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Podcast: The Bible as Literature
Episode: Dividing the Flock
Description: “Each tree,” Luke will soon explain, “is known by its own fruit.” (Luke 6:44) When Gabriel speaks the command of God, a prophet is born of Elizabeth to “turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.” (Luke 1:16) Likewise, at Gabriel’s command, the Messiah is conceived in Mary’s womb, to “reign over the house of Jacob forever.” (Luke 1:33) The words of God bear good fruit, ushering in life, hope, liberation from bondage, and the Kingdom of the heavens without end. And then there’s the decree of Caesar Augustus: as the words of a shepherd...