Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 1401 to 1425 of 4942 results

1401. Titus' Task on Crete

Titus 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Salutation What is striking about the salutation to Titus is its considerable differences from those in 1 and 2 Timothy, especially its lengthy elaboration of Paul’s apostleship (vv. 1–3), a phenomenon found elsewhere only in Romans. These verses, which form a single, extremely complex sentence in Greek, conclude with a note about his apostleship as a trust. The main thrust, however, emphasizes the purpose of that apostleship: to bring God’s people to faith and truth, and thus to life. That life, he ...

1402. The Unchangeable Character of God’s Purpose

Hebrews 6:13-20

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

As a new prelude to his resumption of one of the key arguments in the book (in chap. 7), the writer stresses God’s complete fidelity to his promises to Abraham, and thus to Israel. Despite certain implications the author will draw from his argument about the priestly order of Melchizedek (see esp. 7:12), God has not changed course, nor have his purposes changed. In the definitive high priest, Jesus, God is bringing to pass his promises to the fathers of Israel. This is an important point to affirm to ...

1403. The Old Testament Ritual Described

Hebrews 9:1-10

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

We are now at the beginning of a lengthy section (9:1–10:18) that many regard as the heart of the epistle’s argument. In this section the author draws out parallels and contrasts between the old levitical ritual and the priestly work of Christ in considerable detail. Much of the argumentation up to this point has had precisely this goal in view. Indeed, the argument of this major section has already been anticipated (e.g., 7:23–27). The first task the author undertakes is to describe the physical setting ...

1404. Final Greetings

1 Peter 5:12-14

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

And Now, Farewell! 5:12 It was common practice at the time this letter was written for the real author to take over the pen of the amanuensis and add the final words of personal greeting (Gal. 6:11). This may have happened here. Peter says he has written his letter with the help of Silas, an expression that, according to examples in Greek literature, can have several interpretations. Literally, the Greek is simply “through Silas.” That can mean that Silas was the bearer of the letter, or that he was the ...

1405. God Promises Deliverance

Exodus 5:22--6:12

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

5:22–6:1 At the end of this first round, Pharaoh has clearly won. Everyone is discouraged, including Moses, who complained to God. Yahweh responded as though everything was going according to plan. The Lord had told Moses that Pharaoh would refuse (3:19; 4:21).. The key word in Moses’ complaint is “trouble” (raʿaʿ, “evil plight,” or “catastrophic situation”). The foremen also realized they were in trouble (v. 19). In verse 22 Moses asks, “why have you brought trouble upon this people?” and complains that “ ...

1406. Personal Injuries

Exodus 21:12-36

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

21:12–17 What constitutes a capital offense sheds light on the foundations and values of a society. In biblical law the death penalty is reserved for offenses against life, not against property (as in other ancient codes). These verses give four capital offenses in a participial case law form (22:18–20 give three more). The introductory “Anyone who strikes” is a common alternate form, stylistically different from, but functionally equivalent to, “If anyone strikes.” Two case contingencies follow the first ...

1407. The Covenant Confirmed

Exodus 24:1-18

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

The Covenant Is Received and Sealed: Exodus 24 is reminiscent of the beginning of the Sinai journey, where the Lord also was present visibly and conversed with Moses. (See the structural outline of Exodus 19–24 in the introduction to Exodus 19.) The narratives of Exodus 19 and 24 serve as bookends for the law of Exodus 20–23, setting the covenant-giving in the midst of the story of God’s grace and guidance. With the covenant, as in the exodus itself, the people initially followed God’s instruction and ...

1408. Allotment for Ephriam and Manasseh

Joshua 16:1--17:18

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

Inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh: 16:1–17:18 After Judah receives its inheritance, the tribes of Joseph receive theirs. Now that the territory of the north has been separated from Judah, the allotment describes the boundaries of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Ephraim receives its territory first in compliance with the wishes of Jacob, who blessed Ephraim over Manasseh (Gen. 48:14, 19). Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh receive land west of the Jordan. The description of the southern border ...

1409. The Family of Abraham

1 Chronicles 1:28

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Abraham’s Descendants: The previous section ended with Abraham, so this section dwells on Abraham’s descendants. The Chronicler hastens from Adam and Noah to Abraham, narrowing his focus all the time to get to the specific part of the family that he wants to portray, namely, the tribe of Judah (see next section). This section starts with a heading in 1:28, introducing the two sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. First Chronicles 1:29–31 contains the genealogy of Ishmael, while 1:32–33 presents the ...

1410. Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return

Ezra 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

The Long Awaited Signal: This passage launches the first of the three missions narrated in Ezra-Nehemiah. The other two missions will focus on individual leaders, Ezra and Nehemiah, and their God-given work within the restored community. This mission, announced here and carried out in 1:5–6:22, involves restoring the Judeans to their own territory and rebuilding the temple for the worship of God. Throughout the story, the actual return of the people is subordinate to their task of building the sanctuary. ...

1411. Builders of the Wall

Nehemiah 3:1-32

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

Details of the Wall Building: Here, by contrast, is a list of those who had a “share,” a “claim,” and a “historic right” in Jerusalem (2:20), and who proudly exercised their privileges by rebuilding its wall. Nehemiah evidently persuaded them that the “welfare of the Israelites” (2:10) was at stake. This section seems to have originated as a separate list found in the temple archives: it gives pride of place to the high priest (v. 1). Instead of first-person references to Nehemiah, he is probably mentioned ...

1412. Esther Made Queen

Esther 2:1-18

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

Esther’s Rise to Royalty: The first chapter/scene closes with a sense of comedy, as well as an alarming revelation of fragile emotions at the highest levels of decision making. The Persian court is not a safe place. It is a place of power and intrigue (as is clear also in 2:19–23); a place with unstable relationships and fragile egos; a place with unresolved crisis. Vashti must be replaced by a “better” queen—one who must prove herself as beautiful, but more diplomatic, in this vortex of circumstances and ...

1413. Haman's Plot to Destroy the Jews

Esther 3:1-15

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

Haman’s Promotion and Plot against the Jews: Esther 1–2 describes the splendors of the Persian court as well as its dangers. One queen was banished and her replacement installed. An assassination attempt by two officials was uncovered and executions followed. Chapter 3 begins with echoes of these earlier chapters. Like the king, Haman is a person with great honor (and wealth, 5:11). He also has a very sensitive ego. Mordecai, like Vashti, refuses to comply with a simple command to perform a gesture of ...

1414. Mordecai Honored

Esther 6:1-14

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

Haman Honors Mordecai: Chapter 6 recounts a series of ironic coincidences that provide just deserts for the antagonist of the story. The coincidences include the king’s insomnia on a particular night; the reading of the annals at just the point where Mordecai had uncovered the plot; Haman’s appearance in the court at this moment; the king’s choice of a riddle-like question; and Haman’s choice to assume that this riddle was an invitation for him to authorize his own honor! These coincidences highlight the ...

1415. Purim Celebrated

Esther 9:20-32

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

The Authorization of Purim: Having explained current practice (v. 19), the narrator turns his attention to the events that led to the establishment of Purim as a permanent, regularized institution. Though the festival legislation may be historically secondary to the Esther/Mordecai story, the book in its totality appears to follow deliberately the pattern found in Exodus. First, there is a story of threat and deliverance featuring a Jew with unlikely royal connections and a precedent-setting ritual (Exod. ...

1416. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

13:1 Antithetic. Literally, verse 1a exhibits juxtaposition: “a wise son—a father’s discipline” (see the Additional Notes). In any case, the emphasis is on docility and openness to learning. 13:2 See 12:14a and 18:20. The MT reads: “From the fruit of his mouth a man eats good (things),” that is, there is profit from his words. This presumes that the speech of a (good) person will be rewarded. The parallelism with verse 2b, where the soul (or “life,” “desire,” or craving) of the deceivers is violence, is ...

1417. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 15:1-33

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

This chapter is marked by many antitheses between the wise and the foolish and the topic of speech occurs several times (vv. 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 23, 26, 28). Notably frequent also are the yhwh sayings (“abomination,” vv. 8, 9, 26; “fear of the Lord,” vv. 16, 33). Their frequency in 14:26–16:15 has led some (Skehan, Studies, pp. 17–20) to ask if they were not added to provide a suture between the antithetical proverbs of chapters 10–15 and another group beginning in chapter 16. 15:1 Antithetic. For the idea see ...

1418. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 17:1-28

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

17:1 Antithetic “better” saying, with lively assonance. See also 15:17. The margin of the NIV indicates the cultic nuance of the Hebrew term zebaḥ (“sacrifice”), but this may have been gradually lost. The contrast is extreme—sheer bread and sumptuous feast. (See also Amenemope 9.7–8=16.13–14; ANET, pp. 422–23.) 17:2 Synthetic. Although there were rules for inheritance (Deut. 21:15–17), instances illustrated by this saying could occur. See 27:18, and also Ben Sira’s advice about servants in Sirach 7:20–21. ...

1419. More Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 29:1-27

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

Many consider chapters 28 and 29 to be a collection separate from chapters 25–27. In contrast to the latter, which has many groupings, the style here returns to the (apparently) discrete sayings of earlier chapters (e.g., chapters 10–15). Antithetic sayings are the most frequent. See comment on 29:27. 29:1 Synthetic. On the downfall of the stiff-necked, see 28:14b; verse 1a repeats 6:15b. See comment on 28:23. 29:2 Antithetic. See the comment on 28:12, 28b. The lot of the community is emphasized. 29:3 ...

1420. Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

The Human Dilemma: The segments in this section are connected by the theme of the human individual, both in isolation and in relationships within social, familial, and religious systems. A concern with labor and material prosperity connects this section with the rest of the book. The development of thought is difficult to follow, though, and interpreters disagree not only about the logic of the argument but even about the claims that Qohelet is making. Acknowledging these difficulties, the reader can find ...

1421. Where Has Your Lover Gone

Song of Songs 6:1-13

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

Admiration and Desire: The section begins with the man admiring the woman in the beginning of another descriptive motif (6:4–9) that does not go below the neck. This description is followed by another “who is this?” verse (6:10; see 3:6; 8:5). The following verse (6:11) does not answer the question: rather, an unidentified speaker (NIV “Lover”) tells of going to the nut orchard. Both the speaker and the sense of 6:12 is unclear. The next verse (6:13) contains an exchange about the Shulammite (apparently ...

1422. Israel Forsakes God

Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Former Bliss (2:1-3): 2:1–3 God again commissions Jeremiah to speak an oracle to the residents of Jerusalem. The oracle reminds the Judeans of their former intimate relationship with God. Jeremiah uses the metaphor of marriage to make his point here. The beginning of the relationship between God and his people was like a honeymoon—pure devotion. The bride, Israel, followed the groom, God, through hard places like the desert, also called a land not sown. This language reminds the hearers of the wilderness ...

1423. Sin and Punishment

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

My Stubborn People (8:4-7): The next oracle denigrates God’s people for their foolish stubbornness. Through a series of rhetorical questions and comparisons, it emphasizes their unwillingness to restore their broken relationship with their God. 8:4–5 The oracle begins with two rhetorical questions. When someone falls they naturally get themselves on their feet again. When someone turns away, presumably from the right path, they try to return to go in the right direction. After these rhetorical questions, ...

1424. Jeremiah Threatened with Death

Jeremiah 26:1-24

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

A Second Temple Sermon: 26:1–6 This oracle is dated in the first verse to early in the reign of Jehoiakim (609–597 B.C.). Assuming that this means before 605 B.C., then the oracle would be before Babylon became an active threat toward Judah, and even then only if one accepts the testimony of Daniel 1:1–2 that Nebuchadnezzar threatened Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign. The following oracle is marked as a word from the Lord and is directed to Jeremiah who is to take this message to the people ...

1425. Freedom for Slaves

Jeremiah 34:8-22

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

34:8–11 The next oracle comes in the context of the royal decision to free Hebrew slaves. To understand the story and the oracle we must begin by reviewing the slave laws of the Torah (Exod. 21:1–11; Lev. 25:39–46; Deut. 15:12–18, though see S. Chavel, “ ‘Let My People Go!’Emancipation, Revelation, and Scribal Activity in Jeremiah 34.8–14,” JSOT 76 [1997], pp. 71–95, for the view that Jeremiah 34 does not follow Pentateuchal legislation). If Israelites became impoverished, they could sell themselves into ...

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