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Joshua and the Treaty - The Book of Joshua · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league
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  Speaker 1: with them, to let them live. And the princes of
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  Speaker 1: the congregation swear unto them. Joshua 9.15 Dear Heavenly Father,
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  Speaker 1: As word of my life's victories begin to spread, help
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  Speaker 1: me to have divine discernment, so that I can identify
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  Speaker 1: those who have alternative motives and deceitful hearts. Even if
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  Speaker 1: some relationships make it through, I thank you, Lord, that
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  Speaker 1: you will still protect me and work everything on my behalf.
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  Speaker 1: Like the enemy army in Joshua 9-10, I thank you
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  Speaker 1: that you are working on my behalf until I have
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  Speaker 1: utter victory. When I feel tired and unsure, give me strength,
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, to stand my ground until every enemy is
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  Speaker 1: removed from my life. when it seems like more is
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  Speaker 1: against me than are for me, I will look to
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  Speaker 1: you and to your mighty hand to provide a divine
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  Speaker 1: strategy for advancement and momentum. Any and all enemies to
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  Speaker 1: my success, like fear, doubt, anxiety, mediocrity, and lack, will
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  Speaker 1: be eradicated through the power of your might, like the
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  Speaker 1: five kings found in Joshua. I'm leaving nothing to chance.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sealing the cave of limitations off permanently. 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: Click the link in the description to grow closer to God. There,
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: you'll find daily prayers, Bible plans, sleep stories, and so
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: much more, all on the Pray.com app. Click the link
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  Speaker 2: in the description to get started.
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  Speaker 3: Joshua and the Treaty In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 3: about the idolatry of Achan causing Israel's first defeat. Achan
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  Speaker 3: took idols from the city of Jericho after God had
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  Speaker 3: given them victory. Achan's actions caused God to remove his
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  Speaker 3: victorious hand from over Israel, and they were beaten by
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  Speaker 3: the kingdom of Ai. Achan was found out and dealt
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  Speaker 3: with harshly. Afterwards, Joshua led the army of Israel to
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  Speaker 3: defeat Ai and restore hope to the people. In this story,
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  Speaker 3: we learn of a new kind of warfare. The people
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  Speaker 3: of Gibeon lie in order to be spared by Israel
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  Speaker 3: and trick them into a political and social treaty as
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  Speaker 3: inspired by the book of Joshua.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 4: in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: to let you know about a unique e-book that's yours
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress.
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: And my prayer is that it will help you conquer
• 3:20
  Speaker 4: the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org
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  Speaker 4: slash stress. In yesterday's episode, we learned how the deceit
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  Speaker 4: of just one person in Israel's camp had consequences on
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  Speaker 4: the entire community. and how God rooted out the sin
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  Speaker 4: of Achan so his people would know that God's authority
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  Speaker 4: was not to be disregarded. God then granted Joshua and
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  Speaker 4: his men another victory, and as word spread throughout the countryside,
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  Speaker 4: people in the towns nearby trembled in fear of God
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  Speaker 4: and the people of Israel. Today we'll hear how the
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  Speaker 4: Gibeonites would engage in treachery and deception to secure a
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  Speaker 4: treaty with Israel. They appealed to the mercy of Joshua
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  Speaker 4: to save themselves. Will Joshua fall for their trickery? Let's
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  Speaker 4: find out in today's reading.
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  Speaker 3: Word of Israel's triumph over Jericho and Ai spread beyond
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  Speaker 3: the Jordan into the hill country. Israel was great in
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  Speaker 3: number and a terror to the people of Canaan. All
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  Speaker 3: along the coast of the great sea towards Lebanon, kings
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  Speaker 3: and kingdoms gathered together as one army to fight against
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  Speaker 3: Joshua and Israel. When Gibeon heard of Joshua and his God,
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  Speaker 3: they schemed as to how they could be spared by
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  Speaker 3: the great Israelite army. They gathered worn-out sacks, old clothes,
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  Speaker 3: and patched wineskins to display on their donkeys. They crumbled
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  Speaker 3: the leather on their sandals and dried out their provisions.
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  Speaker 3: They were the perfect picture of poverty. As actors in
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  Speaker 3: a play, they immersed themselves into character to deceive the
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  Speaker 3: compassionate people of Israel. They traveled to Gilgal, where Israel
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  Speaker 3: was camped, and came to Joshua. Limping and coughing, they
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  Speaker 3: approached him and said, We have come from far away.
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  Speaker 3: Please allow us to be your servants so that we
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  Speaker 3: can be safe here with you. Joshua looked at the
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  Speaker 3: seemingly helpless people with a hint of suspicion. Who are
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  Speaker 3: you and where did you come from? Joshua asked. Still
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  Speaker 3: in character, they lifted their heads and said, From a
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  Speaker 3: distant country we have come. Because of the Lord your God,
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  Speaker 3: we heard of what he did for you in Egypt
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  Speaker 3: and against the Amorites, so we traveled far to come
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  Speaker 3: be your servants. Joshua and the men made peace with
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  Speaker 3: them and allowed them to dwell there. However, Joshua did
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  Speaker 3: not ask God for guidance or counsel, because he had
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  Speaker 3: assumed their intentions were pure. Joshua made a covenant promise
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  Speaker 3: with the Gibeonites and was bound by his word to
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  Speaker 3: protect them. Three days had passed. Joshua had bound them
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  Speaker 3: by oath to not attack their land, and the people
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  Speaker 3: of Israel murmured and complained amongst themselves at Joshua's foolishness.
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  Speaker 3: The elders of Israel were embarrassed and angry, so they
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  Speaker 3: made the Gibeonites their woodcutters, since they were bound by
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  Speaker 3: their word to be servants. The five surrounding kings heard
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  Speaker 3: that the Gibeonites had joined Israel. This caused a panic
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  Speaker 3: among them. since the Gibbonites were a royal people filled
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  Speaker 3: with skilled warriors. If they had bowed to Israel, surely
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  Speaker 3: there would be little hope for any small nation to
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  Speaker 3: fight against them. Adonon Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word
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  Speaker 3: to the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, and
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  Speaker 3: the five of them joined forces to war against the
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  Speaker 3: vast Israelite army. The horde of Canaanite nations gathered together
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  Speaker 3: towards Israel's camp. A few miles away, they prepared to
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  Speaker 3: slaughter God's people mercilessly. Joshua gathered the best of his
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  Speaker 3: men and went up from Gilgal. With a sword in
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  Speaker 3: his hand and fire in his heart, Joshua led his
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  Speaker 3: men all night to meet with the allied armies. Joshua
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  Speaker 3: and his mighty men stood at a distance from the
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  Speaker 3: allied camp. They were sound asleep, for Joshua had traveled
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  Speaker 3: all night in order to surprise them. They stood there.
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  Speaker 3: Shoulders rolled back and their grips tight on their blades.
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  Speaker 3: The wind picked up slightly, and clouds began to roll
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  Speaker 3: in from the north. The rising sun was blocked by
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  Speaker 3: the darkness of the rain clouds. Thunder could be heard
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  Speaker 3: from the distance. Joshua and his men looked down at
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  Speaker 3: the enemy camp. They were many and outnumbered them. God
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  Speaker 3: spoke to Joshua quietly and with intensity, saying, Do not
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  Speaker 3: fear them. I have already given you victory. All the
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  Speaker 3: men will fall before you. With that word, Joshua raised
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  Speaker 3: his sword and ran forward with his mighty men of
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  Speaker 3: valor in pursuit behind them. The thunders roared and the
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  Speaker 3: rain showered down like bullets. Their ambush was sudden, unexpected,
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  Speaker 3: and perfectly timed. God had gone before them and threw
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  Speaker 3: the enemy into a panic. Like one fatal swoop of
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  Speaker 3: a sharpened blade, Joshua and his men cut through the
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  Speaker 3: enemy camp effortlessly. The enemy retreated, and Israel pursued. The
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  Speaker 3: rain grew heavier, and the wind howled against them. They
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  Speaker 3: tried to climb the mountain of Beth-horon, but were thwarted
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  Speaker 3: when hail rained down from the skies. Large stones of
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  Speaker 3: ice fell from the sky and demolished whoever was left
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  Speaker 3: to flee from Israel. The sound of crumbling ice and
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  Speaker 3: cracking skulls mingled with the booming thunder. More men died
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  Speaker 3: by hail than swords. The battle raged on. Men fought
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  Speaker 3: in a swamp of mud, ice, and blood. Iron pierced flesh.
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  Speaker 3: Ice and spears flew through the air. Victory was near,
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  Speaker 3: but not yet secured. The sun began to set, and
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  Speaker 3: if darkness came, victory would be delayed. In a moment
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  Speaker 3: of holy fury, Joshua lifted his eyes to heaven, spoke
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  Speaker 3: to God, saying, Son, stand still in the valley of Gibeon. Moon,
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  Speaker 3: hold your place a while longer. Stand still until vengeance
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  Speaker 3: is finished. And the sun delayed its descent along the
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  Speaker 3: valley until Israel claimed victory. The might of God, the
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  Speaker 3: sword of man, and the power of prayer brought Israel victory.
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  Speaker 3: God had fought for his people, and five armies crumbled
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  Speaker 3: as the walls of Jericho. The kings of the five
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  Speaker 3: kingdoms retreated. into a cave nearby while their armies were slaughtered.
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  Speaker 3: For hours they hid in their cowardice. The king's eyes
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  Speaker 3: widened as they saw Joshua standing at the base of
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  Speaker 3: the cave. They gazed into the eyes of Joshua. Blood
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  Speaker 3: dripped from his sword and forehead. Dirt and the flesh
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  Speaker 3: of his enemies caked his clothes. His eyes were that
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  Speaker 3: of a hungry lion. They thought Joshua would kill them
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  Speaker 3: right then and there. Instead, they watched as the light
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  Speaker 3: from the cave grew dimmer, as Joshua commanded a stone
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  Speaker 3: to be laid to block the entrance.
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  Speaker 4: In darkness, they waited.
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  Speaker 3: The next day, Joshua brought them in front of the
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  Speaker 3: elders of Israel and struck them down. For an entire day,
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  Speaker 3: he hung them on trees, and then tossed their bodies
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  Speaker 3: back into the cave of their own cowardice.
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  Speaker 4: As word spread throughout Canaan of Israel's overwhelming strength in battles,
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  Speaker 4: the kings of the region began to plot as to
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  Speaker 4: how they could overtake this invading nation. They decided to
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  Speaker 4: join forces to come against God's people, all the nations
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  Speaker 4: but one. The people of Gibeon were not keen to
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  Speaker 4: fight this unbeatable army. But rather than approach in good
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  Speaker 4: faith and extend an offer of peace, they decided to
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  Speaker 4: try another tactic, deception. They disguised themselves as destitute travelers
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  Speaker 4: coming from far away. They were there to seek God's
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  Speaker 4: protection and favor, they said. The Gibeonites knew all the
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  Speaker 4: right words to say. They spoke of God's faithfulness from
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  Speaker 4: their escape of Israel up until the recent military victories.
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  Speaker 4: They played the part they needed Joshua to see and believe.
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  Speaker 4: And Joshua and the other leaders fell for it. They
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  Speaker 4: felt compassion for these men and made a covenant of
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  Speaker 4: peace with Gibeon, allowing them to live among them. And
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  Speaker 4: they did this all without seeking God's counsel. There is
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  Speaker 4: an important lesson on wisdom here. Are we to have
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  Speaker 4: hearts of compassion as God does? Absolutely not. But does
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  Speaker 4: that mean that we should blindly enter into relationships without
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  Speaker 4: seeking wise counsel? Absolutely not. Should we throw caution to
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  Speaker 4: the wind because someone says the right words and looks
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  Speaker 4: the part? Absolutely not. If Joshua and his men had
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  Speaker 4: consulted God and sought God's wisdom, they would have known
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  Speaker 4: this was a ruse. But they did not seek God,
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  Speaker 4: and now they had a very bad covenant with Gibeon.
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  Speaker 4: When the people of Israel discovered that these people were
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  Speaker 4: actually Gibeonites, They were understandably upset with Joshua for his
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  Speaker 4: lapse in judgment. Because of this covenant, they would no
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  Speaker 4: longer be able to conquer the towns of Gibeon. So
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  Speaker 4: Joshua cursed the Gibeonites for their deception. They would be spared,
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  Speaker 4: but they would become servants, woodcutters, and fetchers of water
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  Speaker 4: for all of God's people. The treaty with the Gibeonites
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  Speaker 4: angered the other kings, and they joined forces to slaughter
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  Speaker 4: these men and God's people. But God was with Joshua
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  Speaker 4: and his army, and as they set off into a
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  Speaker 4: battle that would have seemed more like a suicide mission,
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  Speaker 4: God met them and promised Joshua that victory would be theirs.
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  Speaker 4: Once again, God intervened in miraculous ways, confusing the enemy armies,
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  Speaker 4: raining down hailstones that killed more than Joshua's army could kill.
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  Speaker 4: Joshua lifted his voice to the heavens and asked God
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  Speaker 4: to still the sun and the moon. to keep daylight
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  Speaker 4: going until all the enemies were defeated. Joshua was bold
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  Speaker 4: enough to ask anything of God. This was truly the
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  Speaker 4: first daylight savings time, and it would go down in
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  Speaker 4: history with God's people as one of the most important
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  Speaker 4: events recorded in Joshua 10, 14. There has been no
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  Speaker 4: day like it before or since when the Lord heeded
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  Speaker 4: the voice of man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
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  Speaker 4: There is incredible power in prayer, and we see it here.
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  Speaker 4: Jesus told his disciples and us that nothing is impossible
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  Speaker 4: with God, that we can ask in his name and receive.
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  Speaker 4: Joshua caught just a glimpse of that truth and believed,
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  Speaker 4: and because of his faith in God, all five kingdoms
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  Speaker 4: were defeated that day. His faith and the people's fortitude
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  Speaker 4: would lead to a period of peace and success, and
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  Speaker 4: we'll hear more about that tomorrow. Let's pray. Dear God,
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  Speaker 4: thank you for your graciousness and kindness to us, that
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  Speaker 4: you are always willing to give what we ask when
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  Speaker 4: we ask in your name, according to your will. May
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  Speaker 4: we trust in you always, as Joshua did. Amen. Thank
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  Speaker 4: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 14:57
  Speaker 4: Before we go, I want to let you know about
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: a unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today.
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is
• 15:08
  Speaker 4: that it will help you conquer the daily tasks and
• 15:10
  Speaker 4: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org slash stress.
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: If today's reading moved you, the Pray.com app is where
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: you can go deeper with daily prayers, Bible plans, and more.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: Download it free.
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: Link in the description.