Genesis Marks the Spot

By Carey GriffelReligion & Spirituality Christianity Education Self-Improvement

Genesis Marks the Spot episodes

May 09, 2025The Cup of Wrath: Inheriting Your Desire at the Banquet - Episode 126
What does it mean to drink the cup of wrath? And why does Scripture use the language of vineyards, vintage, and wine to describe divine judgment?
In this richly layered episode, Carey walks us through the biblical vineyard—from Genesis to Revelation—where wine is not merely a blessing but a mirror. Here, wrath is not divine temper but a giving-over: the slow fermentation of unrepentant desire, poured back upon those who distilled it.
Drawing from Mark Scarlata, Geoff Johnson, 1 Enoch, and a range of biblical texts, this teaching explores how judgment, joy, and justice are deeply entwined—and how even wrath can be redemptive in the hands of God.
Why wrath is about relationship
How joy and judgment grow from the same vine
What the prophets, the land, and the nations show us about divine patience
Why drinking deeply matters—and who offers the final cup
Featured sources and passages include:
Wine, Soil, and Salvation by Mark Scarlata

Storeroom of Scripture (YouTube, Geoff Johnson)

1 Enoch, Revelation 14 & 16, Hosea, Isaiah 51, Psalm 75, Habakkuk, Deuteronomy 29
Website: genesismarksthespot.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 5 min
May 02, 2025Between the Vines: Soil, Symbol, and the Cups of Consequence - Episode 125
In this mid-series episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey takes a step between the Cup of Joy and the Cup of Wrath—into the vineyard itself. With the help of Mark Scarlata’s Wine, Soil, and Salvation in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, we explore how the land, the vine, and the embodied experience of cultivation shape biblical theology.
From Genesis to Leviticus, from midrash to metaphor, we trace the deep roots of wine as both blessing and judgment. Why is God’s wrath described as a cup? Why is the soil cursed? Why does pruning produce better fruit? And how does wine connect us to presence, patience, and promise?
Topics include:
Wine as a metaphor of presence, covenant, and complexity

Frame semantics and why metaphors aren’t just symbols

The soil as sacred, enmeshed with humanity and justice

Noah, the vineyard, and post-flood theology

Sacred time, agrarian calendars, and forbidden fruit

Listen in to understand how the ground beneath the cups tells the story—and why wrath cannot be fully understood without joy.

Website: genesismarksthespot.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 5 min
April 25, 2025The Cup of Joy: Wine, Blessing, and Sacred Celebration - Episode 124
In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, we trace the theme of wine as joy in Scripture—what it means to share in divine abundance, and how the vine tells a story of provision, blessing, and worship. This is the first of (at least) a trilogy exploring the biblical theology of wine: from joy to judgment to covenant. With stops in Genesis, Psalms, Judges, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy—and a splash of The Princess Bride—we'll see how the Bible’s portrayal of wine is more than metaphor; it’s a theological lens on joy, justice, and God’s hospitality.
Key themes:
Wine in creation and covenant

Tithing and feasting in Deuteronomy

Milk and honey vs. wine and grain

Judges 9 as a joyful refusal of power

Wisdom’s table and the Lord’s Table

Listen in and discover: joy is not just allowed—it’s commanded.
Check out the accompanying blog post with charts! As You Drink: Wine, Worship, and the God Who Feasts With Us
Website: genesismarksthespot.com
Patreon: patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot
Music Credit:
“Marble Machine” by Wintergatan
Visit Wintergatan’s website: wintergatan.net
Watch the original Marble Machine video: YouTube
1 hr 9 min
April 18, 2025Wine, Judgment, and the Second Adam: Rethinking Noah’s Fall - Episode 123
In this compelling follow-up to our discussion on Noah and the relief of the cursed ground, we examine the puzzling aftermath: Noah’s drunkenness. Was it a relapse into chaos—or something else entirely?
Come walk through the deep theological and symbolic threads tied to wine in Scripture. Drawing on frame semantics, ancient rituals, and cultural insights, we explore how Noah’s actions in Genesis 9 parallel, reflect, and perhaps even invert the fall of Adam in Genesis 3. This episode also dives into the surprising history of alcohol in human civilization and Scripture—touching on Noah, Isaiah, Melchizedek, and more.
Key Topics:
The biological, social, and spiritual functions of alcohol

Noah’s drunkenness and the literary echoes of Genesis 3

Is Noah a second Adam—or something more?

The role of wine in culture, covenant, ritual, and vulnerability

Frame semantics and its value in biblical interpretation

How judgment reflects divine alignment—or divergence

Referenced Resources:
Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward Slingerland

Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol by Iain Gately

Genesis 9 Frame Semantics Study Guide: Between Curse and Covenant: How Frame Semantics Reshapes Our View of Noah’s Drunkenness

Website: genesismarksthespot.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot
Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 3 min
April 11, 2025Eden to Ararat: A Ground-clearing Look at the Genesis Curse - Episode 122
Did the Flood reverse the curse of the ground? Carey builds a compelling case for a concept that’s often overlooked—or outright dismissed: that the Flood narrative in Genesis 6–9 isn't just about judgment, but also about restoration—specifically the cleansing of the cursed ground from Genesis 3.
Carey weaves together frame semantics, Hebrew wordplay, literary design (including an overlooked chiasm), and the theological role of Noah as a second Adam. She also unpacks how concepts like "serving the ground," the introduction of agriculture, and the story’s structural symmetry all speak to a larger narrative of renewal.
You’ll also hear:
A reexamination of Noah’s wife and the role of women in Genesis traditions

The conceptual link between Adam, Cain, and Noah through their relationship with the adamah

A chiasm that might not end where you think it does

A teaser for Carey’s upcoming contribution to the Two Trees Podcast Conference

Grab your study guide on frame semantics (linked below) and share it with your Bible study group or church!
Printable from Episode 121, direct download link: Frame Semantics Study Guide
Beyond the Gates of Eden Conference:  Studies — The Two Trees Podcast
Contact Carey:
Website: genesismarksthespot.com

Facebook: Genesis Marks the Spot

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot
Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan

Let us know your thoughts: Did the Flood really reverse the curse?
1 hr 1 min
April 04, 2025Devil in the Details: Rest, Relief, and Frame Semantics - Episode 121
In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, we finally dive into a long-anticipated topic: frame semantics—a cognitive linguistic tool that could revolutionize how we approach biblical texts. From exploring how the word "rest" is more than just a Sabbath nap, to rethinking the identity of the Satan in Job and why the Sons of God are unique, this episode is a thoughtful journey into how meaning is framed, shaped, and sometimes flattened when we don’t consider conceptual structures behind words.
The usual truth-conditional semantics (where meaning hinges on objective truth) contrasts with the more holistic and contextual approach of frame semantics which is a better fit for the approach of biblical theology. Whether you’re a seasoned theology nerd or new to these ideas, this episode will challenge how you read Scripture—and may just spark your next Bible study breakthrough.
Topics Covered:
What is frame semantics, and why does it matter for Bible study?

How our language frames the way we think (and vice versa)

The nuanced difference between “rest” and “relief”

Why “the Satan” in Job might not be who you think he is

Cognitive vs. structural approaches to Scripture

How to use this tool in your own studies (and a call to collaborate!)

Don’t forget to download the handout mentioned in the episode for a visual aid to the concepts discussed. Want to help develop the next version? Carey is looking for collaborators!
Download link:  https://genesismarksthespot.com/downloads/frame-semantics
Feedback or framework requests? Reach out at GenesisMarksTheSpot.com or connect on Facebook!
**My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 9 min
March 28, 2025 Noah’s Name and the Rest of the Story - Episode 120
You know his name. You know the flood. You might even think you know why Noah was given that name in the first place. But what if I told you… there's some strange artifcacts with ‘rest’ in Genesis 5:29? What if the comfort Lamech longed for wasn’t exactly what Noah delivered? Or maybe it was more than he was looking for...
Today, we’re digging into the meaning of Noah’s name, the toil of the world he was born into, and the rest—and what form of it—that followed. Because as it turns out…
This is the rest of the story.
**Website: www.genesismarksthespot.com

My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesismarksthespot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesismarksthespot/

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 2 min
March 21, 2025 Twu Wuv, Twoil, and the "Curse" of Genesis 3:16 - Episode 119
As You Wish… Or Maybe Not? Rethinking Genesis 3:16.
Genesis 3:16 has been a theological battleground for centuries—was Eve cursed? Does this verse establish male rule? And why did the ESV change its translation again? In this episode, we dive deep into the Hebrew text, ancient interpretations, and modern theological debates surrounding this passage.
We’ll explore:
Rabbinic and early Christian views on Eve’s "curse"
Whether Genesis 3:16 prescribes or describes male rulership
The ESV translation shift—what it means and why it matters
The surprising implications of Hebrew grammar (Hendiadys, anyone?)
How this passage connects to the broader biblical story
From Augustine to Chrysostom, from the Hebrew text to modern scholarship, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most debated verses in Scripture. Whether you lean complementarian, egalitarian, or somewhere in between, this episode will challenge assumptions and spark new insights.

**Website: www.genesismarksthespot.com

My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesismarksthespot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesismarksthespot/
The Book of Eden: The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3: God Didn't Curse Eve (or Adam) or Limit Woman in Any Way (The Eden Book Series): Fleming, Bruce C. E., Fleming PhD, Joy, Hagemeyer, Joanne Guarnieri: 9780972575928: Amazon.com: Books

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/ L
ink to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 2 min
March 14, 2025 There and Back Again: Scripture in Both Directions, with Spencer Owen - Episode 118
A conversation with Spencer Owen about reading the Bible from the OT to the NT and from the NT to the OT. Do we need Jesus in order to read the Old Testament?
**Website: www.genesismarksthespot.com

My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesismarksthespot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesismarksthespot/

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 4 min
March 07, 2025 Slavery: The Upside-Down Kingdom - Episode 117
Isn't it a bit weird that Christians are called slaves? Isn't slavery a bad thing?
**Website: www.genesismarksthespot.com

My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesismarksthespot

Genesis Marks the Spot on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesismarksthespot/

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan
1 hr 1 min