Out of Zion with Susan Michael

Ezekiel leaves the exiles with his final vision of a magnificent temple belonging to a future era of restoration. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to bow down to the golden idol and are delivered out of the fiery furnace. This act of obedience brought great glory to God and impacted King Nebuchadnezzar. It also demonstrated to the exiles that if only they too had not bowed to their idols, the...

The Lord gives King Zedekiah one last chance to save Jerusalem from destruction, but he refuses. So, the Babylonians conquer Judah and burn all of Jerusalem including the temple, and a remnant flees to Egypt taking Jeremiah with them. Back in Babylon the prophet Ezekiel begins to prophesy coming events during which God will vindicate His great name. There is hope after all. This episode complement...

God gives King Zedekiah one last chance to repent but he refuses. So Ezekiel’s wife dies as a prophetic sign it is all over and the Lord had lost his beloved Israel to judgment. He had done everything He could to avoid this moment, but it was now over. Jeremiah begins to have visions of a future spiritual restoration under the Messiah and a new covenant God would cut with His people. That new cove...

While Jeremiah was the main prophet within the kingdom of Judah, God calls one of the exiles to be the prophet to those in captivity. Ezekiel has tremendous visions beginning with one when God calls him into ministry and the second one when He is taken to Jerusalem and shown the idolatry in the temple. The prophet then observes the departure of the Glory of God over the eastern gate of the temple...

This week is the beginning of the end of Judah as Babylon turns it into a vassal state and begins deporting exiles. One young man taken into exile early on is Daniel who later reads the prophet Jeremiah’s letter in which he says Babylonian dominance would last 70 years. King Zedekiah is given the chance to repent but instead his reign becomes the last eleven years of Judah’s existence. This episod...

As Assyria falls and Babylon emerges, the prophet Jeremiah gets impatient with God and complains about the ridicule and rejection he is facing by prophesying coming judgment. But God is at work, and as the godly king Josiah is renovating the temple, a copy of the ancient law of Moses is found. Josiah now understands just how sinful the nation has been and what lies ahead. God was revealing His Wor...

As Zephaniah is warning that the Day of the Lord is coming and Jeremiah begins his hard and lonely calling to warn Judah about their sinful ways, King Josiah begins to purge the nation of idolatry. While his reforms are not enough to stop eventual exile, Zephaniah tells of a day when God will bring them back home and will rejoice over His people with singing. This episode complements the daily rea...

The prophet Isaiah saw into the future and described the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross in astounding detail. He also foresaw a day when God would restore His people to their land with the blessing and assistance of the gentiles. Isaiah’s book ends with a powerful declaration that Israel’s future is as sure as the new heaven and new earth that God would create.  This episode complemen...

Renowned Bible teacher, Kay Arthur, shares her love for the book of Isaiah and the lasting message it has carried across millennia. It speaks to the very days in which we live and instructs us how to live our lives. Let Isaiah speak to you as Kay shares from his phenomenal book. Face to Face With a Holy God: Isaiah by Kay Arthur  - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0736923055/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_WP64DGNZ...

King Hezekiah eliminated paganism throughout the Kingdom of Judah and reestablished pure worship of God in the temple. He also turned to God in times of need and as a result He experienced the grace of God—who not only healed him and extended his life but defeated the mighty Assyrian army. The prophet Isaiah knew this respite from judgment would be short-lived but he also saw into the future when...

Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord sings a song over his vineyard—the nation of Israel—and explains how there is no fruit coming from the vines so he is giving the vineyard over to be destroyed. One day, however, they will take root again and fill the whole earth with fruit. It was with this hope that the people of the northern kingdom of Israel went into exile. One kingdom was down, and while i...

The prophet Isaiah was called at a critical moment in history with a mission to speak to a people who would not hear nor understand him. He was not called to great success in terms of impact but to declare the word of the Lord as a witness to what was about to happen. The prophet Micah was raised up during the same period and predicted many specific events. Both had glorious visions of a future me...

The Kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam II was extremely wealthy, strong, and expansive. It looked great from the outside, but inside idolatry was taking over and society was decaying. The prophets Hosea and Amos list the sins of the people and attempt to bring them to repentance. Hosea describes them as an adulterous wife who God intends to heal of her waywardness and love freely once again. Th...

The period of the divided kingdom includes a few good kings who try to do right but for the most part, it is full of idolatry and social decay. God’s grace gives the people centuries to get right with Him while He sends prophets to warn them of the coming judgment and invite them to repent. The prophet Joel explains that God will use foreigner invaders to carry out his judgment, but one day He wil...

The story of the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah is more easily understood with this week’s overview of events and their political and geographical context. The actions of Elijah take on new meaning once we understand what the people believed about the god Ba’al he was confronting. We also learn his ministry is patterned after that of Moses which explains why the two l...

Jeroboam is made king over ten tribes and is promised a kingdom as enduring as David’s. He leads the people of Israel into idolatry instead. Rehoboam is king over Judah, which includes Jerusalem and the temple, yet he also leads his people astray. Ecclesiastes concludes that God will judge every deed—judgment must come. This episode complements the daily readings from our Walk Thru the Bible readi...

Solomon had great wealth and wisdom, yet he became a fool. He loved his pagan wives more than he loved God and he fell into idolatry. God honors his promises to David and does not take the kingdom from Solomon but announces He will take it from Solomon’s predecessor. If only Solomon had followed his own advice in the book of Proverbs. This episode complements the daily readings from our Walk Thru...

Solomon’s reign begins with the dedication of the newly constructed temple and God’s promise to hear from heaven when His people pray to Him from that place. Solomon is blessed with great wealth and wisdom and ushers in the highlight of Israel’s history when the people are prosperous and at peace and are fulfilling their call to be a light to the nations. This episode complements the daily reading...

This week we discuss the Psalm most-quoted in the New Testament - Psalm 110. This prophetic Psalm of King David describes Jesus’ role as the ascended King and eternal Priest. Another prophetic Psalm of David describes the crucifixion of Jesus and is quoted by Him in His last hours on the cross. This episode complements the daily readings from our Walk Thru the Bible reading plan for June 7-June 13...

The longest Psalm in the Bible—Psalm 119—is about the importance of the Word of God. Psalms 113-118 are known as the Hallel and are sung at every major Jewish festival. The Hallel contains the great messianic Psalm 118 which was quoted both by and about Jesus. This prophetic Psalm along with Psalm 83 provide important insight for us today regarding the calling on the Jewish people and how evil for...

The Book of Psalms is made up of 150 songs used in prayer and worship. Most were written by King David and reflect his prayers during various times in his life. Some were written by priests and extol the beauty of the house of the Lord and serving in His presence. The Psalms of Ascent were sung by pilgrims joyfully making their way up to Jerusalem. This episode complements the daily readings from...

King David has displeased the Lord and sees an Angel above the threshing floor of Arauna about to execute judgment on Jerusalem. The Bible records the purchase of this land on Mt. Moriah from Arauna so sacrifice could be made there. This place where Abraham had sacrificed Isaac became home to the Temple and sacrifices for centuries, and one day God would sacrifice His only son for the sins of the...

A pivotal moment in history occurs this week when God promises King David an eternal throne. From that spiritual high, David is then tempted and commits a terrible sin. His son then attempts to steal the kingdom from Him, and as David weeps over Jerusalem He foreshadows the day Jesus will do the same. This episode complements the daily readings from our Walk Thru the Bible reading plan for May 10-...

Once Saul dies David becomes King. He then takes the ancient Jebusite city of Jerusalem to be his capital. While the skeptics tried to relegate this story to mythology, modern archaeological finds are supporting the biblical narrative in very exciting ways. This episode complements the daily readings from our Walk Thru the Bible reading plan for May 3-9, covering 1 Sam 21 - 2 Sam 6. Show Links: Si...

The difficult period of Judges comes to an end with a godly judge named Samuel. He is not only Israel’s last judge but is a priest and prophet who helps Israel transition from a theocracy to a monarchy. God informed Samuel of his choice of Saul and then David as king over his people. This episode complements the daily readings from our Walk Thru the Bible reading plan for April 26 - May 2, coverin...