Bible Study: Day 5 Of “Encounter The 3D Bible” By Dr. Susan Michael
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Day 5: A God Who Keeps His Promises
"For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory."
Study Tip:
Learn the Big Story Before Studying the Small Stories.
It’s much easier to understand an individual passage when you know where it fits within God’s larger story. Every verse belongs somewhere in the unfolding narrative of creation, covenant, redemption, restoration, and ultimately the coming Kingdom of God.
Knowing the timeline doesn’t replace careful study. It gives individual passages their proper home.
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To learn more about affiliate links, please read our Legal Terms & Conditions.
Bible Study Disclaimer
This study series reflects my personal notes and observations while working through Encounter the 3D Bible by Dr. Susan Michael. These posts are not a substitute for the book or study guide. I encourage you to purchase the materials and study alongside me.
Primary Bible Scriptures (Read These)
- 2 Corinthians 1:20
- Genesis 15
- Deuteronomy 30:1–10
- 2 Samuel 7:16
- Isaiah 53
- Acts 1:4–8
- Psalm 137
Cross-Reference Bible Scriptures (Explore Further)
Today’s study encouraged me to spend additional time reading:
- Genesis 12
- Genesis 15
- Exodus 19
- Joshua 1
- 2 Samuel 7
- Isaiah 53
- Psalm 137
- Acts 1
- Hebrews 10
Each passage adds another piece to God’s incredible story of redemption.
Opening prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being a God who never breaks His promises. As I open Your Word today, remind me that every page tells part of Your story of redemption. Help me not become overwhelmed by names, dates, kingdoms, or historical events. Instead, help me recognize the thread of Your faithfulness woven throughout every generation. Give me wisdom to understand Your Word, patience to study it carefully, and faith to trust that the same God who fulfilled His promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and the disciples is still faithful today. Open my heart to learn, my mind to understand, and my life to be transformed.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Today's Journey & Study Overview
Today’s reading wasn’t focused on teaching a new Bible study technique as much as it was helping me understand the grand storyline of Scripture. Rather than studying individual events in detail, this part of Chapter 3 quickly walked through some of the most important moments in Israel’s history—from Abraham to Moses, David, the exile, the return, the birth of Christ, and the beginning of the Church.
As I reflected on today’s reading, I realized something important: This chapter isn’t really about history. It’s about God’s faithfulness.
Throughout every generation, every covenant, every failure, every exile, and every restoration, one truth remained constant: God always keeps His promises.
In today’s study we’ll explore:
- God’s covenant relationship with His people.
- Why biblical history matters.
- How God’s promises unfold across generations.
- Why understanding the “big story” helps us understand individual passages.
Day 5 Notes
Who?
Today’s reading introduced many of the key people in the Bible’s overarching story.
People Mentioned In “Encounter The 3D Bible) For Today’s study
- Abraham
- Moses
- Joshua
- David
- Solomon
- The prophets
- Jesus
- The apostles
Cultural Context
At first glance, these appear to be separate stories, but today’s lesson reminded me that they are all connected by one Author—God Himself. Each generation became part of His unfolding plan of redemption.
What?
Today’s chapter provided a broad overview of Israel’s history, beginning with God’s covenant with Abraham and ending with the birth of the early Church. Rather than examining each event in detail, the purpose was to show how God’s promises continued unfolding over hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of years. Several themes emerged repeatedly:
- Covenant
- Faithfulness
- Obedience
- Disobedience
- Exile
- Restoration
- Redemption
No matter how often God’s people failed, His covenant promises continued moving history toward the coming of Jesus Christ.
When?
Historical Context
Today’s reading spans an incredible period of history.
- Beginning with Abraham
- Through Israel’s slavery in Egypt
- The Exodus
- The wilderness years
- The conquest of Canaan
- The united kingdom under King David
- The divided kingdom (Israel and Judah)
- The Babylonian exile and destruction
- The return to Jerusalem
- The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
- and finally the birth of the Church.
Understanding where each event fits within God’s timeline helps me appreciate how patiently He worked through generations to accomplish His purposes.
Where?
Geographical Context
Related To My “Encounter The 3D Bible” Book Notes: Today’s study traveled across much of the biblical world:
- Ur
- Canaan
- Egypt
- The wilderness
- Jerusalem
- Babylon
- Judea
These aren’t fictional places. They are real locations where God worked among real people throughout history. Understanding geography reminds me that Scripture is rooted in actual events—not mythology.
Why?
Why spend time learning this historical overview? Because every individual story becomes easier to understand once we know where it fits within God’s larger story.
As Dr. Susan Michael tells us, the Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories. It is one unified story of God’s plan to redeem humanity. The more I understand that larger narrative, the more individual passages begin making sense.
Digging In Deeper
Covenant
One of today’s biggest themes was covenant. God established covenants with Abraham, Israel, David, and ultimately through Jesus Christ. What stood out to me was realizing that these weren’t temporary agreements. They revealed God’s character. Again and again, He remained faithful—even when His people were not.
Cultural Context
One thing that is becoming increasingly clear is that God’s relationship with His people has always centered around covenant. As we learned previously, in today’s Western culture we often think individually, but ancient Israel thought corporately—as families, tribes, and a covenant community. That perspective changes how many passages are understood.
My Reflections
Application To Life On The Homestead
Anyone who has planted an orchard knows one important truth. You rarely enjoy the harvest during the same season you plant the tree.
- Some fruit trees take years before producing their first harvest.
- Others may not reach full maturity for decades.
Yet every year the farmer continues watering, pruning, protecting, and trusting that growth is happening—even when very little is visible. God’s promises often work the same way.
- Abraham never saw every promise fulfilled during his lifetime.
- Neither did Moses.
- Neither did David.
Yet God remained faithful across generations. Reading today’s chapter reminded me that God’s promises are not limited by MY calendar. His faithfulness extends far beyond one lifetime. Just because I don’t yet see the harvest doesn’t mean God isn’t already growing it.
Seeing Jesus
Perhaps the greatest reminder from today’s reading is that the entire Bible points toward Jesus.
- The promises made to Abraham
- The covenant with David
- The prophets’ warnings
- The exile
- The return
All prepared the world for the coming Messiah. As Dr. Susan Michael says in the book, Jesus was never God’s “Plan B.” He was always God’s plan.
Moment That Changed My Perspective
Today’s reading reminded me that the Bible isn’t simply a collection of inspiring stories. It’s one continuous story of God’s faithfulness. Growing up, I often thought of Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles as separate lessons, because that is how they were taught to us in Sunday School., but now I want to see them as chapters in one unified story. When evaluating instead of asking: “What story am I reading?” try asking: “Where does this story fit within God’s larger plan?”
That simple shift makes the entire Bible feel more connected than ever before.
Planting Your Seeds This Week:
Choose one promise God has made in Scripture. Read the surrounding chapter.
Ask yourself:
- Who originally received this promise?
- What was happening historically?
- How was God faithful?
- What does this teach me about His character today?
Koutz Farm Tool Shed:
ACTION: Find or print a timeline of major biblical events. I like the book linked above (Rose Book Of Bible Charts, Maps, & Time Lines) as a reference.
REFLECTION: As you read Scripture, begin placing each story within the appropriate timeline. Understanding where an event occurs often makes understanding why it happened much easier.
Questions I Still Have (Because I'm Human)
Today’s study raised several questions I’d like to continue exploring.
- What made biblical covenants different from other agreements in the ancient world?
- How did animal sacrifices point toward Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
- What does it truly mean for God to “circumcise our hearts”?
- Why does God often fulfill His promises over generations rather than immediately?
- How can understanding biblical history strengthen my faith today?
These aren’t questions I expect to answer overnight. They’re invitations to continue seeking God through His Word.
Other Tools For A Great Bible Study Experience
Rabbit Holes Worth Exploring
Today’s study sparked several topics I’d love to explore more deeply:
- Biblical covenants
- Circumcision of the heart
- Animal sacrifices and how they point to Christ
- The Tabernacle and Temple
- The divided kingdom
- Babylonian exile
- King Cyrus
- The Second Temple period
- Why Jerusalem is so significant
- Timeline of the Old Testament
Closing Prayer
Father,
Thank You for reminding me that You are always faithful. Even when generations pass… Even when kingdoms rise and fall… Even when Your people stumble: your promises remain true.
Help me trust Your timing even when I cannot see the whole picture. Strengthen my faith as I continue learning the story You have been writing since the beginning of creation.
May I never lose sight of the fact that every page of Scripture points toward Your love, Your faithfulness, and Your plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
Help me live each day trusting that the God who kept every promise in the past will continue keeping His promises today.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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What I'm Taking With Me
✔ God’s promises are always fulfilled.
✔ The Bible tells one unified story.
✔ Understanding the big picture helps every individual passage come alive.
Looking Ahead
Today’s study helped me step back and see the sweeping story of Scripture. In the next lesson, I’ll continue Chapter 3 and begin exploring the next major movements in God’s redemptive plan. I’m excited to see how understanding history, geography, and context will continue transforming the way I read God’s Word.
Recommended Resources
Books
- Encounter the 3D Bible — Dr. Susan Michael
- Encounter the 3D Bible Study Guide — Dr. Susan Michael
- Strong’s Concordance Made Easy
- The Complete Jewish Study Bible
- The CBS Holy Land Illustrated Bible
- The Evidence Study Bible
- The Daily Bible
- Rose Book Of Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines
- Hebrew Vocabulary (Quick Study Guide)
Digital Resources
Other Study Tools
- Bible atlas and maps
- Strong’s Concordance
- Chronological Study Bibles
- Bible dictionaries
- Multiple Bible translations (ESV, NIV, NKJV)
Every tool has the same purpose: not simply helping us learn more about the Bible, but helping us know the God of the Bible more deeply.
Affiliate Link Notice
Many of the links on this page are affiliate links. This simply means that we get a referral bonus if you click our link and place an order. The company rewards us for the referral – but it doesn’t cost you anything extra over the cost of the products/services that you decide to purchase (plus any shipping fees and taxes). The payment is sometimes in monetary form, sometimes in discounts, sometimes in store credits, sometimes with other types of rewards. By using our links, you are supporting a small family business and helping our little farm.
To learn more about affiliate links, please read our Legal Terms & Conditions.
Bible Study Disclaimer
This study series reflects my personal notes and observations while working through Encounter the 3D Bible by Dr. Susan Michael. These posts are not a substitute for the book or study guide. I encourage you to purchase the materials and study alongside me.
References:
