What does it mean when the Bible speaks of gods being judged? Is wrath just God's angry impulse, or is it the just consequence of misplaced allegiance?

In this episode, Carey dives deep into Deuteronomy 32, reading it not just as a poetic song, but as a cosmic indictment—against Israel, against the nations, and against their gods. Drawing from biblical imagery, ancient Near Eastern thought, and cosmic geography, this episode unpacks why wrath in the biblical story often comes not through lightning bolts, but through the unraveling of covenantal faithfulness.

You'll explore:

• Why the mirroring of heaven and earth is key to understanding judgment
  
  
• How military destruction, pestilence, and exile are linked to divine powers
  
  
• Whether the Bible is de-mythologizing or re-mythologizing its spiritual worldview
  
  
• Why God’s wrath is giving people over to what they desire—and how that's an act of divine faithfulness
  
  
• Connections between Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 91, Habakkuk 3, and 1 Enoch
  
  

With respectful engagement of Dr. Michael Heiser’s work and thoughtful interaction with ancient context, this episode opens the gates to a deeper biblical theology of wrath, judgment, and restoration.

A blog post of interest: Gods, Idols, and the Battle for Worship: A Review of Thomas A. Judge’s Other Gods and Idols

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

• (00:00:00) - Dropping into Divine Council Worldview
• (00:03:25) - Disagreement and Reality of DCW
• (00:07:35) - Heaven and Earth: Mirror Realms and Spiritual Authority
• (00:13:48) - Are Judges Called 'Elohim'? The Importance of Representation
• (00:16:35) - Reading Deuteronomy 32: Enter the Song of Moses
• (00:17:37) - Wrath, Covenant, and the Enemy’s Undoing
• (00:21:26) - A Literary and Theological Breakdown of Verses 1–14
• (00:29:01) - High Places, Honey, and the gods of Bashan
• (00:36:05) - The Second Cycle: Idolatry, Demons, and Divine Jealousy
• (00:40:17) - Wrath as Relational Turn: Not Just Divine Rage
• (00:45:09) - Famine, Pestilence, and Deities of Destruction
• (00:48:10) - Psalm 91 and the Exorcism Context
• (00:52:35) - God Uses Agents: Angels and Rebels
• (00:57:30) - Psalm 58 and Wrath Imagery Expansion
• (01:03:29) - Exile, Nations, and Why the gods Lose
• (01:07:34) - Final Reflections: Wrath as Faithfulness
• (01:08:19) - Outro: Resources, Merch, and What's Next

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

• (00:00:00) - Joy Twisted, Desire Revealed
• (00:02:25) - Why Start with Joy?
• (00:09:00) - Wrath Is Giving Over
• (00:13:14) - Wrath and the Garden: Mercy in Exile
• (00:18:25) - Revelation and Habakkuk: Cupbearers and Carnage
• (00:22:59) - Wrath in the Prophets
• (00:23:56) - Hosea and the False Vineyard
• (00:24:47) - Wrath in Torah: Covenant, Land, and Curse
• (00:30:15) - The Cup as Inheritance
• (00:33:00) - When the Earth Itself Mourns
• (00:36:46) - Wine That Foams: Active Fermentation
• (00:41:07) - The Cup of Jerusalem and the Nations
• (00:44:56) - Babylon as the Golden Cup
• (00:46:46) - Habakkuk and the Ethics of Empire
• (00:47:40) - Dangerous Banquets and Deadly Feasts
• (00:53:18) - Jerusalem as Cupbearer
• (00:54:51) - Wine Withheld, Fruit Denied
• (00:57:03) - Poetry of Prophets: Salvation Twisted to Curse
• (00:58:58) - This Is Not Pagan Rage
• (01:00:26) - Fellowship and Judgment: A Shared Table
• (01:01:19) - What We Inherit Is What We Wanted
• (01:01:47) - Outro & What’s Next

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

• (00:00:00) - The Cup of Wrath and a Necessary Pause
• (00:05:52) - "What If I Don't Drink Wine?"
• (00:07:12) - The Cultural Distance Around Alcohol
• (00:09:33) - Mark Scarlata and the Theology of Wine
• (00:11:08) - What's Wrong with Oil or Honey?
• (00:16:20) - Frame Semantics and Sacred Meaning
• (00:21:10) - Wine, Worship, and Covenant Memory
• (00:24:24) - Soil and Sin: The Ground We Come From
• (00:28:05) - Exile, Wrath, and the Withholding of Presence
• (00:30:46) - The Frames of Soil and Wrath
• (00:34:55) - Daily Life in the Vineyard
• (00:39:27) - Agricultural Calendar of Israel
• (00:43:08) - The Vine from Eden: a Jewish midrash
• (00:46:36) - Satan and the Vine
• (00:47:45) - What About Noah's Wife?
• (00:53:01) - Donkeys Love Wine, Too
• (00:57:28) - The Sacredness of the Vine
• (00:59:41) - Huh. Forbidden Trees...
• (01:02:20) - Conclusion: Cultivating Covenant Before Judgment

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

• (00:00:00) - Battle of Wits and the Biblical Table
• (00:03:30) - What the Bible Says About Wine
• (00:04:22) - Terminology Deep Dive: Wine, Strong Drink, New Wine
• (00:13:36) - The Joy of Wine: Creation, Culture, and Celebration
• (00:15:31) - Wine in Creation & Blessing
• (00:17:40) - Judges 9 and the Fable of the Vine
• (00:25:14) - The Cedars of Lebanon and Creation Imagery
• (00:28:47) - Judges 9:13 – The Gods or God?
• (00:33:02) - Wine and Worship in Proverbs & Ecclesiastes
• (00:36:30) - Covenantal Cups: Melchizedek, Offerings, and Libations
• (00:39:43) - Tithing as Joyful Worship
• (00:46:28) - The Levitical Tithe vs. the Poor Tithe
• (00:54:04) - Giving Was About More Than 10%
• (00:58:57) - A Note on Passover and the Absence of Wine
• (00:59:43) - God’s Character Through His Gifts
• (01:04:05) - Conclusion & Preview of Two Trees Conference
• (01:06:08) - Reflection: Receiving Joy as a Sacred Act

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

• (00:00:00) - Intro & Recap
• (00:01:18) - God works with creation
• (00:02:07) - Setting Up the Big Question
• (00:03:02) - Alcohol in History & Theology
• (00:04:48) - The Downsides of Alcohol
• (00:06:19) - Evolutionary Perspectives on Drinking
• (00:08:45) - Why Do Humans Drink?
• (00:14:04) - Positive Functions of Alcohol
• (00:18:54) - Did Beer Come Before Bread?
• (00:22:07) - Alcohol in the Bible
• (00:24:34) - Wine in Genesis: Mixed Messages
• (00:27:14) - Wine as a Gift of Creation
• (00:28:30) - Wine as Judgment and Folly
• (00:30:15) - Framing Drunkenness Theologically
• (00:33:14) - Noah’s Tent and Frame Semantics
• (00:37:08) - Drunkenness Frame Elements
• (00:41:06) - Echoes of Eden: The Fall Frame
• (00:43:09) - Comparing the Two Stories
• (00:49:47) - Three Interpretive Options
• (00:54:17) - Noah’s Surprising Role
• (00:56:17) - Humanity’s Evolving Role
• (00:59:02) - Final Reflections & Call to Respond

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: D...

• (00:00:00) - Intro & Frame Semantics Recap
• (00:01:36) - Framing the core question: Did the flood cleanse the curse?
• (00:05:49) - Adam, Cain, and the Curse Connection
• (00:06:22) - Noah’s Wife & the Power of Naming
• (00:13:57) - Gender, Blame, and Literary Implications
• (00:16:15) - Ground, Man, and Hebrew Wordplay
• (00:20:39) - From Fruit to Bread: What Changed?
• (00:24:10) - Cain, Adam, and Failed Soil Servants
• (00:29:03) - Introducing Noah: A New Hope?
• (00:30:18) - The Flood’s Chiasm and Literary Design
• (00:34:00) - Noah: Man of the Soil and Mirror to Adam
• (00:36:26) - The Chiasm is Longer Than You Think
• (00:37:48) - Curse Reversed? What God Says After the Flood
• (00:41:52) - Theological Implications of Agriculture
• (00:43:48) - Noah’s Covenant and Re-Creation Motifs
• (00:48:02) - Scholarly opinion on man of righteousness/man of the ground
• (00:50:14) - Drunkenness, Judgment, and the New Role of Noah
• (00:51:38) - Is This Another Fall? Or Something Better?
• (00:54:36) - Righteousness and Restoration
• (00:56:10) - Final Thoughts: Reversing the Curse and Rethinking Sin
• (00:57:40) - Next Steps: Jesus, Wine, and the Conference

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

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