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June 12 - Laughter and Courage: Keys to a Bold Life · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in scripture and relevant for today.
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  June 12th. Laughter and courage.
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  Keys to a bold life. There's a verse in Proverbs that
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  might surprise you with how relevant it is.
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  Proverbs chapter 17 verse 22 says a joyful heart is good
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  medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
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  That's not just a feel good quote, that's science meeting
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  scripture. Because there is something about
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  genuine joy, not the fake performative kind, but the deep
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  grounded kind that comes from trusting God that actually
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  heals, strengthens and sustains us in ways that anxiety and
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  despair simply cannot. We live under so much pressure.
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  School performance, social dynamics, family expectations,
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  comparing yourself to everyone's highlight reel online.
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  It's exhausting. And when you're running on
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  empty, even small challenges can feel enormous.
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  That's why this verse matters so much.
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  Joy isn't just a nice to have. It's medicine for the heavy
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  moments of life. And then there's Jonathan in
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  First Samuel chapter 14. Here's a guy who, by any human
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  calculation, should have played it safe.
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  The enemy had the numbers, the weapons, the high ground.
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  But Jonathan looked at his armor bearer and said in First Samuel
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  chapter 14 verses one to six, essentially, let's go.
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  Maybe the Lord will work for us. Not a certainty, not a
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  guarantee, just faith. Just the quiet confidence of
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  someone who knows that God can do something with very little.
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  Jonathan didn't wait for permission.
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  He didn't wait until conditions were perfect.
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  He stepped forward with what he had, faith in, a willing
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  partner, and God showed up. Here's the beautiful tension in
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  these two passages. Joy fuels courage, and courage
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  is sustained by joy. They are not opposites, they
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  work together. When your heart is rooted in
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  God's goodness, you stop making decisions from fear and start
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  making them from faith. Jonathan's boldness wasn't
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  recklessness, it was the overflow of a heart that
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  genuinely trusted God. What's your Goliath right now?
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  What's the situation in your life that feels too big, too
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  risky, too uncertain to step into?
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  Maybe it's a conversation you need to have, a dream you've
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  been afraid to pursue, a moment where God is asking you to step
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  forward and trust Him. Joy and courage together are the
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  keys. Let's pray.
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  Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of genuine joy, the
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  kind that doesn't depend on circumstances but flows from
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  knowing you. Help us to carry that joy into
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  the challenges we face and let it fuel our courage rather than
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  our fear. Like Jonathan, give us the faith
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  to step forward even when the odds seem impossible, knowing
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  that you can do something extraordinary with our small
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  faithful steps in Jesus name, Amen.
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  what to say, but you can still know how to pray.
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  Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
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  Bible reading plan. Proverbs chapter 17 verses 21 to
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  22 world English Bible he who becomes the father of a.
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  Fool grieves, the father of a. Fool has no joy.
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  A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed.
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  Spirit. Dries up the bones first Samuel
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  chapter 14 world English Bible now it fell on a day that
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  Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who bore his
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  armor, come. Let's go over to the.
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  Philistines Garrison that is on the other side, but he didn't
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  tell his. Father Saul stayed.
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  In the uttermost part of Jibah, under the pomegranate tree which
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  is in Migran, and the people who were with him, were about 600
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  men, including Ahijah, the son of Ahitab.
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  Ichabod's brother. The son of Feynhas the son of.
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  Eli the Priest. Of Yahweh in Shiloh wearing an
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  ephod. The people didn't know that
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  Jonathan was gone between the passes by which Jonathan sought
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  to go. Over to the.
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  Philistines, Garrison. There was a.
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  Rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side,
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  and the name of the one was Boces and the name of the other
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  Sene. The one crag rose up on the
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  north in front of Mitch Mesh and the other on the South in front
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  of Jeba. Jonathan said to the young man
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  who bore his armor. Come, let's go.
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  Over to the. Garrison of these uncircumcised,
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  it may be that Yahweh. Will work for us for.
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  There is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few, his
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  armor bearer said to him. Do all that is in your heart.
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  Turn and behold, I am with you according to your heart, then,
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  Jonathan said. Behold, we.
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  Will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to
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  them. If they say this to us.
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  Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place
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  and will not go up to them. But if they say this, come up to
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  us. Then we will go up.
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  For Yahweh has. Delivered them into our hand.
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  This. Shall be the sign to us, both of
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  them revealed. Themselves to the.
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  Garrison of the Philistines and the Philistines.
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  Said behold the. Hebrews are coming out of the
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  holes where they had hidden themselves, the men of the
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  Garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer and said.
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  Come up to. Us, and we will show you
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  something, Jonathan said to his armor bearer.
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  Come up after me. For Yahweh.
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  Has delivered them into the hand of Israel.
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  Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet and his armor
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  bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan and his armor
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  bearer killed them after him. That first slaughter which
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  Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men within, as
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  it were, half a furrows length in an acre of land.
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  There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among
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  all the people. The Garrison and the Raiders
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  also trembled. And the earth.
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  Quaked, so there. Was an exceedingly great
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  trembling the watchman of Saul in jiber of Benjamin looked, and
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  behold, the multitude melted away and scattered.
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  Then Saul said to the people who were.
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  With him, count now and see who is missing from us.
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  When they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer
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  were not there. Saul said to Ahuja.
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  Bring God. 'S ark here for God's ark.
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  Was with the children of Israel at that time while Saul talked.
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  To the priest. The tumult that was in the camp
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  of the Philistines went on and increased.
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  And Saul? Said to the priest.
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  Withdraw your hand. Saul.
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  And all the people who were with him were.
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  Gathered together. And came to the battle and
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  behold. They were all.
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  Striking each other with their swords in very great confusion.
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  Now the Hebrews, who were with the Philistines before, and who
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  went up with them into the camp from all around, even they also
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  turned to be with the. Israelites who?
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  Were with Saul and Jonathan likewise all the men of Israel
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  who had hidden themselves in the Hill Country of Ephraim.
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  When they heard that the. Philistines fled even they also
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  followed hard after them in the battle.
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  So Yahweh saved Israel that day. And the battle passed over by
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  Bait Aven, the men of. Israel were distressed that day,
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  for Saul had adjured the. People saying cursed is the man
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  who eats any food until it is evening and I am avenged of my
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  enemies so none of the. People tasted food.
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  All the people came into the forest and there was honey on
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  the ground when the people had come to the forest.
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  Behold. Honey was dripping, but no one
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  put his hand to his mouth. For the people feared the oath.
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  But Jonathan didn't hear when his father commanded the people.
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  With the oath, therefore, he. Put out the end of the rod that
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  was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand
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  to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
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  Then one of the people answered and said, Your father directly
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  commanded the people with an oath saying, curse it is the man
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  who eats food today. So the people.
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  Were faint then, Jonathan said. My father has troubled the land
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  please look how my eyes have brightened, because I.
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  Tasted a little. Of this honey, how much more if
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  perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of
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  their enemies which they found. For now, there has been no great
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  slaughter among the Philistines. They struck the.
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  Philistines that day from Mitch Mash to age Allen.
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  The people. Were very faint, and the people
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  pounced on the plunder and took sheep, cattle and calves and
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  killed them on the ground, and the people ate them with the
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  blood. Then they told Saul saying,
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  Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh in that they eat
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  meat with the blood. He said.
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  You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me.
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  Today, Saul said. Disperse yourselves among the
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  people and tell them, Every man bring me here his ox, and every
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  man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat, and don't sin
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  against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.
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  All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and
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  killed them there. Saul built an altar to Yahweh.
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  This. Was the first altar that he.
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  Built to Yahweh. Saul said let's.
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  Go down after the Philistines by night and take plunder among
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  them until the morning light, and let's not leave a man of
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  them. They said.
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  Do whatever seems good to you. Then the priest.
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  Said. Let's draw near here to God,
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  Saul asked. Counsel of.
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  God shall I. Go down after the Philistines,
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  will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?
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  But he didn't answer him that day.
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  Saul said. Draw near here.
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  All you chiefs of the. People and know and see in which
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  this sin has been today. For as Yahweh lives, who saves
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  Israel? Though it is in Jonathan, my
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  son. He shall surely die but there.
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  Was not a man among all the people who answered him.
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  Then he said to all Israel, you be on one side, and I and
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  Jonathan, my son, will be on the other side.
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  The people said to Saul. Do what seems good to you.
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  Therefore, Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, show the
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  right. Jonathan and Saul were chosen,
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  but the people? Escaped, Saul said.
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  Cast. Lots between me and Jonathan.
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  My son Jonathan was selected. Then Saul said to Jonathan, tell
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  me what you have done. Jonathan told him and said I
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  certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod
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  that was in my hand, and behold I must die.
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  Saul said. God do so and more also.
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  For you shall. Surely die Jonathan.
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  The people said to Saul. Shall Jonathan die?
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  Who has worked this great salvation in Israel?
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  Far from it. As Yahweh lives.
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  There shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he
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  has. Worked with God today, so the
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  people. Rescued Jonathan, that he didn't
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  die. Then Saul went up from following
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  the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own
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  place. Now when Saul had taken the
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  Kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every
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  side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and
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  against Edom, and against the kings of Zoba, and against the
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  Philistines. Wherever he turned himself, he
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  defeated them. He did valiantly, and struck the
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  Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who
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  plundered them. Now the sons of Saul were
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  Jonathan, Ishvi and Malkishua and the names of his two
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  daughters. Were these?
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  The name of the first born Merab and the name of the younger
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  Mikkel. The name of.
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  Saul's wife. Was Ahinom the daughter of
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  Ahimas, the name of the captain of his army?
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  Was Abner the son of Nur, Saul's uncle?
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  Kish was the father of Saul. And Nur, the father of Abner,
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  was the son of Abeal. There was severe.
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  War against the Philistines all the days.
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  Of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty
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  man, or any valiant man, he took him into his service.
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  Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
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  Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
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  walking daily with Jesus.