The One Year Bible Podcast 2026

As Saul is anointed king, God changes his heart, and he prophesies among the prophets, amazing those who knew him. Despite some skepticism, Saul is publicly chosen by lot and confirmed by Samuel as king, leading to initial victories and growing support. However, Samuel warns the people to obey the Lord and stay faithful, or both they and their king will face consequences. Will Saul remain faithful...

The Israelites, discontent with their judges, demand a king to rule over them, like other nations. Despite Samuel's warnings about the burdens a king would impose, God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul, a humble man from the tribe of Benjamin. As Saul searches for his father's lost donkeys, Samuel reveals his destiny to become the first king of Israel. Will Saul accept this daunting role and lead Is...

The Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant and place it in the temple of their god Dagon, but calamity befalls them as their idol falls and they suffer from plagues. Terrified, they return the Ark to Israel, where it brings blessings to those who treat it with reverence. Will the Israelites recognize the power of the Ark and follow God's commands faithfully? After Jesus raises Lazarus from th...

A man of God warns Eli, the high priest, about the impending judgment on his household due to the sins of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. God declares that both sons will die on the same day, and a faithful priest will be raised in Eli's place. Despite the warning, Eli's sons continue their wicked ways, leading to the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines and the death of Eli and hi...

Hannah, deeply distressed by her inability to have children, fervently prays to God for a son and promises to dedicate him to the Lord's service. God hears her prayer, and she gives birth to Samuel, whom she brings to the temple to serve under Eli the priest. As Samuel grows in wisdom and favor, Eli's sons' wickedness brings judgment upon Eli's house. Will Samuel's faithful service to God change t...

Ruth, following Naomi's advice, visits Boaz at the threshing floor to seek his protection as a kinsman-redeemer. Boaz, impressed by Ruth's loyalty, agrees to marry her if a closer kinsman declines. Will Boaz overcome this obstacle and marry Ruth, ensuring her and Naomi's future? Will Boaz overcome this obstacle and marry Ruth, ensuring her and Naomi's future? Jesus finds the man he healed of blind...

Naomi, a widow, and her daughter-in-law Ruth, also widowed, leave Moab to return to Bethlehem. Ruth, determined to support Naomi, gleans in the fields of Boaz, a kind and wealthy relative. Will Boaz recognize Ruth's loyalty and kindness, leading to a brighter future for them both? Jesus encounters a man born blind and heals him by making mud with his saliva and placing it on the man's eyes. The ma...

In Judges 20-21, the Israelites unite in outrage against the tribe of Benjamin due to a grievous crime committed in Gibeah, leading to a brutal civil war. After fierce battles that decimate the Benjamites, Israel mourns their near extinction and devises unconventional means to find wives for the surviving Benjamin men, ensuring the tribe's continuation. As Israel struggles with internal conflict a...

In Judges 18, the tribe of Dan seeks a new homeland and steals idols and a priest from Micah’s house, setting up their own place of worship. Judges 19 tells a harrowing story where a Levite and his concubine face grave inhospitality in the Benjamite city of Gibeah, leading to the concubine's tragic death. This brutal act sparks a civil war within Israel. Will the tribe of Benjamin survive the ensu...

In Judges 16, Samson falls in love with Delilah, who is bribed by the Philistines to discover the secret of his strength. Through deceit, she learns that his power lies in his uncut hair, leads to its cutting, and Samson is captured, blinded, and imprisoned by the Philistines. However, during a public spectacle, his strength returns as his hair regrows, allowing him to bring down the temple on the...

In Judges 14-15, Samson's journey intertwines with personal revenge and divine destiny. After his marriage to a Philistine woman goes awry, he vows vengeance against her people, using supernatural strength to outwit and overpower them. His exploits, from killing a lion with his bare hands to catching 300 foxes and using them to set the Philistines' fields on fire, escalate tensions. As Samson cont...

In Judges 12, the conflict between the Ephraimites and Jephthah escalates after the Ephraimites criticize Jephthah for not calling them to fight the Ammonites. Jephthah responds by fiercely defending his actions and engaging in a brutal battle with them, using a password trick at the river crossing to distinguish and slay fleeing Ephraimites. Moving to Judges 13, an angel appears to Manoah's wife,...

In Judges 10-11, Israel is oppressed by the Ammonites, leading them to repent for forsaking God. Jephthah, a fierce but outcast warrior, is chosen by the elders of Gilead to lead the fight against Ammon. After vowing disastrously to sacrifice whatever first comes out of his house if he wins, Jephthah is victorious, but his only daughter greets him upon his return—will he fulfill his tragic vow? In...

In Judges 9, Abimelech, a son of Gideon through his concubine, conspires to become king by brutally killing his seventy half-brothers, except for the youngest, Jotham, who escapes. Abimelech rules over Israel for three turbulent years, facing rebellion and ultimately meeting his demise when a woman drops a millstone on his head during the siege of Thebez, prompting him to ask his armor-bearer to k...

In Judges 7:8-8, Gideon and his tiny army of 300 men, armed with trumpets and jars with torches inside, surround the Midianite camp at night. Following Gideon's lead, they break the jars, sound the trumpets, and shout, causing chaos and fear among the Midianites who turn on each other in the darkness. Gideon's unconventional tactics lead to a significant victory, but can he maintain control and pe...

In Judges 6-7, the Israelites are oppressed by the Midianites, leading them to cry out to the Lord for help. God chooses Gideon, a humble farmer, to save Israel and gives him signs of assurance, including the famous fleece test. Armed with a small army chosen by God, Gideon prepares to face the vast Midianite forces. Will Gideon's tiny band of 300 men be enough to overcome the enemy? In John 5:16-...

In Judges 4-5, Deborah, a prophetess and leader of Israel, teams up with Barak to face the formidable Canaanite army led by Sisera. Despite overwhelming odds, they trust in God's promise of victory. The Canaanites are routed, and Sisera meets his end at the hands of Jael, who drives a tent peg through his skull while he sleeps. Can Deborah and Barak's small force survive and triumph over the might...

In Judges 2:6-3, after Joshua's death, the Israelites fail to fully drive out the Canaanites, leading them to coexist and eventually adopt their pagan practices, which angers God. As a result, God decides not to assist Israel against their enemies, instead using these nations to test Israel's faithfulness. Amidst the turmoil, God raises judges as leaders to save Israel from oppression, but the cyc...

In Judges 1-2:1-5, after Joshua's death, the Israelites inquire of God who should lead them into battle against the Canaanites. The tribe of Judah is chosen, and together with Simeon, they achieve several military victories, but struggle to completely drive out the inhabitants due to their chariots of iron. Despite these victories, an angel rebukes Israel at Bochim for not fully obeying God's comm...

In Joshua chapters 23 and 24, Joshua, nearing the end of his life, gathers all the tribes of Israel to deliver a poignant farewell address. He recounts the mighty deeds God performed for Israel, from delivering them from Egypt to granting them victory over their enemies and possession of the Promised Land. Joshua challenges the people to remain faithful to God, reject foreign gods, and choose whom...

In Joshua 21:20-22, the tribes of Israel receive their allotments of land, fulfilling God's promises made to their ancestors. The Levites, dedicated to religious duties, are granted cities and pasturelands throughout the tribal territories. As the Israelites settle into their new homes, Joshua calls the eastern tribes—Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh—to remind them of their promise to s...

In Joshua chapters 19 to 21, the remaining seven tribes of Israel receive their inheritance of land, divvied up by Joshua under God's guidance. The Levites, who have no land of their own, are granted specific towns and pastures within these allocations, ensuring their care by the other tribes. Amidst these distributions, how will the Levites maintain their spiritual duties without a land to call t...

In Joshua chapters 17 and 18, the Israelites continue the division of the Promised Land under Joshua's guidance. Chapter 17 details the allotments for the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, highlighting issues such as gender in inheritance rights and territorial disputes. By chapter 18, seven tribes had not yet received their land, prompting Joshua to urge them to define their territories through a s...

In Joshua 15-16, the land of Canaan is divided among the tribes of Israel, with Caleb claiming the hill country of Hebron and the descendants of Joseph receiving vast territories including Ephraim and West Manasseh. These chapters detail the specific boundaries and cities encompassed within these tribal allotments, reflecting God's promises and the fulfillment of Israel's inheritance. As the tribe...

In Joshua chapters 13-14, God instructs Joshua to divide the land of Canaan among the Israelites, emphasizing areas yet to be conquered. As the land is distributed, Caleb reminds Joshua of Moses' promise that he would inherit the land where he had set foot, as a reward for his unwavering faithfulness when he scouted it 45 years earlier. At 85, Caleb asks for and is granted the hill country of Hebr...