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BibleProject Podcast

The creators of BibleProject have in-depth conversations about the Bible and theology. A companion podcast to BibleProject videos found at bibleproject.com

BibleProject

The Wilderness E11 — After his death and resurrection, Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to share the good news of the Kingdom and make disciples. These disciples, also known as apostles, plant churches across the Roman Empire and write letters to congregations made up of Jewish and Gentile believers. And their letters often wrestle with the tension of living in the new age of Jesus’ reign while also living in the old age of idolatry, corruption, and injustice. To talk about the overlap of these two ages, the apostles use a familiar metaphor: the wilderness. In this final episode of the series, Jon and Tim discuss how the New Testament authors use wilderness imagery to encourage and warn followers of Jesus to stay close to their good shepherd through the danger and deception of this present age.

View all of our resources for The Wilderness →

CHAPTERS

 1. The Wilderness Pattern in 1 Corinthians 10 (0:00-27:00)
 2. The Wilderness Warnings in 1 Corinthians 3 and 5 (27:00-37:08)
 3. More Wilderness Warnings in Hebrews 3-4 (37:08-52:43)
 4. Concluding Thoughts on the Wilderness (52:43-1:00:21)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

First Corinthians: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching • by Richard B. Hays
Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul by Richard B. HaysThe Great Divorce • by C. S. Lewis 
 • In chapter 1, Tim mentions our video Eternal Life, which you watch 
here • .
 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “familydinner” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin
 • “Cruise” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
 • “Silver N Gold” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

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Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Living in the Wilderness Now

The Wilderness E10 — Throughout ancient Israel’s long history of wandering in the wilderness, failing in the garden land, being exiled to the nations, and then continuing to struggle after their return to the land, one thing has been clear. The people need a faithful shepherd like Moses who can guide them into God’s provision and wisdom. So after Jesus is baptized in the wilderness and succeeds in his own wilderness tests, you can probably guess where Jesus goes to feed, heal, and teach people! In this episode, Jon and Tim explore stories in the gospels where Jesus provides for Israelites and non-Israelites in the wilderness, acting as a new Moses-like shepherd.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap of Theme and Setup for Jesus as a New Moses Figure (0:00-14:03)
 2. The People’s Need for a Shepherd (14:03-24:04)
 3. Bread in the Wilderness for Israel (24:04-38:12)
 4. Discussing Bread With Pharisees and a Canaanite Woman (38:12-47:35)
 5. Bread in the Wilderness for the Nations (47:35-1:02:37)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Be Like Water” by Lofi Sunday, Zairis TéJion
 • “Holy” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
 • “It's Gonna Be Alright-22” by Lofi Sunday, Marc Vanparla
 • “jazz club” by Lofi Sunday, PAINT WITH SOUND
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jesus, the New Shepherd in the Wilderness

The Wilderness E9 — After Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit leads him into the wilderness to be tested for 40 days. The exodus generation spent 40 years in the wilderness, so we’d be right to expect parallels with their experience. But why does Jesus need to go through this wilderness test? And what does it mean for his followers? In this episode, Jon and Tim look at Jesus’ three wilderness tests, discovering the long-awaited faithful human who is ready to enter the garden land.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap of Theme and Setup for Jesus in the Wilderness (0:00-16:59)
 2. Final Thoughts on Baptism and Intro to Wilderness Tests (16:59-39:29)
 3. Jesus’ Wilderness Tests (39:29-1:01:46)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Jesus on the Mountain: A Study in Matthean Theology • by Terence Donaldson
The Gospel according to Matthew: A Commentary • by Matthias Konradt
 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Heaven Is Home” by Lofi Sunday, Zairis TéJion
 • “Fellowship” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jesus Passes the Wilderness Test

The Wilderness E8 –– In the Bible, God often turns wilderness wanderings into times of testing, purification, and preparation for returning to the garden land. The tragedy of the Hebrew Bible, however, is that when people do return to the garden, they keep following their own distorted wisdom and desires. This is why the beginning of every gospel account features a wild prophet named John, who is out in the wilderness by the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance. It’s a symbolic reenactment of when God purified the exodus generation through the deadly chaos waters and treacherous desert. But then Jesus approaches John, also asking to be baptized. Why? In this episode, Jon and Tim unpack the background and ministry of John the Baptizer and how Jesus’ baptism connects to his larger Kingdom mission.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap of Theme and Setup for John the Baptizer (0:00-15:53)
 2. John’s Background and Words to the Pharisees (15:53-38:03)
 3. Why Jesus Participates in a Baptism of Repentance (38:03-44:47)
 4. The Heavenly Announcement After Jesus’ Baptism (44:47-51:33)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, • translated by Geza Vermes
 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Lunch Break ft. Abstractv” by Lofi Sunday
 • “Old Record” by Lofi Sunday, Marc Vanparla
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Does Jesus Get Baptized in the Wilderness?

The Wilderness E7 — By the time we get to the Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, the meaning of the wilderness is well established. It’s a desolate, dangerous place where humans can’t survive. And it’s a place where God meets with his people to reform their character and deepen their trust in him. But Israel’s prophets remix the meaning and imagery of the wilderness in surprising ways that prepare us for the story of Jesus. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the wilderness in Hosea, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, discovering unique portraits of a prison, romance, tragedy, and promise of a new heart.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap of the Theme and Setup for the Prophets (0:00-16:07)
 2. Hosea’s Wilderness as Containment and Reformation (16:07-27:40)
 3. Jeremiah’s Romance and Ezekiel’s Tragedy in the Wilderness (27:40-49:58)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Purple Clouds ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi Sunday
 • “Selah ft. Bobcat” by Lofi Sunday
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wilderness Remixed in Israel’s Prophets

The Wilderness E6 — In the Genesis and Exodus wilderness stories, God is present with his people, testing them and teaching them to listen to his voice. Most of the people fail to trust God there, but finally, in 1 Samuel, we meet a character who can succeed in the desolate place, David. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore David’s wilderness stories in 1 Samuel 24-26, finding a human who will trust God for provision and listen to his voice.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap of the Theme and Setup for David (0:00-17:00)
 2. David’s Successes and Tests in the Wilderness (17:00-32:00)
 3. David’s Test With Nabal and Abigail (32:00-43:58)
 4. Abigail Saves the Day (43:58-1:05:12)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Walk In The City ft. Me & The Boys” by Lofi Sunday
 • “Redeemables” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
 • “Peace With You ft. Oly.Lo” by Lofi Sunday
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Finds Refuge in the Wilderness

The Wilderness E5 — After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses and the second generation of Israelites stand at the border of the promised land. What does Moses say about the purpose of their time in the wilderness, and what do they need to remember about it when they’re in the garden land? In this episode, Jon and Tim look at Deuteronomy 8 and the hard lessons of the wilderness that can help the people flourish in the promised land.

CHAPTERS

 1. Summary and Recap of Theme (0:00-11:26)
 2. Why Adam and Eve Can’t Stay in the Garden (11:26-23:07)
 3. The Purpose of 40 Years in the Wilderness (23:07-41:58)
 4. The Wilderness Is the Truth (41:58-1:05:28)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • In chapter 2, Jon and Tim discuss the Divine Council and Genesis 3:22. For more on this topic, check out our 
God and Spiritual Beings series • .
A Severe Mercy • by Sheldon Vanauken
 • In chapter 3, Tim references our 
Deuteronomy Scroll series • .
 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Coffee Under The Palm Tree” by Lofi Sunday, Zairis TéJion
 • “Gentle Lamb” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
 • “Pleasant Places” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lessons From the Wilderness for the Garden Land

The Wilderness E4 — After God delivers the Israelites out of Egypt, he tells Moses to lead them to the promised land—through the wilderness. This is perplexing because a much shorter, safer route existed along the coast. So why does God lead his people along the longer, harder way? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Israel’s wilderness tests, reflecting on God’s plan to create a new people through a relationship of radical trust and dependence.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap and Setup for the Israelites in the Wilderness (0:00-10:05)
 2. God’s Intentional Path Into the Wilderness (10:05-27:11)
 3. Three Wilderness Tests in Exodus (27:11-47:28)
 4. Seven Wilderness Tests in Numbers (47:28-1:02:23)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Blue Sky ft. TBabz” by Lofi Sunday
 • “Mist Of Blessing ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi Sunday
 • “Chilling In London” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Does God Lead Israel Into the Wilderness?

The Wilderness E3 — In the Bible, the wilderness is a hostile, dangerous place where humans can’t survive. Because of this, the wilderness also reminds us that we all live on the precipice of life and death, and our survival depends on the one who is greater than us. The Bible’s earliest wilderness stories depict humans finding themselves in this setting due to their own foolish choices or the foolish choices of others. In this episode, Jon and Tim look at the wilderness stories of Adam and Eve, Hagar, and Moses, highlighting how God responds with surprising compassion.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap and Setup for Today’s Stories (0:00-11:36)
 2. Adam and Eve Exiled Into the Wilderness (11:36-20:31)
 3. Hagar Flees From Abraham and Sarah Into the Wilderness (20:31-45:13)
 4. Moses Flees From Pharaoh Into the Wilderness (45:13-1:08:15)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • Tim references an episode from The Exodus Way series about Abraham and Hagar. You can find that episode here: 
How Did Israel End Up in Egypt? • For more on the seven women in Exodus, check out our Scholarship Team’s article, “
7 Powerful Women in the Bible Who Help Rescue God's People • .”
 • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .
 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here.
SHOW MUSIC

 • “Beach Chilling” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
 • “Blissful Thoughts ft. TBabz” by Lofi Sunday
 • “Grey ft. PAINT WITH SOUND.” by Lofi Sunday
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Do People End Up in the Wilderness?

The Wilderness E2 — In the Bible, the wilderness is an uninhabitable, hostile place for human life. And in the creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2, the wilderness symbolically represents the chaos of a pre-creation state. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the wilderness language in the creation narrative and how it contrasts with Eden, God’s oasis of beauty, order, and abundance.

CHAPTERS

 1. Recap on the Meaning of the Wilderness (0:00-9:16)
 2. Pre-Creation Wilderness and the Eden Oasis (9:16-40:27)
 3. Wilderness and Eden Imagery in the Prophets (40:27-57:32)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

 • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books 
here. • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for 
Android • and 
iOS • .

SHOW MUSIC

 • “Break Bread” by Lofi Sunday, Oly.Lo
 • “Refuge ft. Just Derrick” by Lofi Sunday
 • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. 

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wilderness of the Sea

The End Times. The Tribulation. Judgement. All of these buzz words can be sensitive subjects for Christians. But how do the Bible authors deal with the future of the world? They use a phrase called "The Day of the Lord."

This is the first episode in our new series on that phrase. Tim and Jon talk about this phrase, its origins, and some of big questions attached to it. Where does the Bible think history is going? What is God going to do about evil?

This series will accompany a new theme video on The Day of the Lord that will be released later this year.

Music Credits

Defender (Instrumental) by Rosasharn Music

Thule by The Album Leaf

Shot in the Back of the Head by Moby

 
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Day Of The Lord Part One: What's The Deal With "Babylon"?

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