Bible Commentaries

Exodus 19:4-6 — 1, Exodus (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1969), p. 390. This organization of these chapters is exceedingly important, for as Fields observed, the order of the procedures here follows the pattern of covenants dating well into the 2nd millennium B.C. (1,500 B.C.), and not the pattern of covenants after 1,000 B.C.Wilbur Fields, Exodus (Joplin: College Press, 1976), p. 397. The distinctive earmarks of the older type of covenant in evidence here are: (1) there is a historical prologue (Exodus 19:4); and

2 Chronicles 14:1-8 — of Asa, but these are supplementary, not contradictory. Some scholars have fallen into the error of supposing that the high places, "In earlier years, had been acceptable secondary places for worshipping Jehovah";The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 503. but this cannot possibly be true. God had specifically forbidden all of these pagan things in Deuteronomy 16:21-22, and had sternly demanded their destruction (Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3). We reject the ridiculous emendation by which the RSV

Leviticus 22:26-33 — sacrifices. An alleged `contradiction' is sometimes claimed with reference to Leviticus 22:30, where the sacrifice was commanded to be eaten "on the same day"; whereas, in Leviticus 19:6, two days were allowed for eating it.Ronald E. Clements, op. cit., p. 59. The explanation is simple enough. The rules for the priests were MORE STRICT than those for all the people, and it was "the congregation of Israel" (Leviticus 19:2) who were allowed two days, but here "Aaron and his sons," the priests, were the principal

Isaiah 62:1-2 — at a time when the Gentiles have been accepted into the family of God, and when kings have become aware of God's salvation, and (3) there is a repetition here of the fact that God Himself will give the name. These statements, added to those in Isaiah 56:5, make seven earmarks by which that New Name may be positively and unerringly identified. We shall discuss them in order, beginning with the five from Isaiah 56:5. THE NEW NAME IS THE NAME "CHRISTIAN" 1.    It was given by God

Ezekiel 1:26-28 — one actually knows about this astounding vision. "The likeness of the appearance of a man upon the throne" (Ezekiel 1:26). "Just as in Exodus 24:10, the Godhead appears in the likeness of an enthroned man."Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary, p. 569. God made man in his own image, and the ultimate glorification of redeemed and regenerated mankind is suggested by this vision. There are also overtones of the Incarnation itself in this vision. The various visions of God's throne, as revealed in

Ezekiel 7:5-9 — UPON TOP OF TROUBLE FOR SINNERS Ezekiel 7:8-9 here are almost a verbatim repetition of Ezekiel 7:3-4. "An evil, an only evil" "This means an evil without precedent or parallel."Matthew Henry Commentary (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell), p. 785. "It waketh for thee" The judgment against Israel is here personified, "as long slumbering, but now awake."Albert Barnes' Commentary. 320. The same personification of judgment is also found in 2 Peter 2:3. A day of tumult, and not a day of joyful shouting

Hosea 5:6 — withdrawn himself from them." "When the God of heaven withdraws from his people and is no longer accessible to their prayers, the situation is indeed serious. It is usually assumed that he can be appealed to at all times and in all places (as in Isaiah 65:24).Henry McKeating, Cambridge Bible Commentary Amos, Hosea and Micah (Cambridge: University Press, 1971), p. 104. The condition in view here, however, is that of God's hardening of persistent and determined sinners; and for all such persons, it is

Habakkuk 1:8-9 — God, as the first verse of the prophecy stated. As Watts truly discerned, "The description is more stereotyped than historical."John D. W. Watts, op. cit., p. 127. It is similar to the prophetic picture of the advance of God's armies in Isaiah (Isaiah 5:26-30), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:13). The message behind the lines is that the finger of the Almighty is moving in history. The Second head of the Scarlet Sea Beast will be succeeded by the Third. In the character of Assyria, Habakkuk could have read

Zechariah 10:2 — restlessness and instability and reduces men to the level of shepherdless sheep."J. E. McFadyen, Abingdon Bible Commentary (New York City: Abingdon Press, 1929), p. 827. "Teraphim" were household gods or idols (Genesis 31:19; Genesis 31:30; Judges 7:5). "They bore the likeness of some human figure (1 Samuel 19:13); and they also took the form of signs of the Zodiac and other instruments of astrology."Clinton R. Gill, op. cit., p. 337. The test of any people's true worship is found in the way they

Zechariah 12:6 — tinder and ripe sheaves, so will Judah inflict devastation on the enemy while Jerusalem watches."Joyce G. Baldwin, op. cit., p. 189. "However, it is God's wrath and not theirs, that is the fire which devours the adversaries."Matthew Henry, op. cit., p. 1459. Exactly this same thought is found in the New Testament. "And if any man proceedeth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies" (Revelation 11:5). Deane considered this verse as teaching the protective power of God

Malachi 1:11 — commentators of modern times see in this verse a prophecy of the Holy Eucharist, "the pure offering" commemorative of Christ's sacrifice."W. J. Deane, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 14, Malachi (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 4, Or course, some Roman Catholic writers went overboard on this with all kinds of speculations about the sacrifice of the mass, etc. But if one feels that the prophecy could be fulfilled only by an offering, it lies in the "presentation" of themselves

Matthew 27:55-56 — from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Mark recorded the name of the mother of Zebedee's sons as Salome (Mark 15:41). The women were the last to wait upon Jesus at the cross and the first to whom he revealed himself after the resurrection. Spiritual leadership naturally belongs to women. The disciples fled, but the women waited to watch and did not forsake the

Matthew 4:3 — that Satan too has a triune nature. Three names characterize Satan in the book of Revelation. He is called the devil, the beast, and the false prophet (Revelation 20:10). He appears in three guises: as a serpent (Revelation 20:2), as a lion (1 Peter 5:8), and as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). This same triple pattern is seen in the temptation of Adam and Eve, through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the vain-glory of life (1 John 2:16). It is noteworthy that the temptation

Matthew 5:15 — light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. This passage sets forth instructions regarding the Christian's light, or influence, in the world: (1) Christ forbade hiding it under a bushel (Matthew 5:14), that is, permitting business and commerce to obscure one's influence for the truth. (2) He warned against hiding it under a vessel (Luke 8:16), that is, permitting cares, duties, and obligations of life to take precedence over faith. (3) He prohibited

Mark 12:43 — said of the poor, "If they consecrate themselves, their offering, which appears to men to be worthless, will not be less valuable than if they had presented all the treasures of Croesus."John Calvin, as quoted by Cranfield, op. cit., p. 38. (5)    This convinces the rich that merely giving an amount of money is not enough. The element of sacrifice should be present in every true gift; and that which can be easily "spared" by the wealthy is not enough to fulfill

Romans 1:28 — scripture as causing God to give man up are: (1) sinning against the light (Romans 1:21); (2) refusing to give God thanks (Romans 1:21); (3) vain imaginations (Romans 1:21-22); and (4) worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25); but perhaps these specifics are but facets of a greater sin encompassing all these things, namely, that of the deification of humanity. It is the invariable and instinctive thrust of hearts filled with Satan, that they would slay God and take his

Romans 4:23-25 — in God's power to raise the dead, a faith which was manifested in the offering of Isaac; Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead: (1) that God raised Christ from the dead; (2) that all shall at last be raised from the dead by Christ (John 5:28-29), and, in the spiritual sense; (3) that all who hear Christ's voice and obey him shall be raised from the deadness of trespasses and sins (John 5:25). In Romans 4:17 Paul specifically mentioned, "God, who giveth life to the dead," as

1 John 5:16 — efficacy in the prayers of Christians for one another. For them that sin not unto death … There are a number of New Testament passages that deal with the "sin unto death," namely, the passage here, 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 5:6; Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-27; 2 Peter 2:20-21, and Mark 3:29 with parallel in Matthew. For a complete discussion of this question see in my Commentary on Mark, pp. 65-67, and, in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 173-175, and, in my

Revelation 20:4 — who were suffering persecutions by giving them a vision of the final triumph of Christ and of the blessedness of his followers." James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 651. Some millennial theories place these thrones upon earth, but there is no more reason to do this than to suppose that the "twelve thrones" occupied by the apostles during "the times of the regeneration" (Matthew 19:28) are actually

2 Samuel 11:6-13 — impossible that a rumor of his wife's adultery had reached Uriah."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 307. Of course, there seems to have been a stern prohibition against sexual relations on the part of soldiers who were consecrated to warfare (1 Samuel 21:5), but that does not appear to this writer as a sufficient explanation of Uriah's behavior in this episode. "Send me Uriah the Hittite" David had only one purpose in this, namely, that of bringing Uriah home so that the child to be born to Bathsheba