Q&A#117 Why Did David Take Five Smooth Stones?
March 17, 2019
Alastair Roberts
Today's question: "In your video on numerology, you said that we should pay attention to the presence of very specific numbers in surprising places. One possible example I'd like for you to discuss is the five smooth stones of 1 Samuel 17:40. Why be so specific about FIVE stones, when he only ended up using one? And is there any point to the other peculiarly specific details here?"
You can see the numerology video I mention here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi5XB-qQ448.
My blog for my podcasts and videos is found here: https://adversariapodcast.com/.
If you have any questions, you can leave them on my Curious Cat account: https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged.
If you have enjoyed these talks, please tell your friends and consider supporting me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged. You can also support me using my PayPal account: https://bit.ly/2RLaUcB.
The audio of all of my videos is available on my Soundcloud account: https://soundcloud.com/alastairadversaria. You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035?mt=2.
More From Alastair Roberts
Q&A#118 Are David's Five Smooth Stones Related to Christ's Five Loaves?
Alastair Roberts
March 18, 2019
Brief follow-up to yesterday's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5PhDuJ10-Q.
My blog for my podcasts and videos is found here: https://adversar
The Family of Abraham: Part 9—The Destruction of Sodom
Alastair Roberts
March 18, 2019
I discuss the destruction of Sodom and the deliverance of Lot.
My blog for my podcasts and videos is found here: https://adversariapodcast.com/.
If
The Family of Abraham: Part 10—A Threat to the Seed and the Opening of the Wombs of the Gentiles
Alastair Roberts
March 19, 2019
In this episode of my series on the Family of Abraham, I discuss Abraham's sojourn in Gerar, Abimelech's taking of Sarah, and the opening of the Phili
Q&A#116 Numerology
Alastair Roberts
March 16, 2019
Today's question: "Can you present some guidelines for a responsible handling of Biblical numerology? Many numerologists go way overboard, and many so
Q&A#115 Seventy Times Seven
Alastair Roberts
March 15, 2019
Today's question: "Do you know if there is any connection between the “seventy and sevenfold” of Genesis 4:24 and Jesus’ “seventy times seven” in Matt
The Family of Abraham: Part 8—The Visitation of the Angels
Alastair Roberts
March 14, 2019
I discuss the three visitors to Abraham and Sarah at Mamre and the conversation concerning the destruction of Sodom.
My blog for my podcasts and vide
More on OpenTheo
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
#STRask
November 27, 2025
Questions about how to explain modesty to a nine-year-old in a way that won’t cause shame about her body, and when and how to tell a child about a pre
Can Two Logical People Come to Conflicting Conclusions Without Committing a Fallacy?
#STRask
January 8, 2026
Questions about whether two logical people can come to conflicting conclusions on a topic without committing a fallacy, how Greg, as a public figure,
How Can We Know Who Is Teaching the Same Gospel Paul Taught?
#STRask
February 16, 2026
Questions about how we can know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught, and whether or not Jeremiah 1:5 supports the idea that we pre-existed in
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
#STRask
March 9, 2026
Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and ho
How Should I Respond to an LGBTQ Person Who Says He Feels Good About Who He Is?
#STRask
March 2, 2026
Questions about responding to an LGBTQ person who says he feels good about who he is, and whether—since we all have sin in our life we don’t consider
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo
Protestants and Catholics: What’s the Difference? With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Blair Smith, and Mark McDowell
Life and Books and Everything
November 26, 2025
How should Protestants think about the Catholic Mass? About the Eucharist? About the history and development of the papacy? In this panel discussion,
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
#STRask
February 19, 2026
Questions about why it’s necessary to believe Jesus is God, whether belief in the Trinity is required for salvation, and why one has to believe in the
When I Can’t Stop Thinking About Something, Is That God Speaking?
#STRask
December 1, 2025
Questions about whether having a recurring thought is an indication God is speaking to you, what to say to someone who says they sinned because “God t
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 1
Risen Jesus
March 11, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
#STRask
February 23, 2026
Questions about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, advice for someone who believes in God intellectually but struggles to understand how to hav
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
#STRask
March 5, 2026
Questions about how one person could trust another person on the topic of God, how STR obtained information about God that others haven’t obtained, an
Shouldn’t I Be Praying for My Soul Rather Than for Material Things?
#STRask
February 2, 2026
Questions about whether we should be praying for our souls rather than for material things, why we need to pray about decisions, whether the devil can
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
#STRask
December 18, 2025
Questions about how one can justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew messianic prophecies, and whether the reason for the v
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
#STRask
February 26, 2026
Questions about whether or not God hears and answers the prayers of non-believers, and thoughts about a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just