LISTEN TO 'MOUNTAIN OF THE KING' BY AARON SHUST

Hi, David Kiern here (writer-director of I AM ISRAEL). I want to take you behind the scenes to share the story of how Aaron Shust's original song for I AM ISRAEL: The Mountain of the King came to life.

From the very first weeks of writing the script, I knew the scale of the sequel was going to be twice as big as the first film. The movie is the first feature ever made about the Temple Mount, and follows the path of the Children of Israel from the deserts of the Exodus to the very heart of Jerusalem. It's a sweeping cinematic adventure, and I wanted the music to have that same sense of scale.

And if the story was going to grow, so did the music.

I also wanted to try something we’d never done before—an original song to play over the end credits. A worship song that would echo the movie’s central theme: one day, we will worship God on Mount Zion. I immediately knew that Aaron Shust was the man for this.

I first met Aaron on a trip to Israel, and we have been close friends ever since. Many of you know Aaron from beloved worship songs like "My Savior My God," "Ever Be," and "My Hope Is In You." His ability to take the promises of Scripture and turn them into unforgettable melodies is world-class.

Drawing from the words of the Hebrew prophets, Aaron wrote a brand-new song titled "Mountain of the King." The lyrics look forward to the day when the King reigns from Zion, and the music captures the wonder of that promise.

To produce this track, we called on Tyler Michael Smith. The son of Michael W. Smith and an accomplished film composer and producer in his own right, Tyler worked directly with Aaron to shape the song into the sweeping, orchestra-driven piece heard in the movie.

As composer Bob Farnsworth developed the orchestral score, Aaron’s melody was woven into key moments throughout the movie, especially in scenes connected to the redemption of Israel and the promises of what is still to come. By the time the full song is heard over the end credits, viewers have already been hearing pieces of that melody throughout the movie.

After months of writing, arranging and refining the music, we gathered in Nashville to record with a full orchestra. Sitting in the control room and hearing Aaron’s melody expand across the scoring stage was one of the most memorable moments of the entire production.

What began as a worship song rooted in the words of the prophets had become part of the emotional backbone of the whole film.

My hope is that this music helps people feel connected to Jerusalem and to the promises of God for Mount Zion. For those who may never stand there in person, perhaps this movie and this song can carry their imagination there.

Aaron's “Mountain of the King” is ultimately a song of hope. It looks forward to a day the prophets spoke about long ago, when the nations will come to Zion and worship the King of Kings. We hope it stirs your heart for the day we will all worship God on the Mountain of the King.