Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1351 to 1375 of 4963 results

1351. Jehu’s Ascendancy

2 Kings 9:1-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... words, Jehu should probably be given the benefit of the doubt. Despite Joram’s warning (he shouts “Treachery!” in 9:23), Ahaziah is also killed by Jehu, making it a painfully effective day for regicide. Joram and Ahaziah are dead, but Jezebel still remains, and one senses that her demise is imminent (9:30–37). Characteristically, she exits the stage with a flourish, after one last stand in Jezreel. With freshly arranged hair, she includes in her greeting to Jehu the term “Zimri” (see 1 Kings 16 ...

1352. Eliphaz

Job 4:1–5:27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... cannot be perfect. The calamity Job is experiencing is divine discipline for something untoward. All humanity must deal with something of this sort. Job needs only to address the imperfection and move on. Though Eliphaz becomes harsher through the cycle of speeches, he remains the most encouraging and grants the most to Job. Even when frustrated to the point of declaring Job’s sins as “endless” (22:5), Eliphaz’s redemptive intent beckons Job to “submit to God and be at peace with him” (22:21). 4 ...

1353. Epilogue

Job 42:7-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... argues that the story has earlier shown God guilty of nebalah when he granted the Adversary’s requests to devastate an innocent man. In the epilogue, God is here putting a restraint in place for himself from further nebalah. Job has remained the constant one: an innocent intercessor in the beginning, an innocent intercessor at the end (Guillaume and Schunck, 457), though, as we will see, one who has not understood the bigger picture. One can understand some translators’ and commentators’ inclinations ...

1354. The Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 2:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and primary benefits of wisdom, while chapters 3–4 offer more detailed descriptions of the values of wise behavior. One striking emphasis in Proverbs 2 is the acquisition of wisdom as the result of both intensive human effort and divine endowment, while the remaining instructions focus on the first of these two, human effort. Furthermore, the instruction in chapter 2 differs from the others in Proverbs 1–9 in that it contains no imperative verbal forms in the Hebrew text. If one pays close attention to ...

1355. More Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 26:1-28, Proverbs 25:1-28, Proverbs 27:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , although one could apply them more broadly. Verses 2–3, which have the ideal ruler in view, affirm a hierarchy in authority of God–king–subjects. The purposes of both God as Creator and monarch as shrewd and insightful statesman may remain inscrutable, but the latter should be honored for his skills. Accordingly, the wise king strengthens the realm by removing the wicked from positions of influence (25:4–5). The wise courtier therefore avoids self-promotion and public disgrace by approaching the ...

1356. Time and Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... fact that the Catalogue begins in v. 2a with birth and death and concludes with war and peace in v. 8b, both pairs describing fundamental human experiences. Following Loader’s lead, a coherent development can be traced in this poem, but its point remains unchanged even if one finds this interpretation strained and thus unconvincing. Verse 2 describes the beginning and end of animal and plant life, as determined by God, although “uproot” most likely does not refer to harvesting (cf. Zeph. 2:4). The NIV ...

1357. Recognize that One Must Submit to the Government Despite Injustice

Ecclesiastes 8:2-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... than simply violating court protocol. Second, do not stand up for (i.e., participate or persist in) a bad cause (literally “a bad matter”; NJPS “a dangerous situation,” also in 8:5a), such as an insurrection. These instructions are reinforced in 8:5a, while the remaining verses offer a threefold rationale: (1) due to the loyalty oath taken by the subject before God (8:1b), (2) due to the monarch’s superior position and power (8:3b–4), and (3) in order to stay out of harm’s way (8:5). The ...

1358. How Beautiful are You

Song of Songs 4:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of endearment spoken commonly between lovers in the poetry of the ancient Near East (4:9–10, 12; cf. Garrett, 526; Carr, 121). “Bride” is better understood as “betrothed one,” in that her relationship to Solomon has not yet been consummated sexually. The girl remains a virgin, a garden locked up and a sealed spring. The garden metaphor is also a popular motif in ancient Near Eastern love poetry (cf. Carr, 59–60). The female character is often depicted as an orchard, a garden full of choice fruit ...

1359. If Only You Were To Me A Brother

Song of Songs 8:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... will dutifully provide her with the dress, ornamentation, and dowry befitting such a momentous occasion. In reply to the conditional pledge of her brothers, the maiden avows that she has guarded her chastity and remains a virgin (8:10–12). Despite her abduction and the wooing of Solomon, she has remained a garden locked, a spring sealed, a reservoir of faithful love. Implicit in the maiden’s boast of chastity is her maturing and blossoming womanhood and her readiness for wedlock (“my breasts are like ...

1360. Foreign Alliances

Isaiah 30:1-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... nation fleeing from a handful of enemy troops (30:17b). The grace of God is still evident in the remnant that will remain. They will be like a small military outpost—a flagstaff on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill. Few will be left ... removed. Isaiah also likens Yahweh’s judgment to “a bit” that leads the people to their destiny (30:28). None of the wicked will remain. The destiny of the nations is also described as the destruction of the wicked in the Valley of Topheth, south of Jerusalem (30:33 ...

1361. Vision of the Four Beasts

Daniel 7:1-14, Daniel 7:15-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... onslaught on God’s kingdom, it comes to an end and is burned with fire from God’s chariot. The other kingdoms are also stripped of their authority, though they are permitted to rule for a period of time. The Ancient of Days gives authority over the remaining kingdoms to “one like a son of man” (7:13), who is permitted to approach the throne of the Ancient of Days without harm. In addition to authority, he is given glory and sovereign power and receives the worship of all nations and peoples of every ...

1362. God’s Judgment of the Foreign Nations

Amos 1:1-2:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the people of Gilead by running over them. Consequently, God will send the fire of war against the palaces of kings Hazael and Ben-Hadad, destroy the gates of Damascus, remove the people who live in the distant provinces of Syria, and exile the remaining people back to the place where they came from in Kir (cf. Amos 9:7). Using nearly identical terminology, the second oracle speaks out against the Philistines (1:6–8), who have also committed many rebellious acts. God will hold them accountable and pour ...

1363. Jonah’s Unjustified Anger and God’s Response

Jonah 4:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... can reach 110 degrees and, combined with the sirocco, or east wind, can render the air and ground devoid of any moisture whatsoever. The effects of the sirocco are so severe that people normally seek sturdy, protective shelter from the fierce winds. Jonah remains unprotected except for a booth, a small, temporary three-sided shelter consisting of large branches or other materials. Jonah suffers in the blazing heat and, once again, pleads to die (4:8). The Lord once again asks Jonah if he is justified in ...

1364. The Cause and Certainty of Nineveh’s Downfall

Nahum 3:1-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... unmourned. On the contrary, there will be great rejoicing by those who have felt the lash of Nineveh’s endless cruelty. The destruction of Nineveh was a major milestone in human history. With all the power and influence that Assyria wielded in its own time, nothing remained after its fall but a bad memory. Therefore, it serves well as an example of the lack of a future for the kingdoms of this world. By contrast, though God’s people have been scattered, there is indeed a bright future as God raises up a ...

1365. First Message: A Call to Action—Build the Temple

Haggai 1:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the fact that their harvests have been consistently much poorer than expected and that what they do harvest does not last as it should. The reason for this is simply that each is busy with their own house (1:9), while the house of God remains in ruins. Because of their behavior all of nature is affected, not only the three basic crops (grain, grapes, olive oil), but also the productivity of people and cattle. The productivity of the land depended very much on adequate and timely rain and dew. When God ...

1366. A Man with Leprosy

Mark 1:40-45

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... -pace buffer zone (Luke 17:12) to reach Jesus. Jesus responds not by reviling him but by declaring his desire to cleanse him. In touching the leper, Jesus demonstrates the power of “divine contagion” to heal disease contagion. Jesus sternly commands the cleansed leper to remain silent and to present himself to a priest, whose function it was to render a certificate of healing, thus allowing the leper to resume normal life. The leper, however, “spreads the news,” and as a consequence Jesus needs to ...

1367. The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

John 9:13-34, John 9:35-41

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... again and commends his efforts. Since the man witnessed and accepted the signs, belief was an easy thing (9:38). His disposition to the sign was all-important. But for the Pharisees, whose minds were closed, the light could not penetrate. They became blind because they remained in the darkness (9:39). John 8:41 suggests we have personal responsibility for how we respond to the revelation we receive. To see the signs of God and reject them is a more serious matter than never having perceived them at all.

1368. The Vine and the Branches

John 15:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to the disciples’ anxiety concerning Jesus’s death and departure is found in the Spirit. Christ in Spirit will indwell the believer. Jesus’s new metaphor in chapter 15 affirms this again. The verb for indwelling (Greek menō; 14:17) appears numerous times (NIV “remain,” 15:4–7, 9–10), but now it is viewed in terms of its results. Spiritual experiences must lead to fruit-bearing in the form of new obedience and love. The vine/vineyard metaphor is used frequently in the Old Testament. Israel is ...

1369. Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

John 21:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is slim. Some scholars suggest mathematical sums (1 + 2 + 3 . . . + 17 = 153. And 17 = 10 + 7, two numbers of perfection) (e.g., Barrett, 581–82). But the riddle remains unsolved. Essentially Jesus is emphasizing the mission of the disciples. When Jesus directs their work, they will prosper. And the beloved disciple has indeed chosen the correct task: to remain with the fish so that none are lost (cf. Matt. 4:19). This is the same theme in John 21:15–19. Peter will be challenged to compare his ...

1370. Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem

Acts 21:17-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... teaches “all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses” (21:21). Therefore, they request that Paul join four men in the purification rites in the temple and pay their expenses, to show that Paul is faithful to the Jewish customs. Two questions remain unclear in this account. First, the exact nature of the rites to fulfill the vows is unclear. The reason why Paul has to fulfill the vows with the other four men is also left unexplained. Because of the note on the shaving of heads (21:24 ...

1371. The Cost of Paul’s Ministry

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... s mercy,” Paul has been given the ministry of bearing the message that transforms its recipients. Because he has been sent from God, his proclamation can embrace neither “deception” nor the distortion of anything that God has said in the past (4:2). Thus, where the message remains obscure, one may be sure that such obscurity is not a result of the proclamation but a result of the work of the enemy, the god of this age (cf. John 12:31), who has blinded the minds of those who persist in unbelief to the ...

1372. Treatise: The Efficacy of Grace over Law

Galatians 3:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of Jesus himself and a fulfillment of the covenantal promises of God made throughout the Old Testament (see also Joel 2:28–32; John 1:33; Acts 2:17). Jesus encouraged his disciples to look forward to the time of receiving the Spirit (John 20:22) and commanded them to remain in Jerusalem until they did receive the Spirit (Acts 1:5). The Spirit provides the new life of the believer (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 2:20), reveals the will of God (1 Cor. 2:10), and aids in prayer (Rom. 8:26; Gal. 4:6). Thus the Spirit is a ...

1373. Imitating Christ’s Humility

Philippians 2:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and groups formed by personal interests. The cause of the church is never the cause of any one person but is the cause of Jesus Christ. While individuals could exhibit the characteristics of 2:1, no community could have the characteristics of 2:2 and remain divided. In 2:3–4, Paul moves on to the second important virtue in a life worthy of the gospel: humility. The Christian life is centered outside oneself. It is for that reason that Paul uses the same term (translated here as “selfish ambition or ...

1374. A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Hebrews 4:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the land, and generations of Israelites had lived in the promised land when God issued the warning of Psalm 95. It was quite possible to inhabit Canaan and yet forfeit the rest of God. So the rest of God has always been available to women and men and remains so today. The sole question is whether we will exercise that persevering faith that alone obtains rest. For it is a rest that no one enters in this life but only in the world to come, when the believer has rested from work (10:36). The author speaks ...

1375. The Antichrist Has Come! The Secessionists Deny Jesus’s Messiahship

1 John 2:18-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’ having left John’s church and abandoned fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Further, their departure shows they never were convinced of the truth to begin with, which reflects the elder’s own thoughts on why some are able to remain with Christ and his fellowship and some are not. Is schism and abandoning the fellowship of believers the “sin” that was mentioned earlier? Perhaps, although there may have been more than one. As the departure of the faith-wavering shows their lack ...

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