The Book of Lamentations is a series of five anonymous, acrostic poems that record and weep over the devastation of Jerusalem at the hands of Babylon. Seth and David talk about the artistic genius of Lamentations, the theological and therapeutic value of laments, and why we shouldn't sanitize our prayers.
Even more shocking than Ezekiel's oracles of judgment is his insistence that God has not rejected the very same people who have abandoned him. Seth and David talk about the shocking mercy of God, architectural Sabbaths, and why a vision of God's temple shows up at the end of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel's prophecies are meant to shock his audience out of their spiritual apathy and idolatry and Ezekiel uses some of the most graphic language in the Bible to do it. Ezekiel uses images of blood, insects, prostitution, and even donkey sex to make his point. Seth and David walk through some of Ezekiel's most shocking prophecies and talk about how even passages of judgment prove the goodness of God.
The opening chapters of Ezekiel start with a bang. Ezekiel sees a vision of God and it's... overwhelming. Wheels full of eyes, four-headed angels, and a massive storm rush over Ezekiel and he's left comatose for 7 days. Seth and David walk through one of the most intense depictions of God in the Old Testament and show how it all connects to Jesus getting baptized.
Ezekiel and his prophecies are some of the most vivid, intense, and disturbing in all the Bible. But Ezekiel isn't primarily a prophet of doom but of new creation. Seth and David talk about Ezekiel's prophecies and the good news that in Jesus Ezekiel's prophecies begin to come true.
When we think of the word "gospel" we normally think of something religious but when Jesus' first followers would have heard it, they would have heard something closer to Roman propaganda. Seth and David talk about the origins of the term "Gospel" and how Jesus brings good news into a world full of bad news.
There are just SO MANY parallels between Jesus and Jeremiah. Seth and David walk through dozens of examples where Jesus completes the narrative arc begun in Jeremiah and brings the hopes of Jeremiah's ministry to completion.
One of Jeremiah's most used metaphors to describe Judah is as an adulterous bride. Seth and David unpack this sometimes unsettling image and discuss how Jesus is the Groom who stops at nothing to rescue and marry his bride.
Ever since God led his people out of Egypt he promised that Israel would always have a prophetic leader like Moses to help guide the nation. While Moses was God's prophet at Israel's founding, Jeremiah was God's prophet as Israel died. Seth and David discuss Jeremiah as Moses' prophetic successor and how Jesus walks on the scene as the prophet of Israel's re-creation.
Jeremiah is a tortured prophet tasked to preach a message of inescapable death and decline. In this episode, Seth and David unpack Jeremiah's unique prophetic ministry and how a prophet of such gloomy news helps us encounter Jesus.
The book of Thessalonians has some of the most specific and yet some of the most vague passages about when Jesus comes again. In this experimental episode Seth and David wade through one option for understanding the Day of the Lord and who the Man of Lawlessness might be.
Under intense persecution, the Thessalonian church slowly began to believe that Jesus had already returned, and perhaps, left them behind. Seth and David talk about misconceptions about Jesus' return and why our suffering can be both good news and proof that we haven't been left behind.
What does it mean when Paul says we are "caught up in the air"? Seth and David walk through the back half of the book of Thessalonians and talk about the good news that Jesus is coming back soon.
After only spending about three weeks with a brand new group of believers in Thessalonica, the apostle Paul and Silas are kicked out of the city by a mob and are unable to return. But despite the intense persecution and their immature faith, the Thessalonians became model Christians throughout the Mediterranean. In this episode, Seth and David talk about this fledgling church and the good news that knowing Jesus equips us to handle whatever is thrown at us.
2 Chronicles opens by describing Solomon as an ideal leader. He is who all Israelite kings should try to live up to. But the rest of 2 Chronicles charts how none of Israel's kings ever reach his glory. Seth and David talk through the Chroniclers' "perfect" description of Solomon and why it's good news that priesthoods determine the course of nations.
1 Chronicles centers around David's rise to power, his skill as a nation-builder, and his preparation to construct God's temple. Seth and David talk about the eternal dynasty promised to David and the surprising good news of priestly bureaucracy.
Chronicles records the history of God's people from Adam all the way to their return from exile. It's also a book full of music, instruments, singing, and songs. Seth and David compare Chronicles to Hamilton and talk about how the story of Israel's founding father, David, gives a new generation of leaders a rubric to rebuild their nation.
The book of Revelation is a unified story of hope for Christians who are suffering and being persecuted. David and Seth unpack the story of Revelation and how all its complex images tell a beautiful story that ends in a wedding.
At the beginning of Revelation, there is a king seated on a throne, and throughout Revelation, a bride prepares herself to marry this king, and at the very end, there is a wedding. Seth and David talk about the themes of "King" and "Bride" in the book of Revelation and how Jesus can't wait to marry his people.
Like Jesus, humanity is meant to rule the world and to spill their blood for the good of others. Seth and David talk about one of the most counter-intuitive teachings in Revelation–that Christians conquer when they suffer and die.
The book of Revelation is full of complex symbols, strange beasts, and mysterious numbers. In this episode, Seth and David talk about how to approach all the complexities of Revelation and how to read it as a story of hope for persecuted and suffering Christians.
Hebrews includes some of the scariest warnings in all of Scripture right next to dozens of examples of the most impressive people in the Bible. Many of us have read these passages and wondered how we'll ever measure up, and if God might just decide to be done with us. Seth and David talk about what the warning passages of Hebrews mean and what it means to have faith.
The author of Hebrews continues to challenge his Jewish audience to follow Jesus despite persecution. Because Jesus is a better priest and offers a better sacrifices he is worth their perseverance. Seth and David talk about the lesser-known character of Melchizedek and why it's good news that Jesus has been sworn into his priestly order.
Hebrews starts somewhere we might not, proving that Jesus is better than angels, or more generally, the "messengers" of the Old Covenant. Seth and David explain why the author of Hebrews starts his letter talking about angels and why it's good news that Jesus is not an angel.
In case you missed our special Holy Week releases, here they are again! This time our eight mini-episodes covering each day of Holy Week are here in one two-hour special!
1600 years ago Christians began calling the last days of Jesus’ life “Holy Week.” Seth and David talk about Easter Sunday and why it's good news that Jesus was raised from the dead.
1600 years ago Christians began calling the last days of Jesus’ life “Holy Week.” Today is Holy Saturday. Seth and David talk about Holy Saturday and the day Jesus rested in his tomb is good news.
1600 years ago Christians began calling the last days of Jesus’ life “Holy Week.” Today is Good Friday. Seth and David talk about why Good Friday, the day Jesus was condemned by Pilate, crucified on a cross, and buried in a tomb is good news.
1600 years ago Christians began calling the last days of Jesus’ life “Holy Week.” Today is Maundy Thursday. Seth and David talk about Maundy Thursday and why Jesus' final meal and new covenant is good news.
1600 years ago Christians began calling the last days of Jesus’ life “Holy Week.” Today is Spy Wednesday. Seth and David talk about the sober choice Spy Wednesday, the day Jesus was covered in an expensive perfume by Mary and betrayed by Judas, offers us.
