Bible Brief | Discover the Story

Yahweh commands Saul to decimate the Amalekites. Saul, however, disobeys and leaves livestock and their king, Agag, alive. Samuel rebukes Saul and says "obedience is better than sacrifice".  Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 15. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible...

The Philistines oppress Israel, and Saul calls Israel to fight against them. However, Saul doesn't wait for Samuel before the battle as commanded. Saul's disobedience comes at great cost. Saul's son Jonathan is used by Yahweh to deliver the nation from the Philistines.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 13-14. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes th...

Saul goes to battle at Jabesh-Gilead, before Samuel delivers his final speech to the nation. A speech encouraging them to be faithful to Yahweh and warning them of the consequences of disobedience. Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 11-12. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible...

Samuel anoints the first king of Israel. Saul, a tall, handsome man from the tribe of Benjamin rises to assume the throne before the nation. But not before trying to hide first! Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 9-10. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundation,...

The Philistines are plagued in every city where they take the ark. Israel and the Philistines meet in battle again, before the people demand the Samuel give them a king like the other nations. Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 5-8. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literac...

Samuel is raised up by God as a prophet in Israel. Meanwhile, the priest Eli and his sons show that they are not the kind of leaders that God esteems. The ark of the covenant is stolen by the Philistines.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 3-4. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the...

Barren Hannah prays for a child as Eli the priest looks on. Yahweh grants her request, and Hannah prays a prophetic prayer. Read along with the story. Today we're reading 1 Samuel 1-2. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundation, dedicated to helping people like you learn the Bible. L...

Read along with the story. Today we're reviewing the Books of Judges & Ruth.   The judges cycle begins as the people of Israel rebel against God. They worship the Baals and Asherah, they marry foreign women, and they disobey God's Law. The nation is in a bad state. However, even in this dark period, God works to fulfill his promise of a coming King. Thank you to our generous patrons...

Moses is dead and Joshua leads the nation into the Land of Canaan to conquer the territory promised to their forefathers long ago. The nation finds success as God is its strength. Read along with the story. Today we're reviewing the Book of Joshua. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Fou...

Naomi launches a plan to help her daughter-in-law, Ruth, achieve rest and security. A plan involving a midnight proposal and the redemption of Land. Naomi ends up with a "son". Boaz ends up with a great lineage. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Ruth 3-4. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to...

Naomi leaves the Land of Canaan for the foreign country of Moab with her husband and two sons. Yet a decade later her husband and sons are dead, with only her daughters-in-law to comfort her. Naomi decides to return to Canaan and her daughter-in-law Ruth joins her. Ruth meets Boaz. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Ruth 1-2. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show p...

Parental Advisory. Screen this episode before listening with children.   The town of Gibeah commits a heinous sin, before their victim suffers violence even after death. Soon the tribe of Benjamin is decimated. Israel is looking more and more like the Canaanites they were supposed to conquer. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 19-21. Thank you to our generous patrons who ma...

A man name Micah hires a Levite to be his household priest, before a cowardly tribe in Israel abandons their land allotment for a different territory. The story culminates with the great reveal of the Levite's name. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 17-18. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought...

Samson has been judging Israel since his triumph over 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Yet, his downfall arrives when he looks upon Delilah, another Philistine woman. Samson's lusts defeat him. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 16. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by...

Samson is born to his previously barren mother as a Nazarite set apart to the Lord. Yet he soon shows his flippancy toward his vow and the Law of Moses. Despite all this, God uses Samson to begin his defeat of the Philistines.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 13-15. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and...

God raises up the deliverer Gideon to save his people from the Midianite raiders. In the process of battle, God shows that numbers don't matter...only God's presence does.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 6-8. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundation...

The cycle of the judges begins with Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah. But it's with Deborah and Barak that we see an amazing defeat of Canaanite chariots before their commander Sisera has his head crushed. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 4-5. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bib...

After Joshua's death, the people of Israel disobey God as the attempt to continue conquering the Land of Canaan. Soon they fall into Baal worship and God consigns them to defeat. Yet, in the midst of their distress, God mercifully provides Judges to save the nation from its enemies. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Judges 1-2. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes thi...

Today we're reviewing the major promises and covenants of the Bible story to help us keep the story in mind as we continue our walk-through. We review the Promise of the Seed, The Abrahamic Covenant, and the Sinai Covenant.  Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundation, dedicated to he...

Joshua is about to die and addresses the nation with a similar message to that of Moses many years prior: Love God, Obey the Law, and Take the Land. He warns the people to be careful to love, fear, and obey Yahweh, lest they be cursed and cast from the Land of Canaan.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading Joshua 23-24. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible....

After Joshua makes the tribal territory allotments, the two and a half tribes of the transjordan build an altar that appears to be made for sacrifices. The other tribes of Israel prepare for war for this apparent breach of God's commands.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading Joshua 22. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-...

Israel turns their attention North after defeating the Amorite alliance in Southern Canaan. They meet the great horde of the north and deliver a decisive blow. Yahweh finally gives the Land rest from war. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Joshua 10-11. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the B...

Gibeon is attacked by the southern alliance of five Amorite kings. Israel marches all night to save the city of Gibeon before continuing an attack into the territory of the Amorites. God rains hailstones upon the Amorites and stops the sun from going down so that the victory can be completed. Read along with the story. Today we're reading Joshua 10. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes...

Joshua leads the nation in a ceremony at Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. Soon after, the nation is deceived into making a covenant with the Gibeonites/Hivites.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading Joshua 8-9. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundation, dedicated to helping peopl...

After success at Jericho, Israel moves to take the city of Ai. Yahweh, however, allows the nation to suffer an embarrassing defeat as he shows his standard of holiness to the nation.  Read along with the story. Today we're reading Joshua 7-8. Thank you to our generous patrons who makes this show possible. The Bible Brief is listener-supported and brought to you by the Bible Literacy Foundatio...