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Victory after Victory - The Books of 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Be of good courage, and let us
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  Speaker 1: play the men for our people and for the cities
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  Speaker 1: of our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth
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  Speaker 1: Him good. 2 Samuel 10.12 Dear God, etch in the
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  Speaker 1: foundations of my heart that I am a giant killer,
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  Speaker 1: like David in 2 Samuel 10. I will not cower
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  Speaker 1: and run away when I am faced with challenges and
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  Speaker 1: limiting mindsets. that try to loom over areas of my life.
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  Speaker 1: As I build my faith on your word, my feet
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  Speaker 1: will move with purpose and speed in the direction of
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  Speaker 1: my calling, knowing that the armies of heaven are backing
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  Speaker 1: my life, like the army of Israel backed King David. Today,
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  Speaker 1: I make known the truth that I am not afraid
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  Speaker 1: to fight for what God has spoken over my life.
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  Speaker 1: I make known the fact that I will fight for
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  Speaker 1: the dignity of others. Through the battles and blows of life,
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  Speaker 1: I will stay on the battlefield until God gives me
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  Speaker 1: the victory. I am fighting the fight of faith for
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. I am fighting for more. I am fighting
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  Speaker 1: for peace, and I am fighting to become the highest
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  Speaker 1: version of me. In Jesus' name, Amen. Listening to these
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  Speaker 1: daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from
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  Speaker 1: the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Victory after victory. In our last story, David came to
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  Speaker 2: the realization that that the Lord should have a temple
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  Speaker 2: built for him.
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  Speaker 3: Nathan the prophet.
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  Speaker 2: Agreed and spoke for the Lord, saying his kingdom would
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  Speaker 2: be established forever. The Lord blessed all of David's exploits,
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  Speaker 2: and the kingdom of Israel continued to grow day by day.
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  Speaker 2: In this story, Hanan, king of Ammon, will humiliate David's servants,
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  Speaker 2: and the Ammonites learn that David is not a king
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  Speaker 2: to be trifled with. as inspired by 2 Samuel and
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  Speaker 2: 1 Chronicles.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 4: Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we
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  Speaker 4: saw David's heart to honor God and build the Lord
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  Speaker 4: a home, a temple where his glory could be on
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  Speaker 4: display for all the world to see. As a result
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  Speaker 4: of his faithfulness, David received a message from God through
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  Speaker 4: the prophet Nathan. The message was this, God would establish
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  Speaker 4: a lasting kingdom through David. God blessed David's efforts both
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  Speaker 4: as king and as a warrior, and today we'll continue
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  Speaker 4: to see the victories that God gives to David. We'll
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  Speaker 4: also hear how the king of Ammon meets David's act
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  Speaker 4: of kindness with distrust and disrespect and discovers that David
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  Speaker 4: is not a king to be mocked or toyed with.
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  Speaker 4: And as always, through it all, God's name will be
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  Speaker 4: made known not just among the Israelites, but to all
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  Speaker 4: the nations. Let's listen now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: David heard of Nahash's death and remembered the kindness he
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  Speaker 2: showed David while in the wilderness. There was historic blood
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  Speaker 2: between the Ammonites and the Israelites. However, David was determined
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  Speaker 2: to usher in a new era of peace. David gathered
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  Speaker 2: some of his men to go and console Hanun with
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  Speaker 2: gifts and goodwill. The servants entered the land. There was
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  Speaker 2: a slight eeriness in the city when they entered. Being
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  Speaker 2: Israelites in the land of the Ammonites was uncomfortable, and
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  Speaker 2: whispers filled the streets as they passed. Nevertheless, the men
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  Speaker 2: walked into the halls of Hanan, determined to comfort him.
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  Speaker 2: The princes and counselors sat beside Hanan as David's men entered.
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  Speaker 2: One of them leaned over to Hanan and whispered, Do
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  Speaker 2: you really think David sent comforters because of your father?
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  Speaker 2: You know they are here to spy on our land.
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  Speaker 2: It is a ruse, my king. Hanan gave a slight nod,
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  Speaker 2: not taking his eyes off the men as they entered
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  Speaker 2: the room. The men bowed before Hanan and laid gifts
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  Speaker 2: at his feet. However, corruption and paranoia had easily gripped
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  Speaker 2: Hanan's mind. He stood to his feet and ordered the
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  Speaker 2: servants to be taken at once. The servants were confused
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  Speaker 2: at his intentions. Hanan slipped a devious smile and ordered
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  Speaker 2: his men to shave off half of their beards and
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  Speaker 2: cut the lower half of their robes, exposing their genitalias
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  Speaker 2: before everyone. Then... They cast them out into the streets
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  Speaker 2: for all to see. Ammonite cackles filled the city streets as.
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  Speaker 3: The men ran in embarrassment.
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  Speaker 2: Tears of shame filled their eyes, and they hid themselves
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  Speaker 2: in Jericho. They sent word to David and told him
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  Speaker 2: what happened. David did not send men to get them.
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  Speaker 3: He went himself.
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  Speaker 2: David rode to his men swiftly as a father would
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  Speaker 2: to his hurting children. David found them hiding in Jericho
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  Speaker 2: and comforted them. Remain here until your beards grow back.
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  Speaker 2: Here are supplies and new robes. So David left them
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  Speaker 2: and relieved them of their duties until they recovered their dignity.
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  Speaker 2: He mounted his horse and left the area. He rode
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  Speaker 2: fast and aggressively. He looked forward with fury in his eyes.
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  Speaker 2: David would not forgive the humiliation of his servants. Unlike Hanan,
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  Speaker 2: David was a king with actual power. Hanan would soon
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  Speaker 2: learn this for himself. The Ammonites heard that David was
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  Speaker 2: outraged by Hanan's disrespect. They wanted to attack him before
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  Speaker 2: he attacked them, so they hired 20,000 Syrian mercenaries to
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  Speaker 2: join their army. They also allied with a neighboring city
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  Speaker 2: to gain an extra 13,000 men. Soon, A vast army
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  Speaker 2: prepared themselves for David's retaliation. Unperturbed, David sent Joab, his
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  Speaker 2: mighty men, and a portion of his army to face them.
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  Speaker 2: Joab scooped out the field and saw that the Ammonites
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  Speaker 2: and the Syrians split up to ambush them on both ends.
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  Speaker 2: Joab and the mighty men decided to march towards the Syrians,
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  Speaker 2: while the army of Israel took on the Ammonites. Joab
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  Speaker 2: shouted to his men with his spear in the air
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  Speaker 2: and said, Protect one another. If one side proves to
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  Speaker 2: be too strong, we will come.
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  Speaker 3: To each other's aid.
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  Speaker 2: Joab looked to the battlefield. He longed for battle, craved it.
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  Speaker 2: But the armies were large and his men were few.
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  Speaker 2: Be strong and courageous, Joab yelled again, for you are
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  Speaker 2: the city of God. A roar followed Joab's words, and
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  Speaker 2: the men of Israel descended upon the Syrians and Ammonites.
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  Speaker 2: Joab and the mighty men reached the Syrians first. Their
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  Speaker 2: speed caught the Syrians completely off guard. Never had they
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  Speaker 2: seen men fight with such unity. Months of training with
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  Speaker 2: David in the wilderness honed them in. They battled as
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  Speaker 2: a single unit, as if they were one body. They
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  Speaker 2: overwhelmed the Syrians within minutes. and they began to flee.
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  Speaker 2: The Ammonites saw their mercenaries flee and became scared. They
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  Speaker 2: fled from the battle and hid behind their city gates.
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  Speaker 2: Joab returned with the soldiers and awaited orders from David
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  Speaker 2: for the next move. The Syrians threw their weapons on
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  Speaker 2: the floor in frustration.
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  Speaker 3: They had been caught completely off guard.
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  Speaker 2: Though they were hired hands, they would not allow themselves
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  Speaker 2: to be beaten and humiliated by Israel. They rallied and
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  Speaker 2: gathered their allies from beyond the Euphrates. Shobak, their commander,
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  Speaker 2: led them to Helam and awaited David for battle. Shobak
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  Speaker 2: stood taller than all the other men under his command.
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  Speaker 2: He was fierce and a brilliant swordsman and tactician. The
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  Speaker 2: Syrians feared him and followed him into battle. This time
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  Speaker 2: David did not send Joab and his men. David rode
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  Speaker 2: out with his army behind.
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  Speaker 3: Him to Helam.
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  Speaker 2: Thousands of Syrian horsemen and soldiers stood before David on
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  Speaker 2: the opposite end of the field. David drew his sword and,
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  Speaker 2: without saying a word, ran headfirst into battle. The men
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  Speaker 2: of Israel stood in awe of their king. He ran
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  Speaker 2: like a lion, shortening the gap between him and his prey.
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  Speaker 2: The Syrian chariots rushed in first. For a moment, it
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  Speaker 2: seemed as though it was David running towards a sea
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  Speaker 2: of chariots on his own. His men followed behind him,
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  Speaker 2: inspired by their warrior king. David's fighting was like poetry.
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  Speaker 2: His sword slashed the legs of horses, sending the horsemen
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  Speaker 2: flying through the air. His shield absorbed every blow, and
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  Speaker 2: his blade returned with twice the force. David's sword seemed
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  Speaker 2: to dance in his hand as he fought his way
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  Speaker 2: through the Syrian lines. Shobak had David in his line
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  Speaker 2: of vision. He ran towards David, toppling other soldiers on
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  Speaker 2: his way. David barely saw Shobak at the corner of
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  Speaker 2: his eye before he struck a blow to his side
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  Speaker 2: with his shield.
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  Speaker 3: David flew into the air and landed on his back.
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  Speaker 2: Shobak did not stop and ran toward David with his
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  Speaker 2: sword in the air. David dodged the second attack and
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  Speaker 2: swiped Shobak's calf. The two fought ferociously, yet Shobak's strength was.
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  Speaker 3: No match for David's skill.
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  Speaker 2: David allowed Shobak to come close, grabbed the hilt of
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  Speaker 2: his sword, and drove his blade into Shobak's side.
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  Speaker 3: He stumbled back, holding his stomach.
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  Speaker 2: Frightened that David might slay him where he stood, Shobak
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  Speaker 2: ran away. Bleeding from his stomach, Shobak ran through the
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  Speaker 2: battle looking for safety. Growing faint, he fell to his
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  Speaker 2: knees and bled.
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  Speaker 3: Out on the battlefield. The battle was won.
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  Speaker 2: David and his men killed 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen.
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  Speaker 2: David raised his spear into the air and roared a
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  Speaker 2: mighty cry of victory with the blood of his enemy
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  Speaker 2: laced on his face and clothes. The men of Israel
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  Speaker 2: shouted and chanted to God. The kings of the east
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  Speaker 2: trembled in fear of David and made.
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  Speaker 3: Peace with Israel.
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  Speaker 2: David used his sword to make a statement, but he
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  Speaker 2: would go no further than protecting his people. David was
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  Speaker 2: not a conqueror and had no interest in enslaving other kingdoms.
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  Speaker 2: He wanted peace and welcomed any kingdom that desired the same.
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  Speaker 2: David's bravery became renowned in all the land. Yet even
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  Speaker 2: the bravest of kings can be undone by the smallest
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  Speaker 2: of temptations. A lesson David would soon learn.
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  Speaker 4: Today's passage begins with the death of the Ammonite king.
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  Speaker 4: His son, Hanun, was his successor. And when David heard
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  Speaker 4: of the death of the man who had once been
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  Speaker 4: kind to him when he was in exile, he wanted
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  Speaker 4: to show his respect and return the kindness. So he
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  Speaker 4: sent some of his men on a peaceful mission into
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  Speaker 4: the land of the Ammonites, historically enemies of Israel. Though
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  Speaker 4: he was a very powerful king with a great army,
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  Speaker 4: David wanted to rule with peace whenever possible. But as
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  Speaker 4: his men entered the palace of Hanun, there they were
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  Speaker 4: met with distrust and paranoia. Now, for sure, a certain
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  Speaker 4: amount of trepidation on the part of the Ammonite king
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  Speaker 4: would have been understandable. But rather than give the men
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  Speaker 4: a chance to speak, he had them seized immediately. Their
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  Speaker 4: beards were shaved, an act of humiliation in itself in
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  Speaker 4: those days, and their robes were cut off at the waist,
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  Speaker 4: exposing them to ridicule as they were cast into the streets.
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  Speaker 4: The men fled in embarrassment and hid in Jericho. 2
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  Speaker 4: Samuel 10.5 tells us how David reacted. We read, When
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  Speaker 4: it was told to David, he sent to meet them,
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  Speaker 4: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said,
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  Speaker 4: Remain in Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return. Now,
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  Speaker 4: don't miss the significance of this passage. First, it tells
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  Speaker 4: us that David was primarily concerned with his men. As
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  Speaker 4: a king, he could have focused first on the disrespect
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  Speaker 4: shown to him by Hanun. He could have immediately departed
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  Speaker 4: to attack the Ammonites to punish them for their mockery.
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  Speaker 4: But he went first to his men to care for
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  Speaker 4: their needs and comfort them. Secondly, David went to them himself.
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  Speaker 4: A great leader is never above serving those who follow him.
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  Speaker 4: Jesus gave us the best example of this as he
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  Speaker 4: washed his own disciples' feet. David surely could have sent
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  Speaker 4: someone else to reach his men, but he went to
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  Speaker 4: see them himself. So with the first priority handled, David
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  Speaker 4: then turned to the Ammonites for their offense could not
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  Speaker 4: be unanswered. David gathered his men with his faithful commander
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  Speaker 4: Joab in charge. Joab wisely was careful in his plan
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  Speaker 4: of attack. He'd learned from David, a skillful and wise
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  Speaker 4: military leader. And rather than rush into the war, Joab
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  Speaker 4: surveyed the battlefield. He saw there were two fronts on
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  Speaker 4: which to fight. So he prepared his men and they
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  Speaker 4: resolved to fight as one unit, supporting each other where
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  Speaker 4: any weakness arose. Joab's men were strong and ready for battle,
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  Speaker 4: and the enemy was quickly defeated, and the Syrian mercenaries
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  Speaker 4: driven off. When the Syrians realized they were in a
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  Speaker 4: large fight, they gathered their allies, and this time David
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  Speaker 4: himself led the Israelite army into battle. God, as he
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  Speaker 4: had been doing since David rose to the throne, gave
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  Speaker 4: David a convincing victory, and the Syrians were defeated and
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  Speaker 4: driven away. And rather than use this as an opportunity
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  Speaker 4: to increase his territory and kill his enemies, David made
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  Speaker 4: peace with the Syrians and their allies, who knew now
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  Speaker 4: that David and God's people were not to be abused.
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  Speaker 4: But as David's fame and power grew, a complacency began
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  Speaker 4: to creep in, and with it, temptation was just around
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  Speaker 4: the corner. We'll discover the tragic consequences of that in
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  Speaker 4: our next reading. Dear God, we thank you for today's
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  Speaker 4: passage on servant leadership. Help us always be willing to
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  Speaker 4: serve those around us and to help those that we
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  Speaker 4: lead and love. May we show kindness even to our
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  Speaker 4: enemies as Jesus taught us. And it is in his
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  Speaker 4: name that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 4: today's Bible in a Year podcast. I hope you are
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  Speaker 4: enjoying it as much as I am. This is Pastor
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  Speaker 4: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the Pray.com
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  Speaker 4: app and make prayer the priority in your life. And
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  Speaker 4: into God's power for living, be sure to visit jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 4: God bless you.