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David’s Song of Praise

Psalm 165 from Beyond Psalm 150

King David secures his throne, and the Almighty blesses him with peace. David desires to build a temple for Yahweh. At first the prophet Nathan agrees, but that night God reveals his perspective to his spokesman.

David is not to build the temple because he is a warrior and has shed blood (1 Chronicles 28:3). Instead, the task will fall to one of David’s descendants.

Nathan reveals God’s instructions to David, and the king accepts the prophet’s disappointing words. David sits before God and prays this psalm to the Almighty.

This psalm (similar to 1 Chronicles 17:16–27) appears in paragraph form and lacks the stanza formatting we’re used to seeing in the book of Psalms.

Nevertheless, the text still sounds like a psalm.

“Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? This was yet a small thing in your eyes, Lord Yahweh; but you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come; and this among men, Lord Yahweh! What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Lord Yahweh. For your word’s sake, and according to your own heart, you have worked all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, Yahweh God. For there is no one like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. What one nation in the earth is like your people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make himself a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for your land, before your people, whom you redeemed to yourself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods? You established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God. Now, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as you have spoken. Let your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies is God over Israel; and the house of your servant David will be established before you.’ For you, Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, have revealed to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to you.

“Now, O Lord Yahweh, you are God, and your words are truth, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Lord Yahweh, have spoken it. Let the house of your servant be blessed forever with your blessing.”

2 Samuel 7:18–29 (WEB)

Reflection on David’s Song of Praise

David was surely disappointed when God prohibited him from building a temple. Yet instead of being upset and responding bitterly, David instead praises Yahweh for his provisions and asks for continued favor.

How do we respond to disappointment? Do we complain to the Almighty or see the good that he has done and praise him for his character? May our character reflect our Creator’s.

Explore the other psalms—sacred songs of praise, petition, and lament—scattered throughout the Bible in Peter’s book Beyond Psalm 150.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Job Affirms God

Consider What Job Believes in the Midst of His Suffering

After Bildad’s attack, Job stares into the distance. He sits in silence as if this time he will not respond.

Still, his anger bubbles within him, slowly at first and then building until it boils. He scans the three men and closes his eyes. He draws in a deep breath, filling his lungs as if for a final salvo.

“How long will you three persist in tormenting me? Why do you insist on continuing to pile your heavy words on my back? If I am in error, then it is my issue and none of your business.

“I cry out to God for help, but I receive no justice. For some reason he opposes me and stays distant. He’s taken away my honor. In his anger he treats me like an enemy, sending his army to surround me and place me under siege.

“What little family I have left, God has estranged them from me. Everyone I know has deserted me. Even my servant ignores me when I beg for his help. My wife won’t even come near me. All I have left is this broken body.

“Why won’t you take pity on me? God has struck me. Why do you too? Must you also add to my pain?

“Yes, I know that God exists. He’ll vindicate me in the end. Soon I will die, and then I’ll see him with my own eyes. Oh, how my soul longs for that to happen.

“But as for you three, don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself and the judgment you will each face.”

Reflect on Job’s Situation

Job’s friends attack him with their words. And Job believes that God opposes him for a reason he can’t understand. The three men condemn Job out of their ignorance, and God seems to deny Job the justice he seeks.

Despite all this, Job continues to trust God with his eternal destiny.

Though Job roils in physical anguish and emotional turmoil now, he still expects that God will redeem him.

Job looks beyond the pain of his life to expect that when he dies, he will see God at last. Job believes.

And he can’t wait for that encounter to take place.

Questions

When has our faith wavered?

How can we keep our allegiance to God despite the circumstances of our life, whether deserved or undeserved?

Discover more about keeping our focus on God in Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 6:31–33, Matthew 22:37, and Colossians 3:2.]

This post is an excerpt from the Bible study devotional, I Hope in Him.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Job 19 and today’s post is on Job 19:25.]

Discover more about Job in Peter’s book I Hope in Him: 40 Insights about Moving from Despair to Deliverance through the Life of Job. In it, we compare the text of Job to a modern screenplay.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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The King of the Jews

The Magi Visit Jesus

Matthew 2:1–2

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2)

Now let’s focus on the Magi who come to visit Jesus. Matthew is the only writer in Scripture who mentions them.

First, we must dispel some common misconceptions that come to us from the classic Christmas carol “We Three Kings” (also known as “We Three Kings of Orient Are”).

The opening line of the song calls them kings, says there are three, and says they traveled from the Orient. Though we don’t want to altogether dismiss this beloved song, we must acknowledge that none of these facts are biblical.

Scripture says that the Magi, also called wisemen or astrologers in various translations, come from the East in search of Jesus. It doesn’t say how many Magi there are, but it does say that as a group they bring three gifts.

Though they could have come from the Orient, they more likely hail from Persia. Either way, they have traveled a long distance to find Jesus.

The Magi’s interest in Jesus, the King of the Jews, is perplexing.

Their explanation is simply that they saw a new star in the sky and came to worship the birth of the king that the star represented. It’s easy to see these wise men studying the stars in the night skies and noticing one they’d never seen before.

We can assume they either follow a commonly held assumption or they search ancient texts to conclude the new star represents the birth of the king.

There’s no hint in Matthew’s text that they have any Jewish connection or even any knowledge of the God revealed in Scripture. Yet they set out on a long journey in complete faith that a king has been born—a king of great significance.

They intend to find him, worship him, and give him gifts.

As they follow the star, they reach Jerusalem, the political and religious center of the area. They seek out King Herod, likely reasoning that the baby—the King of the Jews—is his.

Or at least he would know where they can find the child. But it turns out the Magi have made a false assumption about where to find Jesus.

What false assumptions might we hold about Jesus?

How can we embrace Jesus as the King of the Jews and the Savior of everyone else too?

Prayer: Father, show us how we can pursue Jesus with the same passion as the Magi. May we find him, worship him, and give him our gifts.

[This devotional is taken from the January 3 reading from The Advent of Jesus.]

Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Gender Equality in the Bible

Many people criticize the Bible—and those who follow it—for making women subservient to men.

This is not a conclusion I reach when I read the Bible. I see the Bible—and those who truly follow it—as elevating the plight of women to the place they were created to be: equal to men.

Consider in Genesis where God says to Eve that Adam will rule over her. This is not God’s created order or a command. This is an outcome.

Adam and Eve disregard God’s way and decide to do things their way. As a result, they can no longer stay in the idyllic paradise he made for them; they have to leave. Because of their actions, life would be different.

One of the changes is that men would attempt to elevate themselves over women.

This was not God’s intent, but rather the result of human action.

In the beginning—in the first two chapters of the Bible—man and women are implicitly equal. That is how God creates them to be. Then man and women get greedy and want more; they mess up the order God intended.

Their actions change God’s balance and one of the outcomes is gender inequality and strife. It isn’t what God wanted, but it is what human beings got when they did things their way.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Genesis 3-5 and today’s post is on Genesis 3:16.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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The Eighth Day

Baby Jesus in the Temple

Luke 2:21–24

He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. (Luke 2:21)

The shepherds arrived shortly after Jesus’s birth to see the child the angel had told them about. Our story picks up eight days later, when it’s time to circumcise him.

We’re left to consider what happened in the days between these two events. Is this a private time for Mary and Joseph to spend adapting to the needs of a newborn and learning to care for him?

Do they spend time in awe, marveling at baby Jesus, contemplating who he will become, and considering what he will do?

I suspect they do, but they may also have some unexpected guests show up too.

Remember, when the shepherds leave, they tell others about their experience, spreading the news of Jesus’s arrival around town. Based on their testimony, I wonder how many curious people stop by to see baby Jesus.

As a result, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus could have seen a steady stream of visitors. Did any of these guests show up with food or gifts for the family?

Since they’re away from home and staying with farm animals, Mary and Joseph could certainly use any help they might receive.

When their baby is eight days old, it’s time to circumcise him. They name him Jesus. This is what the angel told Joseph in his dream, and it aligns with what Gabriel told Mary when he appeared to her.

It’s significant that God independently told both Mary and Joseph the same thing: to name their son Jesus. This fact helps confirm for them that they both heard from God.

They go to the temple for the purification ceremony prescribed by Moses. There they consecrate the baby to God (Exodus 13:2) and offer a sacrifice (Exodus 13:12 and Leviticus 12:8).

Though this seems most appropriate for Jesus, this isn’t unique to him. This ceremony is prescribed for everyone by the law of Moses.

Since the temple is in Jerusalem and they’re in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph must travel there. The Bible doesn’t say how long this journey takes them, but modern maps show these two towns to be about 5.5 miles (9 km) apart.

Under normal conditions, this trip would take about two hours by foot. But remember, Mary has just given birth, so they will certainly go at a slower pace.

Again, we don’t know if they travel by foot or if Mary has a donkey to ride. Regardless, she (or Joseph) holds baby Jesus the entire trip.

Imagine clutching an eight-day-old baby, trying to keep him comfortable and not jostle him along the way. Traveling to the temple, as commanded by God, is not just a simple walk.

How can we model Mary and Joseph’s obedience to God?

What is God telling us to do right now?

Who can we help today by delivering a meal, offering a gift, or providing encouragement?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate Jesus’s first few days on earth, may we be mindful of what he came to do and who we are through him.

[This devotional is taken from the December 27 reading from The Advent of Jesus.]

Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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We Need to Learn From the Seven Churches in Revelation

John’s Vision for These Churches Provides Us With Practical Insight Today

Many people love the Book of Revelation, the apostle John’s supernatural treatise of the end times. It’s an epic read of God’s awesome power and the amazing, scary, exciting events that will usher us from this world into our eternal reality.

Yet readers are often in such a rush to read those words, they breeze through the first three chapters of John’s grand tale.

In chapter 1 of Revelation we read the book’s introduction. The exiled apostle has a supernatural experience, a grand vision.

God tells him to write what he sees and send it to seven area churches, those in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Revelation 1:10-11).

For each church God shares words of commendation and condemnation. We do well to carefully consider what he says. Though the immediate application applies to those seven specific churches, the broader function informs our churches today.

What can we learn from these churches to affirm and reform our local branch of Jesus’s church today? First we must celebrate what we do well, without a smug sense of pride and with an eye toward maintaining and growing each strength.

More importantly we must ask if any of Jesus’s criticism for those churches rightly applies to us today. If we’re willing to read with an open mind, we will find much to correct, as well as warnings of what to avoid.

I think a third application provides even greater insight for us on a personal level. How do Jesus’s words confirm and confront us?

We need to read Revelation chapters 2 and 3, not to unveil the future, but to unmask our present. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” Revelation 2:11, NIV.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Revelation 1-3, and today’s post is on Revelation 1:10-11.]

Read more in Peter’s devotional Bible study, A New Heaven and a New Earth: 40 Practical Insights from John’s Book of Revelation.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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For to Us a Child Is Born

Isaiah’s Prophecy

Isaiah 9:1–7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. (Isaiah 9:6)

This passage in Isaiah’s prophecy opens with the word nevertheless. To gain insight as to what this means we must consider the end of the prior chapter.

There Isaiah writes of the time when the people have turned their backs on God and are suffering the consequences of their actions. They see only distress, darkness, and gloom.

Nevertheless, there will come a future time when the gloom of those in distress will fade. The people, those walking in darkness, will see a great light. It’s the dawn of a new day (see John 1:4–5). In that time there will be joy and rejoicing. But why?

Because a child will be born, God’s Son sent to earth to save us. His name will be Jesus (Matthew 1:21 and Luke 1:31), and he’ll be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. What a profound list of names; what an impressive record of his attributes.

As Wonderful, Jesus will be admirable and elicit astonishment from all who see him.

As Counselor, Jesus will teach us. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John record his words, along with his actions for us to emulate. Though we think of the Holy Spirit as our Counselor, remember that the characteristics of one part of the Trinity apply to all.

As Mighty God, Jesus will show everyone his almighty power. He’ll heal people, raise the dead, and forgive sins.

As Everlasting Father, he lives eternally.

And as Prince of Peace, he will usher in a time of harmony.

Ruling on David’s throne, this child will grow up to carry the government on his shoulders. He’ll reign over his kingdom with justice and righteousness from that time forward and forevermore.

Imagine living under a political power that provides both a just and a right leadership, governing without fault or variation.

All this arrives through Jesus and begins when he comes to earth as a child to live among us.

Part of Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled with the Savior’s birth, with Jesus’s arrival establishing the framework for much of the remaining details of the prophet’s declaration. We eagerly await the complete fulfillment of it when we, as his church, marry the Lamb (Revelation 19:7).

And this all begins when Father God sends his one and only Son into our world to save us (John 3:16–17).

What kind of future do we have because of Jesus?

How can we best live our life now as we await our final destination with him?

Prayer: Jesus, may we live each day for you, mindful of who you are and what you did for us. Continue to teach us through the Holy Spirit and prepare us to live with you for eternity.

[Learn more about Isaiah in the devotional Bible study For Unto Us: 40 Prophetic Insights About Jesus, Justice, and Gentiles from the Prophet Isaiah.]

[This devotional is taken from the December 20 reading from The Advent of Jesus.]

Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Put God First: Don’t Lose Sight of What Matters Most

Too Often We Place Our Personal Needs Over What God Is at Work Doing

When Jesus’s friend Lazarus dies, Jesus goes to where the man is interred and, with a dramatic flair, raises him from the dead. When the people see this miracle of miracles, many believe in Jesus.

Bringing someone back to life is an amazing feat, and surely everyone should be happy. But not everyone is. Do you know who’s upset? The religious leaders, the very people who claim to represent the God who sent Jesus in the first place. But they miss it.

They can’t see God’s hand at work. Or maybe they’re not willing to. All they can think about is themselves. Though under Roman occupation, they still managed to carve out a comfy situation for themselves. And they want to keep it.

They enjoy their standing as religious leaders and the admiration of the people. Selfishly, they want to preserve what they have, to maintain the status quo. In their self-centered ambition, they lose sight of the God they profess to serve.

They fail to realize that God is present.

These religious leaders fear losing their position, their power, and their prestige. Their solution? Kill Jesus. Yep, they become so focused on protecting their current situation that they plot against their God.

It’s easy to criticize them. Yet this same thing still happens now.

How many religious leaders today have become so focused on preserving their job, maintaining their paycheck, and holding on to their followers that they oppose the work of God? It occurs. In doing so, they resist God’s movements and instead act contrary to their faith and what he has called them to do.

It happens too often, and it’s wrong. We must always put God first, even if we might lose something of lesser importance in the process.

That’s what matters most.

[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is John 11-12, and today’s post is on John 11:43-53.]


Read more in Peter’s new book, Living Water: 40 Reflections on Jesus’s Life and Love from the Gospel of John, available everywhere in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Praising God through Scripture

Mary’s Psalm of Praise

Luke 1:49–55

“Holy is his name.” (Luke 1:49)

Mary’s psalm of praise continues by commending God for who he is. Her recitation of his attributes builds on Old Testament truths, quotes, and allusions, presenting an informed scriptural understanding of how God has been at work.

She starts by declaring that he has done great things, which is supported by Psalm 71:19. And his name is holy (Psalm 111:9). Also, consider Isaiah’s vision where he sees seraphim praising God as “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3).

Next, she affirms that God offers mercy to those who fear him generation after generation. This comes from God, through Moses, in what we call the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:5–6).

Mary continues praising God for the mighty deeds he has performed (Psalm 98:1) through the strength of his arm (Isaiah 40:10). In doing so he scatters the proud (Genesis 11:8).

God removes kings from their thrones (Daniel 4:31) and lifts the humble (2 Samuel 22:28, Psalm 18:27, and Psalm 147:6).

God also feeds the hungry and gives them what is good (Psalm 107:9).

In addition, God helps his servant Israel (that is, God’s chosen people) and shows them his mercy by providing salvation (Psalm 89:3) to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised (Exodus 32:13 and Deuteronomy 7:8).

This passage in Luke shows Mary’s deep knowledge of Scripture and her ability to weave disparate passages effectively into her psalm of praise. She has surely hidden his word in her heart (Psalm 119:11).

Though Mary’s song looks back to what God has done, it’s also a hopeful confidence in what he will do through Jesus, the child that she will soon bear. It looks forward to the salvation he will offer to all future generations.

As such, Mary’s prayer emerges as a timeless testimony to the Almighty Lord.

How well do we know God’s Holy Word?

How can we give it back to him as a song of praise in reverent worship, just like Mary did?

Prayer: Father God, may we read, learn, and meditate on your Word. Holy Spirit, speak to us and give us greater understanding of what the Bible says. Jesus, thank you for coming to save us from our sins.

[Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46–55 is also called the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary, or the Magnificat (Mary’s Magnificat), as in “My soul magnifies the Lord.” This song of praise reads like a psalm. Learn more about other psalms scattered throughout Scripture in the book Beyond Psalm 150: Discover More Sacred Songs of Praise, Petition, and Lament throughout the Bible.]

[This devotional is taken from the December 13 reading from The Advent of Jesus.]

Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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A Call to Persevere in Our Faith

Three Things We Need to Do

Because of our standing with God the Father, as a result of Jesus, the author of Hebrews tells us to do three things:

1. Draw Near to God

God wants a relationship with us and we should want one with him. We need to seek him with all diligence to deepen our connection, to increase our spiritual intimacy.

2. Hold on to Our Hope

We acknowledge we have confidence in Jesus and know that God will do what he promised. We must never forget that.

3. Encourage Each Other to Love and Do Good

We are to spur one another on. To do so we must hang out with them. We must be in each other’s lives if we are to encourage one another. The Bible says, “…not giving up meeting together.”

Many people see this as a command to go to church on Sunday. Many preachers claim that is what this verse means, but it does not. It simply says we need to regularly get together with the goal of mutual encouragement.

This can be in our homes, at a coffee shop, in a park, at the mall, going out to eat, and possibly even at church on Sunday morning. But before we jump to that conclusion, we need to ask ourselves how much encouraging we offer one another on Sunday at church.

Who do we encourage? Who encourages us? If the answer is no one, then I wonder if our Sunday morning meetings are in vain, missing what God has told us to do when we get together.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Hebrews 8-10, and today’s post is on Hebrews 10:19-25.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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