“When were Joseph and Mary considered married?”

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


There are three passages of Scripture that pertain specifically to the time of Joseph and Mary’s betrothal, the consummation of their marriage, and the birth of Jesus: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2:1-7. Each passage reveals something about their relationship as well as the cultural mores of that time.

In Bible times, Jewish marriage customs regarding a couple’s engagement were far different and much more stringent than those we are familiar with today, especially in the West. Marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom and often without even consulting the couple to be married. A contract was prepared in which the groom’s parents paid a bride price. Such a contract was immediately deemed binding, with the couple considered married even though the actual ceremony and consummation of the marriage would not occur for as long as a year afterwards. The time between was a sort of testing of fidelity with the couple having little, if any, contact with each other.

It was during this betrothal period that the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her of her impending pregnancy. It’s no small wonder that Mary was so inquisitive of the angel; she was still a virgin and would know no man sexually for several months, maybe as long as a year or more (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:34).

Joseph soon became aware of Mary’s pregnancy, and this no doubt was cause for consternation on his part: “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). Jewish custom allowed that they be considered as husband and wife, though the marriage had not yet been consummated. The point is being made that Joseph and Mary had experienced no sexual contact with each other, as verse 18 “before they came together” points out. So, Joseph was in a quandary. Jewish law provided that his betrothed, because of her unfaithfulness, could be placed before the elders for judgment and stoned to death. But he was thinking to just put her away quietly without public knowledge. Betrothals or marriage engagements in those ancient times were binding and could only be terminated by an official divorce decree.

It was then that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20-25) and explained to him that all this was bringing about the fulfillment of prophecy that a virgin would bear a child who was to be the Savior (Isaiah 7:14), and “he [Joseph] did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

Luke 2:1-7 also confirms the idea that Joseph and Mary, though betrothed, were considered as husband and wife by Jewish customs even though the actual marriage ceremony had not been fully effectuated. So, Joseph and Mary were actually legally married before the birth of Jesus though their marriage was not consummated physically until after His birth.

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“Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?”

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


Exodus 7:3-4 says, “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my people the Israelites.” It seems unjust for God to harden Pharaoh’s heart and then to punish Pharaoh and Egypt for what Pharaoh decided when his heart was hardened. Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart just so He could judge Egypt more severely with additional plagues?

First, Pharaoh was not an innocent or godly man. He was a brutal dictator overseeing the terrible abuse and oppression of the Israelites, who likely numbered over 1.5 million people at that time. The Egyptian pharaohs had enslaved the Israelites for 400 years. A previous pharaoh—possibly even the pharaoh in question—ordered that male Israelite babies be killed at birth (Exodus 1:16). The pharaoh God hardened was an evil man, and the nation he ruled agreed with, or at least did not oppose, his evil actions.

Second, before the first few plagues, Pharaoh hardened his own heart against letting the Israelites go. “Pharaoh’s heart became hard” (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:19). “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15). “But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:32). Pharaoh could have spared Egypt of all the plagues if he had not hardened his own heart. God was giving Pharaoh increasingly severe warnings of the judgment that was to come. Pharaoh chose to bring judgment on himself and on his nation by hardening his own heart against God’s commands.

As a result of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even further, allowing for the last few plagues (Exodus 9:12; 10:20, 27). Pharaoh and Egypt had brought these judgments on themselves with 400 years of slavery and mass murder. Since the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and Pharaoh and Egypt had horribly sinned against God, it would have been just if God had completely annihilated Egypt. Therefore, God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart was not unjust, and His bringing additional plagues against Egypt was not unjust. The plagues, as terrible as they were, actually demonstrate God’s mercy in not completely destroying Egypt, which would have been a perfectly just penalty.

Romans 9:17-18 declares, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.” From a human perspective, it seems wrong for God to harden a person and then punish the person He has hardened. Biblically speaking, however, we have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23), and the just penalty for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, God’s hardening and punishing a person is not unjust; it is actually merciful in comparison to what the person deserves.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Church Football”

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Church Football

Quarterback Sneak – Church members quietly leaving during
the invitation.

Draw Play – What many children do with the bulletin during
worship.

Halftime – The period between Sunday School and worship
when many choose to leave.

Benchwarmer – Those who do not sing, pray, work, or apparently
do anything but sit.

Backfield-in-Motion – Making a trip to the back (restroom or
water fountain) during the service.

Staying in the Pocket – What happens to a lot of money that
should be given to the Lord’s work.

Two-minute Warning – The point at which you realize the
sermon is almost over and begin to gather up your children
and belongings.

Instant Replay – The preacher loses his notes and falls back
on last week’s illustrations.

Sudden Death – What happens to the attention span of the
congregation if the preacher goes “overtime”.

Trap – You’re called on to pray and are asleep.

End Run – Getting out of church quick, without speaking to
any guest or fellow member.

Flex Defense – The ability to allow absolutely nothing said
during the sermon to affect your life.

Halfback Option – The decision of 50% of the congregation
not to return for the evening service.

Blitz – The rush for the restaurants following the closing prayer.

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“How could there be light on the first day of Creation if the sun was not created until the fourth day?”

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


The question of how there could be light on the first day of Creation when the sun was not created until the fourth day is a common one. Genesis 1:3-5 declares, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day.” A few verses later we are informed, “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the fourth day” (Genesis 1:14-19). How can this be? How could there be light, mornings and evenings on the first, second, and third days if the sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day?

This is only a problem if we fail to take into account an infinite and omnipotent God. God does not need the sun, moon, and stars to provide light. God is light! First John 1: , “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” God Himself was the light for the first three days of Creation, just as He will be in the new heavens and new earth, “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). Until He created the sun, moon, and stars, God miraculously provided light during the “day” and may have done so during the “night” as well (Genesis 1:14).

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Much more important than the light of day and night is the Light who provides eternal life to all who believe in Him. Those who do not believe in Him will be doomed to “outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “The Assembly Line Doctor’s Office”

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Assembly Line Doctor’s Office

More and more doctors are running their practices like an
assembly lines. One fella walked into a doctor’s office and
the receptionist asked him what he had. He said, “Shingles.”
So she took down his name, address, medical insurance
number and told him to have a seat.

Fifteen minutes later a nurse’s aide came out and asked him
what he had. He said, “Shingles.” So she took down his
height, weight, a complete medical history and told him to
wait in the examining room.

A half-hour later a nurse came in and asked him what he had.
He said, “Shingles.” So she gave him a blood test, a blood
pressure test, an electrocardiogram, told him to take off all
his clothes and wait for the doctor.

An hour later the doctor came in and asked him what he had.
He said, “Shingles.”

The doctor said, “Where?”

He said, “Outside in the truck. Where do you want them?”

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“Is it a sin to have a sexual fetish?”

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


A sexual fetish is usually an interest in particular part of the body, feet for example. Fetishes range from an attraction to an absolute obsession. The question arises, then, is it wrong to have a fetish? The answer depends on the status of the person asking the question and the extent to which that the fetish is practiced.

There is nothing wrong with finding a particular part of the body especially attractive. The Bible says that our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 123:14). Within the confines of marriage, there is nothing wrong with a husband and/or wife particularly enjoying a part of their spouse’s body. While some fetishes seem very strange, there is no body part that is “off limits” between a husband and wife, within the “mutual consent” concept (1 Corinthians 7:5). Within a marriage, a sexual fetish would only become sinful if it became an obsession (an idol), or if the fetish bothered the spouse or in any way went against his/her will.

For an unmarried person, again, it is not wrong to have an attraction to a particular part of the body. The unmarried person, though, needs to be especially careful that the attraction does not turn into lust. As soon as the attraction turns into a desire to do something immoral, it has become sin. An attraction to the opposite sex is normal and natural. Again, attraction is not the issue. But as Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Certain fetishes seem exceedingly strange to some people. At the same time, within the confines of a mutually consenting marriage, it is not wrong to have a sexual fetish. The key is avoiding obsession, lust, and making the spouse uncomfortable. For the unmarried, a fetish should be suppressed as much as possible. Something as harmless as an attraction to feet can turn into lust, which can turn into sexual immorality. Romans 6:19 says, “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.”

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “50th Anniversary”

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

50th Anniversary

While enjoying an Early morning breakfast in a northern Arizona café,
four elderly ranchers were discussing everything from cattle, horses,
and weather to how things used to be in the “good old days.”

Eventually the conversation moved on to their spouses. One gentleman
turned to the fellow on his right and asked, “Roy, aren’t you and your
bride celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary soon?”

“Yup, we sure are,” Roy replied.

“Well, are you gonna do anything special to celebrate?” another man
asked.

The old gentleman pondered this for a moment, then replied, “For our
25th anniversary, I took Bea to Tucson. Maybe for our 50th, I’ll go
down there and get her.”

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“Was Noah’s flood global or local?”

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


The biblical passages regarding the flood make it clear that it was global. Genesis 7:11 states that “all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.”Genesis 1:6-7 and 2:6 tell us that the pre-flood environment was much different from that which we experience today. Based on these and other biblical descriptions, it is reasonably speculated that at one time the earth was covered by some kind of water canopy. This canopy could have been a vapor canopy, or it might have consisted of rings, somewhat like Saturn’s ice rings. This, in combination with a layer of water underground, released upon the land (Genesis 2:6) would have resulted in a global flood.

The clearest verses that show the extent of the flood are Genesis 7:19-23. Regarding the waters, “They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. Every living thing that moved on the earth perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.”

In the above passage, we not only find the word “all” being used repeatedly, but we also find “all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered,” “the waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet,“ and “every living thing that moved on the earth perished.” These descriptions clearly describe a universal flood covering the whole earth. Also, if the flood was localized, why did God instruct Noah to build an ark instead of merely telling Noah to move and causing the animals to migrate? And why did He instruct Noah to build an ark large enough to house all of the different kinds of land animals found on the earth? If the flood was not global, there would have been no need for an ark.

Peter also describes the universality of the flood in 2 Peter 3:6-7, where he states, “By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” In these verses Peter compares the “universal” coming judgment to the flood of Noah’s time and states that the world that existed then was flooded with water. Further, many biblical writers accepted the historicity of the worldwide flood (Isaiah 54:9; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 11:7). Lastly, the Lord Jesus Christ believed in the universal flood and took it as the type of the coming destruction of the world when He returns (Matthew 34:37-39; Luke 17:26-27).

There are many extra-biblical evidences that point to a worldwide catastrophe such as a global flood. There are vast fossil graveyards found on every continent and large amounts of coal deposits that would require the rapid covering of vast quantities of vegetation. Oceanic fossils are found upon mountain tops around the world. Cultures in all parts of the world have some form of flood legend. All of these facts and many others are evidence of a global flood.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Two Elderly Ladies”

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Two Elderly Ladies

There was two elderly ladies that had been meeting every morning on
a park bench for several months.

One day one of them said to the other one.

I am shamed to say I can t remember your name.

The other one looked quite hurt.

What is your name?

After a long pause, she said, “How soon do you need to know.”

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“Does the Bible teach that the earth is flat?”

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


Many a skeptic claims that the Bible depicts a flat earth. Scriptural references such as Revelation 7:1 are cited, which speaks of “four angels standing at the four corners of the earth.” However, this passage makes reference to the cardinal directions as seen on a compass – i.e. north, south, east and west. Terminology to a similar effect is used today when we speak of the sun rising and setting each day, even though we know that it is, in fact, the earth which orbits around the sun.

Another passage often referred to is Psalm 75:3, which speaks of God holding the pillars firm. However, the psalms are written in the poetry genre. Rather than referring to literal pillars, this is representative of God’s guaranteeing the earth’s stability. Even when the moral order of the world seems to have crumbled, God will not fully withdraw His sustaining power.

In contrast to the supposed “flat earth” verses, there are numerous Scriptures that clearly indicate otherwise. The earth is described in Job 26:7 as being suspended over empty space, implying a spherical figure. This notion is further entertained in Isaiah 40:21-22, which refers to “the circle of the earth.” This is further supported by Proverbs 8:27 , which speaks of God drawing a circle on the face of the deep. From a “bird’s-eye view” of the ocean, the horizon is seen as a circle. Such an observation indicates that where light terminates, darkness begins, describing the reality of day and night on a spherical earth.

The round-earth idea is further supported by Jesus in Luke 17:31,34: “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back…I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.” This would seem to indicate the phenomenon of day on one side of the globe while darkness abides on the other.

In conclusion, the curvature of the earth is certainly a biblical concept, and there is little or no basis for the charge that the Bible teaches a flat earth. The Scriptures that seem to present a flat earth can all easily be explained when correctly interpreted and understood.

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