Felled or Fallen?
Last weekend I was up in Cades Cove with my sisters continuing the great bear hunt. No luck again on bear, but I was struck by the multitude of fallen trees on both sides of the road. The question came to me, were those trees fallen, or had they been felled?
Read MoreRuth | Women in Jesus’ Genealogy
As our story opens in chapter 1 of the book of Ruth, Naomi, Elimelech and their two sons have left Bethlehem (ironically, “the House of Bread”) because of a famine. They settle in Moab where Elimelech dies. Both sons, who have married Moabite women, also die, and Naomi is left a bitter widow.
Read MoreIs Behavior Genetically Hardwired?
In our last post we used the expressions “It’s in my genes” and “It’s in my DNA.” These popular conversational utterances indicate there is a cause and effect relationship between molecular genetics and morphological, functional, and behavioral traits in all organisms. Living things exist with the DNA molecule inherent in their body cells. Therefore, the…
Read MoreWere the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? The Continuation of Day Seven
aving examined Moses’ construction of the first six days of creation, let us now turn our attention to the seventh day when God rests from His labor. One of the striking features of this day is its lack of closure. Unlike the first six days, day seven has no concluding refrain about this day drawing to an end (“and there was evening and there was morning, ______ day”). As readers, we are left wondering why Moses breaks here from his standard pattern. Why does he not depict this day drawing to a close? Has it not yet ended?
Read MoreRahab | Women in Jesus’ Genealogy
Two men have been sent by Joshua to secretly check out the city of Jericho to get a feel for what the Israelites would face when they got there. Unfortunately, either they weren’t very good at covert operations, or they just stood out as “not one of us,” and the king of Jericho found out about them. He sent soldiers to the house of Rahab, where he had been told the men were staying.
Read MoreContemplating Genetic Variability
Our previous post highlighted a unique animal—the eastern cicada killer wasp (phylum Arthropoda, order Hymenoptera, species Sphecius Speciosus). The post related some details of a recent family experience when our grandchildren encountered one of these wasps dragging its “kill” toward its underground burrow. It was an event to inspire admiration and respect from the grandfather and significant fear from some of…
Read MoreTamar | Women in Jesus’ Genealogy
We find the story of Tamar in Genesis 38. As the chapter opens, Jacob’s son Judah has married a Canaanite woman named Bath-shua, with whom he had three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah. Er, the oldest son, married a Canaanite woman named Tamar, but he died before they had any children. Genesis 38:7 explains, “But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.” The exact nature of his wickedness is not given.
Read MoreDefending the Historical Accuracy of the Bible
For many Christians, the Bible is primarily understood through the lens of faith. As a result, it can be difficult to know exactly how to respond when a non-believing friend or acquaintance asks questions about the historical accuracy of the Bible. Responding with something like “reading the Bible strengthens my faith and increases my belief,…
Read MoreJesus’ Genealogy in Matthew’s Gospel
Okay, here’s a pretty random thought that’s not connected to anything I’ve written lately, but I’ve had it on my list of potential articles for several months. The question comes from Matthew 1:17: “So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and…
Read MoreCommonly Misunderstood Verses About Jesus
What are the commonly misunderstood verses about Jesus? Some Bible verses are not as easy to understand as others. Peter once said of the apostle Paul, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3.16). The difficulty of understanding some verses is illustrated in the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading from…
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