Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Justice, Honor, and Music - The Book of 2 Chronicles

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Justice, Honor, and Music - The Book of 2 Chronicles · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet,
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  Speaker 1: for his God gave him rest round about. 2 Chronicles
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  Speaker 1: 20.30 Dear God, as I evaluate my life and meditate
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  Speaker 1: on your plans for me, thank you for sharing this
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  Speaker 1: truth in today's reading. I acknowledge that my strength and
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  Speaker 1: wisdom doesn't come from reinventing the wheel. but in standing
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  Speaker 1: steadfast in your strategies and perfect plan. Therefore, as I
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  Speaker 1: make decisions in my life, I will stay mindful and
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  Speaker 1: not partake in battles that I'm not called to fight.
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  Speaker 1: I will not create ties with others who aren't on
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  Speaker 1: the same frequency of my destiny. Thank you for forgiving me,
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  Speaker 1: even when wrong partnerships arise. Thank you for dissolving harmful
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  Speaker 1: relationships in my life. Because I am called to be
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  Speaker 1: different and do different, I will stand confident when my
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  Speaker 1: life and decisions are unorthodox compared to others like Jehoshaphat.
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  Speaker 1: With your cosign on my life, I will declare that
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  Speaker 1: victory will come in unorthodox ways and that my only
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  Speaker 1: fight will be to stand strong in your power and might.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you for praying with us today.
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  Speaker 1: Continue your time with God by listening to today's Bible story,
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  Speaker 1: brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Justice, honor, and music. In our last story, Jehoshaphat became
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  Speaker 2: king over Judah and ruled righteously. He sent out teachers
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  Speaker 2: and priests to care for the peoples and teach them
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  Speaker 2: God's ways. He built cities and fortified towns that had
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  Speaker 2: no defenses. He amassed wealth, respect, and protection for Judah.
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  Speaker 2: He even built alliances with other nations and brokered an
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  Speaker 2: era of peace in the land. However, his alliance with
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  Speaker 2: Ahab the king of Israel proved to be unwise, as
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  Speaker 2: Ahab led them into an unwinnable battle. Ahab died, as
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  Speaker 2: was God's will. Now we learn more about the rule
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  Speaker 2: and reign of King Jehoshaphat. His desire for justice and
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  Speaker 2: honor spreads throughout the whole land. And in Israel's greatest
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  Speaker 2: moment of threat, he leans upon God even when it
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  Speaker 2: may seem unorthodox. Inspired by the book of 2 Chronicles.
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  Speaker 3: This is Jack Graham with today's episode of The Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year. In our previous episode, we learned about
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  Speaker 3: King Jehoshaphat in Judah. Unlike Ahab in Israel, Jehoshaphat followed
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  Speaker 3: God's heart and worked hard to rid the nation of
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  Speaker 3: sin and idolatry. Because of this, he and all of
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  Speaker 3: Judah with him prospered. Seeking peace for Judah, Jehoshaphat forged
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  Speaker 3: an alliance with Ahab, and we heard the last time
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  Speaker 3: how Ahab sought to go to battle with Syria despite
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  Speaker 3: the Lord's warning that the war would mean his demise.
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  Speaker 3: And so as we closed out the passage, Abraham died
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  Speaker 3: on the battlefield, and though the war was lost, the
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  Speaker 3: Lord protected Jehoshaphat in battle. So today, we're going to
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  Speaker 3: hear more about this righteous king and how he sought
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  Speaker 3: to do God's will and to bring honor and glory
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  Speaker 3: to the nation. We'll see how in all things this
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  Speaker 3: noble king sought to obey God and lived in dependence
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  Speaker 3: upon Him to gain victory after victory. So let's listen
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  Speaker 3: today to God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: The battle against Syria had taken its toll on Judah.
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  Speaker 2: Hundreds of men were lost in a battle meant for
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  Speaker 2: another kingdom. King Ahab had taken advantage of their alliance
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  Speaker 2: to win back a city he had lost. As a result,
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  Speaker 2: King Jehoshaphat was forced into a battle God did not
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  Speaker 2: intend for him to fight. Ahab was slain, the battle
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  Speaker 2: was lost, and now the king of Judah returned home
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  Speaker 2: dejected and ashamed. Jehoshaphat walked into the palace and removed
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  Speaker 2: his armor. He was sore from battle and travel. His
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  Speaker 2: bones ached and his heart was heavy because of the
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  Speaker 2: loss of his men. All seemed dark in the once
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  Speaker 2: bright and shining kingdom of Judah. Jehoshaphat sat down on
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  Speaker 2: his throne, closed his eyes, and released a deep sigh.
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  Speaker 2: Then he heard the doors open abruptly in front of him.
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  Speaker 2: Walking in was a prophet by the name of Jehu.
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  Speaker 2: A look of disappointment was clear on his face. He
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  Speaker 2: approached the run-down king and spoke forcibly. Why would you
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  Speaker 2: align yourself with people who clearly hate the Lord? He
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  Speaker 2: asked the king. God's anger is kindled against you. Tears
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  Speaker 2: began to stream down Jehoshaphat's face as he listened to
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  Speaker 2: Jehu scold him. He knew he had compromised the integrity
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  Speaker 2: of his kingdom. He had worked so hard to remove
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  Speaker 2: the idols and false gods from the land, and now
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  Speaker 2: he had partnered with the corrupt kingdom of Israel. He
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  Speaker 2: lowered his head in sadness. Jehu saw the remorse on
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  Speaker 2: the king's face. He breathed deeply for a moment and
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  Speaker 2: changed his tone. He walked up and put a gentle
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  Speaker 2: hand on Jehoshaphat's shoulder. Even so, there is much good
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  Speaker 2: in you, my king. You have removed all the false
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  Speaker 2: gods from this land. You have committed yourself and the
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  Speaker 2: kingdom to God. With those words, Jehu left his king
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  Speaker 2: to be with the Lord. Jehoshaphat arose the next morning
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  Speaker 2: with purpose and vision for the future of Judah. He
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  Speaker 2: left his home in Jerusalem to travel the land. He
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  Speaker 2: visited every city, farm, village, and family in the land.
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  Speaker 2: He would pray for them, speak with them, and listen
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  Speaker 2: to the needs of his people. He would encourage them
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  Speaker 2: to return to the Lord if they had strayed. He
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  Speaker 2: would remind them of their rich heritage in God. Then,
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  Speaker 2: in each part of the country he went, he would
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  Speaker 2: appoint a judge over them. These judges would help fortify
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  Speaker 2: the towns and lead the people in any disputes. He
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  Speaker 2: gave them specific order to act justly and think carefully
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  Speaker 2: about each and every trial that came their way. Remember,
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  Speaker 2: he would order them, you do not live to please
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  Speaker 2: the people, but the Lord. May he be with you
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  Speaker 2: in every case. Fear the Lord, judge with integrity, and
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  Speaker 2: do not tolerate corruption. When Jehoshaphat returned from his travels,
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  Speaker 2: He appointed some Levites and priests to be clan leaders
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  Speaker 2: over the city. They would oversee cases involving the law
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  Speaker 2: of God and justice over civil disputes. He encouraged the
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  Speaker 2: men to stay away from a corrupt heart and pursue
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  Speaker 2: righteousness at all costs. They were to have the final
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  Speaker 2: say as judges over the land and matters too large
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  Speaker 2: for the smaller judges. So slowly, Jehoshaphat began to bring
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  Speaker 2: a culture of love and justice to the people of Judah. However,
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  Speaker 2: darkness lurked in the wilderness, awaiting a perfect time to
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  Speaker 2: strike the peaceful people of Judah. The Moabites and Ammonites
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  Speaker 2: aligned together to overtake the people of Judah. They amassed
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  Speaker 2: a great and mighty army to come against Jehoshaphat and
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  Speaker 2: the men of God. Their military might was so vast
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  Speaker 2: that Jehoshaphat could not dream of defeating them on his own.
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  Speaker 2: So Jehoshaphat assembled the entire nation of Judah to pray
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  Speaker 2: and fast to the Lord for help. Together They sought
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  Speaker 2: wisdom and protection from the threatening horde approaching. And Judah
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  Speaker 2: assembled to seek help from the Lord. From all the
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  Speaker 2: cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Men, women,
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  Speaker 2: and children joined Jehoshaphat in prayer, seeking him and leaning
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  Speaker 2: on his wisdom. Finally the Lord spoke to Jehoshaphat, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Do not be afraid, do not be dismayed, for the
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  Speaker 2: battle is not yours but mine. Tomorrow you shall go
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  Speaker 2: down against them. When they ascend, you will find them
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  Speaker 2: in a valley towards the east. I promise you that
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  Speaker 2: you will not need to fight this battle. Hold your
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  Speaker 2: position and watch the salvation of God unfold before you.
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  Speaker 2: Jehoshaphat bowed his head and fell flat on the ground.
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  Speaker 2: He worshipped God, arose, and prepared his men for battle.
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  Speaker 2: They went into the wilderness towards the east as God
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  Speaker 2: had commanded. Jehoshaphat stood before his people. They were antsy
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  Speaker 2: for a fight. Many of them did not quite trust
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  Speaker 2: that God would provide victory for them without fighting. Jehoshaphat
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  Speaker 2: raised his voice for all to hear.' Hear me! Believe
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  Speaker 2: in the Lord your God!' he shouted. As he was speaking,
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  Speaker 2: they could see the Ammonite and Moabite army partnered with
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  Speaker 2: the people of Mount Seir forming in the distance. The
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  Speaker 2: earth shook at their numbers. The three people groups rumbled
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  Speaker 2: and prepared for battle against Judah. Slowly, They began to
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  Speaker 2: make their march towards the armies of Judah. Jehoshaphat stood
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  Speaker 2: his ground. It was tempting to not call his archers
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  Speaker 2: to the front, but instead he did something so wildly
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  Speaker 2: unorthodox that there has never been a commander to so since.
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  Speaker 2: Jehoshaphat called forth the musicians of Judah to the front
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  Speaker 2: of the battle lines. The king stood among them and
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  Speaker 2: raised his hands towards the battlefield. Give thanks to God,
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  Speaker 2: he shouted. for his love endures forever. And like a
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  Speaker 2: mighty roar, the voices of Judah sang praises to God
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  Speaker 2: along with the music. As they sang praises to God,
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  Speaker 2: the people of Mount Seir rerouted, and the Moabites and
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  Speaker 2: the Ammonites pursued them. The men of Judah watched as
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  Speaker 2: the confused and divided Elijahs began destroying one another. They
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  Speaker 2: listened to the clanging of metal and bones clashed in
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  Speaker 2: the distance. A civil war broke out in real time
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  Speaker 2: before them and the Moabite and Ammonite armies were completely
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  Speaker 2: consumed by one another. Silence fell upon the valley and
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  Speaker 2: the people of Judah approached the scorched earth where the
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  Speaker 2: battle had taken place. Blood and dust covered the atmosphere,
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  Speaker 2: and riches lay on the floor for the taking. The
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  Speaker 2: Lord had provided victory without any need for them to
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  Speaker 2: lift up a spear. Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah for
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  Speaker 2: twenty-five years. His heart for the Lord mirrored that of
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  Speaker 2: his forefather David. He dedicated the rest of his rule
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  Speaker 2: towards the flourishing of his people as they honored God
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  Speaker 2: and one another. His kindness, wisdom, and justice were was
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  Speaker 2: well known among the land. Tales of God's victory against
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  Speaker 2: the Moabite and Ammonite armies protected them from trouble for
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  Speaker 2: years to come.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's reading, Jehoshaphat has been defeated in battle.
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  Speaker 3: His alliance with Ahab and Israel had proven costly for
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  Speaker 3: his nation, though not as costly as for Ahab, who
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  Speaker 3: lost his life to the Syrian army. Still, Jehoshaphat knew
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  Speaker 3: his decision to align himself with a man like Ahab
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  Speaker 3: had come at a great cost. So it wasn't a
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  Speaker 3: surprise when Jehoshaphat faced a prophet by the name of Jehu.
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  Speaker 3: Jehu came with a message from God. Jehu told the
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  Speaker 3: king that God's anger had been stirred by Jehoshaphat. When
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  Speaker 3: he went into battle, he knew that God did not
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  Speaker 3: desire him to fight. Jehoshaphat did not make excuses. nor
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  Speaker 3: did he lash out at the messenger. He listened to
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  Speaker 3: the prophet. And the next words he heard surely gave
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  Speaker 3: him great comfort and consolation. For Jehu then said that
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  Speaker 3: God saw the good in the king, his cleansing the
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  Speaker 3: country of idolatry and sin and seeking after the law
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  Speaker 3: of the Lord. This had not gone unnoticed by God.
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  Speaker 3: In life, God will choose to discipline us when we
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  Speaker 3: need it, but that is for the purpose of correcting us.
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  Speaker 3: And God is now correcting Jehoshaphat like a good father
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  Speaker 3: would correct his son. And all the while, he is
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  Speaker 3: extending grace and mercy to the king because God knew
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  Speaker 3: his heart. And the heart of Jehoshaphat was one that
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  Speaker 3: sought justice, honor, and to turn the people back to God.
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  Speaker 3: He traveled throughout the nation to advise people to go
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  Speaker 3: back to the Lord. The nation needed revival. He knew
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  Speaker 3: that his task was too big for one man, even
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  Speaker 3: though he was a king. So Jehoshaphat appointed judges to
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  Speaker 3: each region to protect the towns, settle disputes, and maintain order.
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  Speaker 3: God is, after all, a God of order and justice,
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  Speaker 3: not chaos and confusion. He gave careful instructions to the
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  Speaker 3: judges as to how to follow God's will and not
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  Speaker 3: man's desires. He then appointed priests and Levites to rule
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  Speaker 3: on matters of justice and God's law. Slowly, steadily, surely,
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  Speaker 3: Judah was returning to a place of dependence upon God.
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  Speaker 3: And as so often happens in life, when things begin
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  Speaker 3: to take shape and fall into place, another threat arose.
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  Speaker 3: The Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Muneites began to assemble
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  Speaker 3: to attack. This was no small army, and Jehoshaphat knew
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  Speaker 3: They were too great a foe to overcome, even with
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  Speaker 3: a powerful army. So in 2 Chronicles 20 verses 3
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  Speaker 3: and 4, here's what we read. Then Jehoshaphat was afraid
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  Speaker 3: and set his face to seek the Lord and proclaimed
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  Speaker 3: a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek
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  Speaker 3: help from the Lord from all the cities of Judah
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  Speaker 3: that came to seek the Lord. Do you see what
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  Speaker 3: is happening here? The king doesn't know what to do.
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  Speaker 3: There's a battle that is coming and He feels so unqualified.
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  Speaker 3: So what did he do? He called the nation to
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  Speaker 3: fast and pray. He gets on his knees and he
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  Speaker 3: seeks the Lord. He even says, Lord, we do not
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  Speaker 3: know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
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  Speaker 3: Prayer is a powerful spiritual weapon. In fact, prayer is
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  Speaker 3: a kind of battlefield in which we fight our spiritual battles.
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  Speaker 3: And because Jehoshaphat begins to pray and obey, The nation
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  Speaker 3: of Judah joins him in the fasting and praying. And
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  Speaker 3: God answered with reassurance and told the king not to
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  Speaker 3: fear that the battle was won. The victory was already his.
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  Speaker 3: So when it was time for the battle, the army assembled.
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  Speaker 3: But rather than lead with archers and swordsmen, soldiers, Jehoshaphat
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  Speaker 3: called the musicians to the front line. And with great
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  Speaker 3: shouts of praise, they proclaimed the enduring love of God
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  Speaker 3: and his goodness to his people. The battle begins with praise. Miraculously,
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  Speaker 3: the enemy turned on itself, waging a battle that Judah's
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  Speaker 3: fighters never even had to fight until the enemy was
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  Speaker 3: completely destroyed. So just as God had promised victory was
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  Speaker 3: given to Judah that day, praise is the victory. because
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  Speaker 3: praise enters in the presence of God, and God responds
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  Speaker 3: when His people pray and praise Him. That day would
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  Speaker 3: live on in memory as a sign of God's enduring
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  Speaker 3: faithfulness and goodness. And to this very day, we sing
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  Speaker 3: and we worship God, knowing that there is victory in
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  Speaker 3: our Savior. Dear God, we thank You for Jehoshaphat's example
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  Speaker 3: in today's message. Lord, there are times that we don't
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  Speaker 3: know what to do. that our problems are so perplexing
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  Speaker 3: and so difficult that we have no idea as to
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  Speaker 3: what we are to say, what we are to pray.
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  Speaker 3: But when we don't know what to do, we keep
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  Speaker 3: our eyes on you. We trust in you and seek
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  Speaker 3: your face because we know that you will fight our
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  Speaker 3: battles and that the battle is the Lord's. In Christ's name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas. I would encourage
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  Speaker 3: you to download the Pray.com app and certainly to make
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  Speaker 3: Bible study and prayer a priority in your life. I
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  Speaker 3: would encourage you to go to church and be a
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  Speaker 3: part of a Bible-believing, Christ-exalting church. If you enjoyed this podcast,
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  Speaker 3: tell a friend. Let someone else know because the Word
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  Speaker 3: of God changes lives. And if you want more resources
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: as to how you can know and love God and
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  Speaker 3: follow Him all the days of your life, be sure
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  Speaker 3: to visit jackgram.org. as we have many resources available to
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  Speaker 3: you as you journey with the Lord. God bless you.