Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 1301 to 1325 of 4770 results

1301. Moses’s Death

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Moses climbs to the top of Mount Nebo, apparently alone, from which vantage point God allows him a panoramic view of the promised land, from the north in Gilead all the way south into Judah and the Arabah. There Moses dies at the age of 120, and the Lord buries him in Moab in an unmarked ... ” (34:9). However, no prophet like Moses has ever risen since his day (34:10), one to whom God spoke directly. Nor have any other mortals seen or performed the miracles Moses did in plain view of all Israel (34:12).

1302. David and Goliath

1 Samuel 17:1-58

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... example of Achilles’ victory over Hector. Apparently the Hittites of Asia Minor also practiced individual combat to a limited extent. According to 2 Samuel 2:15, a later war between Israel and Judah will be settled by a twelve-man “team” representing each side. In view of Goliath’s great size and strength, it is easy to see why the Philistines are counting on him. According to the received Hebrew text, he is six cubits and a span tall (i.e., about nine feet, nine inches) and his armor weighs about ...

1303. God’s Chosen People Among the Nations

1 Chronicles 1:1-54

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in this way the inclusion of these regions in the definition of All-Israel. The central nexus of this structure is, then, the genealogies of the tribe of Levi (6:1–81), emphasizing the special position of the Levites in the Chronicler’s view. I will use a structure that differs somewhat from the one suggested above (to correlate with the NIV pericope divisions), but the above description shows that the genealogies were certainly not a haphazard collection of family lists. Rather, they were an artful ...

1304. Other Pursuits

2 Chron 8:1–9:31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ways Yahweh blesses Solomon for his faithfulness to the temple project. This new phase of the account begins with a summary note in 8:1, which identifies the period in view as after the completion of the temple. The first set of activities (8:2–11) is secular and includes construction projects and the organizing of human resources. Urban areas in view range from the north (8:2–4) to the south (8:5–6). Solomon is credited with completing the conquest of the land, left unfinished in Joshua and Judges (8 ...

1305. Job’s Opening Soliloquy

Job 3:1-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of a sufferer, here and now on earth, before the grave. The nostalgia in the previous verses of what might have been gives way to what is. Light reappears, still unwanted. Earlier, Job desired darkness (3:3–10). Now, in third-person point of view, a shift away from first person, Job explores how light torments the tormented. Why then does God provide it, Job rhetorically poses. The imagery of treasure hunters taps into the frenetic adrenaline rush of discovered treasure and is powerful in Job’s mouth ...

1306. Time and Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the only defensible) rendering of the unemended Masoretic Text: “Who knows the spirit of man, which rises upward, or the spirit of the animal, which goes down into the earth?” (see also Eccles. 12:7). This point is obscured by most modern translations, which view the rhetorical question in verse 21 as a denial of any distinction between man and beast. The section concludes with a brief reiteration of verses 12–15: enjoy your time-bound lot in life, since your (eternal?) future remains veiled (3:22).

1307. One Should Embrace Wisdom and Avoid Folly

Ecclesiastes 9:13-10:20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

9:11–10:20 Review · If one understands “his hour” and “evil times” (literally “his time,” “bad time”) in 9:12 as referring to death (as in 7:17), then one can view 9:11–12 as the conclusion of the discourse on death. It is preferable, however, to view these verses as the introduction to the following section on the benefits of wisdom in contrast with folly. This chapter strongly resembles the book of Proverbs in both form and content and is more loosely organized than the rest of ...

1308. I Have Come Into My Garden

Song of Songs 5:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... searching for the departed lover avail nothing, save incurring the wrath of the night watchmen, who partially strip and beat her (for disturbing the peace, mistaking her for a prostitute, or for a second offense in violating the harem curfew?). The two-character view considers this a temporary lapse in the marriage of the king and the maiden because he is late in returning home (cf. Carr, 131). The maiden pouts in her self-pity, lamenting the postponement of the tryst she has anticipated. When the lover ...

1309. The Wrath of God

Isaiah 9:8--10:4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . However, they are not responsive. The shadow of God’s outstretched hand hangs over Samaria (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4; cf. 5:25; Amos 4:6–12). His judgment is relentless in view of the stubborn persistence of evil in Israel. The attack of the Arameans and Philistines (ca. 737 BC) weakens Israel, but Israel does not view this military defeat as an expression of the Lord’s discipline. Instead, the leaders seize it as a political opportunity. Foolish Israel cannot see that the Lord has raised up the Assyrians ...

1310. A Pastoral Letter

Jeremiah 29:1-23, Jeremiah 29:24-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , Shemaiah in Babylon by unilateral action appoints Zephaniah as priest (29:29–34). The priest was also head of the temple police (cf. Jer. 20:1). Shemaiah, more concerned about “political” points of view than temple service, instructs Zephaniah to arrest persons, madmen like Jeremiah, whose views differ from his own. For an unknown reason, Zephaniah discloses the contents of the letter. The “flow” of the material is a problem. Perhaps verse 29 is a parenthetical explanation. This would mean ...

1311. False Prophets

Ezekiel 13:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be content to be the voice of the people rather than the voice of God. Second, the false prophet may have a false view of God. God, he believes, keeps his promises to his people unconditionally and is favorably disposed to Israel. In either case, the false ... in pagan literature. God responds to these fortune-tellers as he does to the false prophets. Both groups present a false view of God. The pseudoprophets believe they have a monopoly on God’s goodness and grace. The fortune-tellers believe they have ...

1312. No One Can Escape from God’s Hand

Amos 9:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in other countries and brought them to new lands. Does this mean that God will never judge these nations? Obviously, no Israelite would say this. God also claims that he views the Cushites from southern Egypt as similar to Israel; thus, Israel is not the only nation God cares about. The real key to understanding God’s future action is not to view it as an extension of God’s past acts of grace. One of the main predictive factors that can indicate God’s future action is the sinfulness of each nation ...

1313. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... way to a more general statement of the universal judgment that characterizes the day of the Lord. The shift to the broader themes of judgment on the nations and the restoration of Israel lends perspective to Obadiah’s pressing concern for divine justice in view of Edom’s role in Jerusalem’s fall. It also bolsters future hope among the remnant of Jacob by validating the eschatological paradigm, often repeated by the prophets, of the final triumph of Yahweh in the world order (e.g., Isaiah 24–27; 32 ...

1314. The Zeal and Power of God

Nahum 1:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . His foes will be as ineffective as one who is caught in a thornbush, as futile as one who staggers in his drunkenness. Finally, they will be consumed as though they were overly dry stubble. Though Nineveh is not specifically mentioned in verse 11, she is clearly in view. The one plotting evil may be Sennacherib (2 Kings 18–19), or this may be a collective reference to the evil kings of Nineveh. In any case, Nineveh is seen as a center of evil and rebellion against God and as such stands in the line of ...

1315. The Siege and Destruction of Nineveh

Nahum 2:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . Some see this as a reference to the commander in Nineveh in his last desperate measures to shore up the defenses of the city. “Yet they stumble on their way” is taken, by this view, as pointing to the ineffectual efforts of the defenders to prepare for the final onslaught. An alternative, and probably more satisfactory, view is to see this as referring to the actions of the attackers. Nahum 3:3 explains the stumbling: the corpses of the defenders are so numerous that the attackers stumble over them in ...

1316. Third Vision - Exiles to Leave Babylon for Jerusalem

Zechariah 2:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a wall of fire around it (2:5) and its glory within. The presence of the glory of God both guarantees the safety of Jerusalem (cf. Exod. 14:19–20, 24–25) and attests to the favored status of Jerusalem and the renewed fellowship of Israel with God. In view of this, he admonishes those who are still in Babylon to flee from there and to participate in the new life in Jerusalem. (See also Isa. 48:20 and Jer. 51:6–10.) The fact that the same message occurs in Revelation 18:4, just before the destruction of ...

1317. Fifth Vision - Zerubbabel Empowered

Zechariah 4:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the Messiah has first come on Israel (Isa. 9:2; 60:1–2). Next Zechariah sees two olive trees (4:3) next to the lampstand, one on either side. The fact that the olive trees supply the oil that fuels the lamps suggests that what is in view here is the source of supply for the testimony symbolized by the lamps. Zechariah’s question “What are these, my Lord?” (4:4) is a request regarding the significance of the lampstand and the trees. The answer is given to him in verse 6: “‘Not by might nor ...

1318. The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

Zechariah 8:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... verses were certainly not realized to any large degree in Zechariah’s time. As is so often the case in prophetic Scripture, Zechariah sees the return from Babylon and the limited peace of his own day as simply a foretaste of the glory to come. In view of this, Israel’s self-imposed fasts keep them looking back at past defeats instead of forward to what God will do for them. They will be restored physically and spiritually, living in close fellowship with God under the new covenant. God has always been ...

1319. The First Coming and Rejection

Zechariah 9:1-8, Zechariah 9:9-13, Zechariah 9:14-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Review · For Zechariah, the coming of the Messiah is central. This is clear in two oracles (chaps. 9–11 and 12–14) celebrating God’s worldwide triumph through the king’s advent. The salvation of Israel and God’s judgment against the nations is clearly in view as well. The major thrust in both cases is the last days, often referred to elsewhere in Scripture as the day of the Lord. But there are also three major differences between the two oracles: (1) In the first, the Messiah is rejected; in the ...

1320. The Unbelief of the Jews

John 10:22-42

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Evangelist even reminds us of the subject of these ten chapters. Although John worked no signs, Jesus did; and those who witnessed these and perceived their truth found faith (10:42).More signs await those disciples of the inner circle (chaps. 11–12), and we as readers are privileged to view these. The final plea for belief, however, will come to us at 12:44–50, when we with the rest of the disciples will have ...

1321. Jesus Predicts His Death

John 12:20-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 29). The cross will be the ultimate test for Jesus, and here in the midst of God’s glory Jesus himself will be glorified (17:1–5). The crowds receive the confirming voice from heaven just as they received the signs (12:28–30). Throughout his Gospel, John’s view of revelation has taken shape: a sign from God is revelatory only when it is greeted by faith. The Book of Signs will only speak to those whom the Father is already giving into the Shepherd’s hand (6:44–45; 10:27–29). It is now time for ...

1322. The Jews Continue in Their Disbelief

John 12:37-50

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... unable to believe (John 12:39); God affects their perception (12:40). John, however, does not probe the mystery of the interplay between human responsibility and divine sovereignty. In 12:41 Isaiah’s words are interpreted as prophecies directed to Jesus because the glory Isaiah viewed (6:1–5) is Jesus’s glory too. This closing frame in the Book of Signs repeats what we read in the prologue: Christ is the glory of the Father unveiled for human eyes (1:14). But has no one believed the signs? Of course ...

1323. Paul's Vision and His Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , Paul was nonetheless brought to a form of consciousness in paradise and enabled to see and hear “things that man is not permitted to tell” (12:4). From the point of view of Paul’s opponents, it is entirely proper for “a man like that” to boast about the privilege of receiving such a vision (12:5). But Paul is unwilling to take this view, or to allow the Corinthians to think that this experience constitutes the real basis for his claim to be an apostle. And so he continues to present a claim that ...

1324. Treatise: The Efficacy of Grace over Law

Galatians 3:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... faith of Abraham is interpreted to be that which operated on the premise that God was who he said he was and was worthy of trust (see Rom. 4:17). On the basis of the proposition in verse 6, Paul concludes that, contrary to the opponents’ views, the true children of Abraham must be those who enter into peace with God in the same way as Abraham (3:7). Abraham becomes the prime example of the effectiveness of faith since his justification occurred prior to the ceremonial rite of circumcision and centuries ...

1325. Conclusion with Personal Appeal

Galatians 6:11-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... final words of the Pauline Epistles, carries this message. Peace and mercy are reserved only for those who “follow this rule.” Only these people can be properly identified as “the Israel of God” (6:16; see Rom. 9:6; 11:7; Eph. 3:6). Therefore, in Paul’s view, to be admitted as a member of the old covenant people of God, one must adhere to the provisions of the new covenant, which was promised as part of the old. Paul’s last words alert us to the toll such battles exacted from him. The constant ...

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