Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
Elisha Seems to Allow an Alternative to Taking a Life-Threatening Stand for God I love the story of Naaman in the Bible. He commands the enemy army, conducts raids into Israel, and even has a Hebrew girl as a slave. It’s this girl, full of faith and void of resentment, who suggests Naaman go to […]
How Much Time We Spend on Our Activities Reveals Our Priorities King David longs to build a temple for God, but God says this is not to be. Another, a descendant of David, will attend to its construction. Instead David must content himself with the temple’s planning and in accumulating its building materials. Then he […]
Jesus Condemns Those Who Supersede the Word of God With Their Religious Practices Jesus asks the people, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your traditions?” (Matthew 15:3). He goes on to give an example that is culturally relevant to his audience, but which doesn’t connect so much with us […]
Nahum Offers Some Harsh Words to the City of Nineveh about Their Future The book of Nahum, a short three-chapter prophecy, centers on the city of Nineveh. If this city sounds familiar, if might be from the book of Jonah when God sends his prophet there to prophesy its destruction. After hearing Jonah’s blunt, half-hearted […]
Sometimes We Blame God for Our Pain, When We’re the Source of Our Troubles A lament is an expression of grief, sorrow, pain, regret, despair…you get the picture. Lament occurs when life overwhelms our hearts and steals our tomorrows. Many of the Psalms are laments. Though lamenting is biblical, our church services seldom includes the […]
The People Did as They Saw Fit in the Book of Judges; Things Aren’t Much Different Today The book of Judges is a curious one, containing some really questionable content, especially toward the end of the book. The judges it highlights are a colorful bunch, some exhibiting quite dubious behavior. It boils down to leadership […]
Father God Is the Star of the Old Testament; It Explains His Expectations and Shows His Care The story arc in the Bible is God’s relationship to us: the creator and his creation. Most people of faith—the Christian faith, that is—understand God as Trinity, as three persons in one: the Father, the Son, and the […]
Knowing the Writing Style of the Bible Will Help Us Avoid Confusion When We Read It Since my days as a teenager, I’ve spent time most every day to read and study the Bible. I’m also a writer who writes every day. I like to share what I’ve learned about both subjects. Here goes: I […]
The Psalms Guide Us in Praising God and in Pleading for His Protection In addition to proclaiming praise to God, the book of Psalms in the Bible also provides comfort to many facing afflictions. The Psalms offer hope in the midst of turmoil and point us to God for deliverance from the world’s oppression. David […]
The Root Cause of Conflict is Our Egos, Even When We Hide Our Agenda by Citing Scripture In Numbers 12 we see a story of sibling rivalry, one at a spiritual level. Moses, the leader of the Israelites, is confronted by his sister, Miriam, aided by his brother, Aaron. The two pair up to oppose […]