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 1401 to 1425 of 1668 results

1401. The Trumpets

Revelation 8:6--9:21

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... armies twice in recent memory, once at Carrhae in 53 B.C. and again at Vologeses in A.D. 62, and they were not defeated by Rome until A.D. 116, two decades after John’s Revelation was written and first read. The renowned Parthian skill of shooting arrows while on horseback and the snake-like tails on their horses might have helped John describe what he saw; however, this supernatural cavalry led by the four angels would suggest an even greater military presence than found in Parthia, which will surely ...

1402. The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

Leviticus 8:1-36

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... the high priestly garments: the linen tunic, . . . sash, and robe. These garments are described in Exodus 28. The robe was blue and fringed with bells and pomegranates. Under the robe, the ephod, a kind of vest, was held to the priest’s body by its skillfully woven waistband. The ephod went over the shoulders and chest, was made of colored linen, and held two stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes. Worn over the ephod was the breastpiece, a decorated square of fabric with precious stones also ...

1403. The Birth of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:1-20

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... will eventually be taken away. It is striking that the authors choose to begin this narrative—which deals so often with power struggles between the leading men of the country—with a powerless, barren woman. 1:3–8 Having introduced the characters, the writers skillfully draw a picture of their lives together. This is a family concerned to follow the ways of the Lord; they go year after year to offer sacrifices at Shiloh, his wives and children fully involved by Elkanah in the procedure. But it is not ...

1404. Saul Made King

1 Samuel 10:9-27

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... then clan, then family, the lot fell on Saul. Then, with a touch of humor the writers tell us that Saul had hidden himself among the baggage. Saul’s changed character had not yet increased his self-confidence. Saul’s experience of Samuel’s clairvoyant skills might have led him to realize that hiding was useless, but the point is that God’s choice, once made, could not be set aside by running away. Saul is brought out, and his exceptional height is seen as a confirmation of God’s choice. Deliberate ...

1405. Samuel Rebukes Saul

1 Samuel 13:1-15

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... expertise is realistic. Only leaders could afford properly made metal weapons, a usual circumstance at this point in history. Some countries had, like Philistia, developed the technology to work well with iron. They were naturally reluctant to share their skills with potential enemies. However, the lack of blacksmiths had not been a barrier to Saul’s earlier success, and therefore mention of this fact implies a weakening in Saul’s divine empowerment. Additional Notes 13:3 As a Philistine outpost ...

1406. David Spares Saul's Life

1 Samuel 24:1-22

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... Saul but he did not. Even his statements to his men about the LORD’s anointed become transformed into a positive statement of good faith. David appears to be reinterpreting his own actions in an attempt to salve his conscience or in a highly skilled diplomatic tactic, using what comes to hand to further his own ends, perhaps much more effectively than a direct attack on Saul. There may be a little of both. Possibly David wants to reinterpret the robe-cutting episode before Saul discovers what he has ...

1407. David Among the Philistines

1 Samuel 27:1-12

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... ; he takes advantage of that guilelessness now. For Achish, a recovered madman may even be seen as a token of good luck, which would perhaps explain his readiness to accept David at face value, as an enemy of Saul. David, looking for a safe haven, skillfully manages to persuade Achish that his request for a country town is disinterested and for Achish’s own benefit. These diplomatic tactics are similar to those used when David persuaded Saul that in cutting off part of his garment he was doing him a favor ...

1408. David Destroys the Amalekites

1 Samuel 30:1-31

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... failing to prevent such a loss, was now acclaimed as the author of a great victory. The capricious quality of human nature is evident in this chapter. 30:21–25 David may not have had great success in personal relationships, but he had tremendous diplomatic skills. He knew how to inspire soldiers and how to create loyalty among his followers. The two hundred men left behind at Besor had recovered and were able to come out to meet the returning heroes. Many of David’s troops were not professional soldiers ...

1409. David Anointed King over Judah

2 Samuel 2:1-7

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... David’s anointing by Samuel—and such news has a way of creeping out—they would have been aware of Saul’s fear of, and Jonathan’s backing for, David. It would have been dangerous for them to have done anything other than acknowledge as king the skilled warrior chieftain now living among them. However, there is no suggestion other than that they did so freely and gladly. David was the choice of the people as far as Judah was concerned. 2:4b–7 Having returned to Judah, David was able to obtain full ...

1410. Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 14:1-33

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... David’s successor and recognized that would not happen if Absalom remained too long outside of Israel. 14:2–24 Joab followed Nathan’s example in bringing a case study to David. The wise woman from Tekoa may have been noted for her guile and persuasive skills, or she may have been selected because David did not know her. Certainly Joab’s wisdom rather than her own was used in this instance. Apart from the death of one brother at the hands of another, there are few parallels between the story told to ...

1411. David Flees

2 Samuel 15:13-37

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... victory or defeat, life or death, he and his troops would be fighting on David’s side. The details of the flight are briefly given. The group moves, as quickly as the terrain allows, into the east toward the wilderness area. At this point Absalom’s skill in choosing Hebron as a base appears. If David did flee he could not move north, because Absalom’s support base was greatest there. To go west meant to enter Philistia, and although the Philistines had been conquered, this would not be a refuge for ...

1412. David Returns to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 19:9-43

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... followers had felt genuine grievances against David. Nevertheless, after Absalom’s death people recognized that there had been many good times under David and felt a growing desire to restore the old regime (vv. 9–10). David, with a glimmer of his old diplomatic skills, used the rivalry between north and south to stimulate action in his own tribe of Judah (vv. 11–12). This may have had negative effects on a long-term basis by encouraging the rivalry to simmer. But David’s master stroke for reuniting ...

1413. David's Song of Praise

2 Samuel 22:1-51

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

A Psalm of Thanksgiving: 22:1 David was a noted poet and musician, and it was important to include an example of his artistic skills in any record of his life. There are, as Gordon points out (1 and 2 Samuel: A Commentary, p. 309), marked similarities in theme between this psalm and Hannah’s song (1 Sam. 2). One reason for including this psalm may be to provide a parallel to that song and ...

1414. Silent Comfort: Job’s Three Friends

Job 2:11-13

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... various linguistic and genealogical connections, see the extended discussion in Clines, Job 1–20, pp. 57–59). Perhaps it is because Jeremiah 49:7 and Obadiah 8 attribute great wisdom to Edom that the text establishes the Edomite association here. These three skilled sages are equipped, therefore, for the intense dialogue and debate that is to come. After the three friends learn of Job’s plight they travel considerable distances to reach his side together, a sign of their deep concern. It would have ...

1415. Job Speaks

Job 3:1-26

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... mother had been?), it could not later give birth to the “day” in which Job was born to suffer. 3:8–10 In these three verses, Job returns to the more inclusive view of day as comprised of both night and day. He calls on the skill and power of those who curse days—possibly professional practitioners like Balaam in Numbers 22–24—to direct their curses on that day. Their cursing is related to their ability to rouse Leviathan, the sea monster associated with the threat of destructive chaos. While the ...

1416. Job's Reply to Bildad

Job 9:1–10:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... of a thousand). God’s understanding is so profound, and his words so divinely abundant and astute, that Job would be unable to prevail in any argument. Job does not present God in a very positive light here. God appears to be a particularly skilled and arrogant attorney-at-law, who employs his mastery of language and his knowledge of the legal loopholes to bludgeon his opponent into silence—and defeat. Job hesitates to open an argument with God from which he has little hope of escaping unscathed. Indeed ...

1417. Job's Second Reply to Zophar

Job 21:1-34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... a brother-in-law who is an expert breeder of purebred cattle. Every year during the breeding season he must exercise constant vigilance to keep the number of “open” (those not impregnated) cows to a minimum. Even in these days of increased skill in artificial insemination, success can never approach 100%. Not so with Job’s arrogant wicked. Their bulls never fail . . . their cows (always!) calve and do not miscarry. This is clearly hyperbole to emphasize the utter reversal of expectations according to ...

1418. Eliphaz's Third Speech to Job

Job 22:1-30

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... 4). This is no common human being, but a prime example. Yet even such a strong warrior is unable to offer any “benefit” to God. The second question raises the stakes by introducing maskil as its subject. This term describes one who is particularly skilled in wisdom understanding. If the strongest warrior is unable to influence God, and even the wisest sage (particularly revered by Job and his friends) has no affect on God’s judgments, then God’s decrees must surely remain unimpeachable. 22:3 Eliphaz ...

1419. The King’s Thanksgiving for Military Victories

Psalm 18:1-50

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... of the king and ordinary people. Success in Yahweh’s battles, we will find, depends on the moral stature of Yahweh’s army and the justice of their cause. On one hand, a person’s success can be traced back to that person’s integrity and skills, but on the other, the same success may be explained by divine intervention. Although the king may enjoy a privileged position (both with respect to humans, v. 43, and to God, v. 50), his character and experience are judged by the same standards as those of ...

1420. Rest for the Weary

Matthew 11:25-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... v. 25) resembles Ben Sira’s prayer, “I will give thanks to thee, O Lord and King” (Sir. 51:1). The wise and learned are the scribes and Pharisees, the official guardians of Israel’s wisdom. Paul speaks disparagingly of the “scholars” and “skillful debaters of this world,” noting that according to the Scripture, God will “destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars” (1 Cor. 1:19–20, GNB). The little children (“babes,” AV) are the followers of Jesus ...

1421. Jesus and Beelzebub

Matthew 12:22-37

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... of the demons gives him the power. He can control demons in others only because he himself is controlled by the chief of demons.” 12:25–28 Jesus is well aware of their way of thinking. It is incredible that learned men, trained in the art of skillful debate, would not realize the full implications of their position. Jesus points out that kingdoms divided are bound to collapse, and that if demons are cast out by the power of Beelzebub then their own disciples are as demonic as he is (vv. 25–27). The ...

1422. The Parable of the Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... Synoptic Gospels. The parable is a simple story taken from daily life that illustrates an ethical or religious truth. William Scott observes, “Disinclined as he was to discursive exposition, the Semite practised the art of persuasion by thus skillfully appealing to the imagination” (HDB rev., p. 725). For many years the church allegorized the parables, ignoring the obvious meaning and finding support for theological positions. It was Adolf Jülicher’s famous Die Gleichnisreden Jesu (1888–99) that ...

1423. The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Matthew 13:31-35

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1424. The Parable Of the Weeds Explained

Matthew 13:36-43

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1425. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

Matthew 13:44-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce