Wholly Buyable

We're all familiar with the phrase "Hallelujah". A heartfelt shout of joy uttered by religious and non religious alike. It first makes landfall in a series of Psalms known, unsurprisingly, as the Halel. We run into these songs here and find that they contain the shortest chapter in the entire Bible, a song that punches above its weight. Expect euphoria. Written and produced by Chas...

Book Five, the final part of the Book of Psalms begins. This is where we meet the most quoted Psalm in the Bible, and one of its most beloved. Psalm 110 sees Israel's great king David referring enigmatically to an even greater king, one who he describes as his Lord, a ruler whose kingdom will reign forever. Christians believe they know who this king might be! But first, the book navigates thr...

Much as the Psalms were songs of praise to God, some were written as a kind of oral history; a retelling of Israel's story set to music. The music and the repeated telling of these stories embedded in Israel's people a sense of where they had come from and how God had rescued them, set them apart and chosen them to be his special people. This podcast retells that retelling in plain Engli...

The Bible (and the Wholly Buyable podcast) reaches its halfway point with songs of such ebullience they have inspired some of the world's greatest musicians. Enjoy the joy. Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music Cover Art by Lisa Goff

The Book of Psalms is so long that it is split into five separate books. This is where Book Four begins. Some believe that these are some of the oldest psalms  and that they were written by the Old Testament ancient, Moses. If that is the case, this would make them some of the oldest writing in the Bible. The transience of life, God's shield of invincibility and his praiseworthiness all take...

The Psalms is not a book you can rush. These poems pack an even greater punch when you stop to inspect them more closely. If you're not religious and just want a better handle on what is in between the leatherette cover of a Bible, you've found your happy place. We're currently sailing through the Book of Psalms, the ancient Jewish songs that not only accompanied worship in Jerusale...

We're halfway through the Book of Psalms and we're hitting peak poetry. To the psalmist, one day in God's courts is worth a thousand elsewhere. He would sooner work as a humble temple guard than live in luxury with his enemy. Adoration of God is the order of the day, interspersed with the occasional request to God to pour out his fury on any nations that do not worship him. As ever,...

Who knew? The title of John Steinbeck's classic has its origins in the Book of Psalms. Join us as the Jews' epic song book passes its midway point. This episode sees the song of a man who seems so broken he cannot speak, and we hear of women who have no more tears left to weep. There is also a history lesson courtesy of the second longest song in the book. All delivered religion free for...

Book Two of the Book of Psalms ends and Book Three begins. David is all but silent and it's the turn of the temple musicians known as the Sons of Korah and another writer called Asaph to have their voices heard. David's son, Solomon, also finds his voice. However, the quintessential themes remain: God is a refuge and a rock and he is called upon to rescue the writers and their nation fro...

A man looking so hard for God that his eyes fail. Enemies forcing people to pay back what they didn’t steal  A man out of his depth as waters continue rising. A king so mocked and shamed that drunks sing about him. These are some of the darker passages in the Bible, but hope remains for the psalmists that God will prevail, and that they will see triumph over their adversaries.

A psalm quoted at the coronation of King Charles III and the first words tapped out by Samuel Morse. The Psalms are a treasure of literary gems while remaining a source of inspiration and encouragement to millions.  Expect gratitude and joy as these ancient songwriters continue to use words to give shape to thankfulness.  

From Bethlehem Shepherd, to all conquering general, to king of Israel. Few people have had a story arc quite as extraordinary as David's. But his journey was not without extreme adversity, and fortunately for readers of the Book of Psalms, he captured his struggle with both enemies and the God who he hoped would protect him in poetry that has endured the centuries. Written and produced by Cha...

In this sequence of Psalms, Israel's king, David suffers a long dark night of the soul after sending a man to his death, he berates an evil shepherd who massacred a community of Israel's priests and is betrayed by a close friend. Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music Cover art by Lisa Goff

The temple musicians known as the Sons of Korah are in full song. A psalm about a glorious king and his bride, three songs eulogising God's earthly capital, Zion, and a song that promises death to those who trust in their own wisdom. \Join us as we jump back into the Jews' ancient song book  Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music Cover art by Li...

The Book of Psalms is so long that it is divided up into five smaller books. This is where Book One ends and Book Two begins. However, the familiar themes of God as a rock and refuge continue, and the spirit of David looms large as both author and inspirer of many of the songs. However, the tone is notably darker and gloomier in Book Two, as praise makes way for lament. Join us as we continue thro...

A betrayal: ruthless witnesses coming forward; accusations, people repaying good deeds with evil ones.  Prayers unanswered, enemies laughing, and slander that appeared never to end.  At what point will God intervene? David asks. These are some of the darkest verses in the Book of Psalms, and some of the most beautiful.  Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Mu...

Hate one another is not a verse you'll find in the Bible but this particular four letter word raises its head in the Book of Psalms. Join us as we navigate our slow moving tourbus through the Bible's longest book and into what seem like stormy waters. Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music Cover art by Lisa Goff

The Jews' songbook continues. Join us as we travel through this richly poetic literature, much of it believed to be written by Israel's king David - or his more than able ghostwriter. What we lose in story or plot twists, we gain in deeply felt emotion as a man bares his heart before God. These are songs that sing to their own tune. Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael...

By far the most famous Psalm and one of the standout passages in the Bible, the shepherd who leads his sheep into green pastures has inspired writers, artists and musicians throughout the ages. It is just one of the beautiful poems you'll encounter in this podcast. Travel with us as we continue our journey through the Jews' epic songbook. Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Mi...

Join me on my audacious attempt to narrate the entirety of the Bible, roughly 20 minutes at a time.  I do my best to keep it secular; this podcast is aimed at people who might never open a Bible, but who feel that it is too important book not to have a working knowledge of. We're making headway into the Bible's longest book, the Book of Psalms, which is effectively an anthology of 150 hy...

The fearless bravado of the young Bethlehem shepherd has long gone. Now he is Israel's king, David has to face threats far more personally draining that that of either the giant Philistine, Goliath or the lions who preyed on his father's sheep. In these songs, David seems worn down by the stress of being Israel's king, and feels threatened from every side. Yet he knows to cry out to...

Adoration, schadenfreude, vindication and hate take centre stage in these songs purported to have been written by shepherd turned giant killer turned king of Israel, David. The king remained close to God for his entire life, and his devout petitions have helped shape how countess Christians and Jews still view God today.

Cancelled. It's easy to think of this as a 21st century phenomenon, but three millennia ago, David is deeply concerned about reputational damage. These songs speak of the king's desire for peace, his distress and his need for healing, but most of all they demonstrate his deep need for - and love of God. What's more, these psalms demonstrate remarkable humility for a proven military...

The poetry continues as we embark on a journey through the Bible's songbook. The Book of Psalms is an epic collection of ancient, beautiful poems in which the writers cry out to God for help, profess their love for God, marvel at his creative power and generally eulogise about him, his temple, his kings and his sheer awe-inspiring majesty. Its 150 songs make the Book of Psalms the Bible'...

Once Job's friend Elihu has wrapped up, it's time for one of the only two people who actually know the truth behind Job's suffering to step up. Having begged for an audience with God and having been ridiculed for seeing himself as worthy of a tribunal with God, God himself joins in the conversation. Prepare to meet two of the Bible's most fearsome creatures as he does so. The B...