What do you mean God speaks?

S4E12: Why the Ten Commandments are not we think they are. Pt.1

Send us Fan Mail Our society no longer really understand what God was speaking to Moses and the Israelites when they received the Ten Commandments and the laws. And so, some of us don't want anything to do with them any more (except maybe the 'don't murder' and 'don't steal' parts); while others among us try to cling on, by posting them on public schools--like statues of dead people that kids don't know or care about. This episode, part 1, will explore the meaning of the first two commandments, which will present us with the frame to understand all the others. It'll be a harder task than it may seem at first glance. Because many of us today simply understand these two--"You shall have no other gods before me," and "Do not make for yourself an idol"--as an effort for one ancient religion to out-compete others. But it's doing something else. And we miss it, because we've been working with the wrong idea of God. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4 Update - The upcoming Soft-Reboot of the Series

Send us Fan Mail So, finally, an update regarding this series. I'm planning a "soft-reboot" of this series in the coming months. No, this does not mean that there won't be a new episode; the next episode of Season 4 is on its way, with the schedule slowly coming back in track. As to what I mean by a "soft-reboot" and why I'm planning it, and what's been happening in the last few months, listen to this interim episode! Also, here's the link to the articles I've been writing for "Geeks Under Grace" website, which I mention near the end: https://www.geeksundergrace.com/author/paul-seungoh-chung/ Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

S4E11: Why there is organized religion, according to Exodus

Send us Fan Mail “Organized religion” seems to have a bad rep nowadays. It’s associated with authoritarian hierarchies, dogmatic beliefs and rigid rules. Many of us instead want to identify ourselves as simply “spiritual”; we want to be people connected with some greater reality, some deeper truths and higher ideals, to something Divine, but without the confines of organized religion. Fair enough. And interestingly enough, in the Bible, the first heroes of faith—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did not belong to some existing “religion,” and neither did Moses, at least at the start. It was from Moses onward that we have something that we’d now call “organized religion.” And the book Exodus recounts why the ancient Israelites needed it, and the reason may surprise us. Because today, we tend to only see one side of this idea, without understanding the other—the side that we’ll begin to explore in this episode. Also: “GOD”? What’s That? A Translation Guide on “God” for our Godless World is now on sale. Publisher’s webpage: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E10: Why we end up in the desert when God calls

Send us Fan Mail After the Israelites escape the Egyptian army that pursued them, they find themselves in the desert. In one sense, this was expected since geographically and physically, Egypt was surrounded by the desert. Yet, the narratives in Exodus, just as in Genesis, are archetypal stories—that is, they describe a kind of templates or pattern of what happens whenever a people follow the call of God. Or to put it differently, that's how Reality works. Such people, at one point or another, will find themselves in some kind of desert. And they will hunger and thirst in that desolate place. But, what does that mean, and how can that be? We will begin exploring this idea that the Exodus account presents us in this episode of What do you mean, “God speaks”? Update on the book: The publication is proceeding even quicker than anticipated, as I’m now reviewing the finalized edit until the end of October. If everything goes well, the book should be out around Christmas time! The title has changed, to differentiate from this podcast series. It is titled, “GOD”? What’s That? A Translation Guide on “God” for our God-less World. Stay tuned for future updates! Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E9: The Sea that God parts in Exodus is no mere "water"

Send us Fan Mail We’ve now returned to start the second half of Season Four. We closed the first half at a key point, exploring the meaning of the blood of the Lamb in the final plague of Exodus, and we'll now begin with the parting of the Sea. Both, it turns out, are closely connected with the ideas weaved through the accounts of Creation and the Flood in Genesis, which in turn points to that of the salvation in Christ. And the key to understanding that is found in what the Sea and its waters meant for the ancients. We’ll first review the past Season(s) and explore the narratives of the aftermath of the final plague to the parting of the Sea. 0:00 Outer Space and the Deep Sea 3:16 Review of where we are: Idea of God speaking 10:32 Review of where we are: the Final Plague 15:59 The meaning of Egypt’s parting gifts to Israel 22:58 What God was speaking to different people 30:18 The Sea as the infinite realm of possibilities 36:55 The parting of the Sea in Exodus Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4Extra3: Book is finished! About its place in this series, and its preface

Send us Fan Mail The manuscript of the book is complete and is now in the hands of the editors. It will still be around the end of this year at the earliest for it to be published, but my work--the writing part--is more or less finished! Thank you for your continued support! This series will return to the main episodes in June, covering the second half of Season Four, "God awaits you in the desert." But here, I wanted to first discuss something about the book, now that it's complete. First, the book will be titled, "What do you mean, 'God speaks'? A Translation Guide on 'God' for our God-less World." So, what is this book is about, and what is its relation to this podcast series? Simply put, this book is what I'd have written for the first season of this series, if I were to have written it today. I will explain what that means here, and then read what is going to go into the preface of this book, which further reveals what this book is trying to do. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4Extra2: Bathroom thoughts on science, belief, Galileo, prophecy, etc.

Send us Fan Mail I'll be working on the book until end of April, and so in the meanwhile, more extra episodes! This episode, I discuss material that did not quite make it into a main episode. One is from Season Three on science and belief-corrections in regard to God. One is from Season Four on Galileo's example of science vs religion. And one that actually doesn't fit anywhere yet. I call this the "bathroom thoughts," because of how many of these ideas start from idle thoughts in a bathroom or some similar setting, and after more critical thinking, become the material of this podcast series and the book. Or, sometimes, not quite make it. Also, my short musing on bathroom thoughts themselves. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

S4Extra1: "God is no more believable than UFOs?" - Publication Offer

Send us Fan Mail We’re back! Sort of. First, this bonus episode is to announce an update and news. The first season of this series is being re-adapted(?) / rewritten as a book and will be published next year. If everything goes as scheduled. So, what with the title of this episode? “A World where God seems no more believable than UFOs” is the catch-phrase of the book, or rather its starting point. It asks—as this series as asked—what “God” really means, when for many of us, God seems “no more believable than UFOs.” What I mean by that, and what this book and the series has to do with that, as well as my musings about my now hopefully completed search to find a publisher willing to invest in my book—that’s what this episode is about. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

S4E8: Why would a Lamb's blood save you? Plague and the Lamb II

Send us Fan Mail What do we need to make a better world? In a world filled with the news of wars, injustices, human-made catastrophes, what do we need? In a world where our future seem so uncertain and bleak at times, even with all of the marvels we accomplished and progress we’ve made, what will lead us to tomorrow? And the Christian Bible poses an answer in the form of a symbolic act; long ago, God’s judgment came upon a land, upon every family and every living thing there, to strike down its future. But, that judgment “passed over” the houses marked with the blood of a lamb. Why? What did the lamb’s blood symbolize, and why is that what Jesus understood as what his own suffering and death would bring about? This is part two of the episodes exploring the final plague and Passover lamb in the Exodus account, and its significance to the Christian understanding of Jesus Christ. Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E7: Why God strikes every firstborn of Egypt - Plague and the Lamb 1

Send us Fan Mail We’re back again for another episode! This is a kind of milestone for the series, as we cover a key narrative in Exodus—that of the final tenth plague, which connects to the Gospel account of Jesus Christ. And the question we must first wrestle with is: why does God strike down every firstborn in Egypt? The plague horrifies with us with the image of dead children, though according to Exodus, it’d have struck down both young and old, and even the animals—but that of course only makes it worse. Why is God’s judgment so indiscriminate? But, what if there’s something more to this plague? What if the story of this plague means something deeper than what’s on the surface? What if it is connected with other stories and ideas that both challenge and expand our idea of what God’s judgment really means? And what if that is why it connects to the story of Jesus Christ, saving all of humanity? This is actually the first part of a two-part episode, which I had to split because of the length. So, I really want to get the second episode finished and uploaded within this month, though the latest trends suggest that this will be very challenging. So please keep me in your thoughts, and for those who pray, your prayers! Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E6: Divine Intervention or Natural Events? What the Plagues Meant

Send us Fan Mail Were the plagues that struck Egypt in Exodus Divine intervention or natural events? This is a question that is raised by those who present natural explanation for these plagues. But, things that follow laws of nature are God speaking, just as things that do not seem to. The real question is: what distinguishes these events in Exodus from just any other things that happen? Because the difference will not be found in whether they are natural or not. And there is a difference in what it meant for God to speak and unfold these plagues, both in what they communicated, and how God was communicating them. For the first nine plagues were primarily about communication, rather than punishment. How these plagues unfolded would have meant something very clear and specific for the ancient Egyptians who experienced them. And God was speaking not only to human beings, but to things in Nature, to unfold these events. For though everything is God speaking, God also speaks to everything. Join me this episode to explore what I mean. Also, thank you for waiting during this long, unplanned hiatus! Your continued support and encouragement really does keep this series going! [Note Jul 1, 2024 : The first section, discussing the Pharaoh's motivation was removed to shorten the episode, since it was largely review of the previous episode. It seems this change isn't being updated though on most apps though, for some reason--the episode should be just 40 minutes long otherwise. ] ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E5: Why God hardened Pharaoh's heart and then punished him for it

Send us Fan Mail One of the more perplexing and disturbing part of the Exodus account is when God hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he does not listen to Moses and let the people of Israel go. But then, God punishes him it by unfolding disasters--the plagues--upon Egypt. But, this seems profoundly unjust! What is the idea that the Bible is presenting about God? That nothing we do matters? However, it turns out that the message is in fact the exact opposite. There is something far more that is going on in this account. How Pharaoh's heart is hardened describes how we relate to reality, or fail to, what leads to that failure, and then locks us in. 3:12 Channels of truth available to the Pharaoh 14:18 What it means for the heart to be "hard" to truth 23:50 What actively "hardening one's heart" does to you 32:00 When God actually hardened Pharaoh's heart 34:20 What is really happening when God hardens the heart ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E4: How Moses learns God is speaking with him step-by-step

Send us Fan Mail God that spoke to Moses is "Yahweh," unfolding everything around him. But, the question was: will reality unfold what this voice spoke to him? What if things go wrong? What if Moses was deluded, or mistaken, or deceived? How Moses, and people who hear God speak to them, find out whether what they hear is true--whether God really is speaking with them--is actually a step-by-step process. Rarely do we make some heroic leap of faith, at least at the start. We embark on that journey, one step at a time. And sometimes, the first step can be very, very small. But, the question that reality confronts us with--question that God asks--is "What will it take for you to take that step? And will you when that path opens before you? Whether we do or not separates people like Moses and those who aren't. 3:03 God's name points to reality unfolding around us 11:38 Wavering between following or ignoring God’s voice 17:47 What it means for anger of God to burn against you 24:00 The question is, what it make you take the next step? 31:48 Taking the next step when stakes go up ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E3: What does the name "YHWH" mean, and why it matters

Send us Fan Mail Consider what it means for things to have names. Names point to things, and at least to some extent, tells us what they are. But, what could possibly be the name of God? After all, it would need to "point to" all of reality as a whole. According to the Bible, the name of God spoken to Moses is "I am that I am," which in turn is presented as the meaning of the Hebrew name of God, "Yahweh." This passage has fascinated theologians and philosophers, because of the concept of "Being" and "existence" that it presents. However, this meaning presents something more immediate to our lives; it points to our experience of reality that unfolds around us, and invites us to a journey to find out what will unfold in our lives. 3:59 What it means for God to speak from the burning bush 9:47 How Moses can know whether God really spoke to him 16:51 Why "miracles" God shows Moses is only the first step 23:07 What does it even mean to name God? 32:16 It / He Just IS, and what that means 37:30 Name of God calls us to see what reality unfolds ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E2: Why Moses heard God from a burning bush

Send us Fan Mail It is an iconic scene in the Bible: God calls Moses from the burning bush. But, why the burning bush? After all, God can speak through an immeasurable number of things. It is because the bush that does not burn up, and the flame that blazes, yet will not burn itself out, means something to Moses--and to us--which connects us to how God, speaking all of reality, can speak to human individuals in a powerful and personal way. We'll explore what that is in this episode. (edit: Jan 30, added ~1 minute of content from 26:26, and revised sentences that were too long the final 5 minutes ) 2:21 Moses is “born” twice – his birth narrative 8:28 Moses as a failed “Zorro / Batman” 16:51 Moses’s life before the Burning Bush 24:43 What was the fire, and "The Angel of the LORD" 32:33 What did the burning bush mean? --------------------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4E1: Who were they before they were "Israel"?

Send us Fan Mail The fourth Season opens to explore the question of the people of Israel described in Exodus. Who were they? What is the significance of their story, regarding their oppression and slavery? What remnants or echoes, if any, remain of their story in the records and memory of ancient history, and what are their significance? And where are we headed from here? 2:21 Biblical stories as "Myth that has become History" 14:43 Opening of Exodus and the oppression of Israel 19:45 Egypt and the Hyksos, the Shasu, and Israel 27:46 Who were the Hebrews, 'Apiru, and why this matters 35:03 The Slave Bible and Exodus story as timeless truth ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S4 Prologue: They were born in the desert

Send us Fan Mail Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! To celebrate(?), here is the trailer for Season 4 of "What do you mean, God speaks?" God awaits in the desert The prologue, "They were born in the desert" Music : "Exodus" by Tenacious Orchestra - Licensed from PremiumBeat.com ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S3Post4: What I believe, and the stories we didn't cover

Send us Fan Mail The final 3rd Season’s post-season episode returns to some issues to wrap up before we move on to Season 4. First, part of this Season wrestled with the question that historians today has raised regarding the historicity of the life-stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their family—as they are recounted in the book of Genesis. But, what do I personally believe regarding the position held by most historians today? Here’s why the answer to that is somewhat complicated (and oddly, why it is related to how I deal with the question of the multiverse raised by some scientists today). Second, we will return to explore two of the stories in Genesis we didn't cover in this Season—the stories of two women: Dinah, and Tamar. Listen to why we did not cover their tales in the main season, and why they are nevertheless quite important. And lastly, check out how the word, “sex,” was said more times in this single episode than the entire series so far put together! 0:00 Why would I leave things out of an episode? 3:09 What I believe about “historicity”… and the multiverse 18:28 Story of Dinah 28:54 Story of Tamar ----------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S3Post3: Vote for a person, not a party (some Biblical reasons why)

Send us Fan Mail There’s this adage that says, “Don’t talk about religion or politics unless you want to get in trouble.” Well, this series is all about religion, so we might as well go the rest of the way this episode, and talk about politics! Now, politics is not what we usually explore in this series. But, it might be good to listen to me thinking aloud on topics outside my area, especially if these ideas are based on some of the insights and ideas this series has examined in the main episodes. In this case, the importance of the person, the character of the people we select as our leaders, over what they supposedly stand for. Here are some reasons--from the Christian perspective--why you might want to vote for a person even if they hold views or position you disagree with! 0:33 To examine who we are is to examine our relation to reality - God 6:53 Why democracies are vulnerable to ourselves 17:28 My proposal : Vote for a person, not a party ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.

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S3Post2: Renounce racism, but overcome prejudice

Send us Fan Mail It seems, at least from popular conversations in the News, opinion articles, or the constant postings on SNS, we are labeling more or more things or people as racist. Now, racism does remain a significant problem even in countries and societies that have made significant progress against it, and strands of it do seem to have been woven into the societies and institutions we have inherited. But, I also think that we have been too indiscriminate in labeling things or people simply as "racism" or "racist," with neither nuance or reflection--at least, at the popular level. So, as a post-season extra episode, here's my rough and partial reflections on the issue of racism. To be specific, why I've concluded that we should distinguish two closely related things that are often identified together: prejudice, and racism. ---------------------------------------- Support the show ---------------------------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatdoyoumeangodspeaks/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Seungoh My new book: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385244102/god-whats-that/ * Please review or rate this series on Apple Podcast and other platforms! * You can financially support this show by clicking the "Support the Show" line above.