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Defying Moses - The Book of Numbers · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses
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  Speaker 1: because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for
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  Speaker 1: he had married an Ethiopian woman. Numbers 12.1 Dear Lord,
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  Speaker 1: thank you that you are a protective father. And because
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  Speaker 1: you are a protective father, I know that if there
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  Speaker 1: is any speech that is trying to rise up against me,
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  Speaker 1: you will silence it. Thank you that when it comes
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  Speaker 1: to my reputation, I don't have to fight the battle
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  Speaker 1: on my own or try to prove myself to another. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: I will keep my integrity intact. I will continue to
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  Speaker 1: move and operate in love because I know that at
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  Speaker 1: the end of the day, you are for me. In
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  Speaker 1: the same breath, I will ask that if the same
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  Speaker 1: mindset that came upon Aaron and Miriam tries to descend
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  Speaker 1: upon my mind, that you would silence it. I choose
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  Speaker 1: to live my life with honor, humility, and holiness. And
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  Speaker 1: because these are my pillars, I will honor anyone in
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  Speaker 1: a position of power, even when we don't see eye
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  Speaker 1: to eye. Through this simple truth, I know that when
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  Speaker 1: my time comes, you will surround me with the right
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  Speaker 1: people who will honor my position and authority. I will
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  Speaker 1: not forget that honor is the key to elevation in
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  Speaker 1: your kingdom. These truths I will hold near to my heart.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today.
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  Speaker 1: Continue listening for an incredible Bible story brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Defying Moses In our last story, We saw the people
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  Speaker 2: of Israel grumble to God about food, and God made
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  Speaker 2: a point. Their constant complaining and ungrateful spirits drove Moses
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  Speaker 2: to the end of himself, and God appointed seventy men
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  Speaker 2: to relieve Moses of his burdens. In this story, we
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  Speaker 2: learn about jealousy rearing its ugly head in the hearts
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  Speaker 2: of Miriam, Moses' sister, and Aaron. The jealous hearts of
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  Speaker 2: Cain seek to strike once again, but God would not
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  Speaker 2: allow it as inspired by the book of Numbers.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we saw
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  Speaker 3: how the needs of the Israelites overwhelmed Moses and he
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  Speaker 3: was burning out and yet he goes to God for help.
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  Speaker 3: God gives him a plan. and appointed 70 men to
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  Speaker 3: help lighten the load and to take care of the
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  Speaker 3: problems and the perplexities of leading such a great nation.
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  Speaker 3: We also saw how God judges the people for their
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  Speaker 3: ungrateful hearts and their lack of trust by sending a plague.
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  Speaker 3: God was demonstrating that though He was the provider and
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  Speaker 3: would always protect them, that He would bring punishment to
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  Speaker 3: correct or discipline His children. Today, we'll revisit a theme
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  Speaker 3: that's come up many times in Scripture, sibling rivalry. From
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  Speaker 3: Cain and Abel to Joseph and his brothers, it's a
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  Speaker 3: problem almost as old as mankind. We'll hear how Moses' siblings,
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron, turn against Moses and how God deals
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  Speaker 3: with their attempt to usurp his leadership. Now, let's hear
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  Speaker 3: today's reading.
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  Speaker 4: Banterous whispers could be heard in the dead of night. Miriam, Moses' sister,
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  Speaker 4: and Aaron spoke silently but with intensity. They gossiped, grumbled,
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  Speaker 4: and complained about their brother Moses marrying an Ethiopian. For
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  Speaker 4: whatever reason, Miriam boiled with anger towards Moses' wife. Yet
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  Speaker 4: the true heart behind her distress was revealed in her words.
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  Speaker 4: Does God only speak through Moses? she whispered, doing her
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  Speaker 4: best not to be heard by anyone else. He has
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  Speaker 4: spoken to you, me, and plenty others here. Aaron agreed
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  Speaker 4: with Miriam. having been both jealous and embarrassed by Moses'
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  Speaker 4: faithfulness and favor. They validated one another's words. Their hearts
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  Speaker 4: had been gripped by an evil that once took over
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  Speaker 4: the heart of Jacob's sons towards Joseph years ago. As
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  Speaker 4: they spoke to others, their dishonor for Moses increased, and
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  Speaker 4: they began to sow subtle doubt among the people. Though
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  Speaker 4: Miriam and Aaron were keeping a low profile, God could
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  Speaker 4: hear every word of it. Petty, childish. God looked upon
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  Speaker 4: Miriam and Aaron with disgust. He would not tolerate leaders
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  Speaker 4: driven by jealousy and contempt. Moses was a meek man.
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  Speaker 4: His humility often overshadowed his strength as a leader. Therefore,
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  Speaker 4: it was up to God to reprimand his siblings. As
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  Speaker 4: Miriam and Aaron were scheming amongst each other, A cloud
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  Speaker 4: of smoke descended upon the tent of meeting. The air shifted,
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  Speaker 4: and the warm breeze turned into a sharp and frigid wind.
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  Speaker 4: Come out, the Lord shouted. He beckoned Moses forward and
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  Speaker 4: forced Aaron and Miriam out from the shadows. God spoke
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  Speaker 4: to Miriam and Aaron as a shepherd would to wolves.
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  Speaker 4: His anger emanated from the cloud as he said, Hear
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  Speaker 4: my words and listen carefully. When I speak to my prophets,
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  Speaker 4: I come to them in dreams and visions. This is
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  Speaker 4: not so with Moses. He is faithful and I speak
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  Speaker 4: to him clearly, plainly and with no riddles. You should
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  Speaker 4: fear speaking about him the way you have. You should
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  Speaker 4: tremble at the very thought of mistreating him. God truly
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  Speaker 4: spoke as a protective father, and his anger was kindled
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  Speaker 4: against the two of them, and the cloud of smoke
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  Speaker 4: disappeared as quickly as it came. Silence fell upon them
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  Speaker 4: as they sat in the tent. Moses could not look
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  Speaker 4: them in the eyes. He tilted his head to the floor,
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  Speaker 4: heart aching from the betrayal of his closest friends. Moses
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  Speaker 4: closed his eyes, thinking about what he would say next.
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  Speaker 4: He had never had a.
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  Speaker 2: Way with words. What would he say now? As he
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  Speaker 2: was thinking, he heard his brother gasp. Moses lifted his
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  Speaker 2: eyes and saw Aaron's face in shock as he looked
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  Speaker 2: at his sister. Miriam's face had become white as snow,
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  Speaker 2: and her skin began to peel.
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  Speaker 4: Off her face. Miriam shrieked and cried out in pain
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  Speaker 4: as her entire body began to rot. Pieces of flesh
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  Speaker 4: peeled from Miriam's face like paper. and her fingers began
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  Speaker 4: to fall off one by one. Aaron watched as his
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  Speaker 4: sister became riddled with leprosy. Unable to look any longer,
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  Speaker 4: he turned to Moses and shouted, My Lord, do not
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  Speaker 4: punish us! Her flesh is half eaten away!
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  Speaker 2: Aaron cried with his face to the floor in front
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  Speaker 2: of Moses.
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  Speaker 4: Moses was just as sickened as Aaron. He shivered at
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  Speaker 4: the sight of Miriam, whose teeth had been dangling from
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  Speaker 4: her open mouth.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, God!
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  Speaker 4: Moses shouted, Please heal her, please! Moses begged. So God did.
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  Speaker 2: As Moses requested, and Miriam lived outside the camp for
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  Speaker 2: seven days. God allowed her to live with the outward
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  Speaker 2: display of her inward character. After she had healed, she
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  Speaker 2: rejoined them, and the three continued to lead the people together.
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  Speaker 3: Today's episode begins, as acts of treachery often do, with whispers.
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron, the very sister and brother of Moses,
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  Speaker 3: are jealous of his position, envious. Why should he get
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  Speaker 3: all the credit for hearing from God, they said to
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  Speaker 3: themselves and then to others. They were undermining the man
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  Speaker 3: that God Almighty had chosen to lead his dear people.
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  Speaker 3: Surely their whispers were heard throughout the camp. Moses himself
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  Speaker 3: may not have heard them, but God did. And the
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  Speaker 3: reality is that when someone tries to undermine one that
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  Speaker 3: God has called to lead his people, it's like an
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  Speaker 3: attack on God himself. And that will not be tolerated.
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  Speaker 3: So God summons Moses and his siblings to the tent
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  Speaker 3: of meeting and made it very clear. Moses was set
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  Speaker 3: apart different from all the others. Their attempt at comparing
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  Speaker 3: themselves to Moses would not be taken lightly. God asked
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  Speaker 3: why they, knowing that Moses was chosen by God himself,
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  Speaker 3: had spoken against him. This is a reminder for us
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  Speaker 3: today to be very careful how we speak of those
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  Speaker 3: who God has called to lead. In the book of Acts,
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  Speaker 3: we find a story of a Pharisee named Gamaliel who
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  Speaker 3: understood this. When some of the apostles were arrested for
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  Speaker 3: preaching the gospel of Christ, Gamaliel advised those in charge
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  Speaker 3: to let them be. If they were not from God,
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  Speaker 3: they would soon be gone. But if they were from God,
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  Speaker 3: defying them was a dangerous, treacherous move. It could mean
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  Speaker 3: they were fighting against God himself. That's what Miriam and
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  Speaker 3: Aaron were doing by undermining and criticizing Moses. They picked
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  Speaker 3: a fight with God. God turned to them in anger
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  Speaker 3: and struck Miriam with a horrible leprosy. Her skin began
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  Speaker 3: to peel away. Yet Moses, once again demonstrating compassion and grace,
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  Speaker 3: even to those opposing him, intervenes and asks God, to
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  Speaker 3: spare her. Because of Moses, God determines to let Miriam live,
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  Speaker 3: and she survives. She is required to live outside the
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  Speaker 3: camp for a week, but then is restored to the
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  Speaker 3: community and they move on, continuing their journey to the
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  Speaker 3: promised land. And when we see them next, they will
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  Speaker 3: arrive at Canaan. Dear God, thank you for this story,
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  Speaker 3: which reminds us that you call people to leadership roles
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  Speaker 3: for a reason. And we are to respect and follow
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  Speaker 3: those that you've put over us. Help us to support
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  Speaker 3: rather than undermine those you have called to serve you
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  Speaker 3: in leadership positions. In Christ's name, amen. Thank you for
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  Speaker 3: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor
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  Speaker 3: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 3: sure to visit jackgraham.org. God bless you.
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  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 11:24
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