Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
In “Adam was a Vegetarian,” I referenced Genesis 9:2-3 were God added meat to mankind’s diet. There is another interesting item in that passage. In verse two, God says that from then on, all the animals would be afraid of people. This allows us to infer that prior to that time, the animals were not […]
Fasting for the Right Reasons Although many people ignore its practice, fasting is demonstrated in the Bible and is an encouraged practice. (See the blog entry, “When You Fast…“.) However, fasting rightly requires fasting for the right reasons. Here are some of them: Wrong reasons for fasting includes to earn God’s attention or favor, out […]
If you accept that God exists and exercises providential care over his creation, it is, therefore, reasonable to expect that from time to time, miracles will occur—either for our own good or for his pleasure. As such, an occasional divine intervention is not an irrational desire, but a reasonable expectation. At the risk of trivializing […]
Lessons from Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus A reoccurring statement in the Bible is “Here I am.” This was often said to God when he calls out or speaks to one of his children. Abraham, Jacob, and Moses were all expectantly ready to listen to God.We need to do the same. Later Jesus said, “Here […]
I have Christian friends who are staunch, conservative Republicans. When they read their Bible, they see God as a conservative Republican. They cannot comprehend how anyone who follows Jesus could be or think like a Democrat. Their views are found and substantiated in the Bible. I have other Christian friends who are staunch, liberal Democrats. When […]
Do You Want Justice or Mercy? I have a friend who pursues justice; she wants everything to be fair. The bad thing about absolute justice is that it leaves no room for mercy. In many ways, justice and mercy are opposites: In a paradox of Godly proportions, God is both fully just yet full of […]
Money: How Much is Enough? How much money is enough when you give to charity? When considering gifts to God, that is a difficult question to answer. This is because God’s economy functions differently than ours. This is aptly illustrated in the following story: Jesus notices the rich people giving gifts to the temple treasury. […]
As followers of Jesus, we are encouraged to be generous and giving. Hospitality is part of that. Sometimes when we show kindness to others, we will never know the affect of our actions. As an encouragement in being generous and giving, Paul writes, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people […]
Fast for the Right Reasons In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers to fast. It is not optional.He doesn’t say, “If you fast…,” but rather, “When you fast…” Jesus’ teaching applies to us too. Fasting is intentionally going without something in order to better connect with God, such as to focus on prayer or seek […]
In the book of Genesis, chapter 5, Adam’s family tree is listed, including the ages of him and his descendants, with many recorded life spans hovering around 900 years, plus or minus a few decades. While some doubt the veracity of these records, I’m willing to accept these ages as presented. (In Genesis 6:3, after […]