Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1851 to 1875 of 2404 results

1851. The Gibeonites’ Revenge

2 Samuel 21:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... chiastic A-B-C-Cʹ-Bʹ-Aʹpattern. There are two incidents describing God’s wrath against Israel (chaps. 21, 24) and several short accounts of the victories of David and his men (21:15–22; 23:8–39). Between these two clusters of heroic achievements are two poems written by David praising the Lord for his deliverance (22:1–23:7). Although their overall purpose remains opaque, the function of the two middle sections, David’s song and last words, is transparent, as is that of the final chapter, which ...

1852. Solomon's Splendor

1 Kings 10:14-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... latter stages of chapter 10. Most likely a host of people would have been impressed by such riches and could well have pointed to such prosperity as sure signs of God’s blessing and favor. In just a few short years the nation of Israel has achieved a completely new position as a competitor on the worldwide stage. As I suggested earlier, however, Solomon’s enormous wealth has the elements of a test: how will the king handle these resources? Will these riches be used faithfully, or—as in the parable of ...

1853. The Widow of Zarephath

1 Kings 17:7-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... widow’s son takes ill (17:17–24). Yet the son’s restoration is accomplished through prophetic mediation and thus encourages a rejection of the royal paradigm espoused by Ahab and Jezebel: what rulers (of any nation) are ultimately helpless to give, the prophetic word achieves. In this scene the reader hears the testimony of a non-Israelite about the God of Israel and his chosen prophet. It is the God of Israel who sends Elijah, just as it is the God of Israel who sends rain, who delivers from death ...

1854. Ministers of Baal Killed

2 Kings 10:18-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... full from one end to the other”), and the end result of Baal’s temple becoming a public lavatory. It certainly looks like a revolution, but its effectiveness will have to be measured over the long haul. For all his undisputed zeal, Jehu does not achieve the best of grades when his reign is finally evaluated (10:28–36). While ridding the land of Baal worship earns divine approval (for this he is given a four-king dynasty, smaller than Omri!), the reader also learns that Jehu was involved in worship of ...

1855. Joash Repairs the Temple

2 Kings 12:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

During Joash’s reign (12:1–3) there is a reversal of Athaliah’s policies, as Joash “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” under the vigilant tutelage of Jehoiada. Part of his achievement might be credited to his mother from Beersheba, a city in the far south of Judah, as far as possible from northern corruption. The high places remain, however, and in this context the mention of incense burning and deviant sacrifices might serve as a bit of an ominous foreshadowing. A ...

1856. Amaziah King of Judah and Jeroboam II King of Israel

2 Kings 14:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer for their role in 12:21. For some reason the king acts within limits prescribed by Deuteronomy 24:16, but he himself will be struck down later (14:19), possibly in retaliation. His most impressive achievement is his victory over the Edomites described in 14:7, where renaming the city—some identify Sela as “Petra”—is probably self-aggrandizing behavior that reinforces his victory, anticipating his royal pride in the next scene. In all likelihood fortified by ...

1857. Judah’s Captivity

2 Kings 24:18–25:30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... leadership (24:18–25:12) that the kingdom of Judah reaches its end. For some reason, Zedekiah rebels (or “acts audaciously”) against the king of Babylon, in all likelihood by siding once more with Egypt (25:1−12). Whatever Zedekiah was hoping to achieve through such a rebellion did not happen, and Nebuchadnezzar’s retribution is fierce: Jerusalem becomes a city under siege, and the siege is a long one. Finally, the wall is breached (historians point to a date of 586 BC for this event), resulting ...

1858. Other Pursuits

2 Chron 8:1–9:31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 12–13) and verbal worship (8:14–15), fulfilling the ordinances laid out by Moses and David. The remainder of the account in 8:17–9:28 returns to the earlier focus in 8:2–11 on Solomon’s secular activities, tracing his economic achievements, international fame, military resources, and border expansions. Solomon partners and interacts with foreign figures, from Hiram of Tyre in the north (see 2 Chronicles 2) to the Queen of Sheba and the kings of Arabia in the south. With Solomon partnering with the ...

1859. The Account of Uzziah

2 Chronicles 26:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the eyes of Yahweh, but qualifying this by reference to the mentoring influence of an otherwise unknown figure named Zechariah. In keeping with the Chronicler’s theological principles, such righteous behavior is rewarded with prosperity, exemplified in Uzziah’s signature achievement of rebuilding Elath, an Israelite southern seaport on the Gulf of Aqaba. Doing right is described here as seeking after God and is linked to the fear of God, that human response of awe and submission before almighty Yahweh ...

1860. Hezekiah Purifies the Temple

2 Chron 29:1–31:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... summary note of 29:1–2 the Chronicler offers his theological evaluation of this great king, describing him unreservedly as doing right in the sight of Yahweh and comparing him to the ideal monarch, David. The account proper begins with Hezekiah’s foundational achievement, the cleansing and rededication of the temple in 29:3–36. While his father Ahaz closed the temple and abandoned its services (2 Chron. 28:24), Hezekiah’s first move is to reopen the temple. His motivational speech in verses 4–11 ...

1861. Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:6-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Nehemiah is sent to Jerusalem (445 BC). Why does the author skip ahead chronologically? He apparently thought it important to emphasize the continuing opposition, possibly to justify the decision to reject the neighbors’ help and to emphasize the significance of the achievements recorded in chapters 5 and 6. The opposition described here is opposition to the building of the wall. But apart from verse 6, details of the activity during the reign of Xerxes are not given. Some building activity on the walls ...

1862. The New Residents of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 11:1-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... laypeople: the Chronicles list includes some families from tribes of the former northern kingdom; Nehemiah’s list, only Judah and Benjamin. The families of priests are listed in 11:10–14. Some of their different tasks are mentioned. Good administration is needed to achieve harmony in the work with such a large number of priests. The Levites (11:15–18) also have many different duties. Only two are mentioned: the outside work of the house of God and the direction of praise and prayer. Mattaniah is the ...

1863. Eliphaz

Job 4:1–5:27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... humans (4:19–21). If God places no trust in his inner circle, how much more humanity. At face value, the apparition’s voice, which Eliphaz has embraced, paints a rather hopeless picture for humanity (4:20–21). Is Eliphaz here affirming that achieving wisdom is impossible, despite all the contrary rhetoric of the wisdom tradition? No. Rather, one should use the weight of wisdom tradition as a counterbalance. It is easy for any reader, any interpreter to overparse, overliteralize what could be seen as a ...

1864. Psalm 3

Psalm 3:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... psalm exhibits a four-part structure: (1) enemies in overwhelming numbers declare that God will not give the psalmist victory (3:1–2); (2) God responds to the psalmist’s cries for help, giving protection and success (the “lifting of one’s head” indicates the achievement of victory, not the overcoming of discouragement—cf. Ps. 27:6; 110:7) (3:3–4); (3) God from his “holy hill” (cf. 2:6) gives the psalmist peace in the midst of crisis (3:5–6); and (4) the psalmist (despite enemy dissuasion ...

1865. Psalm 83

Psalm 83:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... mutual enemies have one terrifying purpose: annihilate Israel (83:2–5). Their enemy is formidable, consisting of Israel’s neighbors to the east, south, and west—with Assyria covering the northern flank (83:6–8). Asaph cites two decisive victories that God achieved over Midian—the first during Deborah’s judgeship (83:9–10), the second during Gideon’s (83:11–12). In both battles, Israel was at a great disadvantage. Asaph wants God, like wind, fire, and storm, to shame Israel’s enemies (83 ...

1866. Psalm 131

Psalm 131:1-3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (131:1–2) comes from resting in God—not in self-seeking (considering oneself above others, perhaps even better than God; cf. Ps. 10:4), not in conceit (i.e., looking down on others as being of no account; cf. Prov. 30:12–13), not in achieving high status (Jer. 45:5), and not in doing miraculous things (as God alone does; cf. Ps. 72:18). David humbles himself before God, taking satisfaction in being in God’s compassionate and protective arms (much like a child does who delights in holding on to ...

1867. Foreword

Proverbs 1:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... preface and the titles to the Solomonic collections (Prov. 10:1; 25:1), the word “proverb” occurs only in 26:7, 9. The purpose statements in 1:2–6 are grammatically linked to verse 1: these Solomonic proverbs are presented in order to achieve specific pedagogical and behavioral goals. Verse 5, which interrupts the sequence, describes how wise individuals will respond to this challenge. Verses 2a and 3–4 refer to the contents of the instruction. The book of Proverbs is designed to help its readers ...

1868. Agur’s Message: Relying on God’s Word, Learning from His Work

Proverbs 30:1-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Structure and Theological Themes” in the introduction) apparently rewarded with plenty, a married woman who is disliked (cf. Deut. 21:15–17; 22:13, 16; 24:3), and a female servant who supplants her mistress. Four small, weak but wise animals achieve remarkable success (30:24–28): ants are amply supplied with food, rock badgers are protected by inaccessible cliffs, locusts advance irresistibly, and lizards are at home in the royal palace. A final numerical saying describes those known for their stately ...

1869. Time and Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... that follow it, regardless of whether it was written specifically for this context or incorporated from elsewhere. Verse 9 poses the book’s foundational question again (1:3): In light of the just-highlighted ordering of the times, what gain can be achieved through one’s labor? An answer is given in verses 10–15, qualified further in verses 16–21, and reinforced in verse 22. In observing the divinely assigned tasks that occupy humans, Qoheleth concludes that God “has made everything beautiful in ...

1870. Proof of Deceitful Ways

Hosea 11:12--12:14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... holy, the people of Israel are deceptive and untruthful in their relationship to God. To illustrate this problem God gives a specific example: Israel’s deceptive behavior is like chasing the wind all day long. This suggests that she is trying to achieve something that is impossible to grasp. The Israelites try to gain political security by making deceptive promises to Assyria, and then they turn around and break these promises by sending gifts to Egypt to buy friendship and cooperation (11:1). Not only ...

1871. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . 6:19–32), establishing covenant justice in the community (Judg. 4:5), and judging oppressor nations through military action (Judg. 3:10; 4:6–16). By raising up these deliverers in Zion, God would not only accomplish the immediate goal of judging Edom’s sin and avenging Israel but also achieve his larger objective of establishing his righteous dominion on earth and executing true justice among the nations.

1872. The Cause and Certainty of Nineveh’s Downfall

Nahum 3:1-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... greatness. It was built on bloodshed and deceit and can maintain itself and continue to grow only by ruthlessly devouring other cities and kingdoms. Its appetite for blood and plunder is insatiable. Nineveh was a great and powerful city, proud of its achievements. But now God gives his assessment. The graphic, staccato phrases of verses 1–3 evoke the image of a ruthless, grinding military machine. Nineveh’s means of empire building by the brutal subjugation and plundering of other cities is likened to ...

1873. Second Explanation

Habakkuk 2:2-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... mind no dichotomy existed between faith and faithfulness. The truly righteous person is the one whose faith is demonstrated in faithful deeds. Habakkuk 2:4 is cited three times in the New Testament. Paul uses it in Galatians 3:11 to demonstrate that salvation is not achieved by keeping the works of the law but is entered into only on the basis of genuine faith. In Romans 1:17, Paul emphasizes the fact that the believer’s salvation, acquired by faith, must also be lived out totally in faith. The writer of ...

1874. Eighth Vision - Resolution—Gentiles Judged, God at Rest

Zechariah 6:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of judgment, to snuff out the blasphemous and boastful rebelliousness of the nations. But all is in God’s control, and judgment will take place only when he gives the command, not a moment before. If only people would realize that all their prideful achievements in opposition to God are due only to God’s patience and tolerance! This passage makes it clear that the whole earth, not only north and south, is under judgment. Nevertheless, it is the land of the north, or Babylon, that is at the center ...

1875. The Lord Comes and Reigns

Zechariah 14:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his own ends (Acts 2:23). Initially the nations will have great success, capturing the city, ransacking the houses, raping the women. The attackers, however, will be suddenly and unexpectedly interrupted in their looting and pillaging. Just as they seem to have achieved final victory, the Lord himself will fight against them. Some details of Christ’s coming and victory are now given. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, the place from which the glory of God left Jerusalem before the destruction ...

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