by Paul Apple | Feb 5, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PRAISE FOR YOUR BRIDE’S FLAWLESS BEAUTY OPENS THE DOOR FOR CELEBRATING THE SENSUALITY AND EXHILARATION OF INTIMACYINTRODUCTION:Duane Garrett / Paul House: Together, the four stanzas present the bridegroom alternatively praising the bride and declaring her to...
by Paul Apple | Feb 4, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE IDEALIZED BRIDAL PROCESSION WOWS EVERYONE WITH ITS DISPLAY OF ROYAL WEALTH AND POWERINTRODUCTION:Trevor Longman: Song of Songs 3:6–11 clearly stands out as a separate poetic unit. It begins with a question that draws the reader’s attention out to the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 3, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE BRIDE’S DREAM OF LOSING HER LOVER LEADS TO AN ANXIOUS SEARCH AND RECOVERYINTRODUCTION:Tremper Longman: The setting of the present poem begins in the woman’s bed (v. 1), moves to the public areas of the city (vv. 2–4b), and then to the privacy of the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 2, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ANTICIPATION AND INVITATION TO ROMANTIC LOVE CLIMAXES IN PASSIONATE CONSUMMATIONINTRODUCTION:Tom Gledhill: The verses of this poem have such simple evocative power that any comment seems almost superfluous. The text is so marvelously alive, that any comment...
by Paul Apple | Feb 1, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RESPONSIVE EXCHANGES OF MUTUAL ADMIRATION ENHANCE THE PROGRESSION OF THE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPINTRODUCTION:Richard Hess: Situated within the canon of the Jewish and Christian Bible, the Song celebrates physical desire and carnal love between a man and a...
by Paul Apple | Feb 1, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: BE AGGRESSIVE AND INTENTIONAL IN SPENDING TIME WITH YOUR LOVERINTRODUCTION:Iain Duguid: After affirming her own beauty in the face of potential detractors, the woman asks her beloved to give her directions to find him. In keeping with the shifting...
by Paul Apple | Jan 31, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WOMEN CAN STRUGGLE WITH INSECURITIES REGARDING PHYSICAL APPEARANCE – ESPECIALLY AS JUDGED BY OTHERSINTRODUCTION:David Guzik: The self-doubt the maiden had regarding her own appearance should not be overstated. She did feel, in some ways, unattractive and...
by Paul Apple | Jan 30, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE INCOMPARABLE ECSTASY OF ROMANTIC LOVE MAKES IT DESIRABLEINTRODUCTION:Richard Hess: vv. 2–4 hold together structurally. They form ten lines, where each of the first nine contains three words and the tenth has two. This is not followed in vv. 5–7. Thus...
by Paul Apple | Jan 25, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE DEDICATION OF PEOPLE, ANIMALS OR PROPERTY TO THE LORD INVOLVES FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE OF VOWS WITH STRICT REGULATIONS FOR REDEMPTIONINTRODUCTION:Constable: The “blessings and curses” (ch. 26) were, in a sense, God’s vows to His people....
by Paul Apple | Jan 25, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: TEMPORAL BLESSINGS OR CURSINGS BASED ON COVENANT LOYALTY TO GOD’S COMMANDS CAN NEVER NEGATE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS ULTIMATE RESTORATION AGENDA FOR THE NATION OF ISRAELINTRODUCTION:Roy Gane: Leviticus 26 provides a dramatic climax to the book of Leviticus,...
by Paul Apple | Jan 24, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REDEMPTION OF BOTH LAND AND PEOPLE PATTERNED AFTER THE GENEROSITY OF THE GOD WHO OWNS BOTH THE LAND AND THE PEOPLEINTRODUCTION:Richard Hess: This text follows directly from the cultic calendar of Leviticus 23. Whereas that text considered the Sabbath (vv....
by Paul Apple | Jan 22, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FOR THE PROTECTION OF SOCIETY, GOD’S STANDARD FOR CIVIL JUSTICE IS THAT THE PUNISHMENT MUST FIT THE CRIMEINTRODUCTION:Constable: God evidently preserved the record of this significant incident involving a blasphemer, in Scripture, not only because it took...
by Paul Apple | Jan 21, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: MAINTAINING THE OIL AND BREAD IN THE SANCTUARY SERVED AS ONGOING REMINDERS OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE AND PROVISIONINTRODUCTION:Mark Rooker: The logical connection between Leviticus 23 and 24:1–9 has been advocated by Gispen. According to Gispen the laws of...
by Paul Apple | Jan 20, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S PEOPLE AS A COMMUNITY MUST TAKE TIME ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS TO CEASE FROM WORK AND REJOICE IN GOD’S REDEMPTIVE AGENDA AND PROVISION FOR OUR NEEDSINTRODUCTION:Allen Ross: Through the observance of the festivals in the holy calendar, the Israelites were...
by Paul Apple | Jan 19, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE STANDARD OF HOLINESS REQUIRED FOR PRIESTS SPECIFIED PARTICIPATION RULES AND ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICESINTRODUCTION:David Guzik: All the ceremonies and rituals of the Old Covenant pointed towards a perfect fulfillment by Jesus the Messiah under the New...
by Paul Apple | Jan 18, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE STANDARD OF HOLINESS REQUIRED FOR PRIESTS SPECIFIED DEFILING PROHIBITIONS AND DISQUALIFYING DEFECTSINTRODUCTION:Mark Rooker: These two chapters differ from the other chapters of this section in that the regulations given are primarily directed toward the...
by Paul Apple | Jan 17, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THESE SEVERE PENALTIES FOR COVENANT INFRACTIONS AND SEXUAL OFFENSES SHOULD HELP US TO TAKE SIN SERIOUSLYINTRODUCTION:Roy Gane: Holy living is not optional for those who wish to live as God’s people. So Leviticus 20 lays out terminal penalties for serious...
by Paul Apple | Jan 16, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY, HIS COVENANT PEOPLE MUST CONFORM TO HIS HOLY NATURE BY KEEPING HIS COMMANDS AND SHOWING LOVE AND JUSTICE TOWARDS OTHERSINTRODUCTION:Kenneth Mathews: Holy living before God and honest living before our neighbors are the two pillars upon...
by Paul Apple | Jan 16, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING WORLDLY PATTERNS OF IMMORALITY, BELIEVERS MUST HONOR GOD IN THE REALM OF SEXUAL BEHAVIORINTRODUCTION:R. K. Harrison: The attention of the enactments now shifts from the matter of ceremonial defilement and its removal to the question of...
by Paul Apple | Jan 15, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM ORDAINED FOR OT WORSHIP REVOLVED AROUND THE LINK BETWEEN BLOOD AND LIFEINTRODUCTION:Allen Ross: The main theological theme, then, is the sanctity of blood. The basis for this emphasis forms the second significant idea: life is in the...
