Wise Counsel

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215. Guard Your Steps: Reverence, Worship, and “Welcoming the Spirit” Podcast Description: In this episode, we explore Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 (ESV): “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God… Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God.” What does it mean to approach God carefully? Is this passage about creating a worship atmosphere, or is it something d...

🎙️ Wise Counsel Podcast – Episode 214 Title: “Leaving Enough: The Gleaning Ethic for Today” Scripture Focus: Leviticus 19:9–10 (ESV) Podcast Description In this episode of Wise Counsel , Robert Smith explores Leviticus 19:9–10, where God commands farmers to leave the edges of their fields for the poor and the foreigner. What might seem like a quaint agricultural rule turns out to be a radical call...

🎙️ Wise Counsel Podcast – Episode 213 Title: “The Freedom of Letting Go: Lessons from the Year of Release”Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 15:1–3 (ESV) Podcast DescriptionIn this episode of Wise Counsel, Robert Smith explores Deuteronomy 15:1–3, where God institutes the Year of Release—a built-in system of economic mercy every seven years. What seems radical, even disruptive, reveals a profound truth...

🎙️ Wise Counsel Podcast – Episode 212 Title: “Set Apart: The Nazirite Calling for Everyday Life” Scripture Focus: Numbers 6:1–21 (ESV) Podcast Description In this episode of Wise Counsel , Robert Smith explores Numbers 6 and the Nazirite vow—a voluntary calling to holiness that wasn’t reserved for prophets or priests. What does it mean to set something apart for God, whether it’s a season of fasti...

Most Christians think “taking the Lord’s name in vain” means saying “Oh my God” casually. But in Exodus 20:7, this commandment goes far deeper—it’s about misrepresenting God’s character while claiming His authority. In this episode of Wise Counsel , Robert Smith explores the original Hebrew meaning of this command through insights from Michael S. Heiser and Tremper Longman III, uncovering how this...

In this episode of Wise Counsel , Robert Smith explores Leviticus 12, which addresses ritual uncleanness after childbirth. While it may sound strange—or even unfair—to modern readers, this passage reveals a profound truth: new life touches the boundary between heaven and earth. Drawing on the insights of Michael S. Heiser, Carol Meyers, and Tremper Longman III, Robert shows how these laws weren’t...

In this episode of Wise Counsel , Robert Smith explores Deuteronomy 25:5–10, the commandment about Levirate marriage—when a man was asked to marry his deceased brother’s widow. While it may sound unusual to modern ears, this law demonstrates God’s covenant compassion, protecting widows and preserving family legacy. Drawing on the scholarship of Carol Meyers and Michael S. Heiser, we’ll see how God...

In this episode of Wise Counsel, Robert Smith explores Deuteronomy 17:16–17, where God instructs Israel’s kings not to multiply horses, wives, or gold. At first glance, it seems like a strange, even arbitrary, rule—but scholars like Tremper Longman III and Michael S. Heiser show that these limits reveal profound truths about leadership, humility, and dependence on God. Today, we’ll uncover how the...

In this episode of Wise Counsel, Robert Smith explores what Scripture truly teaches about tithing and generosity, reading from 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (ESV). Many Christians have been taught to give out of obligation or fear, but the Bible presents a radically different vision: cheerful, Spirit-led generosity that reflects the heart of God. Drawing on insights from biblical scholars like N.T. Wright...

In this episode of Wise Counsel , host Robert Smith explores the often-quoted command in Leviticus 19:28 about tattoos. Is this a timeless ban on body art—or was something else happening in the ancient world? Drawing on insights from Dr. Michael S. Heiser and Dr. Carol Meyers, Robert explains how this command addressed pagan mourning rituals and covenant loyalty—not modern self-expression. Along t...

In this episode of Wise Counsel, host Robert Smith explores Leviticus 19:19, where God commands Israel not to wear garments made of mixed fabrics. To modern ears, it sounds trivial or arbitrary—but scholars like Dr. Michael S. Heiser and Carol Meyers show that this law was about sacred order, holiness, and boundaries. Robert unpacks how even the threads of daily life pointed ancient Israel toward...

In this episode of Wise Counsel, host Robert Smith explores the strange-sounding command in Exodus 23:19—“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” To modern readers, it feels arbitrary, even odd. But as scholars like Dr. Michael S. Heiser and Tremper Longman III explain, this law confronts ancient Canaanite fertility rituals and points to a deeper truth about life, holiness, and grat...

In this episode of Wise Counsel, host Robert Smith unpacks one of the Old Testament’s most puzzling commands: Leviticus 19:27 — “You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.” Was God really regulating hairstyles? Scholars like Dr. Michael S. Heiser and Dr. Carol Meyers show that this law wasn’t about grooming—it was about grief, identity, and loyalty. Robert exp...

In this episode of Wise Counsel , host Robert Smith examines one of the most quoted — and most misunderstood — passages on giving: Malachi 3:8–10 . Often used to pressure Christians into tithing, this text was originally spoken to Israel’s covenant community, not to the New Testament Church. Drawing on the insights of Dr. Michael S. Heiser and Dr. John Walton , we’ll uncover how this passage fits...

In this episode of Wise Counsel, host Robert Smith explores 1 Kings 10:14–11:8, where Solomon’s golden age begins to tarnish. What happens when divine wisdom becomes worldly success? Drawing on insights from Dr. Michael S. Heiser and Tremper Longman III, Robert unpacks the meaning behind Solomon’s 666 talents of gold and how wealth, power, and pride can quietly dethrone our trust in God. From anci...

Why do Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25—or January 6—or even September 11 ? Are these dates rooted in pagan traditions, theological patterns, or something else entirely? In this episode of Wise Counsel , we explore how God redeems time, how early Christians thought theologically about calendars, and how biblical scholarship, including the work of Dr. Michael Heiser, brings deeper insi...

🎄 Are Christmas trees and holiday lights pagan? What about gift-giving or Santa Claus? In this episode of Wise Counsel , we explore how Christians can engage with cultural traditions—especially around the holidays—without compromising the gospel. Drawing from the teachings of Dr. Michael Heiser and biblical precedent, we ask: Can tradition be redeemed for God’s glory?

In this episode of Wise Counsel , Robert Smith reflects on Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” The writer of Hebrews invites us to run the race of faith with endurance, supported by those who have gone before. Drawing on Michael S. Heiser’s The Unseen Realm and Craig S. Keener’s commentary on Hebrews, Robert explores how the “cloud of witnesses” rem...