Sermon and Worship Resources

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John 3:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ? The worst plague of all, if you were the equatorial Egyptians. For them light was a God “Amun-Ra,” to be exact. According to Egyptian theology every night the sun, “Amun-Ra,” died. That word “died” was more than a metaphor. Every night Amun-Ra died. Every morning Amun-Ra was re-born. So . . . no daily resurrection of Amun-Ra, no life. Amun-Ra was the source of light, heat, food, everything. Amun-Ra brought the crops to harvest and dictated the annual floods of the Nile that restored the soil ...

2. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... in the last half of this verse between the “whisper” of what we truly know about God and the thunder (Heb. raʿam) that the display of his power produces. Surely Job has in mind here trying to discern the “whisper” of God’ ... of wisdom, which can only be found in the fear of God (28:28). 31:26–27 Job now turns to consider the secret worship of sun and moon. There are numerous references to the worship of celestial bodies in Israel, so it must represent a real temptation faced by many (Lev. 26: ...

3. Restarting Joy - Rejoice

Isaiah 55:10-13

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... several miles away. In a Kansas City Star newspaper article on the one-year anniversary of her abduction, the reporter wrote that for more than three days, her family and friends had no clue what had transpired. In the hot sun, they walked the neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of the Target store's parking lot where she was abducted, determined to find Kelsey. They were too late. Her kidnapper had already carried out his evil deed. So how did they deal with this tragedy? They created the Kelsey ...

4. Let God Be God - As if It Could Be Otherwise

Exodus 7:14-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... been a blessing in Egypt was now a curse. This was God’s judgment, and He was saying, I AM God. The ninth plague was that of darkness covering the earth, and in this plague, God moved against the chief god that was worshiped in Egypt, the sun god, Ra. The sundisk was a symbol dedicated to this Sun god and is the most familiar symbol found in Egyptian ruins. The Egyptians worshipped him ardently. But the plague of darkness brought on by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, showed the utter helplessness of ...

5. Eliphaz's Third Speech to Job

Job 22:1-30

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... Shamash) is considered the divine judge, since he arcs overhead during the day and sees all that humans do in the world. This is why evildoers often reserve their activities for the night-time darkness when the sun god is unable to see them (Pss. 19, 104, 139; John 3:19–20). Similarly in Egypt the sun god (Ra, or Atum) surveys the world from the heights of heaven and notes what humans are about. The rather unique Hymn to the Aton written by the reformist (or heretic—depending on which side you were on ...

6. The Lord Speaks

Job 38:1--41:34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... When the ostrich hen leaves the nest in search of food, she normally covers the eggs with sand to protect them from the sun and predators, yet it seems to the poet that she is unmindful that a foot may crush . . . trample them. 39:16–17 ... only God can create such a marvel of strength and excitement. Additional Notes 39:19 The Heb. translated flowing mane is, lit., “quivering” (raʿmah), although the Arabic reference to the hyena as “mother of the mane” uses a cognate term (riʿim). The poet may have ...

7. Eliphaz Condemns and Counsels Job

Job 22:1-30

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... 40:22, God is pictured as reigning in the vault of heaven above the earth. Similar descriptions can be found in other ancient Near Eastern literary texts. In Mesopotamia, the sun god Shamash directs the earth from the circle of heaven, which could be construed either as a flat disk or as a dome above the earth. In Egypt, the sun god Ra or Aton exercises much the same function in terms that are reminiscent of Psalm 104. From this exalted position, God should be able to observe all human activity (Job 22 ...

8. Samson's Vengeance on the Philistines

Judges 15:1-20

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... it was righteous revenge, as people are prone to do. In announcing what he would do, he used the phrase ’oseh ra’ah (“do evil”), which plays upon the word mere’ (“best man”); in other words, because his best man was given ... The references to torches (lappidim) in the foxes’ story (15:4–5) also pick up on this theme. Moreover, Samson’s name meant “sun,” which likewise evokes images related to the theme of burning. Samson again vowed revenge on the Philistines. But he did not think of ...

9. Riches Are Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 5:8--6:12

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... the preceding verses, the implied answer is instead, “God knows.” This, of course, is of no practical advantage to those under the sun, because God is not sharing the answer. Additional Notes 5:9 The king himself profits from the fields: The verse is ambiguous. The ... not an expression that Qohelet uses elsewhere. At the same time, it is important to recognize that the Hb. word for evil (ra?) is used of any negative and need not have moral connotations. 6:3 Does not receive a proper burial: The clause may ...

10. Manasseh King of Judah

2 Kings 21:1-18

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... and consults mediums and spiritists (v. 6; cf. Deut. 18:9–13), and he takes it upon himself to install the starry hosts (sun, moon, stars) as objects fit for worship alongside the LORD (and the Asherah pole) in the temple (vv. 4–5, 7). The LORD ... and of chapters 16–17 (cf. 16:1–4; 17:7–23) are now explicitly worked out. As Manasseh and the people have done evil (Hb. raʿ, vv. 9–11), so now the LORD will bring disaster (Hb. rāʿâ, v. 12) upon Jerusalem and Judah. The city will be assessed by the ...

11. Amon King of Judah

2 Kings 21:19-26

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

12. The Sweet Fragrance of Brokenness

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and Ezekiel). Bubastis lay along the Nile Delta and was an important trade hub with multiple transport routes. The town and the alabaster were both named for the Egyptian goddess Bast or Bastet. The daughter (sometimes wife) of the Egyptian sun god Ra, Bastet was the goddess of perfumed vessels, of perfumed ointments, and cats. Women who served in the cult, which became prevalent throughout Rome in the time of Jesus wore ornate dresses and often carried beautiful alabaster jars of ointment that they ...

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