"Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

It's no wonder that these words written some 800 years before the birth of Jesus make the prophet Isaiah such a favourite with Christians, especially at Christmas. 

However, before Jesus arrives to save the day, things are going to get worse for Israel. Much, much worse.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover art by Lisa Goff

Send any comments or feedback to [email protected]

X: @WhollyBuyable

WARNING: This episode mentions child death and rape

It's easy to see the Bible as fable, a kind of religious fairy tale with a moralistic sting in its tail.

Passages like this one show that much of the book is rooted in actual historical events.

These chapters are a snapshot of the late eighth century BC Middle East.

The prophet Isaiah is begging the king of one of these nations (Ahaz of Judah) not to enter an alliance with two others (Israel and Aram) against the threat of an invasion from the Assyrian Empire.

Instead, Ahaz should rely on God.

In his prophecy which involves naming his own children as a sign to Judah and describing dead bodies lying like excrement on Jerusalem's streets, Isaiah appears to predict the arrival of Jesus, a divine rescuer who he refers to enigmatically as 'The Light of the World.'

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover art by Lisa Goff

Send any comments or feedback to [email protected]

X: @WhollyBuyable

The poetry books are over and now it's time for the prophets to step up.

These are the maverick outsiders, the truth tellers who appear able to channel the word of God and to warn their nations of the danger of turning their backs on him.

Of all the men who rage through the pages of these books, Isaiah is perhaps the most quintessential, and certainly the most poetic.

He is also much beloved of Christians, as he makes what appear to be pin sharp predictions of Jesus sone seven hundred years before he was born.

Let the prophecy begin!

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover art by Lisa Goff

Send any comments or feedback to [email protected]

How this book made it into the Bible is a mystery.

Why it rarely gets a outing in church services us not surprising.;

The Song of Songs is steamy stuff, so much so we've had to put an 'explicit content' warning on this episode.

Some see the book as a metaphor for God's love for his church, others see a gentleman delighting in the aromatic fruits of a lady's garden as a wholly different kind of metaphor.

Enjoy

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover art by Lisa Goff

Send any comments or feedback to [email protected]

In a book that rarely veers away from blank negativity and abject realism, the Teacher in Ecclesiastes gives readers yet another reality check:

The fast don’t always win the race nor are the strong guaranteed to prevail in battle. 

The wise don’t always have enough to eat, the brilliant aren’t always rich and everyone is subject to the vagaries of time and chance. 

We simply make the most of the cards we are dealt and find joy where we can.

(It'll come as no surprise that Ecclesiastes is one of the least quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament.)

Suffering is part of the human condition.

But is it part of God's plan for his people?

Why, if he is all powerful, doesn't he stop it?

Yes listeners, we go there.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover Art by Lisa Goff

Gilead. Marthas. Handmaids. Eyes. They sound biblical but if they are, where and what do these references mean? Are actual slave women co-opted as surrogate baby providers in the Bible? Do they truly lie in their mistresses' laps to conceive and give birth? What do the Handmaids mean by "Blessed be the fruit"? And who was the original Jezebel? Fans of the show need look no further. This is the Bible of the Handmaid's Tale.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield.

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover art by Lisa Goff

Send any questions or feedback to [email protected]

Meaningless! Meaningless! There aren't many books in the Bible or otherwise that begin as bleakly as this one.

And, plot spoiler, the vibe doesn't lift much as Ecclesiastes progresses.

There is no point to life it seems than for a person to eat, drink and take what pleasure they can from work, as a human lifespan is as brief as it is pointless. Furthermore, the dead are soon forgotten.

Enjoy!

Unexpectedly, given that the only women described in the Book of Proverbs so far have been an adulteress and a quarrelsome wife, the book's finale is a eulogy to a character referred to as "the Wife of Noble Character".

This woman is a striking example of smartness, industry, economy, care and moral support, and also provides a fascinating insight into the independence of ancient Near Eastern woman at a time when many assume wives were second class citizens. Instead, this woman is as essential as she is fabulous.

Death and Destruction are never satisfied, a fool can be crushed into powder yet still not lose his foolishness, and good friends sharpen each other with honest feedback.

The Bible's proverbs are universal and speak to people outside of any religion as well as those who revere the Bible as their holy book. They can be read as advice from a father to his son, a mandate from God to his people or simply as timeless poetry.

If it's 3000 year old wisdom you're after, step this way.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield

Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music

Cover Art by Lisa Goff

[email protected]