Category Archives: How to read the Bible

Daniel’s Other Half

Posted on July 6, 2014 by

I started warning you early about the second half of Daniel (and by “early” I mean within the first month of this blog’s life), and now that we’ve finally arrived, I’m reposting something I said way back then just to … Continue reading →

Posted in Apocalyptic literature, Daniel 7, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel | 1 Comment

And We’re Back (at least, for now…)

Posted on January 27, 2014 by

Once upon a time, I was blogging through the book of Daniel… Most recently, a phrase I use very loosely, we were working through Daniel 6. Then came a couple “fly-across-the-country” trips for work; a holiday of thanks; a two-week, … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel 6, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Reading between the Lines (or Lions)

Posted on October 20, 2013 by

Sometimes the Bible is outright confusing to us (for example, the bit about the sons of God marrying the daughters of men in Gen 6 – that’s a head-scratcher). Other times, it is refreshingly straightforward and clear (for example, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel 6, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel | 1 Comment

Darius the Precarious

Posted on September 15, 2013 by

“We’ve got some news, good King Darius We fear your position is precarious” These opening lines from the Veggie Tales song set in Daniel 6 are truer than the songwriters may have known. One of the many conundrums in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel 6, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel | 8 Comments

Speed Bumps and Sermons

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

I have to drive over six particularly obnoxious speed bumps every time I leave my condo parking lot. “Bump” is what you’d properly call them if they were half their height. Bellingham seems to love such speed “bumps,” but I … Continue reading →

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Look Who’s Talkin’

Posted on March 23, 2013 by

One of the unusual features of the story of Belshazzar and the handwriting on the wall (Dan 5) is the amount of space it devotes to people talking. There are three unusually long speeches by three different characters. The first … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel 5, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel | 2 Comments

Men of Few Words

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

The heroes of the fiery furnace story are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but they are quiet heroes, speaking a mere forty-one (Hebrew) words in a single speech (vv. 16–18). The Chaldeans and the king are regular chatterboxes by comparison. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel 3, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel | 4 Comments

Sticks & Stones & Unburned Bones

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” is nowhere in the mind of the storyteller of Daniel 3. He fully intends to mock Nebuchadnezzar, and he does so through his use of repetition. But why is … Continue reading →

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Let the Music Play

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego step onto a stage that is set for them in Daniel 3:1–7. It’s a stage replete with pomp and ceremony and, I suggest, a fair bit of mockery. The king has orchestrated a grand occasion. You … Continue reading →

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Pete & Repeat…

Posted on March 18, 2012 by

I grew up a dog person, which might explain why I didn’t meet the book Millions of Cats until I took a children’s literature class in college. I don’t remember the plot (except that it involved lots of cats), but … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel 3, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel | 2 Comments