by Paul Apple | May 20, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SUFFERING MUST INDICATE SECRET SINS THAT DEMAND REPENTANCE BECAUSE GOD KNOWS ALL IN HIS SECRET WISDOMINTRODUCTION:David Clines: The three-strophe structure corresponds to the content of the speech: in vv 2–6 Zophar reproaches Job for his claim to innocence;...
by Paul Apple | May 19, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPAIR OVER INABILITY TO RESOLVE UNDESERVED SUFFERING RAISES 3 TROUBLING FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONSINTRODUCTION:Elmer Smick: In these chapters Job’s words move from extolling God (9:1–13)—perhaps as a display of theological acumen to impress the counselors—to...
by Paul Apple | May 17, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE RIGID TRADITIONALIST REMAINS ROOTED IN RETRIBUTION THEOLOGYINTRODUCTION:Thomas Constable: Bildad agreed with Eliphaz that God was paying Job back for some sin he had committed, and he believed God would show Job mercy if he confessed that sin. However,...
by Paul Apple | May 16, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JOB ATTACKS HIS COUNSELORS AND HIS GOD VIA LAMENTING AND COMPLAINING ABOUT HIS UNDESERVED SUFFERINGINTRODUCTION:David Clines: In form the speech as a whole belongs to the appeal (often called the lament). In chap. 7, which is directed solely toward God, it...
by Paul Apple | May 13, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INSENSITIVE COUNSELORS WRONGLY APPLY THEIR LIMITED THEOLOGY IN HURTFUL WAYS (LIMITING GOD’S GOVERNANCE OF HIS UNIVERSE)INTRODUCTION:John Hartley: In the first cycle the friends clearly state their positions. Eliphaz posits that no human being is righteous...
by Paul Apple | May 11, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WHEN TRANQUILITY ERUPTS INTO UNRELENTING TURMOIL OUR TROUBLED SPIRIT CAN STRENUOUSLY COMPLAININTRODUCTION:David Clines: In this speech we are suddenly plunged out of the epic grandeur and deliberateness of the prologue into the dramatic turmoil of the...
by Paul Apple | May 10, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SATAN’S INTENSIFIED ATTACKS FAIL TO CAUSE JOB TO FAILINTRODUCTION:Robert Alden: They started as friends, but before the debates were over, Job used less-than-friendly words to describe them. Throughout this commentary these three will be called “friends”...
by Paul Apple | May 7, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SEEMINGLY UNDESERVED DISASTERS TEST OUR SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONINTRODUCTION:Tremper Longman: The news Job had just heard was devastating. His wealth and his children were gone. All he had left at this point were his wife and his health. His initial reaction...
by Paul Apple | May 6, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE REMOVAL OF PROSPERITY PUTS OUR DEVOTION TO GOD TO THE TEST –GOD ALLOWS SATAN TO TEST JOB’S MOTIVATION FOR WORSHIPINTRODUCTION:David Clines: Here we learn what Job never learns, that his suffering had a particular cause and that it subserved a...
by Paul Apple | May 5, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE HERO OF THE STORY IS INTRODUCED AS A GODLY MAN OF UNRIVALED INTEGRITY, WEALTH AND FAMILY BLESSINGINTRODUCTION:John MacArthur: Job himself is introduced as someone who has achieved the pinnacle of success in life. He is a man of integrity, “blameless and...
by Paul Apple | Apr 24, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPITE THE UNIQUE SIGNIFICANCE OF MOSES’ MINISTRY, HE MUST DESIGNATE JOSHUA AS HIS SUCCESSOR AND DIE WITHOUT ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND INTRODUCTION: Daniel Block: We have heard the voice of the narrator before (1:1–5; 4:41–5:1a; 29:1[28:69]), but now for...
by Paul Apple | Apr 23, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: TRIBAL BLESSINGS AS THE LAST WORDS OF MOSES PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT IN COVENANT RENEWAL AND CONQUEST PREPARATION INTRODUCTION: Daniel Block: Moses’ death looms over the congregation of Israel and the book of Deuteronomy. Having delivered his final pastoral...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S JUDGMENT (AS REFLECTED IN MOSES’ SONG AND HIS OWN DEATH) IS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF FUTURE GENERATIONS INTRODUCTION: Gerald Gerbrandt: One may speak of the Song as having a double role. First, it has an educational function as it...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REJECTING THE ROCK OF ISRAEL RESULTS IN GOD FORSAKING HIS PEOPLE – BUT NOT UTTERLY INTRODUCTION: Daniel Block: Although the NIV labels this chapter as “The Song of Moses,” it should really be called “The Song of Yahweh,” because Yahweh inspired it and...
by Paul Apple | Apr 12, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DURING ANY CRISIS TRANSITION TIME, WE NEED ASSURANCE OF GOD’S ONGOING PRESENCE AND ULTIMATE LEADERSHIP INTRODUCTION: Eugene Merrill: There is a strong sense of transition at this juncture in Deuteronomy, signs that the era of Moses’ leadership is...
by Paul Apple | Apr 10, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES ARE CLEAR – CHOOSE LIFE INTRODUCTION: Daniel Block: Deuteronomy 30 represents the climax of the gospel according to Moses as he has proclaimed it in this book. Employing the second person of direct address, Moses brings his...
by Paul Apple | Apr 8, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE PERSPECTIVE OF HISTORY SHOULD MOTIVATE COVENANT LOYALTY INTRODUCTION: Michael Grisanti: Moses begins this section by reminding the children of Israel of Yahweh’s faithfulness to them in bringing them from Egypt to the plains of Moab, as well as of the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 6, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: COVENANT CURSINGS (THE REVERSAL OF GOD’S BLESSINGS) ATTACH TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD CONDITIONED ON DISOBEDIENCE INTRODUCTION: Daniel Block: In verse 20 we arrive at the longest literary unit in Deuteronomy. Whereas the imprecations of 27:15–26 and 28:15–19 are...
by Paul Apple | Apr 5, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: COVENANT BLESSINGS ATTACH TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD CONDITIONED ON OBEDIENCE INTRODUCTION: Peter Craigie: The blessings are stated first (28:1–14) and then are followed by a much larger section dealing with the curses (28:15–68). In both parts of ch. 28, the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 5, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: COVENANT RENEWAL CEREMONY UPON ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND TO CHARGE ISRAEL WITH CONTINUED OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW WHILE RECITING SPECIFIC CURSES FOR DISOBEDIENCE INTRODUCTION: Gerald Gerbrandt: Summary Outline Covenant Renewal at Shechem, 27:1–26 27:1–8A...
