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 2426 to 2450 of 4942 results

2426. The Final Royal Accounts, Exile, and Restoration

2 Chronicles 36:2-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

From the Chronicler’s perspective the death of Josiah seals the fate of Judah and for all intents and purposes the exile has begun. Foreign rulers now take political control over the nation, and more important the narrative, as Necho, Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus, along with prophetic figures, act and speak for Yahweh. Throughout the accounts in this chapter the Chronicler regularly depicts the kings going into exile with temple treasures and makes no mention of their deaths. The lack of death notice, typical ...

2427. The Decree of Darius

Ezra 6:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

King Darius does as Tattenai’s letter suggests: he orders a search to see if Cyrus really has issued such a decree (Ezra 6). We would expect the decree to be found in the archives at Babylon or in Susa, the Persian capital. However, the document is found in Ecbatana, the summer capital of the Persian kings. It is written on a scroll rather than on a tablet. Since they were now writing their official documents in Aramaic, they used parchment. Darius’s reply first quotes a copy of the decree archived in the ...

2428. Nehemiah's Prayer

Nehemiah 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–7:73a Review · The Third Mission: Nehemiah Restores the Wall: The first seven chapters of Nehemiah and all or most of chapters 11–13 are considered part of the Nehemiah memoirs; they are written in first person. The name Nehemiah means “the Lord comforts,” a fitting name for one whom the Lord uses to encourage the discouraged exiles. Nehemiah is a very capable leader; he has a deep trust in God and is a careful organizer and a man of action. 1:1-11 · The events in Nehemiah 1 take place in Susa, the ...

2429. Builders of the Wall

Nehemiah 3:1-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The reconstruction of the northern and western walls is described in 3:1–15, starting at the Sheep Gate, near the northeastern corner of Jerusalem. Eliashib, grandson of Joshua (Neh. 12:10), who was the leader when the temple was rebuilt (Ezra 5:2), along with his fellow priests, rebuilds the Sheep Gate and the wall as far as the Tower of Hananel. There are two towers in the north wall; this is the only side of Jerusalem not defended by steep hills. The fact that this part of the wall and the Tower of ...

2430. The King’s Edict to Spare the Jews

Esther 8:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The day of Haman’s execution ironically becomes the day of Esther and Mordecai’s exaltation, a clear reversal of events. Following Haman’s death, King Ahasuerus gives Haman’s estate to Queen Esther and rewards Mordecai by giving him the royal signet ring that was used to seal the first decree against the Jews (8:1–2). Although Haman is now dead and gone, Mordecai and Esther face the grim reality that their ordeal is far from over. Unless the unchangeable law established by Haman is canceled, overturned, or ...

2431. Zophar

Job 11:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Overview of the following three texts: 11:1–20; 20:1–29; 27:13–23 · Zophar’s words:All three friends share a core assumption about Job: he is guilty of sin. But beyond that, they do differ. In the first cycle, Eliphaz grants Job’s suffering as but a hiccup in a near perfect life. Bildad would have Job focus on the moral lesson of Job’s children: they are dead; Job is not. Job is therefore more pious than they but still has within him impurity, which he must address (Job 18). Zophar is straight to the point ...

2432. Job's Third Reply to Eliphaz

Job 23:1--24:25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

23:1–24:25 · Job’s previous speech (Job 21), where he challenged conventional wisdom, was a pause from the crescendo of his desire to stand before God. In these chapters, Job returns to the elusive courtroom.Job has earlier expressed his confidence in a vindicator (16:18–21) or kinsman-redeemer (19:23–29) to prosecute his case after his death. But Job wants none of that now (23:2–7). Perceiving no activity on God’s end, Job realizes that he must be the one to track down God. But whether Job goes east, west ...

2433. Psalm 39

Psalm 39:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

David declares that life is frustratingly short (39:4–6; cf. Job 7:7; Ps. 144:4). Sin makes life miserable and senseless (39:6, 12; cf. Ps. 89:47; Eccles. 1:2); God’s judgment increases the agony of that short and miserable life (39:9–11; cf. Ps. 38:18; Jer. 30:14–15; Heb. 12:11). Any attempt to hide personal frustrations (to maintain a “good testimony” for the sake of others) only intensifies the heartache (39:1–3; cf. Job 9:24–29). David then cries out to the one who can make some sense out of the vapor ...

2434. Psalm 40

Psalm 40:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

At the end of Psalm 39 (v. 12), David anxiously pleads to God to respond to his needs. In 40:1, he makes an intense effort to wait for God’s answer to his “cry (for help)” (a term rarely occurring in Scripture, but appearing in both 39:12 and 40:1). God transforms David’s situation from one of misery to one of praise that others can observe and respond to (40:2–3). Interestingly, in Psalm 39, David indicates that he has been silent before both God and unbelievers (39:1–2, 9) because of his feeling that ...

2435. Psalm 69

Psalm 69:1-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Writing a psalm with messianic implications (69:9, 21; cf. Matt. 27:34, 48; John 2:12–17; 19:28–29), David unleashes his emotions. David faces overwhelming and unjustified attacks, yet God, who knows David’s problems, does not respond (69:1–5, 19). David suffers because of his stand for God and fears that others may falter in their faith because of him (69:6–12). He desires that they instead take courage (69:30–32). David continues sinking; God remains hidden (69:13–21). David’s enemies openly ridicule him ...

2436. The Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 2:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With Proverbs 2, the parental speaker begins a positive recommendation of wisdom, which encompasses three lengthy exhortations (chaps. 2–4). Proverbs 2 lays the foundation, describing the source 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, ...

2437. Invitation of Wisdom and of Folly

Proverbs 9:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The prologue comes to a climax in chapter 9 with invitations to two rival banquets, raising the question of which voice the sons will heed and whose meal they will share—wisdom’s or folly’s? The two descriptions are similar in structure and formulation (9:1–6, 13–18) and are separated by a theological interlude (9:7–12). Therefore, it is helpful to compare the two rather than consider them separately. The “Woman of Wisdoms” (9:1, an intensive plural, also 1:20) is competing with Lady Foolishness (9:13, ...

2438. Everything is Ephemeral

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1 · Title: The book begins with a title that attributes these “sayings” to “Qoheleth.” Deuteronomy 1:1; Nehemiah 1:1; Proverbs 30:1; 31:1; Jeremiah 1:1; and Amos 1:1 introduce their books similarly as containing the words of a specific individual, without necessarily claiming thereby that this person wrote or edited the present canonical book. Although often left untranslated as the proper name Qoheleth, this word is more likely a professional title, literally “the Assembler” of the people. The same ...

2439. Wisdom and Folly

Ecclesiastes 2:12-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Next, in 2:12–16, Qoheleth investigates wisdom and its converse, madness and folly (2:12a; cf. 1:17). Verse 12b is viewed by some commentators as unintelligible or displaced but may serve to anticipate 2:18–21, which also deals with the king’s successor. Verse 12b, translated literally, asks, “For what kind of person is it who will come after the king, in the matter of what has already been done?” (so Eaton, 68). Verses 12–15 contain a sequence of verbal actions that set forth Qoheleth’s epistemological ...

2440. The King and the Maiden Banter

Song of Songs 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–3:5 Review · The Shulammite Maiden: The title of the book, both English and Hebrew, is taken from the first verse. Literally translated, the verse reads, “the song of songs, which is of Solomon.” The expression “song of songs” is an idiom for the superlative in Hebrew—“the best song.” The word “song” is a generic term for any happy, festival song (cf. Isa. 24:9; 30:29). The possessive pronoun attributing the work to Solomon, if original, is ambiguous at best. The opening sections of the poem find the ...

2441. Isaiah’s Call

Isaiah 6:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The prophet dates his vision of God’s glory (6:1–4) to the year in which King Uzziah died. Scholars have tried to understand the significance of this dating, but it is enough to recognize that this is one way of connecting chapter 6 to the context of the Syro-Ephraimite War (see Isa. 7:1). A vision of the Lord appears to the prophet. He sees Yahweh sitting on the throne, exalted in the temple. The prophet concentrates not on the throne or on the Lord seated on it but on “the train of his robe” as it fills ...

2442. The Wrath of God

Isaiah 9:8--10:4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The Lord’s mercy is demonstrated in his patience with the corrupt northern kingdom. However, they are not responsive. The shadow of God’s outstretched hand hangs over Samaria (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4; cf. 5:25; Amos 4:6–12). His judgment is relentless in view of the stubborn persistence of evil in Israel. The attack of the Arameans and Philistines (ca. 737 BC) weakens Israel, but Israel does not view this military defeat as an expression of the Lord’s discipline. Instead, the leaders seize it as a political ...

2443. Damascus and Israel

Isaiah 17:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The oracle against Damascus (a major city in Syria) is brief in comparison to the other oracles. It seems that this oracle is intimately connected with the judgment of Israel and the judgment on the nations. The structure of the chapter is far from simple. After the declaration of the oracle against Damascus, the prophet three times employs the introductory formula “in that day” (17:4, 7, 9), and the last section is introduced with the word “woe” (17:12). But if we look at the chapter from a literary ...

2444. Tyre

Isaiah 23:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The prophetic word against Tyre is singularly difficult. There are three main difficulties: the change of addressees (Sidon, 23:2–4, 12; Tyre, 23:1, 6–9, 15–18; Phoenicia, 23:10–12), textual problems, and the historical fulfillment of the prophetic word. The cities of Phoenicia were subjugated by Assyria (701 BC), Nebuchadnezzar, and Alexander the Great (332 BC). The prophet begins the oracle with an indirect reference to the ships of Tarshish, the large vessels that plied the seas (23:1–5). The rumor of ...

2445. Deliverance of Israel

Isaiah 27:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

God will finally give a death blow to “Leviathan” (27:1), symbolic of the rebellious heavenly host (27:1–13; cf. 24:21). The descriptions “gliding” and “coiling” are also used to describe Leviathan in Ugaritic (Canaanite) literature. The Old Testament uses the language of Canaanite mythology in order to express God’s control over evil, chaos, and rebellion. The New Testament also employs this symbolic language (Rev. 12:7–10). Leviathan is the master of the sea, whose punishment marks the end of rebellion ...

2446. Plot Against Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:18-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

To pronounce the covenant broken is to stir opposition (11:18–23). The men of Anathoth, Jeremiah’s townsfolk, are almost certainly his immediate family (cf. 12:6). Embarrassed, then incensed, they eventually plot murder. People who resent a disconcerting message resort to silencing or eliminating the messenger (cf. Amos 7:12; Jesus in John 19; Stephen in Acts 7:54–59). The episode triggers an appeal by Jeremiah to God for him to deal with the plotters. As a righteous God, he tests “the heart and mind” (11: ...

2447. Restoration of Isarel

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

30:1–33:26 Review · The Book of Comfort:As now arranged, the book so far has had several urgent warnings, some earnest pleas, and many dire announcements of coming disaster. By contrast, chapters 30–33 fulfill that part of Jeremiah’s assignment that called for building and planting (1:10). Now come promises of return from exile, of a secure and stable society in the homeland, and of an intimate relationship once again of people with their God. The “book” proper is in poetry (30–31); the prose expansion (32 ...

2448. Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia

Ezekiel 25:1-7, Ezekiel 25:8-11, Ezekiel 25:12-14, Ezekiel 25:15-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Oracles against the Nations (25:1–32:32): Ezekiel’s message is not confined to Jerusalemites or to ex-Jerusalemites now living in captivity. He turns his attention in this chapter to four bordering nations. Ezekiel first addresses the Ammonites (25:1–7; cf. Jer. 49:1–6), who were descendants of Lot. The main city of their territory was Rabbah (25:5). David annexed them during his reign (2 Sam. 12:26–31). At some subsequent point (post-Solomonic) Ammon regained her independence. Nebuchadnezzar used ...

2449. Punishment of Destruction

Hosea 13:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

This punishment is tragic because the God who will destroy the nation of Israel is the Almighty God, who years ago redeemed his helpless people from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 14–15) and chose them as his special holy people (13:4–8). There was no one who could save them from their terrible situation in Egypt, so God acted on their behalf. At Sinai God asked for their exclusive devotion to him within the covenant relationship and instructed them to worship no other gods because he alone was their Savior. He ...

2450. The Rescue of the Lord’s People and His Reign on Mount Zion

Joel 2:28-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The apocalyptic themes represented in this section unquestionably point to future events not fully realized by the restoration of Judah and the return of God’s people from Babylonian exile. While 3:1–5 centers on the day of the Lord as an age of salvation and vindication for Judah, 3:1–17 depicts the day of the Lord as a terrifying display of divine wrath toward God’s adversaries. Joel characterizes the day of the Lord as the “pouring out of the Spirit” on everyone, without distinction (2:28–29). The ...

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