Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
Anticipating Jesus Today’s passage: Luke 24:25–27 Focus verse: Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:27) After hearing the two men tell Jesus about himself, the Savior responds. He begins with some harsh criticism. He calls them foolish and slow to […]
The Bible Overflows With Praise to the Almighty The word praise occurs in more than 360 verses in the Bible. Most of these refer to praising God. They tell of people who praise God and their need to do so. Consider the short, six-verse Psalm 150. It’s filled with praise. The word occurs thirteen times. […]
The Child King Josiah is a child when he becomes king, a mere eight years old. He rules for thirty-one years and does right in God’s eyes, just as his ancestor King David had done. Eight years into his reign, which makes him sixteen, he seeks God, just like David. Four years later, he purges […]
Don’t Be Afraid Today’s passage: Matthew 28:5–7, Mark 16:5–7, and Luke 24:4–8 Focus verse: “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matthew 28:6) In Matthew’s account of what happens, the angel—the one sitting on the stone—says to the women, “Don’t be afraid.” As we read throughout Scripture, this is often the […]
The story of Tamar is a tragic one. The beautiful daughter of King David caught the eye of her half-brother, Amnon, who lusted for her. At the advice of his cousin, Amnon feigned illness and manipulated Tamar into his bedroom. Once alone, he grabbed and solicited her. Three times Tamar refused. When her pleading wasn’t […]
Using the Word “Lord” Leads to Confusion One of the names for God in Hebrew is Yahweh (YHWH). Yet most translations of the Bible don’t use Yahweh. Instead, most use Lord. This may be because some Jewish people dare not say this name for God aloud. Yet substituting the word Lord for Yahweh often makes […]
Evil King of Israel We find many men throughout Scripture named Zechariah. The Bible may have more Zechariahs in it than any other name. With many obscure mentions throughout the Bible—fifty-nine times in nine books—it’s impossible to determine accurately how many there are, but there are perhaps as many as twenty-two men named Zechariah in […]
Present During Suffering Today’s passage: John 19:25, along with Matthew 27:55–56, Mark 15:40–41, and Luke 23:49 Focus verse: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25) In our biblical narrative we don’t move directly from Jesus’s death to his resurrection. There’s much […]
A Wise Woman Abigail is an intelligent and beautiful woman. In contrast, her husband, Nabal, is surly and mean; his servants call him wicked and she confirms his name means fool. Nabal is wealthy, with thousands of livestock. David and his men protect Nabel’s herdsmen and flocks, anticipating he will appreciate their efforts and one […]
A Greedy Servant Gets Leprosy Gehazi is the servant of Elisha. The first time we encounter Gehazi is in the story about the Shunammite woman. When her only son dies, she seeks Elisha. Elisha gives his staff to Gehazi and dispatches him. He instructs his servant to rush to the boy and lay the staff […]