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The End of a Witch’s Story - The Book of 2 Kings · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And when he was come in, he
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  Speaker 1: did not eat and drink. And he said, Go, see
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  Speaker 1: now this cursed woman, and bury her, for she is
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  Speaker 1: a king's daughter. 2 Kings 9.34 As the anointing of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord moves through me, I will not stop until
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  Speaker 1: I pray and dismantle the works of the enemy around me.
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  Speaker 1: I will not relent until until I remove any and
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  Speaker 1: all false gods and idols in my life. I decree
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  Speaker 1: and declare that I will honor you with my whole heart.
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  Speaker 1: Unlike Yehu, I will not walk away from you or
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  Speaker 1: your presence. I will not settle for a lukewarm relationship
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  Speaker 1: with you and your heart, Heavenly Father. When I am
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  Speaker 1: weary of doing well, I will refresh my soul by
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  Speaker 1: remembering all that you've done for me, and by resting
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  Speaker 1: in your presence. Keep me through your unfailing love. Cover
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  Speaker 1: me with your outstretched arm, because I know that it
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  Speaker 1: is only through your power that I will be able
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  Speaker 1: to experience good success. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you
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  Speaker 1: for praying with me today. Continue listening for an incredible
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  Speaker 1: Bible story. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The End of a Witch's Story In our last story,
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  Speaker 2: Elisha anointed Jehu as the next king of Israel. Jehu
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  Speaker 2: embraced his role as God's cleansing instrument. Jehu killed King
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  Speaker 2: Joram and King Ahaziah and began his mission to rid
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  Speaker 2: Israel of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel's evil influence. Now
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  Speaker 2: we learn of Jehu's time as king. He is used
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  Speaker 2: by God to heal Israel of all the sickness and
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  Speaker 2: evil it has been plagued with under Jezebel and Ahab.
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  Speaker 2: Jehu would fight for the freedom of Israel. But would
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  Speaker 2: the evil be too much for his human heart? Inspired
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  Speaker 2: by the book of 2 Kings.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's scripture passage,
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  Speaker 3: we saw how God anointed a new king. His name
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  Speaker 3: was Jehu, and this new king ruled Israel with righteousness.
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  Speaker 3: Jehu would avenge the blood of the prophets, put to
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  Speaker 3: death by Jezebel, and would wipe out Ahab, the wicked
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  Speaker 3: king's family, beginning with Israel's king, Joram. God's desire was
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  Speaker 3: always for his people to turn to him rather than
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  Speaker 3: the idols they worshipped, and Jehu would be God's tool
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  Speaker 3: to accomplish these purposes. Today we'll hear how the evil,
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  Speaker 3: wicked queen Jezebel finally faces the consequences of her evil.
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  Speaker 3: And we'll learn how God began to use Jehu to
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  Speaker 3: fight to free Israel from her bondage. But even as
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  Speaker 3: God uses Jehu, evil is still present, threatening to infect
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  Speaker 3: the new king's heart. So, let's listen to the word
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  Speaker 3: of God today.
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  Speaker 2: The west wind howled furiously. Gray clouds rolled in like
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  Speaker 2: waves on a shore. The sky was eerily dark as
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  Speaker 2: the witch queen Jezebel loomed over her window. It was
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  Speaker 2: open for cold wind to blow in. SHE STOOD UP STRAIGHT,
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  Speaker 2: AS IF CHALLENGING THE STORM TO DRAW CLOSER. SHE HAD
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  Speaker 2: HEARD OF THE KING'S DEMISE. SHE HAD BEEN TOLD OF
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  Speaker 2: JIHU'S ANOINTING AND HOW HE SENT AN ARROW THROUGH HER
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  Speaker 2: SON'S BACK. NOW SHE WAITED FOR HIM. HER EYES WERE
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  Speaker 2: PAINTED DARK AND HER HAIR WAS FIXED FOR A PAGAN RITUAL.
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  Speaker 2: SHE MUMBLED TO HERSELF SILENTLY, HER GAZE FIXED ON THE
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  Speaker 2: DARK HORIZON. THUNDER BOOMED IN THE DISTANCE AS JIHU RODE
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  Speaker 2: TOWARDS THE PALACE GATES. He halted his horse when he
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  Speaker 2: saw Jezebel's dark eyes staring down at him through the
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  Speaker 2: palace window. Age had given her dark hair streaks of gray,
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  Speaker 2: but she maintained a sense of authority and strange power.'
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  Speaker 2: Do you come in peace, Kingslayer? You murderous bastard!' she shouted.
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  Speaker 2: Jehu looked closely through the opening where Jezebel stood. He
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  Speaker 2: could see two or three slaves behind her, cowering in fear.'
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  Speaker 2: Are any of you on my side?' Jehu shouted to them.'
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  Speaker 2: If it is true freedom you desire, throw her down!'
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  Speaker 2: Before Jezebel could even turn around, the three eunuch slaves
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  Speaker 2: burst towards the window, shoving Jezebel out her window. Her
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  Speaker 2: witch-like screams were drowned out by the distant thunder as
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  Speaker 2: she fell to her death. Her body fell beside the stables.
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  Speaker 2: Her blood covered the walls and the horses.' Jehu rode
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  Speaker 2: towards her and crushed her body under the hooves of
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  Speaker 2: his horse. For minutes, Jehu made his horse trample her body.
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  Speaker 2: The sound of cracking bone and squishing flesh filled Jehu's ears.
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  Speaker 2: He paid no attention to it. He and many others
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  Speaker 2: had suffered miserably under Jezebel's wicked rituals. She had killed
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  Speaker 2: many people and stolen the innocence of Israel. All of
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  Speaker 2: Ji Hu's righteous rage that had been pent up for
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  Speaker 2: dozens of years unleashed on her lifeless corpse. As the
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  Speaker 2: thunder boomed, Ji Hu's horse delivered each blow with violent force. Finally,
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  Speaker 2: Ji Hu was finished. Panting heavily, Ji Hu gestured for
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  Speaker 2: his men to bury her. However, all that was left
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  Speaker 2: of her body to bury was her skull, feet, and hands.
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  Speaker 2: The old prophecy of Elijah concerning Jezebel echoed in Jehu's mind.
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  Speaker 2: In the land of Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel's body.
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  Speaker 2: Her remains will be scattered like fertilizer so that no
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  Speaker 2: one will remember her. A reckoning was required of Ahab's
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  Speaker 2: entire lineage because of the darkness he brought upon God's people.
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  Speaker 2: Jehu's mission was not yet complete. Because of Ahab's lewdness,
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  Speaker 2: he had sired seventy sons. All of them resided in
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  Speaker 2: the capital of Israel, Samaria. So Jehu sent messages to
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  Speaker 2: the elders of Samaria, saying, I know the king's sons
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  Speaker 2: are with you. Also with you are horses, chariots, fortifications,
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  Speaker 2: and weapons. Choose from among Ahab's sons a king, and
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  Speaker 2: I will face him in battle. The elders were dismayed
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  Speaker 2: at Jehu's letter. Fear shot up their spines. They knew
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  Speaker 2: Jehu had slain two kings himself. Ahab's weak sons could
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  Speaker 2: not face him, let alone rule a kingdom. So they
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  Speaker 2: sent a response to Jehu, saying, We and Ahab's sons
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  Speaker 2: are no match for you. What can we do to
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  Speaker 2: serve you? Jehu thought for a moment. He considered the
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  Speaker 2: cost of sparing the lives of Ahab's sons. However, he
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  Speaker 2: knew that the line must be eradicated. Too much generational
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  Speaker 2: wickedness flowed through their veins. Israel had been sent into
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  Speaker 2: a dark tunnel of despair because of that family. There
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  Speaker 2: was only one way to cleanse Israel of its sickness.
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  Speaker 2: Jehu sent a letter in return saying, If you are
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  Speaker 2: truly on the side of freedom, take the lives of
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  Speaker 2: your master's sons by this time tomorrow. Bring me their heads.
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  Speaker 2: The elders did as Jehu asked. The men that they
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  Speaker 2: had raised since birth were slain for their father's sins.
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  Speaker 2: Their heads were brought to Jehu, and then put on
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  Speaker 2: display in front of the gates for all to see.
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  Speaker 2: It was a truly awful sight. No one relished in
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  Speaker 2: the deaths of these men, not even Jehu. It was
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  Speaker 2: the cost of evil. In the morning, Jehu cleared the
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  Speaker 2: heads and gathered the people of Israel. He spoke with boldness. However,
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  Speaker 2: he knew that the people were vulnerable right now. He
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  Speaker 2: must be reassuring.' None of this is your fault,' Jehu said.'
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  Speaker 2: I am the one who killed the king.' You have
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  Speaker 2: been victims of a wicked regime. This carnage is but
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  Speaker 2: a cleansing of that wickedness. Rest assured that this fulfills
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  Speaker 2: the words of God through Elijah. He prophesied that Ahab's
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  Speaker 2: descendants would be cut off from the blessings of Israel.
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  Speaker 2: The killing had taken its toll on Jehu, but it
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  Speaker 2: was not over yet. More relatives, close friends, and advisors
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  Speaker 2: had to perish before the stench of Ahab and Jezebel
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  Speaker 2: was wiped clean. Even visitors from Judah who came to
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  Speaker 2: see the sons of Ahab were taken and killed. More blood,
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  Speaker 2: more killing. Jehu's soul was beginning to feel the weight
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  Speaker 2: of it all. He clung to God. He clung to
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  Speaker 2: the healing of Israel. Soon, Jehu met a traveler by
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  Speaker 2: the name of Jehonadab. He was the founder of the Rechabites,
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  Speaker 2: followers of God dedicated to the pure worship of their Lord.
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  Speaker 2: Both Jehu and Jehonadab detested the pompousness of nobility and riches.
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  Speaker 2: Jehu found great comfort in his friend Jehonadab. The two
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  Speaker 2: of them were friends for a long while, dreaming about
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  Speaker 2: a better Israel. An Israel where men and women lived
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  Speaker 2: freely to worship their God and create a culture of flourishing.
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  Speaker 2: Yet even though Ahab's line had been eradicated, there was
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  Speaker 2: still a lingering sickness in Israel. There were still the
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  Speaker 2: temples of Baal. The false prophets of the false gods
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  Speaker 2: still spread their poisonous doctrines. to innocent men and women.
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  Speaker 2: They fed lies of prosperity while sucking the souls of
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  Speaker 2: those that came for help. Jehu would have one final
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  Speaker 2: push to free Israel. Jehu gathered some of the prophets
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  Speaker 2: of Baal for a feast. He gathered them and told
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  Speaker 2: them to invite every man and woman of Baal they
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  Speaker 2: knew to a large gathering. There Jehu would sacrifice to
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  Speaker 2: Baal to pay homage as king. So the prophets gathered
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  Speaker 2: every worshipper of Baal. They were given special robes to
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  Speaker 2: identify themselves as loyal followers to the false god. Then,
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  Speaker 2: while all the followers of Baal were in one place,
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  Speaker 2: Jehu and his men unsheathed their swords and began to
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  Speaker 2: kill every last one of them. The screams were tormented.
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  Speaker 2: Blood filled the room up to Jehu's ankles. Tears streamed
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  Speaker 2: down his face, but his mind was resolute. With one
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  Speaker 2: final wave of strength, Jehu and his men toppled the
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  Speaker 2: statue of Baal, dragging it into the wilderness and set
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  Speaker 2: it on fire. The large temple of Baal was dismantled
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  Speaker 2: and destroyed. In its place, Jehu constructed a public toilet
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  Speaker 2: for all of Israel to use. It would serve as
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  Speaker 2: a continual reminder that no honor would be given to
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  Speaker 2: a false god. The Lord promised to bless Jehu and
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  Speaker 2: his descendants for years to come. Jehu then reigned as
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  Speaker 2: king over Israel for 28 years. It would be lovely
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  Speaker 2: to think Jehu rode off into the future with a
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  Speaker 2: flourishing spirit, honoring God with his whole heart. Unfortunately, the
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  Speaker 2: king who cleansed Israel of so much evil was exposed
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  Speaker 2: to his own inner darkness. After the cleansing of Ahab's
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  Speaker 2: line and the worshippers of Baal, Jehu's heart grew dark
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  Speaker 2: and calloused. He did not pursue God's heart as David
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  Speaker 2: once did. Rather, he half-heartedly ruled. No vision, no obedience.
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  Speaker 2: The kingdom of Israel diminished each year under Jehu's reign.
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  Speaker 2: His time as king served as a reminder that finishing
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  Speaker 2: well was just as important as starting well. Jehu's heart
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  Speaker 2: grew tired. He denied evil, but he did not cling
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  Speaker 2: to what was good. As a result, he was cut
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  Speaker 2: off from truly experiencing the glory of God.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's passage, Jehu still has business to
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  Speaker 3: attend to. For starters, the most wicked of all, Jezebel,
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  Speaker 3: was still alive, and her time for judgment had come.
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  Speaker 3: Hearing that Jehu is in Jezreel, the queen painted her
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  Speaker 3: eyes and dressed like a queen. She knew her time
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  Speaker 3: had come, but she would be defiant and hold to
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  Speaker 3: her high position to the very end. From her window
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  Speaker 3: high above Jehu, she greeted him with scorn, calling him
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  Speaker 3: a killer and a murderer of his master. Jehu did
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  Speaker 3: not give thought to her words, but called up to
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  Speaker 3: her window to the slaves, asking if anywhere on his side.
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  Speaker 3: When two of the three eunuchs looked out the window
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  Speaker 3: to him, he told them to throw her down. The
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  Speaker 3: once fearsome queen, who had killed hundreds of God's prophets
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  Speaker 3: and led King Ahab and the nation of Israel into
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  Speaker 3: utter darkness and idolatry, was summarily executed and as her
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  Speaker 3: slaves tossed her from the window. Her body spilled its
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  Speaker 3: blood on the ground below and was trampled by Jehu's horses.
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  Speaker 3: He called for her body to be given a dignified burial,
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  Speaker 3: for she was nobility. But then he was reminded of
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  Speaker 3: God's words concerning her, and as his servants went to
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  Speaker 3: fetch the body, they found that just as God had said,
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  Speaker 3: she had been carried off by dogs, her flesh consumed
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  Speaker 3: so there was no body to bury. Jezebel would not
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  Speaker 3: stand as a pagan martyr. She became fertilizer for the
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  Speaker 3: very land she terrorized with her evil. But Ahab's ungodly
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  Speaker 3: line still needed to be cut off. Jehu had more
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  Speaker 3: work to do. First, he sent word to the elders
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  Speaker 3: of Samaria that he would face Ahab's sons in battle.
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  Speaker 3: They were to choose one of his sons as king
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  Speaker 3: and he would fight them. But the elders knew Jehu
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  Speaker 3: was too powerful, so their allegiance was quick to shift
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  Speaker 3: to the new king. They professed loyalty to Jehu and
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  Speaker 3: asked what they could do. It would have been tempting
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  Speaker 3: for Jehu to rest then, knowing that the line of
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  Speaker 3: the king Ahab was no longer in power. But God
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  Speaker 3: had called him to wipe out the evil, and letting
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  Speaker 3: Ahab's sons live would have been disobedient to God. So
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  Speaker 3: he called for the heads of Ahab's sons and displayed
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  Speaker 3: them at the city gates. It was a gruesome reminder
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  Speaker 3: of the high price of sin and evil and judgment.
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  Speaker 3: God's word would not return void, and Jehu continued to
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  Speaker 3: wipe out Ahab's family and his friends and priests who
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  Speaker 3: supported the king during his wicked reign. These passages, of course,
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  Speaker 3: are very violent and perhaps difficult to understand for some.
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  Speaker 3: So much killing, so much terror and horror, all coming
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  Speaker 3: at the direction of God. But we must not forget
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  Speaker 3: that our God is a holy God. He is a
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  Speaker 3: righteous God and demands righteousness of his people. He will
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  Speaker 3: fight fiercely to protect those that he loves. And God
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  Speaker 3: loves Israel as he loves his church family today. He
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  Speaker 3: loves us with a fierceness that is unmatched. Back in
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  Speaker 3: the day with Israel, these men who had led the
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  Speaker 3: nation astray were a threat to God's children, and they
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  Speaker 3: had to be dealt with firmly and fairly. Jehu's cleansing
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  Speaker 3: of Israel continued as he struck down more and more people.
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  Speaker 3: But along the way, he encountered other righteous men, like Jehonadab,
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  Speaker 3: The men shared a zeal for the Lord, and Jehonadab
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  Speaker 3: rode with Jehu, an ally in the fight for the
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  Speaker 3: very soul of Israel. The pathway of righteousness can often
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  Speaker 3: be a lonely one, and we do well to find
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  Speaker 3: those who share our passion to doing the will of God,
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  Speaker 3: just as Jehu found this man. Finally, Jehu called together
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  Speaker 3: the prophets of Baal. He made them believe he was
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  Speaker 3: turning to their false god. But as they were all assembled,
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  Speaker 3: he had every last prophet of Baal put to death.
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  Speaker 3: The pagan temple was destroyed and a public latrine was
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  Speaker 3: placed there as a sign that idol worship was despicable
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  Speaker 3: and vile and filthy. Jehu fought valiantly for the Lord
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  Speaker 3: and accomplished great things for God. But sadly, with time,
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  Speaker 3: he grew numb and complacent, failing to walk with the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: Though he had done much for God, his legacy was
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  Speaker 3: sullied by his failure to hold fast to God. It
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  Speaker 3: is a striking reminder that we are to run hard
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  Speaker 3: the race that is set before us all the way
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  Speaker 3: to the end. We must commit and never quit and
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  Speaker 3: not grow weary in doing good. We must always trust
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  Speaker 3: in God and live in the righteousness that he provides
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  Speaker 3: us in Christ by the power of his spirit. Let's pray.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, we thank you for today's reading. As difficult
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  Speaker 3: as it is to hear, we know that you are
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  Speaker 3: God of righteousness and justice. that you do judge the wicked,
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  Speaker 3: that you are angry, according to your word, with the
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  Speaker 3: wicked every day. So we pray that we will trust
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  Speaker 3: you in your judgment of all things. May we be
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  Speaker 3: productive all the days of our lives and faithful to
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  Speaker 3: you in every season of life, that we would never
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  Speaker 3: turn away from letting you have complete control of our lives.
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  Speaker 3: We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you so
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  Speaker 3: very much for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: We are so very grateful for the millions of people
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  Speaker 3: who have downloaded this podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham. And
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  Speaker 3: when you download the Pray.com app and make it a
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  Speaker 3: priority in your life to listen to God's Word, your
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: life truly will be changed. We are hearing reports from
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: so many of the power of God's Word in their lives.
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  Speaker 3: So let me encourage you. to pass this podcast on
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: to others, to share it with someone you know, someone
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: you care about, because the Word of God truly will
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  Speaker 3: change lives. And if you want more resources on how
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: to experience God's power in your life, be sure to
• 18:08
  Speaker 3: visit jackgram.org. We would love to connect with you and
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: for you to connect with us. Again, that's jackgram.org. God
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  Speaker 3: bless you.