The books of Samuel introduce and develop the ideas of kingship and kingdom. The king Samuel describes is supposed to humbly listen to God's voice, which is primarily heard through the prophets. Seth and David talk about how Jesus is not just our humble King but as the one who coronates us to rule and reign with him.

The 2020 American election happened two days ago. While we often see elections as a time to secure for ourselves some new degree of power or freedom God sits in heaven and laughs. Seth and David talk about how both David's and Jesus' kingship shapes our understanding of world rulers and their political terms.

The Book of Judges narrates Israel's slow decay. Rather than driving out God's enemies, Israel becomes just like God's enemies. And Judges ends, not with God's leadership of Israel, but the people's whims and desires leading them to destruction. David and Seth talk about how the light of God's mercy shines brightest as the darkness of Judges increases and how Jesus is the only Judge and King who can free us from our downward spiral into destruction.

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Before Joshua dies there is a misunderstanding between the tribes on either side of the Jordan. It reveals that spiritual pride and insecurity are features of life in Israel under Joshua's leadership. This leads Joshua to say that it will be impossible for Israel to fully obey God. Israel should expect judgment. Seth and David talk about the end of Joshua's life and how spiritual pride, insecurity, and promises of judgment are all overturned by Jesus' superior leadership.

After the Lord had given the land to Israel, Israel was supposed to turn around and give some of their lands back to God. The Levites were the recipients of that land. Seth and David talk about the unique way the Levite's land allotments point us to Jesus as the one who protects us from death and provides freedom through his blood.

After winning major decisive victories, Joshua gives control over the land of Canaan to the tribal leaders of Israel. With the enemy routed, these leaders still need to clean up any pockets of resistance they find. Seth and David explain how Joshua's decisive victory over the land foreshadows Jesus' decisive victory over sin and death. And why, even though the war has been won, we can be strong and courageous as we fight our remaining battles.

Joshua defeats all God's enemies in the southern and the northern parts of Canaan. Over and over we're told that God fights for Israel, and that Israel obeys God. Seth and David talk about Jesus as a warrior who fights our battles, destroys our enemies, and gives us rest.

The Gibeonites deceive Israel into a covenant. But like the Rahab story, deception leads to the Gibeonites inclusion in God's kingdom and a great battle won by God's power. Seth and David talk about deception's role in the Gospel and how Israel's miraculous defeat of Canaan's kings tells us more about God and his power over death than Joshua's ability to execute kings.

Israel goes to war against the first city in the promised land, Jericho. But God does all the hard work, and the walls of the city crumble with just the sound of their voice. But, this victory is followed by a significant defeat at the city of Ai. Seth and David talk about Israel's first military campaigns as new Creation and Fall stories. And how God both defeats our enemies and rebuilds Jericho.

At several points throughout the book of Joshua, God commands Israel to "utterly destroy" enemy cities. Sometimes that command includes women and children. Skeptics sometime use the book of Joshua to accuse God of genocide. David and Seth talk about the legitimacy of this accusation, the history of Israel and how this accusation against God can lead us to good news. If you have any questions for us, send as an audio recording of your question to podcast@spokengospel.com.

Joshua is legitimized as Israel's new leader when God parts the Jordan just like he parted the Red Sea for Moses. In fact, Joshua repeats some of the most significant moments of Moses' life in his own. Seth and David talk about the ways the pattern of both Moses' and Joshua's life are repeated and intensified in Jesus.

Joshua begins with the command to be strong and courageous and the promise that God will be with Israel as the go to battle. The first city on Israel's battle plan is Jericho. But in Jericho a prostitute named Rahab pledges allegiance to Yahweh. Seth and David talk about the significance of Rahab's story at the beginning of a book full of military battles, and why being strong and courageous is a metaphor for faith in Jesus.

The book of Joshua details how God worked through Joshua to fulfill his promises. As God's chosen successor to Moses, Joshua goes where Moses didn't. He enters into the land that God promised Abraham. Seth and David talk about how Joshua points us to Jesus, how the land of Canaan should make us hope for the new heavens and the earth, and offer some initial thoughts on how to understand God's command to "devote to destruction" the land of Canaan.

Ruth proposes marriage to Boaz under questionable circumstances, and he accepts. Ruth isn't marrying so much out of love for Boaz but loyalty to Naomi. Through their marriage Naomi will be given a home and a son. Seth and David explain how God provides everything Ruth secured and everything Boaz provided and more, for us, in Jesus.

Naomi returns to Israel bitter and empty with her daughter in-law Ruth, a Moabite. Despite both Israel's and Elimelech's unfaithfulness God remains faithful and loyal to his people and Elimelech's family. Seth and David talk about how the story of Ruth, Boaz and Naomi point us to a faithful God who loyally provides for unfaithful people in Jesus.

The book of Ruth is a book of hope. Even though Israel is in shambles and there seems to be no hope that a king could bring order to Israel's chaos. But Ruth, a widow, a foreigner through her faithfulness and love becomes not only the foremother of King David but also Jesus. David and Seth introduce the book and character of Ruth and how she fits into the Bible's story of salvation.

The final portion of Ecclesiastes is a collection of miscellaneous proverbs and Qohelet's conculsion. Seth and David work through some of their favorites and finish up their study in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Qohelet reminds us that God has cursed this world with futility and HEVEL. This is why our money, sex, power, and morality never satisfy - God has made it so that crooked sticks never make straight lines. Seth and David talk about why Jesus is good news in a world bent out of shape.

Qohelet says that our life will be filled with unmet expectations. No matter how much we eat or drink our appetites will always be empty in the morning. Seth and David talk about how to escape our unmet expectations and unfulfilled desired by trusting and delighting in Jesus.

One of the most famous passages in Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a "time for everything." Qohelet's wisdom tells us that while the world might seem like jumble of unpredictable opposites God's timing is perfect. Seth and David talk about our broken relationship with time; what it means for God to place "eternity" in our hearts and how Jesus is good news to people out of sync with God's time.

The book of Ecclesiastes asks us a question "What do we gain from all our work on earth?" Qohelet's thesis is that everything we pursue is never as solid as we think. The world is like smoke or wind. Seth and David talk about how Jesus is the only solid pursuit in a world of smoke.

In this first episode of our new series on Ecclesiastes, David and Seth work through the major themes and key issues related to the book of Ecclesiastes. Join us as we seek to understand this important and difficult book while seeing how Jesus brings meaning and purpose to everything the world wants to call vain and meaningless.

Esther ends with a counter-edict going out to the soon-to-be-oppressed Jews. Instead of the suffering that was soon to be poured out on them, the Jews end up rising up and conquering their oppressors. In this last episode in our series on Esther, David and Seth talk about how to see Jesus in this beautiful book's closing chapters.

The most famous part of the book of Esther is without a doubt, the Queen's courageous entrance into the king's chambers. She risks her life for the sake of her people. In this episode, Seth and David unpack what we should and shouldn't be seeing in this famous story, and how all of it points us to Jesus.