Category: Bible Insights

Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.

What is the Error of Balaam?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 23, 2019

We Will Do Well to Consider Balance Error So We Can Avoid It

As mentioned in the book of Jude (Jude 1:11), we’ve covered Cain’s path and Korah’s rebellion. Now we’ll address the error of Balaam.

Frankly, I’m perplexed as to what Balaam’s error was. In reading his story in Numbers, I see a man who affirmed God as “my God,” heard God’s voice, and obeyed God’s instructions. Indeed, Balaam has a better track record than I do.

Balaam Obeyed God

God told Balaam to not go and he stayed. Then God told him to go and he went—but God was angry because he did. Based on this, it wouldn’t be a stretch to conclude that God was bipolar.

However, I reject that diagnosis as being inconsistent with God’s character.

Instead we must seek a different explanation.

Don’t Ask God Twice

I wonder if the first time that God said “no” should have been enough. Balaam had no need to ask again—unless he didn’t like the first answer.

This might be like kids pestering their folks for something.

Eventually the parents relent, not because they changed their mind, but because they want to teach their offspring a lesson about making good choices or learn what happens when they select bad paths.

Another consideration is the implication that Balaam was mixing his pursuit of God with divination, a practice the Bible forbids. Is this the error of Balaam?

This is a common practice today, where practitioners cherry-pick the choice parts of various religions or philosophies, forming their own belief system.

Is there any expectation that their outcome will be different from Balaam’s? We will do well to consider this.

The End of Balaam

What happens to Balaam after this passage?

We don’t hear about him for a while, but when Joshua leads the people to take the land God promised them, we read that Balaam is among the casualties.

We don’t know if he dies in battle or if they executed him later, but the book of Joshua says the Israelites put the sword to Balaam.

It adds that he practiced divination, perhaps explaining the reason for his death (Joshua 13:22).

We need to carefully consider the error of Balaam to make sure we don’t repeat it.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Numbers 22-24, and today’s post is on Numbers 22:12.]

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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Tags Balaam, Cain, Korah

Bible Insights

Women in the Bible: The Shuammite Woman

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 17, 2019

Elisha travels to the city of Shunem, and a wealthy woman urges him to stay for a meal. From then on, whenever he’s in the area, he stops by. Realizing he’s a man of God, she makes a room for him to stay when he’s in town.

Grateful, Elisha wants to do something nice for her. She has no son, and with an older husband, she has no expectation of ever having a son. Elisha prophesies that within a year, she will have a boy.

As promised, a year later she gives birth to a son.

When the boy grows older, one day his head hurts, and he later dies in her arms. She puts him in Elisha’s room. Without telling her husband what happened, she searches for Elisha.

With great intention, she finds him but then blames him for raising her hopes in the first place, when she didn’t ask for a son.

Elisha sends his servant to resurrect the boy, but she refuses to leave Elisha. So the two of them head for her home. It’s a good thing they do, because despite doing what Elisha instructs, his servant can’t restore life to the boy.

Though it takes a couple of tries, Elisha brings the boy back to life.

Later, Elisha warns the woman of a seven-year famine and sends her away. When she returns, the king restores her land to her, along with the profits it generated while she was gone.

The Shuammite woman honored God by caring for his prophet. As a result, God cared for her, through both good times and bad.

[2 Kings 4:8-37 and 2 Kings 8:1-6]

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

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

Tags Elisha, Women of the Bible

Bible Insights

Women in the Bible: The Widow’s Oil

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 10, 2019

The widow of one of Elisha’s followers comes to him for help. Her husband left her with an outstanding debt, Since she has no means to pay off the debt, the creditor demands her two sons become his slaves.

Elisha asks what resources she has. “Nothing,” she replies, “except for a small jar of olive oil.”

Elisha has a plan. He tells her to borrow empty jars from her neighbors, lots of them. Then she is to go home, close the doors, and begin pouring olive oil from her small jar into all the other jars.

She does and the oil continues flowing until every jar is full. Then it is gone.

She sells the oil. With the proceeds, she pays off her debt and has extra to live on.

What if she had borrowed more jars? What if she only borrowed a few? When God tells us to do something, do we do it half way (and possibly miss his bounty) or go all out?

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 2 Kings 1-4 and today’s post is on 2 Kings 4:1-7.]

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

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

Tags Elisha, Women of the Bible

Bible Insights

Do You See Jesus?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 3, 2019

The Disciples Walking to Emmaus Teach Us to Open Our Eyes and See God

After Jesus is executed and rises from the dead, he appears to two of his followers as they walk down the road, but they don’t recognize him. They don’t see Jesus. Yet he listens as they talk about him.

He pretends to not know about the events they’re referring to, and he asks them to explain. They eagerly do so.

After they fill him in about the hoped for savior who was crucified, Jesus begins teaching them. He connects Old Testament prophecy with how he just fulfilled it.

When the pair reaches their destination, they ask Jesus to stay with them. He does.

At the meal Jesus breaks the bread, thanks God, and passes it to them. At last they recognize him, they see Jesus, but then he disappears.

The two remark about how he deeply touched their hearts and engaged their minds as he talked with them and taught them from the Hebrew scriptures.

While it is easy to criticize these two for not recognizing their friend Jesus, I wonder how often we are guilty of the same thing.

Though Jesus may not physically appear to us as we go for a walk, I suspect he is all around. Jesus can show up in the things that happen to us and the people we meet.

His Holy Spirit guides us and directs us. We receive spiritual insight and wield supernatural power through Jesus.

Yet how often do we miss this?

Jesus is all around us, but sometimes—perhaps many times —we do not see him; we miss him. We close our eyes to spiritual things, and fail to see Jesus in action all around us.

Jesus, give us the ability to recognize you. Let never miss out on seeing you again. May we see Jesus everyday.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 22-24, and today’s post is on Luke 24:13-32.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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

Tags disciples, Emmaus, Jesus, Luke, supernatural

Bible Insights

We Must Listen to God and Do What He Says

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 2, 2019

God Promises Rewards for Obedience and Punishment for Disobedience

As we read through the book of Leviticus, which is a struggle for most of us, we read instruction after instruction of what God expects from his people.

With precise detail, his commands come forth one after another. Then, in chapter 26, the book begins to wrap up.

Here we see the prior chapters put into perspective. The key concept here is that we must listen to God and follow him.

The chapter opens with a detailed list of rewards for those who listen to God, follow his decrees, and obey his commands. He promises favor, peace, and fruitfulness. Isn’t this a life we all want to experience?

But then the tone of the chapter changes. The word “but” signals a transition.

For those who refuse to listen to God, don’t carry out his commands, and reject his decrees, he adds a list of threats (Leviticus 26:14-16) that contrast to the comforting promises in the first half of the chapter.

He talks about terror, disease, and enemy oppression. We all want to avoid these things.

However, these aren’t to punish us but to get our attention.

After a few verses he says, “If after all this…” It’s like he’s taking a breath and giving his people—and us—a second chance.

We must grab this opportunity. Because if we don’t, more punishment will follow, with dire repercussions.

What follows in the rest of the chapter is a series of chances: a third chance, a fourth chance, a fifth chance, and so on.

God doesn’t want to punish us. He wants us to turn to him, follow him, and obey him. His message is clear. We must listen to God and do what he says. Then we will receive the rewards he wants to give us.

And this all starts when we listen to God.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Leviticus 25-26, and today’s post is on Leviticus 26:14-16.]

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Tags disobedience, Law of Moses, obey God, punishment

Bible Insights

A Criminal Makes a Deathbed Confession

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 27, 2019

Don’t Put Off Following Jesus

While we shouldn’t wait to follow Jesus, it’s nice to know that he’ll give us up to the last minute to make a decision

In Luke’s biography of Jesus, the author sometimes shares details not found in the Bible’s other three accounts of Jesus’s life. One such example is about the two criminals who are executed with Jesus.

One of them mocks Jesus, but the other one doesn’t. Instead this second criminal rebukes the first. He says knock it off. We’re guilty and getting what we deserve, but Jesus is innocent.

Then the man makes a simple request of Jesus: remember me in your kingdom. What a simple statement, one filled with faith.

This man, whose life is about to end because of a serious wrong he has committed, knows there is something more awaiting him after death.

Yet through no merit of his own and with nothing he can do to earn it, he asks Jesus to be part of Jesus’s future kingdom. It’s bold, and it’s sincere.

Jesus could have said, “Sorry man, but you messed up.” But no. Instead Jesus lovingly says “Yes!” And not only is the answer affirmative, but it is also timely. Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

While we can wait until the last minute and make a deathbed conversion with full confidence that Jesus will say yes, the risk is too great. We don’t know when our last breath will come and if we’ll have time to ask Jesus to remember us.

So don’t put it off. Follow Jesus today so you can live for him in this life and live with him in paradise in the next.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 22-24, and today’s post is on Luke 23:32-43.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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

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Tags heaven, Jesus, salvation

Bible Insights

We Must Speak Up for the Accused

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 26, 2019

Remaining Silent Is Not an Option

The book of Leviticus in the Bible gives us a lot of instructions about things to do and to not do. It’s a challenging read and many readers skip it.

Yet there are bits of truth scattered throughout it that are relevant in our world today. Here’s one example.

If someone is accused, we have an obligation to speak up for them. To not do so is a sin. If we remain quiet God will hold us responsible for our silence.

Defend the Accused

The most obvious application of this verse is the direct one. If there’s a public charge against someone and we have knowledge that will clear them, we must speak up.

We must come to their defense. To remain quiet when we can help clear them is morally wrong and a sin.

Regardless of the circumstances and the situation that testifying may put us in, we must be courageous and share what we know.

Aid the Prosecution

What about the opposite situation, when someone is accused of wrongdoing and we have information that will help convict them? Does this verse apply to us in those situations? Though not clear, I suspect it does.

In this case, to remain quiet may allow the guilty to go free. This wouldn’t be right. Again, we must speak up regardless of the circumstances and the ramifications of testifying.

Pursue Justice

These are two aspects of justice. Is a wider application of this verse that we are to pursue justice? It could be. Certainly, the oppressed and disadvantaged need advocates to help them receive justice.

By extension, this verse may be telling us that if we have the means to help someone receive just treatment and we remain quiet, that we have sinned and will be held responsible.

Exactly how we understand and apply this verse is up for us to determine, but a good principle to follow is that we must speak up for what is right.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Leviticus 4-6, and today’s post is on Leviticus 5:1.]

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Bible Insights

Pray and Do Not Give Up

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 20, 2019

Jesus Teaches Us to Keep Praying and to Not Stop

Jesus gives us an object lesson (a parable) of a widow who keeps appearing before a judge to seek justice. A bad adjudicator, he cares nothing of her, of public opinion, or of God, but she wears him down with her continual plea.

He eventually grants her request, not because she’s in the right or because he desires to do what is just, but because he wants her to stop bugging him. He gives her what she wants to keep her quiet.

Keep Praying

Then Jesus compares this to prayer and seeking justice from God. If a corrupt judge will ultimately give in, how much more does a just God desire to give us what we want? The key is to not give up and to keep praying.

Of course we can ask a lot of questions about this simple teaching, and theologians have offered an array of explanations.

But lest we become bogged down in the minutia of questions and explanations, let’s not forget the basic principle to keep asking God to provide the things we need.

If it’s important to us, we need to keep praying and not give up until we receive our answer. Does this sound a bit like pestering God? I’m not sure, but Jesus taught us to do it, so it’s surely acceptable.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 16-18, and today’s post is on Luke 18:1-8.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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

Tags Jesus, pray

Bible Insights

5 Biblical Truths about God

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 19, 2019

Discover Who God Is from Scripture

We can learn a lot about God from the Bible. After all, we do sometimes call it the Word of God. Every book in the Bible, even every chapter reveals truth about God.

This includes Psalm 33. It’s a psalm of praise. It reveals five biblical truths about God.

In this Psalm, the writer praises God by telling him who he is. If this seems a bit corny, know that we do this with the people we care about all the time. Why not do it to God too?

While this shortlist is far from inclusive, it’s a great start and a smart summary about who God is.

1. God is Right and True

God’s word is right and true. What he says reflects his character. So, if his words are right and true, so, too, is his character. While we always want to be right, no person can be right all the time.

But God is. He’s always right. And what he says is always true. We can count on it. God is right and true.

2. God is Faithful

God is faithful in all he does, every action. He’s loyal to us and devoted. This isn’t just part of the time. It’s all the time. God’s faithfulness to us is consistent. He’ll never let us down.

3. God is Righteous

God is righteous. He loves righteousness. This isn’t a word we use too much nowadays. This means he does the right thing. It denotes virtuous, moral behavior, without a hint of guilt or any stain of sin.

Though some people are more righteous than others, we all fall short of God’s perfect standard. Only God, exemplified by Jesus, is fully righteous.

4. God is Just

God is also just. He does what’s right. He’s honorable, and he’s fair. He loves justice. We should too.

5. God is Loving

God is love. His love fills the earth. His love is unfailing, never faltering, and without end. Despite our best intentions, we can never truly love unconditionally. But God can.

Our love is limited, while God’s love is limitless.

Who is God?

God is right and true. He is faithful. He is righteous. He is just. And he is loving. These are five characteristics of God that we can count on.

What can we do to show these traits to others? Doing so will glorify God and point others to him.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Psalm 31-35, and today’s post is on Psalm 33:4-5.]

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Tags faithful, God, God is love, justice, righteousness

Bible Insights

Where Should We Go For Jesus?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 13, 2019

Sometimes We Need to Go Away for Jesus and Other Times We Need to Go Home

Before Jesus returns to heaven, he tells his followers to go throughout the world and let others know about him (Matthew 28:19). Does that mean we’re all supposed to travel to a distant country for Jesus?

Is that their mission field? It could be, but it might not.

Consider a different account, one where Jesus gives an alternate instruction.

Luke tells us the story of Jesus exorcising a legion of demons from a man. Jesus permits the displaced demons to enter into a herd of pigs. They do. The pigs go berserk, jump into the water, and drown.

(We know the pigs die, but I wonder if the demons die along with them. It’s an interesting thought, but that question has deep theological ramifications to consider at a different time.)

The demonic influence is now gone from the man. In his right mind, and likely full of gratitude, the man asks if he can hang out with Jesus. Jesus says “sure, why not . . .” No, that’s not what Jesus says at all.

Jesus tells the man no way. Instead Jesus instructs the restored man to simply go home and let his family and friends know about what God did for him by restoring him to full health.

His hometown is his mission field. The man obeys and tells the whole town about Jesus.

In both accounts Jesus tells his followers to go. One time it is to go to all nations and the other time it is to go home.

While our mission field may be in a foreign country, it might also be in our own home or right next door.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 7-9, and today’s post is on Luke 8:38-39.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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

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Tags gospel, heal, Jesus, obey God