Bible Book Club

Susan Merrill & Heather Rubio

The Bible. It’s been the #1 book sold since the day it was written, but have you read it? And if you read it, did you understand it? In the Bible Book Club podcast, we read every word of the Bible for you. In fact, Heather Rubio and Susan Merrill will do it all for you—read, discuss, and explore the only book ever written that can change your life forever. All you have to do is listen. Just join the club! Start in the beginning with Season 1: Genesis or choose a book. Available Seasons include Season 1 Genesis, Season 2 Exodus, Season 3 Leviticus, Season 4 Numbers, Season 5 Deuteronomy, Season 6 Joshua, Season 7 Judges, Season 8 Ruth, Season 9 1 Samuel, Season 10 2 Samuel Season 11 1 Kings

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Top 10 Bible Book Club Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Bible Book Club episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Bible Book Club for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Bible Book Club episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

2 Samuel 18-20: David Returns to Reign with a Broken Heart

Bible Book Club

07/22/24 • 36 min

In 2 Samuel 18, David, the king with such a big heart, is bereft. With this deathof his son, Absalom, our story comes full circle. David began in 2 Samuel mourning the death of Saul. A man he loved. A man who was trying to kill him. The man he had to take the kingdom from. David is back where he started, mourning the death of Absalom. A man he loved. A man who was trying to kill him. The man he had to take the kingdom from.

Being king is painful, and David would rather die himself than experience this pain for his son. His grief was made all the more painful because of his deep conviction that it was his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah that brought about Absalom’s rebellion. His pain consumes him, and his despondency is made public.

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2 Samuel 11: David Takes a Wrong Turn Onto the Path to Evil

Bible Book Club

06/17/24 • 29 min

When we left our hero in the last episode, he was all Israel had hoped for. He was the king whom Israel needed to make God’s name known to the world. God was with David and because of that, his power grew. Our author made clear to us who holds the power by his repetitious use of the word send. In the preceding chapter, Chapter 10, the one that began with the phrase “in the course of time” and therefore, goes with these next 2 chapters.
King David sends a sympathy delegation to King Hanun. King Hanun sends them back. King David sends Joab and the army into war. The two kings do all the sending, they are engaged in a human power struggle where the most powerful man wins. That man is David because he has found favor with the Lord.

But David is about to learn that while power given by God, used for God, glorifies God. That same power used for personal pleasure is a dark and deadly path of pain.

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2 Samuel 22-23: David’s Final Song and Final Words

Bible Book Club

08/05/24 • 29 min

In 2 Samuel 22, we are going to read David’s song and final words. Recall that 1 and 2 Samuel were really one long book. 1 Samuel begins with Hannah’s song, and 2 Samuel ends with David’s song. The two songs are bookends to the story of Samuel, Saul, and David. Hannah’s song celebrates what God has done, how he reverses situations, and looks forward to what He will do in the future. David’s song celebrates what God has done and how he powerfully saved him, looking back on the past. The point is that the two songs creatively bookend the whole story, Hannah’s looks forward with a prophecy of an anointed king and David’s looks back on the fulfillment of this prophecy.

The author uses the songs in another creative way. There is another song in the beginning of 2 Samuel which place is right in the middle of the other 2 songs. It is David’s song of lament for the death of Saul and Jonathan. If we string all three songs together: Hannah’s Song begins as a series of reversals.

God brings death and life.
He humbles and exalts
He guards the faithful and silences the wicked

Then Hannah ends with a prophecy:

2:10 “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah sings of a king to come, for there was no king at that time. Recall, the book of Judges ended with...

Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Everyone sinned because there was no king. Hannah has caught a vision of a time when God will reverse the situation, an anointed king will overcome the evil. Then we read David’s song of lament for Saul 2 Samuel 1. David sang about how the mighty have fallen...meaning Saul. A king had come but he was not the king God had wanted. Saul was wicked and God humbled him and he and his descendants died. In the 3rd song, David sings of the reverse. David was faithful, and God exalted him, and his descendants will live and reign forever. The point is that what Hannah foresaw was fulfilled.

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1 Kings 19: Elijah Despairs and God Responds with a Whisper

Bible Book Club

11/18/24 • 32 min

In Episode 14 of Season 11 of the Bible Book Club podcast, we delve into the intriguing narrative of Elijah from 1 Kings 19. This episode paints a vivid picture of Elijah's journey from a miraculous victory to a powerful personal crisis. On Mount Carmel, Elijah faced off against the 450 prophets of Baal in a dramatic showdown. The stakes were high, as Elijah challenged the Israelites to choose between the one true God and Baal. Despite the prophets of Baal making a commotion, their efforts were futile. Elijah, on the other hand, simply prayed, and God responded with fire from heaven, proving His supremacy.

This remarkable victory was not just about the defeat of Baal's prophets; it was a turning point for the Israelites. Witnessing God's power compelled them to believe, reaffirming their faith. However, the story didn't end there. Elijah's journey took an unexpected turn, highlighting the complexity and depth of human emotion and experience.

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1 Chronicles 3-4: The Prayer of Jabez, A Hidden Gem in the Genealogy

Bible Book Club

03/31/25 • 27 min

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2 Samuel 13: Amnon’s Obsession With His Sister Ends in Tamar’s Rape

Bible Book Club

07/01/24 • 32 min

There are a lot of scenes in 2 Samuel 13. Each scene has a different combination of 5 characters. They include David and 3 of his children, Amnon, Absalom, and Tamar and Jonadab, a no-good advisor.

Amnon is David’s firstborn, the son of his second wife, Ahinoam. David never had a child with his first wife, Saul’s daughter, Michal. Absalom is David’s 3rd son, he was born to Maakah, his 4th. Tamar was also born to Maakah, so Absalom and Tamar are close because they have the same mother and father. There is a second son between Amnon and Absalom, and his name is Kileab or Daniel. He is the son of Abigail and he must be wise like his mother because he manages to stay out of this sordid story. Or it is possible that he dies because he is never mentioned as a contender for the crown? David’s family dynamic seems complicated, and for good reason...

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2 Kings 19-21: A Tale of Two Kings: Judgement Awaits

Bible Book Club

02/24/25 • 35 min

The fate of Judah hangs in the balance—will God answer King Hezekiah’s desperate prayer and save Jerusalem from destruction in 2 Kings 19? As Judah teeters between faith and failure, 2 Kings 20 and 2 Kings 21 reveal a shocking twist: a miraculous rescue followed by a king’s fatal mistake and his son King Manasseh’s reign of terror.

Themes of this podcast episode:

God’s power is greater than any challenge. When King Hezekiah faced the Assyrian threat, he turned to God instead of relying on human strength. His story reminds us that no obstacle—whether an army, crisis, or personal struggle—is bigger than God’s ability to save and provide.

Pride can turn blessings into burdens. King Hezekiah’s faith brought about his miraculous healing, but later his pride led Babylon to Judah’s riches. His mistake teaches us to turn to the Lord rather than pride in our blessings. Success should deepen our dependence on God, not inflate our ego.

One Generation’s Faith Doesn’t Guarantee the Next’s. Despite having a righteous father, King Manasseh led Judah into idolatry and evil. His reign proves that spiritual heritage isn’t enough—we must choose to follow God ourselves. Faith isn’t inherited; it’s lived.

🎧 Listen now to be inspired by God’s work in the messiness of history.

Show Notes:

List of the Kings of Israel
Blog
Scene 1: God Hears and Isaiah Speaks (2 Kings 19:20-34)
Scene 2: God Alone Saves Jerusalem, So the World May Know (2 Kings 19:35-37) (2 Kings 19:5-7)
Scene 3: Hezekiah Prays for His Life (2 Kings 20:1-11)
Scene 4: A Visit from Babylon Casts a Dark Shadow (2 Kings 20:12-21)
Scene 5: Manasseh Is Crowned King of Judah (2 Kings 21:1-18) (Genesis 15:16) (Deuteronomy 9:4-6) (Deuteronomy 11:22-25)
Scene 6: Amon Is Crowned King of Judah (

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1 Samuel 30-31: Saul’s Fall from Sorcery to Suicide

Bible Book Club

04/29/24 • 34 min

David is playing a dangerous game with a lot of moving parts. He is a mercenary soldier deceiving his employer, Achish who just happens to be in league with 4 other powerful Philistine leaders.

At this time, Achish and their friends are attacking David’s people the Israelites. Achish believes David has been raiding the Israelites, when in fact, he was raiding the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites.
Achish may be fooled about David, but the Amalekites are not. David arrives home after a 3 day’s Journey and discovers that those Amalakites he had been raiding have retaliated and walked off with their women and children.

In summary, David is working for Achish, Achish is attacking David’s people, David is attacking Canaanites and lying to Achish about it, and one of the Canaanite tribes, the Amalekites, is raiding David’s camp. It’s a mess, but God loves a good story.

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1 Kings 20-21: Ahab and Jezebel: Israel’s Most Wicked Couple

Bible Book Club

11/25/24 • 30 min

Today, we’re diving into the dramatic saga of Ahab and Jezebel, a couple whose reign over ancient Israel was marked by turmoil, power struggles, and divine intervention. In 1 Kings 20 and 21, Ahab, the king of Israel, and his queen, Jezebel, are notorious for their ruthless pursuit of power and disregard for divine commands. Their story unfolds like a gripping drama, offering us timeless lessons on the consequences of unchecked ambition and the importance of adhering to moral principles.

Ahab and Jezebel’s rise to power was marked by a strategic alliance and a shared vision of expanding their influence. Jezebel, a foreign princess, brought with her the worship of Baal, which clashed with the Israelites’ faith in Yahweh. This introduction of idol worship set the stage for a series of conflicts that would challenge the very fabric of Israel’s spiritual identity. Amidst this backdrop, Ahab’s leadership was tested by both external foes and internal dilemmas, forcing him to choose between his wife’s ambitions and his people’s faith.

Thank you for being a part of the club for Season 11.Show Notes

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1 Chronicles Overview - 1: Israel Faces an Identity Crisis

Bible Book Club

03/17/25 • 31 min

After 200 years of exile, Israel returns home to a land that no longer feels like theirs. With no nation, no king, and no temple, their identity feels lost—but 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles reminds them (and us) that God’s covenant never fails. In this episode, we explore how Chronicles shifts the focus from failure to restoration, calling God’s people to rediscover their true identity and trust that the Lord is still on the throne.

Themes of this podcast:

God’s Faithfulness in Uncertain Times. After 200 years of exile, Israel’s identity seems lost, but 1 Chronicles reassures them (and us) that God’s covenant never fails. Even when they had no nation, no king, and no temple, He was still working to fulfill His promises.

Identity Rooted in God, Not Circumstances. The Israelites had been shaped by foreign cultures and influences, leading to confusion about their purpose and calling. 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles was written to remind them (and us) that true identity isn’t found in political power or national status but in being God’s chosen people.

Hope and Restoration Through Obedience. While 1 & 2 Kings focused on Israel’s failures, Chronicles emphasizes restoration. The Chronicler calls the remnant to remember their heritage, recommit to God, and trust that the Lord is still on the throne, even when life seems uncertain.

🎧 Listen now for this epic story of hope.

Shownotes:

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FAQ

How many episodes does Bible Book Club have?

Bible Book Club currently has 217 episodes available.

What topics does Bible Book Club cover?

The podcast is about Christianity, Genesis, Religion & Spirituality, Podcasts, Religion and Bible.

What is the most popular episode on Bible Book Club?

The episode title '2 Samuel 18-20: David Returns to Reign with a Broken Heart' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Bible Book Club?

The average episode length on Bible Book Club is 32 minutes.

How often are episodes of Bible Book Club released?

Episodes of Bible Book Club are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Bible Book Club?

The first episode of Bible Book Club was released on Jan 15, 2021.

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Bible Book Club

Susan Merrill & Heather Rubio

Top 10 Bible Book Club Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Bible Book Club have?

What topics does Bible Book Club cover?

What is the most popular episode on Bible Book Club?

What is the average episode length on Bible Book Club?

How often are episodes of Bible Book Club released?

When was the first episode of Bible Book Club?

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