Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: responsibility, obligation, commitment, obedience, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, respect, deference, reverence, homage, job, task, chore, assignment, commission, mission, function, charge, part, place, role, concern, requirement, tax, levy, tariff, excise, toll, fee, imposition, impost, exaction, tithe, payment, rate

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1. Luke 10:1-11; 16-20

Luke 11:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... less than honest, the people of the village would always know where to find Jesus’ emissaries while they were in town (see Matthew 10:11; Luke 9:4; 2 Timothy 3:6). Jesus assures his emissaries that receiving hospitality is not an imposition. As “laborers” in the harvest, the food, drink, and shelter they receive is their rightful “payment” (v.7). Although Luke does not here record Jesus explicitly giving healing powers to his messengers, his description in v.9 affirms that authority. Healing the ...

2. Purim Celebrated

Esther 9:20-32

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... in 4:1–3 (where “lamentation” is used of Mordecai and “fasting” took place “in every province”; see also 4:16). Mordecai is not legislating a fast for all Jews during Purim but is referring to these rituals as a precedent for communal self-imposition of holiday observance. Additional Notes 9:22 Gifts to the poor: Gifts are not for fellow Jews only but also, without explanation, for the poor (compare Tob. 2:1–2). This may be an intertextual allusion to the legislation for each seventh year in ...

3. The Greatness of Mordecai

Esther 10:1-3

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... we have come to the moment in the psalm when “those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame” (Ps. 71:24). The prayer that God would “increase my honor” (Ps. 71:21) has been answered. 10:1–3 The first verse mentions the imposition of tribute (tax or forced labor) throughout the empire, to its distant shores—a somewhat unexpected statement following the authorization of Purim. It returns our attention, as a kind of inclusio, to the description of the great King Xerxes in 1:1 who “ruled over ...

4. Fear the Lord

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... of the land, long life, enjoyment of all God’s gifts, etc. (cf. 5:29, 33; 6:24; 30:15–20). It also condenses the important ethical point that the law itself was a gift of God’s grace for the benefit of human beings, not an imposition for arbitrary divine satisfaction. As Moses has already pointed out (4:6–8), observing the law is wisdom—it not only pleases the giver of the law, but it benefits the keeper of the law. “Obedience is good for you,” may not sparkle as an advertising slogan ...

5. Going to War

Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... . 20:11 Forced labor (Hb. mas): As it turned out, Israel disobediently imposed forced labor on Canaanite cities, not just those at a distance (v. 15); cf. Josh. 16:10; Judg. 1:27–36; 1 Kgs. 9:21. The early monarchy even established an arm of government to administer this imposition (2 Sam. 20:24). Cf. Mettinger, Solomonic State Officials, pp. 128–39.

6. Abijah King of Judah

1 Kings 15:1-8

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... –14), Asa is quite clearly the suppliant in regard to Ben-Hadad of Aram. He does not even receive any help with the stones and timber for the building work that results from the treaty (v. 22; cf. 5:18)—he has to resort to the imposition of forced labor upon his Judean citizens. Nor can it escape our attention that, whereas Solomon’s political arrangements contributed to the maintenance of the empire, Asa’s strategy results in the loss of parts of Israel to a foreign king (v. 20). Faithfulness like ...

7. The Sign of Immanuel

Isaiah 7:1-25

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... sake of survivors, as we saw in chapters 1; 2–4, and 6. Additional Notes 7:6 We do not know who the son of Tabeel was, though it is striking that there was a contemporary king of Tyre called Tubail, so this might imply that the plan involved the imposition of a Tyrian king (Irvine, Isaiah, pp. 154–55). 7:8 Within sixty-five years: this is the event referred to in Ezra 4:2, 10. 7:14 The virgin: NIV usually renders ‘almah young woman, which fits the contexts and its meaning in related languages (see BDB ...

8. Oracles of Restoration

Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ezekiel 35:1-15, Ezekiel 36:1-38, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel 37:15-28

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... other prophets do, and as the nt does, and his theology seems deficient for that reason” (Ezekiel, p. 118). Indeed Greenberg claims, “The restoration would not be a gracious divine response to human yearning for reconciliation. . . . It would be an imposition on wayward Israel of a constraint necessary for saving God’s reputation” (Ezekiel 21–37, p. 737). A powerful image from earlier in this book expresses this “constraint” as Ezekiel declares that restored Israel will receive from the Lord a ...

9. Two Testing Questions

Luke 20:27-40, Luke 20:20-26

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the crowd and to find a basis for destroying his challenge. In these two incidents the Jerusalem authorities take the initiative, but from 20:41 on it will be Jesus who directs the debate. Historical and Cultural Background The imposition of direct Roman rule over Judea and Samaria in AD 6 was followed by a census in order to impose a capitation (poll) tax on all citizens of the area. This particular tax was therefore a symbol of their political subjection, and so it was ...

10. The Death of Jesus

Luke 23:44-49, Luke 23:26-43

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... ; John 20:25 shows that the latter, more cruel, method was used for Jesus. Most victims of crucifixion took longer to die than is recorded of Jesus, sometimes several days. Interpretive Insights 23:26 they seized Simon from Cyrene. This is an apparently arbitrary imposition, since Luke does not mention either that Jesus was physically weakened by flogging (cf. Mark 15:15) or that Simon had any connection with him; Simon just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the preservation of his ...

11. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... the Zoroastrian deity Ahura Mazda.10 Another explanation suggests that this reflects the approximately “thirty days” during which Cyrus redistributed sacred images previously centralized by Nabonidus.11 Regardless, the edict presents Daniel with a totally unacceptable—albeit temporary—imposition. The edict includes the threat of execution by means of a “lions’ den.” The Aramaic gob connotes a “pit” carved out of the ground with an opening at the top that could be covered by a large stone ...

12. Questions about Marriage, Divorce, and Celibacy

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... retain the status God has assigned to them. Paul reiterates the principle with reference to circumcision. Those who were circumcised before their call should not now seek to erase the marks of circumcision, nor should those who before were uncircumcised seek its imposition (7:18; Acts 21:17–26; Gal. 5:2). Instead, each should remain as he was. For that which served before to promote a distinction in status, knowledge, and obedience between them has now been set aside; and both together will be enabled ...

13. Warnings from Israel's History

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... , overlapping, ultimately incompatible periods—marked out and distinguished by the active intervention of God—is unfortunately more often the rule than the exception. Nevertheless, our current worldviews should not determine the translation of ancient texts, especially when the imposition of an inappropriate understanding of Paul’s view of the world causes the reader to fail to comprehend Paul’s radical theological point of view and teaching. For a careful look at how Scripture functions here and at ...

14. Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... concerns that the Corinthians have demonstrated, and as Paul refers to such issues in this context, the first-century readers would naturally associate these matters with apocalyptic writings and the eschatological age of the end times because of Paul’s imposition and use of this perspective throughout the letter. In turn, the reference to faith in verse 2 seems peculiar. In this statement, faith appears to be something akin to miraculous power, which might be a traditional definition rather than Paul ...

15. The Priests Begin their Ministry

Leviticus 9:1-24

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... is missing, however, is the pressing of the hand upon the animal and the blood purification of the curtain, as indicated in the instructions for a sin offering for priests in Leviticus 4. These parts of the ritual are probably assumed. In chapter 8, the imposition of the hand is mentioned. Based on Leviticus 6:30, the burning of the remainder of the animal probably indicates that the offering has been taken into the holy place, presumably for the cleansing of the veil. 9:12–14 Next comes the whole burnt ...

16. Daniel’s Training in Babylon

Daniel 1:1-21

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... here between the will of the chief official and the will of faithful Daniel (Seow, Daniel, p. 25). The former can choose names for the Jewish captives without resistance, but Daniel can choose to refuse the king’s food and drink. Daniel will accept the imposition of a foreign name but will not acquiesce to defiling fare. Only Daniel objected to the royal food; Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did not. They did become part of the experiment later, but the fact that only Daniel is mentioned here calls to mind ...

17. Jesus Heals Many

Luke 4:38-44

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... does it appear in the later writings of the rabbis (i.e., the Mishnah, Talmud, and the commentaries called Midrashim). Fitzmyer (p. 553), however, is able to cite at least one example from one of the writings found in Qumran near the Dead Sea: “The imposition of hands as a gesture of healing … has turned up in 1QapGen 20.28–29 where Abram prays, lays his hands on the head of the Pharaoh, and exorcizes the plague/‘evil spirit’ afflicting the Pharaoh (and his household) for having carried off Sarai ...

18. Asa King of Judah

1 Kings 15:9-24

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan