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A Gentle Yet Terrifying Slaughter · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And for this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet
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  Speaker 1: Isaiah the son of Amos prayed and cried to heaven,
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  Speaker 1: and the Lord sent an angel which cut off all
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  Speaker 1: the mighty men of valor. 2 Chronicles 32 20 and
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  Speaker 1: 21 Be strong and courageous. These are the words that
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  Speaker 1: I chose to speak over myself today. As I continue
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  Speaker 1: to grow and expand in life, I will praise you
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  Speaker 1: for being the same God that gave King Hezekiah and
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  Speaker 1: Josiah continual victories in their quest to take hold of
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  Speaker 1: the promises you laid up for them. I choose to
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  Speaker 1: praise you because that same hand of protection and power
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  Speaker 1: rests on my life as well. May your supernatural hand
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  Speaker 1: give me victory over circumstances where my opposition seems to
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  Speaker 1: outnumber and outpower me. Although they may fight with their
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  Speaker 1: strength and connection, I fight by trusting in the Lord
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  Speaker 1: and by knowing that victory is only one prayer away.
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  Speaker 1: When you move, I will be careful not to expect
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  Speaker 1: you to come through for me in the same way
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  Speaker 1: every time. Instead, I will watch where you're going and
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  Speaker 1: then move in step with your plan. I will be
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  Speaker 1: strong and courageous. for victory is in your hands. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story,
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  Speaker 1: brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: A gentle yet terrifying slaughter. In our last story, we
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  Speaker 2: were introduced to King Hezekiah, the most righteous king Judah
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  Speaker 2: has ever known. Hezekiah clung to God's wisdom and established
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  Speaker 2: a kingdom that honored him. The people were beginning to
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  Speaker 2: heal once again, and joy filled the land. However, a
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  Speaker 2: dark beast still dwelled in the distance. The all-consuming nation
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  Speaker 2: of Assyria lay in wait for Judah. In this story,
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  Speaker 2: we learn about the battle between God and the Assyrian king, Sennacherib,
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  Speaker 2: inspired by the book of 2 Chronicles.
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  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
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  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
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  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
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  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
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  Speaker 3: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
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  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
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  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
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  Speaker 3: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint, today.
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  Speaker 3: So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
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  Speaker 3: That's JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org. In our prior reading, we were introduced
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  Speaker 3: to Hezekiah, Judah's most righteous king, the one that held
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  Speaker 3: fast to God. He broke the patterns of idolatry and
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  Speaker 3: unfaithfulness of those before him and restored the temple and
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  Speaker 3: turned the people's hearts to God. Though he was not
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  Speaker 3: a perfect person, no one is, he did believe and
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  Speaker 3: trust in God all the days of his life and
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  Speaker 3: obey him. Today, we'll see how even in the midst
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  Speaker 3: of a bright time for Judah, evil and darkness still
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  Speaker 3: lurk nearby. The Assyrians eye the kingdom of Judah, but
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  Speaker 3: God is faithful to Hezekiah and his people and shows
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  Speaker 3: he will fiercely protect his own. Let's hear now from
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  Speaker 3: the Word of God.
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  Speaker 2: The kingdom of Assyria was like ravenous lions seeking more prey.
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  Speaker 2: It had devoured the entire nation of Israel in a
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  Speaker 2: matter of days. Now it sought to satisfy its hunger
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  Speaker 2: with Judah. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, gathered an entire
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  Speaker 2: army at the border of Judah. They overtook a small
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  Speaker 2: fortified city and made camp there. They waited for Hezekiah
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  Speaker 2: and his armies to mount an attack against them. Most
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  Speaker 2: kings would have been quick to rally their troops and
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  Speaker 2: march straight into battle, but not Hezekiah. He knew that
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  Speaker 2: there must be some way to defeat them without recklessly
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  Speaker 2: running into battle. Hezekiah gathered his mighty men and commanders
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  Speaker 2: to brainstorm. Together they looked at the maps of Judah.
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  Speaker 2: They spent hours looking for ways to cut through the
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  Speaker 2: fortified city where the Assyrians waited. There was no way
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  Speaker 2: in besides the front gates.
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  Speaker 3: However.
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  Speaker 2: there was something else that Hezekiah spotted. On the map
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  Speaker 2: was a river that ran from the top of the
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  Speaker 2: hills down into the fortified city. That river was the
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  Speaker 2: only source of water for Sennacherib and his troops. Hezekiah's
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  Speaker 2: face lit up, and he banged on the table with joy. Immediately,
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  Speaker 2: he sent his troops to make a dam to stop
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  Speaker 2: the flow of water into the city. The brook that
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  Speaker 2: flowed into the enemy camp was completely dried up in
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  Speaker 2: a matter of days. The streams were stopped, and the
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  Speaker 2: brook that flowed down into the outer country was dry.
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  Speaker 2: While the Assyrians began to deteriorate from lack of water,
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  Speaker 2: Hezekiah had his blacksmiths forge more shields and spears for
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  Speaker 2: his troops. If he was going to storm the city,
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  Speaker 2: he wanted every detail done right. Hezekiah marched with his
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  Speaker 2: men on the hillside and made camp. He looked down
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  Speaker 2: upon the city where the Assyrians camped and turned back
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  Speaker 2: to his men. Be strong and courageous, Hezekiah yelled. His
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  Speaker 2: armor glimmered in the sun. The strength and courage of
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  Speaker 2: Joshua was upon him. Do not fear the horde below you.
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  Speaker 2: We outnumber them, the king paused for a moment. Yes,
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  Speaker 2: they had the numbers, and the Assyrians were weak from
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  Speaker 2: lack of water, but that is not why they should
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  Speaker 2: be brave. No, it was because the Lord was with them.
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  Speaker 2: Hezekiah held his sword up high and shouted, Assyria has
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  Speaker 2: the arm of man, but we fight with the power
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  Speaker 2: of the Lord. He is the one who fights our battles.
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  Speaker 2: The armies of Judah erupted in praise. Hezekiah smiled towards heaven,
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  Speaker 2: and God's people prepared for the coming battle. They would
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  Speaker 2: wait a few more days for the Assyrians to weaken.
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  Speaker 2: Then they would mount their attack. While Judah prepared for
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  Speaker 2: their ambush, the king of Assyria sent messengers to Judah.
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  Speaker 2: He sowed seeds of doubt and fear into their minds.
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  Speaker 2: His intention was to divide them. As Hezekiah cut off
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  Speaker 2: their water supply, Sennacherib would cut off their trust. His
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  Speaker 2: message was compelling. With deception, the king said, Are you
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  Speaker 2: really going to put your trust in Hezekiah and his god?
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  Speaker 2: Isn't he the one who took away your gods and
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  Speaker 2: forced you to worship his god? He could not save
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  Speaker 2: Israel from our hand. We took them easily, as we
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  Speaker 2: did many other nations. Their gods did not save them.
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  Speaker 2: No god of any nation has been able to defeat me.
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  Speaker 2: I am inevitably victorious. This message was sent to many leaders.
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  Speaker 2: He also had his servants pretend to be Judeans and
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  Speaker 2: yell it in the city streets. Sennacherib's desire was to
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  Speaker 2: sow chaos and doubt. He had no idea what type
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  Speaker 2: of God he was challenging. Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah
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  Speaker 2: prayed silently in the cool of the night. The gentle
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  Speaker 2: evening breeze caressed the backs of their heads as they
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  Speaker 2: bowed in prayer. The wind whistled down the hills and
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  Speaker 2: through the camp down below. With the breeze came a
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  Speaker 2: terrifyingly silent presence. An angel of the Lord stepped foot
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  Speaker 2: into the Assyrian camp. He walked its alleys unseen. He
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  Speaker 2: passed by tents and fires without casting a shadow. As
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  Speaker 2: a silent thief, the angel of God stole the life
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  Speaker 2: away from Sennacherib's warriors. One by one, their spirits were
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  Speaker 2: taken from them. It was a gentle yet terrifying slaughter.
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  Speaker 2: And as quickly as the angel came, he left with
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  Speaker 2: the wind. Darkness was still covering the sky, and the
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  Speaker 2: sun was moments away from peeking its head over the hills.
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  Speaker 2: Hezekiah and his men arose early to prepare for battle,
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  Speaker 2: But as they looked down at the city below, the
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  Speaker 2: Assyrians were departing. Yet only a few remained. Hezekiah could
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  Speaker 2: barely see because of the dim morning. However, he could
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  Speaker 2: see that at the front of the line exiting the camp,
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  Speaker 2: Sennacherib rode with his head held low. The tyrant warlord
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  Speaker 2: was shamed by the might of God. King Sennacherib returned
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  Speaker 2: to his homeland in embarrassment. He had lost most of
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  Speaker 2: his men, his best men. The servants who remained were
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  Speaker 2: dehydrated and worthless. The warlord entered into the temple of
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  Speaker 2: his god to pray. He could not fathom such a defeat.
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  Speaker 2: It had happened right under his nose while he was sleeping.
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  Speaker 2: There was no battle, no fighting, and not even a whisper.
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  Speaker 2: As Sennacherib bowed his head at the altar, a few
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  Speaker 2: shadows loomed over him. He looked up to see his
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  Speaker 2: sons looking down at him. Before he could say a word,
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  Speaker 2: his sons drove their blades into his heart. and throat.
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  Speaker 2: So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Judah.
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  Speaker 2: Although Hezekiah was an imperfect man, he was faithful to
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  Speaker 2: cling to God and seek Him continually. Hezekiah would struggle
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  Speaker 2: with pride just like any other king, but he was
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  Speaker 2: quick to repent and slow to argue the Lord. God
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  Speaker 2: restored riches, livestock, and health to the people of Judah.
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  Speaker 2: Any rumors once sowed by the Assyrians were forgotten. People
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  Speaker 2: rejoiced over their king, and they rejoiced over God.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's reading, we find the emboldened Assyrian
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  Speaker 3: king and his army hungry for more power and control.
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  Speaker 3: Their swift defeat of Israel was easy, and now they've
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  Speaker 3: set their eyes on the south. In their minds, Judah
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  Speaker 3: was there for the taking. So they took over a
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  Speaker 3: small border town and waited for Judah to respond and attack.
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  Speaker 3: But as we've seen, Hezekiah is not like the other kings.
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  Speaker 3: He's not quick to rush to judgment or to war.
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  Speaker 3: He waits on God's instructions. And God then granted him
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  Speaker 3: wisdom to lead Judah with courage and discernment. Hezekiah takes
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  Speaker 3: his time to plan, strategize, and seek the counsel of
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  Speaker 3: the brave and mighty warriors of his army. They realize
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  Speaker 3: that the town where the Assyrian army is camped has
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  Speaker 3: a major weakness they can exploit. By damming the only
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  Speaker 3: river running into the city, they cut off the soldiers' water,
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  Speaker 3: and no matter how strong an army may be without water,
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  Speaker 3: strength will falter and fade. Then Hezekiah and his men
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  Speaker 3: waited for the Assyrians to weaken, and their plan worked.
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  Speaker 3: For days the enemy went without water. Hezekiah took this
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  Speaker 3: time to make more shields for his army and and
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  Speaker 3: fortify his defenses. Finally, he knew it was time to attack.
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  Speaker 3: He gave a very powerful speech to rally the troops,
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  Speaker 3: and he said this in 2 Chronicles 32 verse 7,
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  Speaker 3: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and dismayed
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  Speaker 3: before the king of Assyria and all the horde that
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  Speaker 3: is with him, for there are more with us than
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  Speaker 3: with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but
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  Speaker 3: with us, the Lord our God, to help us and
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  Speaker 3: to fight our battles. What a tremendous verse of Scripture.
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  Speaker 3: When he said there are more with us than with him,
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  Speaker 3: Hezekiah was not speaking of human strength or more battlements.
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  Speaker 3: He was telling his men that it didn't matter what
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  Speaker 3: Assyria sent their way, that God would overcome them all.
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  Speaker 3: His angel armies were on alert. The words of Hezekiah
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  Speaker 3: remind us of the words of David as he spoke
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  Speaker 3: to Goliath before slaying him. Though the giants in our
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  Speaker 3: life may come to us with sword and spear, we
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  Speaker 3: rely on the Lord in our spiritual battles. We know
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  Speaker 3: that our God is greater. Greater is He that is
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  Speaker 3: in you than he that is in the world, says
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  Speaker 3: the Scripture. So the battle is the Lord, and we
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  Speaker 3: can trust Him always for His power and His strength
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  Speaker 3: and ultimately the victory. These were just the words the
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  Speaker 3: army needed to hear. They were filled with confidence and faith,
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  Speaker 3: not in themselves, but in Almighty God. The king of
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  Speaker 3: Assyria knew he needed to gain the upper hand and
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  Speaker 3: weaken the resolve of Judah. So, He sent messengers to
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  Speaker 3: spread lies and cast doubt upon the Word of God.
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  Speaker 3: Isn't that the oldest trick in the enemy's book? We
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  Speaker 3: saw it back in the Garden of Eden when the
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  Speaker 3: tempter questioned the Word of God by saying, Has God said?
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  Speaker 3: Yet even today, those words can be effective. The enemy says,
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  Speaker 3: God didn't say this. You can't believe the Bible. Can
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  Speaker 3: you really trust God? But God wasn't going to let
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  Speaker 3: the enemy win. He sent his angels into the Assyrian camp.
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  Speaker 3: and they quietly cut down the commanders and officers leading
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  Speaker 3: the army. The enemy was vanquished without Hezekiah or his
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  Speaker 3: men even raising a sword against them. Sennacherib, the defeated
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  Speaker 3: king of Assyria, ran and returned home, put to shame
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  Speaker 3: by the great God, the king of angel armies. Hezekiah
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  Speaker 3: gives us a tremendous example of what it is to
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  Speaker 3: fight for the Lord, to remain in faith as we
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  Speaker 3: face our own personal battles. Though Hezekiah was not perfect,
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  Speaker 3: he was counted on as righteousness because he trusted in
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  Speaker 3: God and he was always willing to confess his sin
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  Speaker 3: and to repent from wrongdoing in his life and for
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  Speaker 3: the nation. And because he led with righteousness and faith,
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  Speaker 3: the people followed. The people followed him and they followed
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  Speaker 3: the Lord, praising the one true God and rejoicing in
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  Speaker 3: his provision and protection. Dear God, we know that we
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  Speaker 3: do not fight our battles alone, that you are fighting
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  Speaker 3: our battles for us. And because we know Christ in
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  Speaker 3: our lives, we have eternal victory. We also know that
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  Speaker 3: we are to always be vigilant in preparing to face
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  Speaker 3: enemies that come against us. So Lord, we do stay
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  Speaker 3: alert and we stand strong in you and we trust
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  Speaker 3: and pray and call on your name. Thank you for
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  Speaker 3: your strength, for being our shield and our salvation. In
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  Speaker 3: Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: And before we go, I want you to know that
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  Speaker 3: I would love to send you my daily devotional to
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  Speaker 3: give you fresh encouragement every single day. So visit jackgraham.org
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  Speaker 3: to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's jackgraham.org.