Because of some life changes, I'm taking an indefinite hiatus from the podcast. I hope to return sometime next year, but work and family need more of my time at the moment. Thanks for going on this journey with me so far!

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on 1 Samuel 11–16, Joel offers some thoughts about speaking on God's behalf, and how we compromise that ability when God always tends to agree with us.
RESOURCES:The Bible Project looks at Saul's kingship here: https://bibleproject.com/blog/saul-tale-self-deception/An Anglican take on Saul as tragic hero: https://anglicancompass.com/discover-israel-king-saul-tragic-leader/An interesting look at the difference between Saul and Jonathan as leaders: https://theabigailproject.org/sauls-blame-shifting-tactics/Saul's rash vow: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/saul-troubles-the-land
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on 1 Samuel 5–10, Joel offers some thoughts about power, authority, and their effects on human beings who possess or are exposed to them.
RESOURCES:An article about Dagon's bowing before the Ark: https://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/what-made-dagon-bow/Regarding the plague that his the Philistines: http://www.talmudology.com/jeremybrownmdgmailcom/2019/8/22/keritot-5b-hemorrhoids-plague-and-the-ark-of-godThe sons of Samuel and Eli: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Sons-of-Eli-and-Samuel-Children-of-Priest-Prophet-and-JudgeFrom the Orthodox Church, about Samuel's sorrows: http://dce.oca.org/assets/templates/bulletin.cfm?mode=html&id=96More thoughts on Samuel's sons: https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011/02/12/personal-profile-joel-and-abijah/Samuel's historical influence in Israel: https://www.jewishhistory.org/samuel-and-the-seeds-of-monarchy/A devotional about Saul's anointing: https://shereadstruth.com/saul-anointed-as-king/
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.
In this episode on Ruth 3–4 and 1 Samuel 1–4, Joel offers some thoughts about blind spots and how important it is to try and be aware of our own blind spots.
RESOURCES:Here are two of Rachel Held Evans' articles about Ruth and the Proverbs 31 woman:https://rachelheldevans.com/blog/3-things-you-might-not-know-about-proverbs-31https://rachelheldevans.com/blog/mutuality-women-roles
Here's some thoughts about the kinsman-redeemer and redemption: http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2014/05/redemption-and-goel.htmlAn article about Levirate marriage: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/levirate-marriageA reflection about Peninnah's bullying of Hannah: https://www.atthewellproject.com/blog//woman-on-woman-bullying-in-the-story-of-hannahA Jewish midrash about Hannah and Peninnah: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/peninnah-midrash-and-aggadahTwo articles with thoughts about Samuel and Eli's relationship: https://thealternatepath.org/tag/eli-and-samuel/A short article with reflection questions about Hophni and Phineas: https://redeemedmind.com/2018/07/27/hophni-phineas-samuel-1-samuel-212-321/
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on Judges 18–21 and Ruth 1–2, Joel offers some thoughts about how ethics are not linked to ethnicity, and how evil can come even from God's people.
RESOURCES:There are several excellent articles on the Levite and his concubine. The story is terrifying, and these articles take pains to address the horror in the story:https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/concubine-of-levite-biblehttps://www.womeninthebible.net/women-bible-old-new-testaments/levites-concubine/https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-levite-the-concubine-and-israels-story/https://meetinggodinthemargin.com/2017/06/28/first-reading-of-judges-19-the-levites-concubine/
Setting the horror of the end of Judges in context: https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/joshua-judges-and-work/chaos-judges-1-21/israel-falls-apart-judges-17-21/human-depravity-and-the-complicity-of-religious-authorities-unveiled-judgesHere's a good primer on the book of Ruth: https://bibleproject.com/learn/ruth/Ruth's faithfulness analyzed: http://www.thefellowship.site/archives/2016/3/26/resolutely-faithful-ruth-16-18
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on Judges 12–17, Joel offers some thoughts about "following your heart," passion, and the importance of having boundaries on passions.
RESOURCES:We have shibboleths in our culture today, as this article shows: https://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wc/you-say-to-mah-to-everyday-shibboleths/A Jewish take on Samson's story: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/samson/One pastor's thoughts on Samson eating honey from a lion carcass: https://pastortravislv.com/2016/05/10/honey-from-a-carcass-judges-142-3-8-9/Disregarding the Bible, even when it's difficult, can lead to disaster: http://hereadstruth.com/2018/08/20/micahs-priest/A summary of the Micah story, including some from next week's reading: https://ralspaugh.wordpress.com/2017/06/12/old-testament-adventures-micah-and-the-levite-judges-17-18/
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on Judges 6–11, Joel offers some thoughts about the difference between charisma and character and how God uses both.
RESOURCES:
A thoughtful meditation on asking God for a sign: https://www.growingchristians.org/devotions/faith-and-fleeces/A devotional about Gideon and the ephod: https://sneakingoffwithgod.com/2013/09/07/gideons-ephod-and-the-benefit-of-wise-counsel/One way of approaching the stories of Abimelech and Jephthah for children: https://marilynnross.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/teaching-the-book-of-judges-to-children-abimelech-and-jephthah/Here's some Jewish thought about Jephthah's vow: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/jephthahs-daughter-midrash-and-aggadah
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on Joshua 24, Judges 1–5, Joel offers some thoughts about how God uses broken people both through and in spite of their brokenness.
RESOURCES:Book of Judges timeline: There have been several attempts to put a timeline together for Judges:1) This author has dedicated a ton of research to the Exodus route and timeline, and builds his Judges timeline from that: https://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-date-chronology-of-judges.htm2) Bible Hub offers many free resources, including this timeline: https://biblehub.com/timeline/judges/1.htm3) This offers some thoughts behind how someone might puzzle out the Judges timeline: http://www.thebiblicaltimeline.org/the-judges/
An overview of the book of Judges: https://overviewbible.com/judges-of-israel/A post about what the book of Judges is doing--and not doing: https://bibleproject.com/blog/judges-messianic-hope/Some thoughts on Deborah as a judge: https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/joshua-judges-and-work/chaos-judges-1-21/the-judges-judges-3-16/deborah-judges-4-5An analysis of Deborah from a Jewish perspective: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/deborah-the-prophetess/
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.

In this episode on Joshua 18–23, Joel offers some thoughts about the surety of God's promises.
RESOURCES:Maps: There are three maps below, each of which offers a slightly different understanding of the tribal boundaries.1) This shows Simeon fully within Judah, and Dan has both a region in the west and the north: https://www.bible-history.com/biblemaps/wp-content/uploads/25-twelve-tribes-color-1.gif2) Simeon is nowhere to be found here, and the eastern Manasseh tribe has been swallowed up by Dan: http://www.pray4zion.org/images/graphics/twelvetribesmap1.jpg3) Simeon is fully within Judah, and Dan is strictly in the west here: https://visualunit.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/tribes_map_new.pdf
Here's one article about the cities of refuges, go'el, and Jesus: https://www.theaquilareport.com/a-refuge-for-the-guilty-soul/This is a devotional about God's faithfulness based on Joshua 21: https://www.learnreligions.com/gods-word-never-fails-joshua-2145-701680This is a good devotional based on the confrontation in chapter 22: https://ifiwalkedwithjesus.com/joshua-2210-34-a-witness/
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot

Interested in reading the Bible? Me too! Welcome to the Old Testament Reading Plan weekly podcast.
In this episode on Joshua 12–17, Joel offers some thoughts about the importance of maintaining purity and welcoming the imperfect or sinful.
RESOURCES:There's some ambiguity about where Caleb settled, as we can see here: https://www.thetorah.com/article/what-was-caleb-the-kenizzites-connection-to-hebronInterpreting the Achsah story is challenging. Here's a geographic interpretation: https://womenfromthebook.com/2013/05/06/achsah-the-daughter-who-asked-for-more-part-3/Here's an interpretation that's a bit more metaphorical: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/achsah-midrash-and-aggadah
READING PLAN LINKS:Download the reading plan at https://bit.ly/2021OTplanHave a question? Submit it at https://bit.ly/Ask-OTFind this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y57KVYFind this podcast on Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/OTPlanGoogFind this podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/OTPlanSpot