Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
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 […]
A Loyal but Overzealous Army Commander Abishai is the brother of Joab, commander of King David’s army. Scripture tells us that Abishai is one of David’s mighty warriors, a subcommander of his army, and credited with impressive military victories. He’s also zealous for David, perhaps too much so. Or maybe he has a thirst for […]
False Teachers Slander and Will Be Destroyed Over the years I’ve heard many ministers talk about things they didn’t understand. Not biblical or spiritual things, but worldly things. Out of ignorance they condemn certain people for their actions, slandering them in the process. This is why the world doesn’t understand Jesus and his church. This […]
A Priest with Shifting Loyalties When Doeg the Edomite, under the order of King Saul, kills Ahimelek and eighty-five other priests, only Ahimelek’s son Abiathar escapes. Abiathar flees to David, who offers him sanctuary. Abiathar takes the ephod with him. This likely refers to the ephod Moses made for the priests to wear (Exodus 28). […]