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A Kingdom that Lasts - The Books of 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. The king said unto Nathan the prophet,
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  Speaker 1: See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but
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  Speaker 1: the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. 2 Samuel 7.2
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  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, You call our bodies a living temple. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: as I meditate on David and his heart in 2
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  Speaker 1: Samuel and 1 Chronicles, I have now decided to make
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  Speaker 1: sure that my body will be a temple that is
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  Speaker 1: built to house your presence. I declare that health and
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  Speaker 1: wholeness is my focus. I declare that I now have
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  Speaker 1: the mindset to get into the best shape of my life.
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  Speaker 1: My body is an instrument that is used to bring
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  Speaker 1: your love and glory to everyone I meet. Therefore, I
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  Speaker 1: will be diligent to avoid anything that would hurt and
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  Speaker 1: hinder my ability to live out my purpose and destiny.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, Jesus, that through you and your sacrifice, I
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  Speaker 1: now contain the power to overcome any obstacle that would
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  Speaker 1: stand in the way of my health. As I take
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  Speaker 1: care of my mind, body, and soul, I thank you, God,
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  Speaker 1: that you can see that I am trustworthy enough to
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  Speaker 1: honor the body and life you've given me. Through this trust,
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  Speaker 1: you will continue to not only bless me, but also
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  Speaker 1: allow my decision to prioritize health to bless my legacy.
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  Speaker 1: I decree that my body is the temple of the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure
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  Speaker 1: that God can keep using me to build a kingdom
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  Speaker 1: that lasts. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for making
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  Speaker 1: prayer a priority in your day. To learn more about
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  Speaker 1: the Bible, stay tuned for today's story. Brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: A kingdom that lasts. In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: about David returning the Ark of the Covenant home to
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  Speaker 2: the people of Israel. Music, singing, and dancing filled the
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  Speaker 2: air as the Ark made its way down to the
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  Speaker 2: city of Jerusalem. However, the revelry was quickly replaced by
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  Speaker 2: fear as Uzzah was struck down when he touched the ark.
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  Speaker 2: David questioned God's goodness, but pressed into God through his doubt.
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  Speaker 2: When the ark finally returned to Israel, David leapt for
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  Speaker 2: joy and danced among the people. He took off his
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  Speaker 2: kingly robes, which angered his wife. However, David would not
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  Speaker 2: be embarrassed to show his love for God. Now we
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  Speaker 2: are introduced to a new prophet by the name of Nathan,
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  Speaker 2: He would prove as a voice of encouragement, prophecy, and
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  Speaker 2: correction for David for years to come. And David, with
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  Speaker 2: a heart that loves God, leads the people of Israel
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  Speaker 2: into more prosperity and victory. Inspired by 2 Samuel and
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  Speaker 2: 1 Chronicles.
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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 our previous story, we
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  Speaker 3: heard how David moved the ark to Israel into the
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  Speaker 3: city of David where it belonged. Though it wasn't an
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  Speaker 3: easy task, and because David had said about it in
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  Speaker 3: the wrong way at first, a man died. But the
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  Speaker 3: ark eventually made its way to Israel, where David danced
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  Speaker 3: before the Lord without shame. His own wife, Michael, disapproved,
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  Speaker 3: but David made it clear he was worshiping God. Today
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  Speaker 3: we will meet a new prophet, a man named Nathan,
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  Speaker 3: who will both encourage and challenge David in the years
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  Speaker 3: to come. God will speak through Nathan to guide and
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  Speaker 3: correct David, who will lead God's people with a righteous
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  Speaker 3: heart that seeks the Lord always. God will bless Israel
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  Speaker 3: with victory and prosperity under this king who had a
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  Speaker 3: heart for God. Listen now to today's scripture.
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  Speaker 2: David arose from his bed early in the morning. The
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  Speaker 2: musk of cedar and spring flowers filled the room as
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  Speaker 2: a soft light trickled through the windows. David walked from
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  Speaker 2: his bed towards the window and leaned over. He breathed
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  Speaker 2: in the crisp morning air and let the new sun
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  Speaker 2: warm his face. He looked around the outside of his home.
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  Speaker 2: There were gardens, trees, and wildflowers lacing the property. Across
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  Speaker 2: the way was a hall for him to meet with
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  Speaker 2: the elders and his mighty men. Growing up as a
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  Speaker 2: shepherd boy, David would have never fathomed living like a king.
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  Speaker 2: David looked back at his room. Beautiful cedar beams held
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  Speaker 2: up the high ceilings. He observed them closely. David tilted
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  Speaker 2: his head and pressed his lips together, seeing how the
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  Speaker 2: large beams were constructed like pieces of art. Then, in
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  Speaker 2: an instant, David's eyes widened. David put on his shirt
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  Speaker 2: and robe and ran outside towards the meeting hall. David
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  Speaker 2: burst through the doors with a smile on his face. Nathan,
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  Speaker 2: the prophet, was there, as he often was if the
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  Speaker 2: king needed counsel.' Nathan!' David shouted as he hugged him.
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  Speaker 2: Nathan smiled and returned, wondering what had put David in
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  Speaker 2: such a good mood. David leaned in close as he spoke, saying,'
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  Speaker 2: Look at this beautiful home I have. I dwell in
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  Speaker 2: a house of cedar, fortified and filled with beauty. Yet
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  Speaker 2: the ark of God is outside, dwelling in a tent.'
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  Speaker 2: David waved his arms towards the outside and put his
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  Speaker 2: hands on his head. Why wouldn't the Lord be deserving
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  Speaker 2: of a beautiful home? Nathan stroked his beard and pondered
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  Speaker 2: David's words. He shrugged his shoulders with a grin and said,
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  Speaker 2: Do all that is in your heart, my king. The
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  Speaker 2: Lord is with you. So David wasted no time in
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  Speaker 2: beginning the plans to build God a temple, a home
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  Speaker 2: so magnificent and glorious that the whole world would awe
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  Speaker 2: at the sight of it. That night, Nathan was praying
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  Speaker 2: to the Lord on David's behalf. The prophet kneeled at
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  Speaker 2: the side of his bed, considering the home David desired
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  Speaker 2: to create for God. Then, in the quiet, God spoke
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  Speaker 2: to Nathan, saying, Go and say these things to David.
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  Speaker 2: I have not lived in a house since the day
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  Speaker 2: I saved the people of Israel from Egypt. I have
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  Speaker 2: been moving among my people in a tent. In all
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  Speaker 2: their history, I have not asked for a dwelling place,
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  Speaker 2: nor have I complained. Yet here you are, David, prepared
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  Speaker 2: to build for me a temple. I remember taking you
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  Speaker 2: from the pasture among your sheep. I have been with
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  Speaker 2: you everywhere you have went. I have cut off every
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  Speaker 2: enemy that pursues you. I will make you great in
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  Speaker 2: all the earth, and I will set your son up
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  Speaker 2: after you. When he sins, I shall not depart from
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  Speaker 2: him like I did Saul, nor will I leave you
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  Speaker 2: for all the days of your life. Nathan held these
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  Speaker 2: words like precious jewels and presented them to David the
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  Speaker 2: next morning. David sang and was glad. This interaction between
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  Speaker 2: David and God truly showed why David was chosen to
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  Speaker 2: be king. David was passionate after pleasing the heart of God.
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  Speaker 2: He was still flawed and deeply naive in many ways,
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  Speaker 2: yet his heart sought to cling to God's as Jacob
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  Speaker 2: once did many years prior. Together, David and God shepherded
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  Speaker 2: the people of Israel into an era of prosperity and growth.
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  Speaker 2: As God gave David strength as a shepherd to defeat
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  Speaker 2: lions and wolves, so he gave David the strength to
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  Speaker 2: protect the people of Israel. David rose up against the
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  Speaker 2: Philistines and completely subdued them and took one of their capitals.
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  Speaker 2: After this, he defeated the kingdom of Moab, and the
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  Speaker 2: Moabites served Israel and prospered as a result. David also
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  Speaker 2: thwarted the king of Zobah in a fierce battle. The
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  Speaker 2: two kings clashed over control of the Euphrates. He took
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  Speaker 2: from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 soldiers. When the Syrians
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  Speaker 2: came to King Zobah's aid, David and his mighty men
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  Speaker 2: struck them down with a mighty blow. Many other kings
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  Speaker 2: sought to destroy David but ended up crushed by the
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  Speaker 2: power of God. David reigned over the land with strength
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  Speaker 2: and mercy. With each victory, the small and helpless nation
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  Speaker 2: of Israel rose to a place of prominence and influence.
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  Speaker 2: Yet David was not just a mighty warrior. Each week,
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  Speaker 2: he would lead the congregation in worship, singing his psalms
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  Speaker 2: before the people, drawing them closer to the presence of God.
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  Speaker 2: He would write songs of God's goodness, power, salvation, and joy.
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  Speaker 2: He taught the people how to be honest before God
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  Speaker 2: while showing him reverence. Slowly, David's heart for God began
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  Speaker 2: to translate onto the people of Israel. The once far-off, rebellious,
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  Speaker 2: and fickle people of Israel were finally pursuing the Lord
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  Speaker 2: once again.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's story, we are introduced to a
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  Speaker 3: new character, the prophet Nathan. It has been years since
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  Speaker 3: God has spoken through the prophet Samuel, and now there
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  Speaker 3: is a new man called to bring God's prophetic word
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  Speaker 3: to his people and to King David. Nathan and David
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  Speaker 3: will form a strong bond of trust over many years.
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  Speaker 3: And in today's story, we find David seeking Nathan for
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  Speaker 3: counsel on an issue very close to his heart. As king,
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  Speaker 3: David lives in a palatial home with all the comforts
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  Speaker 3: and luxuries of a king. And yet, as he looks
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  Speaker 3: at the ark and where it is kept, a tent,
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  Speaker 3: he knows that this is not right. God's presence deserves
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  Speaker 3: a home fit for a king, a heavenly king, something
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  Speaker 3: beautiful and permanent, a temple that would catch the eye
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  Speaker 3: of all who would see it. So David tells Nathan
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  Speaker 3: that he wants to build a home, a temple for God,
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  Speaker 3: and Nathan gives his blessing to David, knowing the king's
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  Speaker 3: heart is right where it belongs. I imagine David is
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  Speaker 3: like a small child with excitement as he draws up
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  Speaker 3: the plans to honor God with a temple. Nathan, for
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  Speaker 3: his part, took the request to the Lord in prayer
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  Speaker 3: to confirm that his guidance to David was correct. God
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  Speaker 3: was pleased by David's desire to build a temple. For generations,
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  Speaker 3: God had moved with the Israelites, a nomad like them,
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  Speaker 3: dwelling in temporary houses in the wilderness, going from place
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  Speaker 3: to place. But now, as his plan was unfolding and
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  Speaker 3: the man who pursued his heart was leading his people,
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  Speaker 3: God would provide a permanent home that the world, all
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  Speaker 3: the world, could seek. Listen to what God says to
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  Speaker 3: Nathan in 2 Samuel 7. He shall build a house
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  Speaker 3: for my name, and I will establish the throne of
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  Speaker 3: his kingdom forever. I will be to him like a father,
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  Speaker 3: and he shall be to me like a son. When
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  Speaker 3: he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod
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  Speaker 3: of men, with the stripes of the sons of men.
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  Speaker 3: But my steadfast love will not depart from him. These
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  Speaker 3: words are specifically about David. but they reflect a desire
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  Speaker 3: for God's relationship with each one of us. Our Father
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  Speaker 3: in heaven wants us to walk with him as his children.
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  Speaker 3: David's primary interest was not for the power of a
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  Speaker 3: king or the position or the recognition. That was what
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  Speaker 3: was in Saul's heart, and it led him on a
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  Speaker 3: destructive path. David's desire was to honor God, to be
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  Speaker 3: near to him, and show him love, reverence, and lavish generosity.
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  Speaker 3: And for this, God blessed both David and the nation
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  Speaker 3: of Israel. He led the nation to many victories and
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  Speaker 3: battles against other nations. And with every victory, David gave
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  Speaker 3: glory to God and made his name known throughout the earth.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, we thank you that you are our Father
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  Speaker 3: and we are your children through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for the privilege of knowing you and loving you,
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  Speaker 3: serving you and following you. May we always confess our
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  Speaker 3: sins and find forgiveness. And may we always live in
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  Speaker 3: obedience to you. 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 Jack
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  Speaker 3: Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and make
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  Speaker 3: prayer and Bible study a priority in your life. If
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  Speaker 3: you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love
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  Speaker 3: the Word of God to the world. And if you
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  Speaker 3: want more resources on how to tap into God's power
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  Speaker 3: for Christian living, be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.