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Showing 1351 to 1375 of 4943 results

1351. Abram Rescues Lot

Genesis 14:1-24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... of a priestly messiah. He became the symbolic figure for a royal priesthood from David’s line that was superior to Aaron’s (Ps. 110:4). The writer of the book of Hebrews, building on this psalm, interprets the priestly ministry of Jesus as a continuation of Melchizedek’s line, not Aaron’s (Heb. 5:5–10; 6:20; 7:1–22; Melchizedek also appears in extracanonical literature). 14:21–24 The narrative returns to the king of Sodom, whose demeanor toward Abram sharply contrasted with that of Melchizedek ...

1352. God’s Covenant with Abram

Genesis 15:1-18

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... . In this case Israel was to be God’s rod of punishment against the Amorites. God did not show partiality in using this method of punishment, for centuries later he used the cruel Assyrian army as the rod of punishment against Israel for their continual violation of the covenant (Isa. 10:5–19). 15:17 At dark a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. This fire represents Yahweh, passing between the pieces of the sacrifice to seal the covenant. In the ancient ritual ...

1353. Offerings for Priests and Levites

Deuteronomy 18:1-8

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... vv. 6–8 to take v. 7 as the main clause, and thus to make the Levite’s coming to the central sanctuary the main thing legislated. Most probably, v. 8 should be taken as the main point of the whole sentence, taking v. 7 as the continuation of the “If . . . ” clauses from v. 6. The NIV, by translating he may minister, takes the law as a permission for Levites to minister at the central sanctuary. The more natural reading of the Hb. takes the law as assuming the right of ministry, but stipulating equal ...

1354. Firstfruits and Tithes

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... of the covenant of grace made with the fathers. The thrust of the verse is therefore not, “we have obeyed so you must bless us,” but, “you have already blessed us in history and in the present, and we have responded in obedience, so graciously continue to bless.” There is thus a dynamic cycle in the whole chapter that binds together “gospel” facts (vv. 1–11) with “law” response (vv. 12–14) and looks for God’s blessing in both arenas. 26:16–19 Verse 16, with its reminder to follow ...

1355. Solomon Asks for Wisdom

1 Kings 3:1-15

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... in temporary accommodation while her new palace is being built, has a particular vested interest in the progress of the building program. If blame is being attached to Solomon in all of 3:1, and not just in 3:1a, then it also seems likely that the critique is continued in 3:2. This verse is usually read in such a way that the emphasis falls upon exonerating the people; it was all right for them to sacrifice at the high places because a temple had not yet been built. However, it is much more probable in view ...

1356. Ahab's Family Killed

2 Kings 10:1-17

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... him taking decisive action against the worship of Baal (10:18–28), for it is towards final victory over Baal-worship that 1 Kings 19:15–18 points in naming Jehu (along with Hazael; cf. 2 Kgs. 10:32–33) as the LORD’s instrument of judgment. What continues to puzzle, however, is the way the Judean royal family keeps being drawn into these events: first Ahaziah, and now his relatives (10:12–14). This we were not forewarned about. Is the house of David to suffer the same fate as the house of Ahab? 10 ...

1357. Hoshea Last King of Israel

2 Kings 17:1-6

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... Are plunderers (Hb. šōsîm, v. 20) to be given free reign throughout the land, with no savior to bring rescue as of old (Judg. 2:11–16)? 17:24–41 We shall have to wait for an answer to this last question. For the moment the narrative continues with its main concern—the fate of the north. The Israelites have been exiled; however, the land of Israel was not left empty. The king of Assyria settled various other peoples there, from places both close at hand (e.g., Hamath; cf. 2 Kgs. 14:28) and further ...

1358. Woe to the Obstinate Nation

Isaiah 30:1-33

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... . It is the chapter’s hinge. It represents another turnaround like the one at 29:5. The Hebrew Bible closes a section after it. There is a logic (“therefore”) about it, but it is a divine logic, not a human one (cf. NIV’s Yet). The “illogic” (for) continues in the basing of confidence in Yahweh’s capacity for judgment. So far that has been a threat to Judah; now it will be its promise. Yahweh has to take the tough stance of verses 1–17, but that is not the end of the story. The moment of ...

1359. Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience

Isaiah 50:1-11

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... one who has been awoken. We have been reading of the audience’s loss of faith and hope. It is weary (cf. 40:28–31). The prophet’s gift to sustain weariness is a word, the word that those foregoing chapters have expounded. This present testimony continues from that in 49:1–6, which spoke of the original divine summoning to this ministry. Here, 50:4–9 speaks of the ongoing divine resourcing. And the prophet has behaved like a model pupil, attentive to the Teacher’s every word rather than resistant ...

1360. Miscellaneous Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 21:1-32, Ezekiel 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... be many” (v. 15). When the sword has finished its work, and all hope is lost, God claps God’s hands (v. 17), announcing the end of the judgment as Ezekiel had announced its commencement (v. 14). 21:18–24 In this section, the theme of the sword continues with “the sword of the king of Babylon” (v. 19). The unit begins with the opening formula typical to the book (v. 18), and closes with a divine word of judgment against the people of Israel (v. 24). Once more, God calls Ezekiel to perform a sign ...

1361. Oracles of Restoration

Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ezekiel 35:1-15, Ezekiel 36:1-38, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel 37:15-28

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... oracle of judgment against Mount Seir (that is, Edom; see 25:8, 12–14), reflecting the role Edom had played in the sack of Jerusalem. By contrast, the oracle directed to the mountains of Israel (36:1–15) is a stirring promise of restoration. Ezekiel 36:16–38 continues this theme, underlining that the restoration is in no sense due to any righteousness on Israel’s part: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have ...

1362. The Law of the Temple

Ezekiel 43:13-27, Ezekiel 44:1-31, Ezekiel 45:1-12, Ezekiel 45:13--46:24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... , and in the Elephantine Papyri (AP 30) for Ostanes, brother to the high priest. The first governors of Judah after the exile were descendants of David (see 1 Chr. 3:18–19), so perhaps the Law of the Temple used nasiʾ as a compromise—in continuity with Ezekiel’s usage, if not his intent. The title nasiʾ is fitting for a figure carrying the dignity of the ancient royal line but without pretensions to a power that Persia would have perceived as rebellious (see Tuell, Law of the Temple, pp. 115 ...

1363. Jesus as True King of Israel

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:1-12

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... exile. So the letter of 1 Peter refers to its readers as “foreigners and exiles” (2:11; cf. 1:1, 17). Teaching the Text 1. Jesus the Messiah brings the restoration of Israel from exile. The pattern of exile and restoration already established in Matthew 1 continues into chapter 2. This can be seen most clearly in the quotation of Hosea 11:1 in 2:15, where God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt is the prototype for the promise of God’s deliverance of Jesus’ family from the evil intentions of Herod ...

1364. Parables Discourse: The “Already and Not Yet” of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... seed, and yeast hidden in a lump of dough. Its impact and its true followers will be clear only at the final judgment. Yet the kingdom is also of far greater worth than a great treasure or an exquisite pearl. The theme of God’s final judgment continues to be prominent in the chapter (13:40–43, 49–50; cf. 3:7–12; 7:15–20), along with a motif of insiders and outsiders (13:36). The latter motif actually surrounds the discourse with bookending accounts of Jesus’ family and hometown (12:46–50; 13 ...

1365. Herod and Hometown Misunderstand Jesus’ Identity

Matthew 13:53-58, Matthew 14:1-12

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... at 7:28–29; 11:1; 19:1; 26:1. In two pericopes (13:54–58; 14:1–12), Matthew narrates two kinds of rejection of Jesus and his kingdom message: the unbelief of Jesus’ hometown (13:58) and Herod’s confusion about Jesus’ identity (14:1–2). This section continues the focus on Jesus’ identity tied to his healing power introduced at 11:2–5 (see 11:20; 12:15, 22; 13:54; 14:2). The passage also follows up the plotline about John’s imprisonment (4:12; 11:2; 14:3–12). The motif of “stumbling ...

1366. The Disciples Confess Jesus as the Messiah

Matthew 16:1-4, Matthew 16:5-12, Matthew 16:13-20

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... a sign (16:1–4; see 12:38) culminates the various controversies that Matthew has narrated between the Jewish leaders and Jesus (e.g., 9:34; 12:22–24; 15:11–20). Second, the confusion of the disciples over bread (16:5–12) highlights the continued struggle of the Twelve to understand and trust in Jesus and his authority (16:8). Most importantly, Jesus’ identity as the Messiah is confessed in explicit terms for the first time by a person in Matthew’s story (16:16), providing the climactic moment of ...

1367. The Resurrected Jesus Is Vindicated by God and Given All Authority

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15, Matthew 28:16-20

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... he predicts that they will desert him (26:32). Here that restoration is intimated by his reference to the eleven as his “brothers.” 28:12 the chief priests had met with the elders. Even at the end of the Gospel the chief priests and elders continue to attempt to derail Jesus’ ministry and mission (cf. 21:23; 26:3, 47; 27:1, 12). They bribe the soldiers to falsely attribute Jesus’ missing body to a plot hatched by his disciples. 28:15 And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews ...

1368. The Rejection of Jesus in His Own Hometown

Mark 6:1-6

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... expecting “success” and incredible results. We engage in ministry because God has called us to do so and because we want to “snatch” as many “from the fire” (Jude 23) as we can, even if most reject us and our message. 3. Beware the danger of continuing to reject Christ. In 6:5 God reacts with judgment; the people have rejected his Son, and he removes the fullness of his power from them. Romans 5:8 tells us that Christ died for sinners, and clearly God loves all those he has created. Still ...

1369. Gentiles Exemplify True Discipleship

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... ), to introduce his disciples to the fact that God has included the Gentiles in his kingdom (as foreseen in the Abrahamic covenant, insisting that the Jews be a “blessing” to the Gentiles [Gen. 12:2–3]). 7:31–32 the region of the Decapolis. Jesus continues his ministry in Gentile regions. Sidon was twenty-plus miles north of Tyre, so Jesus travels north and then east through Syria to the region north and east of the Sea of Galilee, where the “Ten Cities” are (see also 5:20). It is clear Jesus ...

1370. The Model of Jesus for Discipleship Service, Not Self-Seeking

Mark 9:33-37, Mark 9:38-41, Mark 9:42-50

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... and a divine passive. There might also be an echo of Daniel 7:25, which speaks of the delivery of “the holy people” into the hands of the “little horn.” 9:32 they did not understand . . . and were afraid to ask.Incomprehension (8:32) and fear (9:6) continue. Some call it a “holy fear,” a sense of wonder,1but that does not fit well. More likely, they are afraid to ask Jesus further and are unwilling to face the implications of what he is saying.2 9:34 argued about who was the greatest.It is ...

1371. Jesus Interprets the Passover Seder of Himself

Mark 14:12-26

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... God’s foreordained plan. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born. This woe is reminiscent of Psalm 41:10–12, where the sufferer is vindicated by God and his enemies are punished. Moreover, this continues the contrast with the virtuous woman in Mark 14:3–9 (cf. 14:10–11) in terms of Psalm 41 (41:2 = 14:9 for the woman; 42:9 = Judas). Here the emphasis is upon decision and guilt. “Woe” is used in prophetic judgment oracles (e.g., Isa. 10:5 ...

1372. The Roman Trial

Mark 15:16-20, Mark 15:1-15

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... the people). At this point Barabbas is still in prison, and only Jesus is present at the trial. Pilate’s ironic use of “king of the Jews” may have demonstrated his contempt for the leaders and their charges. 15:10 out of self-interest. This continues the theme of Jesus’s popularity with the people and the resultant fear of the leaders to arrest Jesus (11:18; 12:12, 37). Thus the chief priests (generally disliked for their wealth and avarice) are acting out of “jealousy” (phthonos), and Pilate ...

1373. The Resurrection of Jesus and the Promise of Victory

Mark 16:1-20

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... any other work in ancient writing, but it provides a brilliant final point. The key is to consider verses 7–8 as a unit and to see how this brings to culmination Mark’s discipleship motif.3The women panic in light of the supernatural scene and continue the failure of the other disciples, but there is future hope. Failure can be overcome only by the presence and power of the risen Lord, but he has indeed risen, and his power is available. Theological Insights The two major themes of Mark (Christology and ...

1374. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop . . . by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor’s crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.” Continuing, he parodies, “Help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells. Help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead. . . . Help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire.” The story ends with the ...

1375. Jesus and John the Baptist

Luke 7:18-35

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... Insights This passage illustrates the ambivalence that runs through all the Gospel accounts of John the Baptist. On the one hand, he is a great prophet, the one privileged to prepare the way for the kingdom of God, and in that sense there is a direct continuity between his ministry and that of Jesus. On the other hand, he is never more than the forerunner; he stands at the point of transition, and 7:28 places him outside the blessings of the kingdom of God. He prepared for the coming of one “more ...

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