Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | September 7, 2013
Hear the word “Ebenezer” and our minds drift back to Dickens’s classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Being a literary genius, no doubt the name Ebenezer Scrooge was chosen meaningfully. Scrooge is a variation of an obscure English verb: “to scrouge” meaning “to squeeze” or “to press.” Scrooge pinched his pennies tightly and pressed heavily the poor. […]
PHall | September 5, 2013
What do normal, non-religious people have in common with pagan polytheists of 3000 years ago? The following story is touched by God’s unique humor. Israel treats God’s Ark of the Covenant like a graven image, a common idol. After Yahweh refuses them victory, they scheme like pagans: “Let’s bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant […]
PHall | September 3, 2013
Listening is a lost art, a lost courtesy, a lost tool for self-improvement, and a lost Bible study method. If we do not listen, we will be lost eternally. Too often when others talk, we are thinking what to say, ready to protect ourselves or defeat them. Too many suffer numbness of the ears; […]
PHall | September 2, 2013
Prayer leads to prayer when prayer ends in fulfillment. That is, unless we forget to give thanksgiving, or forget what we had prayed. I wonder how many heavenly requests we actually remember. Of course, some are so “big” they could never be forgotten. And, some are so selfish we are embarrassed upon reflection. Hannah prayed […]
PHall | August 30, 2013
There is an emptiness that consumes. When this emptiness is God absent, we can hunger and thirst after righteousness and be filled. When an unhealthy emptiness is like a black hole, it swallows everything around it into non-existence. Sometimes the pressure is self-inflicted, at times forced on us by family; even society can be guilty […]
PHall | August 29, 2013
Did you hear the joke about the mother-in-law? Apparently, neither did Ruth. In the little book bearing her name, there are no recorded prayers; but there is a prayer-like promise invoking God’s name. The story of Ruth is not about Ruth. The focus is not a love story between the progenitors of David, Ruth and […]
PHall | August 28, 2013
Does God ever ignore prayers? Get ready to shake your head in disbelief at how quickly stupidity catches up to those living a repeating cycle of self-made idiocy by doing what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21.25). Righteousness and rage, vengeance and vows make for unpredictable results and unthought-of realities. Israel is rightfully […]
PHall | August 27, 2013
In the 70’s, the United States and the Soviet Union got MAD. They formed a treaty of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). Armed with nuclear weapons, each nation could completely destroy the other. In war, there would be no victory, no peace, just retaliation and annihilation. Oddly, the goal was peace. Oddly, this reminds me of […]
PHall | August 26, 2013
The story begins in Ephraim where Micah steals 1,100 silver pieces from his mother, confesses, she praises him, then gives him back the silver, consecrates it to God, and together they make an idol. Then the son installs his non-Levite son as priest (Judges 17.1-5). It seemed like the right thing to do. Understand, this […]
PHall | August 24, 2013
Sound Familiar? When the Israelites developed the Grasshopper Complex, they: 1-Cried; 2-Complained against their leaders; 3-Felt sorry for themselves; 4-Complained against God (i.e, blamed God); 5-Imagine worse case scenario; 6-Willing to settle for less; 7-Concoct false solution wanting to appoint a new leader (Numbers 14:1-4).