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Three Kings vs The Moabites · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley
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  Speaker 1: full of ditches. 2 Kings 3.16 Heavenly Father, as I
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  Speaker 1: take my new breath today, I am also taking in
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  Speaker 1: today's reading of 2 Kings 3. I am taking in
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  Speaker 1: the fact that the completion of my assignment has everything
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  Speaker 1: to do with my alignment. When moments arise in my
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  Speaker 1: life when I have to fight for the territory you've
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  Speaker 1: given me, surround me with men and women who have
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  Speaker 1: faith to help me stand tall and conquer the obstacles
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  Speaker 1: in front of me. Like Elisha and Jehoshaphat, I will
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  Speaker 1: turn to prayer and worship to receive today's marching orders.
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  Speaker 1: For I know that in your presence is the plan
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  Speaker 1: to overcome the enemy that stands in the way of
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  Speaker 1: my promise. I declare that I will not worry or
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  Speaker 1: be dismayed because you are with me in the battlefields
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  Speaker 1: of life. You are with me through the ups and
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  Speaker 1: downs of walking out my calling. With this as my truth,
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  Speaker 1: I will not retreat, but will move forward and take
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  Speaker 1: the land and opportunities you have for me. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Three Kings vs. the Moabites In our last story, we
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  Speaker 2: learned about the departure of Elijah. The faithful prophet was
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  Speaker 2: taken up into the clouds by chariots of fire. Elisha,
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  Speaker 2: his faithful student, took his place as prophet over Israel.
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  Speaker 2: Now he watches over the people, ministering to them in
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  Speaker 2: times of trouble. Now we witness the rebellion of the
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  Speaker 2: Moabites against Israel. The new king of Israel bands together
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  Speaker 2: with other nations to crush the rebellion and for the
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  Speaker 2: first time witnesses the faithfulness of God. Inspired by the
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  Speaker 2: book of 2 Kings.
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  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
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  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
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  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
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  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
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  Speaker 3: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
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  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
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  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
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  Speaker 3: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint Today.
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  Speaker 3: So visit jackgram.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
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  Speaker 3: That's jackgram.org, jackgram.org. In yesterday's episode, we heard how God
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  Speaker 3: took Elijah home to heaven in a whirlwind and chariot
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  Speaker 3: of fire. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit,
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  Speaker 3: the spirit of God that was upon Elijah, knowing that
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  Speaker 3: the task at hand would require a great measure of
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  Speaker 3: God's strength, his power, and his presence. The Lord gave
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  Speaker 3: him his request. And now Elijah takes on the mantle
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  Speaker 3: and the ministry of Elijah. Today, We'll hear about the
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  Speaker 3: rebellion of the Moabites who had lived under Israel's protection
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  Speaker 3: since the time of David. As they rebel and strike
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  Speaker 3: against Israel, we'll see how Joram, Israel's new king, will
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  Speaker 3: join with other nations to fight the Moabites, and in
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  Speaker 3: the midst of it, despite his wayward heart, we will
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  Speaker 3: witness God's faithfulness. Let's listen now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Sadly, the nation of Israel was given yet another king
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  Speaker 2: that pursued selfish desire and greed over the needs of
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  Speaker 2: his people. King Ahab's son, Urom, began his rule over
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  Speaker 2: the land. For twelve years he established his kingdom in
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  Speaker 2: his own name. Although he tore down a few pillars
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  Speaker 2: of Baal erected by his father, he replaced them with
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  Speaker 2: institutions of self-importance. His darkened soul was a stench to
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  Speaker 2: the Lord. and he led his people astray. Towards the
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  Speaker 2: coastlands of the Jordan, a stirring in Moab was taking place.
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  Speaker 2: They had rebelled against Israel during the rule of Ahaziah.
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  Speaker 2: They were once again under the care of King David
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  Speaker 2: and a unified Israel. However, in the past few generations,
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  Speaker 2: they had grown restless towards Israel. Now was their time
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  Speaker 2: to rise up as their own nation and press against
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  Speaker 2: the people of God. A shepherd by the name of
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  Speaker 2: Misha rose up as a leader of men in Moab.
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  Speaker 2: His charismatic demeanor stirred up the Moabites, and they eventually
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  Speaker 2: made him their king. There was nothing noble about either kingdom.
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  Speaker 2: Both were determined to establish their own rule apart from
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  Speaker 2: the leading of God. Only the king of Judah remained
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  Speaker 2: as a faithful pillar in an otherwise evil land. King
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  Speaker 2: Yoram knew that it was only a matter of time
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  Speaker 2: before the Moabite army organized itself as a legitimate threat.
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  Speaker 2: He decided to call upon their neighbors in Judah to
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  Speaker 2: fight alongside them. At that time, the faithful king Jehoshaphat
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  Speaker 2: was still ruling in Judah. King Yoram sent a message
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  Speaker 2: to him, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me.
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  Speaker 2: We are in need of assistance in battle. Will you
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  Speaker 2: join us? Jehoshaphat still felt a deep connection to the
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  Speaker 2: people of Israel. Although they had strayed away from the Lord,
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  Speaker 2: they were still family under the promises of God. The
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  Speaker 2: king of Judah sent word back to Yoram, saying, Of
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  Speaker 2: course we will come to your aid. You and I
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  Speaker 2: are as one. What route shall we take to meet
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  Speaker 2: you for battle? We will attack from the wilderness outside Edom.
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  Speaker 2: The king of Edom has agreed to march with us,
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  Speaker 2: Yoram replied. So the three armies, Israel, Judah, and Edom,
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  Speaker 2: all met in the wilderness and prepared themselves for battle
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  Speaker 2: against the rebels in Moab. For seven days they marched
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  Speaker 2: and prepared, and resources were wearing thin. Water was scarce,
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  Speaker 2: and Israel had neglected to provide the proper rations for
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  Speaker 2: such a large army. Confused and scared, Yoram complained to
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  Speaker 2: the other kings, saying, The Lord has brought the three
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  Speaker 2: of us out here to be killed by the Moabites.
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  Speaker 2: We will surely die here. King Jehoshaphat did not share
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  Speaker 2: the king of Israel's concern. He was a faithful man.
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  Speaker 2: He knew that God would never forsake him. He was
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  Speaker 2: faithful and the commander of his armies. He was the
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  Speaker 2: chief shepherd and guardian over their souls. Jehoshaphat stood up
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  Speaker 2: and grabbed the panicking Yoram by the shoulders. His eyes
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  Speaker 2: met his and Yoram felt himself beginning to calm down.
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  Speaker 2: Is there any prophet among you that can speak with
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  Speaker 2: us and to God? Jehoshaphat asked. King Uram shook his head,
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  Speaker 2: unable to think of any man of God in their midst.
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  Speaker 2: He was ignorant to how God worked. His ways were
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  Speaker 2: selfish and uninterested in spiritual things. One of Uram's guards
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  Speaker 2: coughed to get the king's attention. There is Elisha, my lord.
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  Speaker 2: He travels with us, he suggested. Jehoshaphat nodded to him
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  Speaker 2: in thanks. Yes. I know Elisha. The Lord speaks to
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  Speaker 2: him and through him. So the three kings went to
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  Speaker 2: go meet Elisha. The three kings went to the outskirts
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  Speaker 2: of camp where Elisha stayed distant. They came to his
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  Speaker 2: camp where he was tending to his fire. Without looking
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  Speaker 2: at them, his eyes fixed on the flames. He said,
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  Speaker 2: Why have you come to me? He then looked up
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  Speaker 2: at Yoram. Don't you have pagan prophets given to you
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  Speaker 2: by your father and mother? Yoram did his best to
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  Speaker 2: feign ignorance. He shook his head and said, No, the
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  Speaker 2: Lord has called us here to the wilderness only to
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  Speaker 2: be defeated by Moab. Panic could be heard in Yoram's voice.
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  Speaker 2: His throat quivered when he spoke and his hands shook
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  Speaker 2: in their place. Elisha could sense his nervous energy. I
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  Speaker 2: would not even speak to you if it were not
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  Speaker 2: for King Jehoshaphat who stands next to you. He is
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  Speaker 2: the only faithful king in this land, Elisha said matter-of-factly. Go,
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  Speaker 2: get me the best harpist you can find. Luckily, King
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  Speaker 2: Jehoshaphat always had a harpist traveling with him. He found
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  Speaker 2: the music to be soothing and helpful during prayer. The
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  Speaker 2: harpist played next to Elisha. The music seemed to make
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  Speaker 2: the fire dance. It was a beautifully peaceful sight. Beside
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  Speaker 2: the three kings, Elisha prayed. His brow furrowed and his
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  Speaker 2: forehead began to sweat slightly. Although he was praying intensely,
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  Speaker 2: he seemed at peace. The harp continued to play and
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  Speaker 2: the power of the Lord met Elisha in prayer. Elisha
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  Speaker 2: stirred slightly and then looked up at the kings. This
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  Speaker 2: dry valley will soon be filled with pools of water,
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  Speaker 2: Elisha whispered. The cracks of the fire popped as the
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  Speaker 2: harp continued to play. You won't see rain nor wind. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 2: water will emerge and you will have plenty to drink.
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  Speaker 2: The three kings sighed in relief and laughed. God will
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  Speaker 2: give you victory. Elisha continued. Be sure to conquer the
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  Speaker 2: land he gives you. The next day, as the sun
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  Speaker 2: was beginning its rise above the distant hills, Elisha made
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  Speaker 2: a sacrifice to the Lord. As the darkness of the
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  Speaker 2: land was filled with new light, pools of water emerged
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  Speaker 2: from the ground. The water was fresh and still. They
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  Speaker 2: reflected the rising sun above them and glistened for all
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  Speaker 2: the people to see. Soon the water was flowing in
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  Speaker 2: every direction and the soldiers of the three armies had
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  Speaker 2: their fill. In the distance, the armies of Moab were
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  Speaker 2: growing larger. Every able-bodied man was assembled to wage war
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  Speaker 2: against the three armies. They stationed themselves at the border
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  Speaker 2: and awaited their attack. In the distance, they could see
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  Speaker 2: the red sun rising. However, something different caught their eye.
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  Speaker 2: Red pools filled the once-dried valleys. The morning sun reflected
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  Speaker 2: against the waters and made the pools look like a
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  Speaker 2: deep red. It's blood, the Moabites exclaimed. The three armies
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  Speaker 2: have killed one another. We should go and collect the
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  Speaker 2: spoils of war. So the Moabites ran towards the valley
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  Speaker 2: with no battle plan or expectation of fighting. When the
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  Speaker 2: Moabites drew closer, the Israelite armies launched their first attack.
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  Speaker 2: They ambushed them and sent them into a mass confusion.
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  Speaker 2: Hundreds of Moabites fell before tucking tail and running back
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  Speaker 2: for their city. Israel chased them, destroying everything in their path.
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  Speaker 2: They burned the towns, blocked the springs, and chopped the trees.
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  Speaker 1: Then.
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  Speaker 2: The king of Moab sent 700 of his swordsmen to
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  Speaker 2: break through enemy lines. They were thwarted by the army
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  Speaker 2: of Edom that was lying in wait. Skulls cracked and
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  Speaker 2: flesh was torn under the swords of Edom. It was
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  Speaker 2: an all-out slaughter. The Moabite king watched as the three
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  Speaker 2: armies demolished his land. In a fury of desperation, the
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  Speaker 2: king retreated back to the religion of his ancestors. He
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  Speaker 2: turned around to find his son standing behind him. He
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  Speaker 2: drew him in close and slit his throat. He dragged
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  Speaker 2: his son's lifeless and bloodied body to an altar and
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  Speaker 2: burnt him for the gods to see. He hoped to
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  Speaker 2: gain their favor for battle. However, he was only met
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  Speaker 2: with the righteous hand of God as his army was
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  Speaker 2: crushed into the dirt.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's reading, Israel is still plagued with
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  Speaker 3: idol worship and self-seeking leadership. Following the death of Ahaziah,
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  Speaker 3: who had no sons, Ahab's sons, Joram, rose to the throne.
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  Speaker 3: He wasn't nearly as evil as his parents, but he
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  Speaker 3: was not seeking God. And although he tore down pillars
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  Speaker 3: of Baal, he was said to repeat the sins of Jeroboam.
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  Speaker 3: The decisions he made were not meant to honor God
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  Speaker 3: and lead the people of the Lord, Rather, he acted
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  Speaker 3: in his own self-interest, trying to gain power. And as
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  Speaker 3: far as God is concerned, there's no such thing as
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  Speaker 3: righteousness by comparison. Sin is sin, and his actions and
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  Speaker 3: attitudes were sinful. Joram was rejecting God just as much
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  Speaker 3: as his predecessors. This lack of leadership was fertile ground
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  Speaker 3: for unrest and chaos. And soon, the Moabites, who had
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  Speaker 3: lived peacefully under Israel since David's reign, began to rise
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  Speaker 3: up against Israel. They appointed their own king, Meshach, who
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  Speaker 3: was no righteous man either. He too acted in his
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  Speaker 3: own selfish interest. And so we see a conflict brewing
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  Speaker 3: between two very unwise kings, sinful kings, neither one following God.
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  Speaker 3: It's a recipe for violence, chaos, bloodshed, and suffering. King
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  Speaker 3: Joram was unwise but not blind. He could see that
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  Speaker 3: Joab would soon attack, so he sought help from the
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  Speaker 3: king Jehoshaphat to the south. The righteous king of Judah
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  Speaker 3: was not interested in warfare, but he understood the need
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  Speaker 3: to assist God's people, his Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel.
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  Speaker 3: So he agrees to help, reminding Joram that Israel and
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  Speaker 3: Judah are as one. Joram had also enlisted the king
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  Speaker 3: of Edom to aid. And it's from that direction that
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  Speaker 3: he plans to attack Moab. Together, the three armies prepare
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  Speaker 3: for battle in the wilderness. But they are growing tired
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  Speaker 3: and thirsty and hungry. And just like the Israelites did
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  Speaker 3: with Moses, Joram began to show his lack of faith.
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  Speaker 3: He was certain God had brought him there to die.
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  Speaker 3: But Jehoshaphat did not lack faith. And he was not worried.
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  Speaker 3: He asked Joram if there was a prophet of God,
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  Speaker 3: someone they could talk to. one of Joram's guards remembered
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  Speaker 3: Elisha and suggested that they seek him out. It's notable
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  Speaker 3: that the king himself did not think of Elisha because
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  Speaker 3: he was so far from God and the voice of
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  Speaker 3: God or the true people of God. So they did
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  Speaker 3: go to Elisha and his first response was to send
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  Speaker 3: them away. Joram had his own false prophets. Why not
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  Speaker 3: seek them? But then we see God's grace extended to
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  Speaker 3: Israel and King Joram As Elisha responds in 2 Kings 3.14,
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  Speaker 3: And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts lives, before
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  Speaker 3: men I stand. Were it not that I have regard
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  Speaker 3: for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look
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  Speaker 3: at you or see you. Jehoshaphat's righteousness enabled Joram to
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  Speaker 3: experience God's blessing and protection. And this would be a
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  Speaker 3: good place to stop and reflect and remember that one day,
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  Speaker 3: the King of Eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ, would come
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  Speaker 3: from Judah, the tribe of Judah, and His righteousness would
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  Speaker 3: open the door for all of us to experience God's presence, salvation, blessing,
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  Speaker 3: and life. Elisha then called a musician to play, and
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  Speaker 3: as he did, God's word came to Elisha, who prophesied
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  Speaker 3: that the armies would be provided water in a miraculous
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  Speaker 3: way as the pools of water would form without wind
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  Speaker 3: or rain to fill them. Not only would God meet
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  Speaker 3: their physical needs, he would give them great victory over Moab.
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  Speaker 3: The next morning, Elisha offered a sacrifice to the Lord
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  Speaker 3: and reminder that the good favor of these kings did
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  Speaker 3: not come from the prophet, but the one who spoke
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  Speaker 3: through him. And just as the Lord had promised, their
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  Speaker 3: needs were met, and the Moabite army was soundly defeated. Meshah,
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  Speaker 3: the Moabite king, saw the defeat that was coming, but
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  Speaker 3: rather than turn to God, he turned to his own
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  Speaker 3: false gods and even sacrificed his son to try to
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  Speaker 3: gain this idol's favor. But it was a futile effort,
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  Speaker 3: and God's power prevailed, as he always prevails in the end. God,
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  Speaker 3: thank you for your purposes and plans in our lives,
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  Speaker 3: the way you lead us and guide us every single day.
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  Speaker 3: We thank you for Jesus Christ, the righteous King, who
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  Speaker 3: leads us from victory unto victory. Thank you for your
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  Speaker 3: faithfulness and your favor upon our lives today and every day.
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  Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: And before we go, I want you to know that
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  Speaker 3: I would love to send you my daily devotional to
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: give you fresh encouragement every single day. So visit jackgraham.org
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's jackgraham.org.