Likely battling for the title of "most-ignored-and-forgotten-book-of-the-Bible" is the prophecy of Zephaniah. Perhaps that's because it's so short (three chapters) that if the pages of your Bible stick together you could flip right past it without noticing. However, there's a lot of punch in those three chapters. One author summarizes the work this way: "The Book of Zephaniah focuses on the needs of the people of God to live in righteousness before God. A people who do not respect the needs of the oppressed and care for genuine worship before God cannot long prosper. Zephaniah preached about the Day of the Lord and the impending judgment of the people of Judah. Zephaniah also believed in the sovereignty of God to preserve his remnant. Zephaniah delivered his message in the dark days before Josiah’s reform became evident. His message ever reminds the reader that God desires humble submission unto him" (Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 379).

Alex Konya joins us today to unpack this lesser-known section of Scripture. Alex currently serves as Regional Director of Word of Life ministries in Europe, recruiting and examining potential missionaries, discipling and ministering to field directors, and overseeing the ministries in the European countries. He also has an extensive preaching, teaching, and writing ministry himself.

The Bible, as a book, is as epic as it is unique. Written by some forty different authors across three different continents over the span of nearly two millennia, this huge text is remarkably and perfectly consistent, confirming what it says about itself—that it is breathed out by God, inspired by him, perfectly revealing himself, his work, and his will.

However, as wonderful as it is, sometimes Scripture can be overwhelming. As readers and students enter into the trees of individual testaments, books, and chapters, the risk is that we get disoriented and lose sight of the forest. So today, we're going to climb above the canopy and catch our bearings by focusing on one of the major unifying aspects of Scripture, that of the biblical covenants.

And to help us do that, we welcome to the podcast Dr. Paul Martin Henebury. Dr. Henebury, a native of England, currently lives in California where he pastors and teaches theology and apologetics. One of the main foci of his studies, lectures, and writings has been the biblical covenants—those noteworthy oaths God made with specific people, containing specific promises, for specific purposes.

When summarizing books of the Bible, few do it better than Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. Here's what they have to say about the text we arrive at in our study now: "Habakkuk prophesies in Judah before its final distribution at the hands of the Babylonians. Like Job, he honestly raises the perplexing question of why a just God is silent, and why the cries of the faithful seem to go unheard. He sits in his watchtower awaiting God's answer. And in reply, God declares to his prophet a timeless principle of trust in his sovereignty. The wicked will be dealt with ... in God's own way and in his own time. He will use the even more wicked Babylonian nation as his divine instrument of justice. When Habakkuk reacts with dismay and shock, God patiently instructs his messenger until at last the prophet is able to respond in praise and trust."

Today we welcome to the podcast Dr. Alex Gonzales. Dr. Gonzales currently serves as Associate Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary where he teaches courses that cover the breadth of the biblical canon as well as Bible study methods and interpretation. All that to say, he’s a great candidate to help us work our way through the text in front of us now—the book of Habbakuk.

Matthew 17 ends with a short and strange story involving a temple tax, a parabolic rhetorical question, and a wealthy fish; all tied together with Jesus making a statement about avoiding offence. It's a passage that offers some unique and specific challenges for followers of Jesus, most of which seem particularly applicable for a time like this. Join with Josiah and Andrew as they seek to continue to appropriately, and not unnecessarily, offend whilst discussing this fascinating text.

"Almost three thousand years ago, the ancient Assyrians began to flex their muscles. For the greater part of the period from the end of the tenth century to the seventh century BC, this dynamic military power dominated the ancient Near East. At its height the Assyrians could lay claim to an empire that stretched across Asia Minor, from Egypt in the west, to the border between Iran and India in the east, and from Russia in the north, to Arabia in the south.

"At the heart of this mighty empire in its latter days lay Nineveh, encircled by massive walls and many watchtowers, guarding majestic palaces, temples and gardens. It was vast, impregnable and seemingly indestructible.

"Yet the rapid collapse of mighty Nineveh is one of the great mysteries of history. So, how could Nineveh, in particular, and Assyria, in general, vanish in such a spectacular fashion? The prophet Nahum leaves us in no doubt: God was against them, but he was with his people" (Clive Anderson, Opening up Nahum, 8).

To help us better understand this often neglected section of Scripture we welcome to the podcast Filipe Santos. Filipe is a missionary who has been serving at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil since 2019, prior to which he and his family were stationed in South Korea and, before that, in Hungary. At his current post in Brazil, Filipe holds the position of Dean of the Graduate School and as a professor of Bible and Theology.

After the glorious mountaintop experience at the beginning of Matthew 17, Jesus, James, John, and Peter return to find the other 9 disciples in an embarrassing situation. Having been asked to heal a demon-possessed boy by his concerned father, they failed, and Jesus rebukes them publicly, along with the crowd, for their lack of faith. Today on the podcast, Josiah and Andrew discuss this passage, and what it means to serve and meet needs through the power that is available through faith in Jesus.

The prophet, Micah, asks pointedly and rhetorically: "Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of his possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in unchanging love" (7:18). The implication is that God is entirely unique in his willingness and ability to forgive even the deepest betrayals, those that have come to characterize the people he chose, protected, loved, and with whom he covenanted. What mercy! What grace! Indeed, God hates sin, but he loves the souls of the sinners.

To help us better understand this prophetic book we welcome to the podcast Dr. JoAnna Hoyt. Dr. Hoyt is a self-professing Hebrew nerd who currently serves as an associate professor at Dallas International University where she, very fittingly and unsurprisingly, teaches Hebrew and Hebrew discourse features. All of that will, I’m sure, come in handy and be on display in our conversation today.

Matthew 17 brings us to one of those glorious moments in scripture, as we get a glimpse into the holy ground that is the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. As was discussed in our most recent Sunday sermon, this incredible, nearly indescribable event was as important as it was awesome, in confirming a number of essential truths for those who witnessed it (and, in turn, for those of us who read about it now!) Join with Josiah and Andrew as they explore these divine confirmations, and understanding just why this moment was so important.

How better to introduce a conversation on the book of Jonah than by quoting one of the best theologians and commentators on the subject.

"Jonah is one of the most well-known biblical stories. ... It is precisely because we know the story so well that we must work even harder when reading it, otherwise our over-familiarization can dull our senses to the beautiful narration and theological complexities within the story. For example, it is easy to consider the story to be over after chapter three, simply ignoring the final chapter. But it is that last chapter which addresses the theological puzzle that is key to interpreting and understanding the book of Jonah. It is in the last chapter where we fully comprehend that Jonah knew great theological truths but tried to limit those truths. It is in the last chapter where the reader must wrestle with their own theology and their own desires to put limits on the God of their theology" (Hoyt, 335).

Today, we welcome back to the podcast, László Kádár. Laci serves as staff Bible teacher and evangelist at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Hungary. He’s a gifted preacher and teacher and diligent student of God’s word and, because of that, he's a great candidate to help us think through this well-known but oft-misunderstood and mis-applied book of the Bible.

In the third Psalm, we read the perspectives of King David as he fled from his scheming son Absalom who incited a rebellion in an attempt to take the throne. While David does not shy away from the brutality of his situation, he also does not leave us in a hopeless place. Instead, by remembering the ways God had been faithful to him in the past, he demonstrates an appreciation for God's sustenance, a hope for God's salvation, and a trust in God's sovereignty. Join with Andrew and Josiah as they discuss this short psalm, and how we can learn from David's example in times of opposition and suffering.