Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
Commander for Life In Absalom’s brief coup attempt against his father, he appoints Amasa (1) as commander of his rebel troops. Amasa is the first cousin of Joab, who commands David’s army. During the rebellion, Joab kills Absalom. This occurs despite David’s explicit command to spare his son’s life. Though doing so ends the coup […]
Elihu Talks About Justice As we read through the book of Job, we see that Elihu pauses, giving time for Job—or anyone else—to respond. When they don’t, Elihu glances at the three older men and then resumes speaking. “Listen to me, oh wise ones, as I continue. Weigh my words as I speak. May we […]
A Disgraced Counselor Ahithophel is King David’s counselor. Yet when Absalom attempts his coup against his father, Ahithophel shows no sign of loyalty to David and aligns himself with Absalom. Ahithophel gives Absalom advice, which we later find out is correct. But Hushai—working under David’s direction to foil Ahithophel—provides a conflicting recommendation, albeit for David’s […]
Job Responds to Eliphaz In the book of Job, we see how Job’s countenance falls and his shoulders drop; he watches Eliphaz sit. Job lets out a slow, painful breath. He clamps his jaw and blinks to hold back the flood of tears that threatens to gush forth. He glances at the three other men, […]
God Will Shine So Brightly that We Won’t Need the Sun to See As the epic battle in Revelation continues, just before Babylon—the symbol of all that’s evil—is about to receive her final punishment, an angel comes from heaven. John writes that this angel has great authority, and his splendor illuminates the earth (Revelation 18:1). […]
And Happy Birthday Jesus As part of your Christmas celebrations, don’t forget what Christmas is all about—Jesus. Read or re-read the Christmas story. May you and your family and friends have a wonderful Christmas. Merry Christmas! …and Happy Birthday, Jesus!
When We Focus on Other People, We May Lose Sight of Our Own Calling As Jesus wraps up his stint on earth, he spends some time with his disciples, the core group he trained for three years. They will need to carry on without him, and he wants to make sure they’re ready. First, he […]
Hushai is an Arkite. The Bible tells us little about the Arkites, other than that they descend from Noah’s grandson Canaan. This makes Hushai a foreigner in Israel, a non-Jew. Yet he is also loyal to King David, serving as his confidant. When Absalom attempts a coup against David, the king flees for his life. […]
Many People Like an Easy Jesus, But Not Everyone Accepts What He Says Jesus normally teaches the masses in parables. Though most don’t really understand what he means, they like his stories because they’re so countercultural. In addition, he sometimes gives them food and heals them. He’s a cool speaker who does nice things for […]
What the Builders Rejected Is Tested and Becomes Precious The Bible tells us that Jesus is the cornerstone. Most every mention in Scripture to cornerstone references Jesus. Many uses in the Old Testament predict the Savior’s coming. And every New Testament reference quotes one of two key Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. What is a […]