coming in 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13 and of his first in 2 Tim. 1:10). 2:9 In the Greek, a second relative clause continues the description of the lawless one with a reference again to his revelation, but now in terms of his parousia. As Jesus has a parousia, so does he. The same word is used and, indeed, the whole description of his coming is something of a parody of Christ’s, reminding ...

1302. Jesus Made Like His Brothers

Hebrews 2:5-18

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... ; 10:5–14; 12:5–11.) The result may fairly be described as a Christian commentary (i.e., seen from the perspective of the fulfillment brought by Christ) on the passage that enables the author to drive home his point and thereby also to demonstrate the continuity he finds between old and new. The three occurrences of the pronoun him in v. 8b can be understood as referring to humanity, in keeping with the original meaning of the portion of Psalm 8 that has just been quoted. But if, as we have argued, the ...

1303. A Call to Persevere

Hebrews 10:19-39

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... the future consummation of all things, see 1 Cor. 3:13 (cf. 1 Thess. 5:4). On “day,” see G. Braumann and C. Brown, NIDNTT, vol. 2, pp. 887–95. The delay of the return of Jesus became an increasingly difficult problem as Christians continued to suffer persecution (cf. vv. 36–39). As F. F. Bruce suggests, the statement about seeing the Day approaching may possibly reflect knowledge of the increasing predicament of Judea and Jerusalem. With the prophecy of Jesus in mind, the fall of Jerusalem may have ...

1304. Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12, James 3:13-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... physical expression to it; first you get into a deep discussion or argument, then you commit adultery or murder. It is to this power of the tongue that James now turns, but both ideas, the difficulty of controlling speech and the fantastic power of speech, are continually playing back and forth in his mind. 3:5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts: The tongue is indeed small, but what great events for good or evil it can claim credit for! And how frequently the events ...

1305. Signs for Moses

Exodus 4:1-17

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... Aaron’s heart will be glad when he sees him. The joy of their reunion was not compromised. The Lord repeated the promise to help both of them speak (lit., “I am with your mouth and with his mouth”). This does not sound like anger. God continued to make promises to undergird Moses’ reluctance. “I . . . will teach you what to do . . . it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” God responded positively and with grace to Moses’ resistance, even in his anger. God provided ...

1306. The Plague of Locusts

Exodus 10:21-29

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... of bodies of water in that region. God drove the locusts into this sea so that “Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.” 10:21–29 Thick darkness covered Egypt for three days. In presenting the ninth plague in abbreviated form, the text continues a pattern—shortening the accounts of the third plague in each of the cycles of three (gnats [third] and boils [sixth]). It begins without warning. Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt. As the Lord said, it was ...

1307. The Covenant Confirmed

Exodus 24:1-18

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... end, which comes in Exod. 32–34 (Durham, Exodus, p. 247). I would suggest that chs. 32–34 are also short of the real ending, which comes after the Lord’s forgiveness in Exod. 34. It even comes after hearts were moved (35:21) and “people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning” (36:3b). The real end to the Sinai narrative in Exodus comes in Exod. 40 when the people have built and consecrated the tabernacle, they know and keep the book of the covenant, and the glory of the Lord ...

1308. The Tent of Meeting

Exodus 33:7-11

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... leave me alone so . . . that I may destroy them” (32:10), God’s distance and estrangement from the people is evident. God sought friendship with those who were willing, but was a dangerous stranger to those who lived as though the Lord did not exist. Jesus continued this stranger/friend theme in his teaching on caring for the destitute. To those who do not show mercy he will say, “I was a stranger and you did not invite me in.” Not knowing the friendship of God leads, in the judgment, to despair and ...

1309. Division of the Land West of the Jordan

Joshua 14:1-5

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... west-bank division of land adds that the ceremony took place in Shiloh at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (19:51). For the third time a narrative introduction discusses how the tribe of Levi will be treated in the allotment of land. The continuing importance of Levites in the narrative indicates a particular interest in the tribe and that descendants of Levi in some way preserved or recorded the account. A summary finally tells what the tribe will receive: The Levites received no share of the land but ...

1310. The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

Judges 2:1-5

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... by the Egyptians, though the Hebrew word is different. Israel appears to be sorry that they will suffer such severe consequences but not truly repentant with a sorrow that would lead them down a different path than they had chosen for themselves, as the continuation of the story will reveal. They did, however, offer “sacrifices to the LORD,” which may or may not reflect a true change of heart. In this case it would seem that it did not, since their sacrificing was not accompanied by other actions that ...

1311. Disobedience and Defeat

Judges 2:6-3:6

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... . The first part of this statement repeats the indictment against them in verse 17, but the second part adds the element of hardening the heart against the Lord, which expresses in yet another way the accelerating movement toward apostasy. 2:20–23 The cycle continues with the next element—the LORD was very angry with Israel and pledged to no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. Earlier the Lord responded to Israel’s waywardness by raising up judges to rescue them ...

1312. Zebah and Zalmunna

Judges 8:1-21

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... a good place to stop. The author could have closed the story with the stereotypic notices that the land had peace for forty years (Judg. 8:28) and Gideon died and was buried in his family tomb in Ophrah (8:32). But he did not stop there. He continued on with the story of Gideon, a story that reveals a different side of Israel’s judge—the dark side, to be sure. Judges 8 begins with a positive presentation of Gideon in a peacemaking role but quickly moves into a presentation of him as cruel and vindictive ...

1313. Israelites Fight the Benjamites

Judges 20:1-48

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... that the intention of the men of Gibeah was to kill him, and he conveniently forgot to mention that he gave them his concubine, whom they raped. After presenting his case, he called for a verdict from the assembly. 20:8–13a The theme of unity continues to be highlighted in the Israelites’ response: All the people rose as one man, pledged, not to go home until they had given the Gibeahites what they deserved for all . . . the vileness done in Israel (v. 10). All the men of Israel got together and united ...

1314. Naomi and Ruth

Ruth 1:1-22

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... Alla (J. Hackett, The Balaam Text from Deir ’Alla [Chico, Calif.: Scholars, 1984], p. 25) as a “seer of the gods” (hzh ’lhn). A. G. Hunter (“How Many Gods Had Ruth?” SJT 34 [1981], pp. 427–36) wonders whether Ruth’s loyalty to Chemosh continues in Judah. A. Steinsaltz, however, follows Tg. Ruth to argue that Ruth converts to Yahwism (On Being Free [Northvale, N.J.: Aronson, 1995], p. 123). 1:17 Where you die I will die: On the Israelite belief in a connection between land and afterlife, see ...

1315. The Family of Abraham

1 Chronicles 1:28

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... 1 Chron. 1:32), and that “he sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.” 1:34 After having established in the previous subsections that the descendants of neither Ishmael nor Keturah were the focal point, the genealogy can now continue from Abraham to Isaac and through him to his two sons Esau and Israel. The verb form (“he fathered”—in the NIV was the father of) emphasizes that the line runs from Abraham to Isaac, and not through Ishmael and Keturah. The Chronicler uses “Israel ...

1316. Saul Takes His Life

1 Chronicles 10:1-14

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... the covenant to Jerusalem (13:1–16:43). This is followed by the announcement (17:1–27) that a house will be built for Yahweh in Jerusalem. The association of David with the temple also means that his lineage (literally “house”) will be in continuity with the promise of a temple in Jerusalem. The fifth section (18:1–20:8) narrates a number of David’s battles. However, the Chronicler’s insinuation is that these battles established peace and tranquility for Israel. The sixth section (21:1–22:1 ...

1317. Preparations for the Temple

1 Chronicles 22:2-19

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... David is again accused in 22:8. Although David prepares the way for the building of the temple, he is disqualified from executing the actual task, and it falls to Solomon, the “man of peace,” to accomplish this. The theme of rest, peace, and quietness is continued in David’s speech to the leaders of Israel reported in 28:2–12. There the temple is called “a house of rest”—a deliberate attempt by the Chronicler to associate the “house of rest” with the “man of rest.” Solomon’s reign is ...

1318. Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return

Ezra 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... added to round off the section, that Sheshbazzar brought them all back—to the last vessel. The restitution closes a long episode of shameful loss. It spelled vindication for the people of God and the triumph of their God. It also supplied continuity in holy worship for the postexilic community. Second Isaiah had envisioned the return of the sacred vessels (Isa. 52:11). Whereas pagan nations had their divine images restored, their counterparts in Judah’s case were the vessels of the first temple. They ...

1319. Opposition to the Rebuilding

Ezra 4:1-5

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... accords with the following eastern areas. 4:10 These deportations are not otherwise known, but Ashurbanipal’s conquest of Babylon and Elam and destruction of Susa make them feasible, while his deportation of a group to Egypt shows that he continued Assyrian imperial practice (J. M. Myers, Ezra, Nehemiah [AB 14; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1965], p. 33). City: The ancient versions rightly took the Aramaic qiraʾ as plural, “cities” (NRSV; Rosenthal, Biblical Aramaic, p. 35), so that Samaria refers ...

1320. Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

Ezra 7:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... . The descending genealogy preserved in Chronicles is here turned into an ascending one so as to focus on ancestry rather than descent. In its present form it is even more selective than the prototype, skipping six names in the middle. Whereas 1 Chronicles 6:14 continues the listing to Jehozadak, the exiled son of the last high priest before the exile, this list begins with his father Seraiah. We recall from Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2 that Jehozadak was the father of Jeshua, the first high priest after the exile ...

1321. Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... but this time it showed—perhaps on purpose—and attracted the king’s attention. His concerned question about Nehemiah’s unhappiness launches the first of three interchanges in verses 2–8. Each question Artaxerxes asks is more specific as the dialogue continues, and his courtier gives answers ever more germane to the mission he wanted to fulfill. His reaction of acute anxiety seems to reflect the fact that the destruction had been officially sanctioned, or at least that the authorities had turned a ...

1322. Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls

Nehemiah 2:11-20

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... them his sense of divine calling and his mission. Identifying with them by first plural references, he appealed to them to rebuild the wall with him and put right a situation so degrading to the community. He was here recapitulating the data of 1:3, and he continued retelling the story to 2:8, testifying to God’s providential goodness and reporting the mandate he had been given. As in 2:8, he again gave priority to the gracious hand of my God. He wanted them to catch his vision in turn. And he succeeded ...

1323. Opposition to the Rebuilding

Nehemiah 4:1-23

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... in wall building was countered by enemy opposition triggered by news of it (heard), which in turn was checked by a response from Nehemiah. Verses 6–9 reproduce this pattern of chess-like moves on a smaller scale. Verses 10–23 loosely continue the theme of overcoming obstacles. The structure of the passage follows a series of problems and their solutions. Nehemiah counters three negative statements in verses 10–12, the second spoken by Judah’s foes and the third enemy related, by three positive ...

1324. The List of the Exiles Who Returned

Nehemiah 7:4-73a

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... :18) claims that he did so at his own expense, as part of the repopulation program. 7:7 The men of Israel: The lay immigrants who later returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:3–14) belonged to some of the same clans mentioned in the following verses. This fact illustrates the continuing validity of the old list. 7:68 This verse is restored from Ezra 2:66. It fell out of the MT because of the numeral “200” in the Heb. of v. 67. A copyist’s eye slipped to the same word seven words later. In light of Ezra 2:65 ...

1325. The Agreement of the People

Neh 9:38–10:39

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... stated and as verses 30–31 will further explain. It embraced women as well as men, and children old enough to understand and relate meaningfully to the pledge, as seen in the Torah reading of 8:2–3. Chapters 7–10 convey a sense of continuity, with the fresh start in chapter 7 leading into the second half of Nehemiah’s mission. 10:30–31a After the general preamble, the first two of six specific stipulations follow. The two applications of Torah material considered here have already been defined in ...

Showing results