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Three Kings vs The Moabites - The Book of 2 Kings · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he said, Thus saith the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: Make this valley full of ditches. 2 Kings 3.16 Heavenly Father,
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  Speaker 1: as I take my new breath today, I am also
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  Speaker 1: taking in today's reading of 2 Kings 3. I am
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  Speaker 1: taking in the fact that the completion of my assignment
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  Speaker 1: has everything to do with my alignment. When moments arise
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  Speaker 1: in my life when I have to fight for the
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  Speaker 1: territory you've given me, surround me with men and women
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  Speaker 1: who have faith to help me stand tall and conquer
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  Speaker 1: the obstacles in front of me. Like Elisha and Jehoshaphat,
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  Speaker 1: I will turn to prayer and worship to receive today's
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  Speaker 1: marching orders. For I know that in your presence is
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  Speaker 1: the plan to overcome the enemy that stands in the
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  Speaker 1: way of my promise. I declare that I will not
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  Speaker 1: worry or be dismayed because you are with me in
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  Speaker 1: the battlefields of life. You are with me through the
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  Speaker 1: ups and downs of walking out my calling. With this
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  Speaker 1: as my truth, I will not retreat, but will move
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  Speaker 1: forward and take the land and opportunities you have for me.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for making prayer a
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  Speaker 1: priority in your day. To learn more about the Bible,
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  Speaker 1: stay tuned for today's story. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Three kings versus 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: This is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year. 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: Uram 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 Uram 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.
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  Speaker 3: Yes.
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  Speaker 2: I know Elisha. The Lord speaks to him and through him.
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  Speaker 2: So the three kings went to go meet Elisha. The
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  Speaker 2: three kings went to the outskirts of camp where Elisha
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  Speaker 2: stayed distant. They came to his camp where he was
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  Speaker 2: tending to his fire. Without looking at them, his eyes
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  Speaker 2: fixed on the flames. He said, Why have you come
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  Speaker 2: to me? He then looked up at Yoram. Don't you
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  Speaker 2: have pagan prophets given to you by your father and mother?
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  Speaker 2: Yoram did his best to feign ignorance. He shook his
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  Speaker 2: head and said, No, the Lord has called us here
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  Speaker 2: to the wilderness only to be defeated by Moab. Panic
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  Speaker 2: could be heard in Yoram's voice. His throat quivered when
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  Speaker 2: he spoke and his hands shook in their place. Elisha
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  Speaker 2: could sense his nervous energy. I would not even speak
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  Speaker 2: to you if it were not for King Jehoshaphat who
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  Speaker 2: stands next to you. He is the only faithful king
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  Speaker 2: in this land, Elisha said matter-of-factly. Go, get me the
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  Speaker 2: best harpist you can find. Luckily, King Jehoshaphat always had
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  Speaker 2: a harpist traveling with him. He found the music to
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  Speaker 2: be soothing and helpful during prayer. The harpist played next
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  Speaker 2: to Elisha. The music seemed to make the fire dance.
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  Speaker 2: It was a beautifully peaceful sight. Beside the three kings,
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  Speaker 2: Elisha prayed. His brow furrowed and his forehead began to
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  Speaker 2: sweat slightly. Although he was praying intensely, he seemed at peace.
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  Speaker 2: The harp continued to play and the power of the
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  Speaker 2: Lord met Elisha in prayer. Elisha stirred slightly and then
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  Speaker 2: looked up at the kings. This dry valley will soon
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  Speaker 2: be filled with pools of water, Elisha whispered. The cracks
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  Speaker 2: of the fire popped as the harp continued to play.
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  Speaker 2: You won't see rain nor wind. Nevertheless, water will emerge
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  Speaker 2: and you will have plenty to drink. The three kings
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  Speaker 2: sighed in relief and laughed. God will give you victory,
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  Speaker 2: Elisha continued. Be sure to conquer the land he gives you.
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  Speaker 2: The next day, as the sun was beginning its rise
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  Speaker 2: above the distant hills, Elisha made a sacrifice to the Lord.
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  Speaker 2: As the darkness of the land was filled with new light,
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  Speaker 2: pools of water emerged from the ground. The water was
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  Speaker 2: fresh and still. They reflected the rising sun above them
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  Speaker 2: and glistened for all the people to see. Soon the
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  Speaker 2: water was flowing in every direction, and the soldiers of
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  Speaker 2: the three armies had their fill. In the distance, the
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  Speaker 2: armies of Moab were growing larger. Every able-bodied man was
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  Speaker 2: assembled to wage war against the three armies. They stationed
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  Speaker 2: themselves at the border and awaited their attack. In the distance,
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  Speaker 2: they could see the red sun rising. However, something different
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  Speaker 2: caught their eye. Red pools filled the once-dried valleys. The
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  Speaker 2: morning sun reflected against the waters and made the pools
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  Speaker 2: look like a deep red. It's blood, the Moabites exclaimed.
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  Speaker 2: The three armies have killed one another. We should go
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  Speaker 2: and collect the spoils of war. So the Moabites ran
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  Speaker 2: towards the valley with no battle plan or expectation of fighting.
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  Speaker 2: When the Moabites drew closer, the Israelite armies launched their
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  Speaker 2: first attack. They ambushed them and sent them into a
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  Speaker 2: mass confusion. Hundreds of Moabites fell before tucking tail and
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  Speaker 2: running back for their city. Israel chased them, destroying everything
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  Speaker 2: in their path. They burned the towns, blocked the springs,
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  Speaker 2: and chopped the trees. Then the king of Moab sent
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  Speaker 2: 700 of his swordsmen to break through enemy lines. They
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  Speaker 2: were thwarted by the army of Edom that was lying
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  Speaker 2: in wait. Skulls cracked and flesh was torn under the
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  Speaker 2: swords of Edom. It was an all-out slaughter. The Moabite
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  Speaker 2: king watched as the three armies demolished his land. In
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  Speaker 2: a fury of desperation, the king retreated back to the
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  Speaker 2: religion of his ancestors. He turned around to find his
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  Speaker 2: son standing behind him. He drew him in close and
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  Speaker 2: slid his throat. He dragged his son's lifeless and bloodied
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  Speaker 2: body to an altar and burnt him for the gods
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  Speaker 2: to see. He hoped to gain their favor for battle. However,
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  Speaker 2: he was only met with the righteous hand of God.
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  Speaker 2: as his army was 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 is no such thing
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  Speaker 3: as righteousness by comparison. Sin is sin, and his actions
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  Speaker 3: and attitudes were sinful. Joram was rejecting God just as
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  Speaker 3: much as his predecessors. This lack of leadership was fertile
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  Speaker 3: ground for unrest and chaos, and soon the Moabites, who
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  Speaker 3: had lived peacefully under Israel since David's reign, began to
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  Speaker 3: rise up against Israel. They appointed their own king, Meshach,
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  Speaker 3: who was no righteous man either. He too acted in
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  Speaker 3: his own selfish interest. And so we see a conflict
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  Speaker 3: brewing between two very unwise kings, sinful kings, neither one
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  Speaker 3: following God. It's a recipe for violence, chaos, bloodshed, and suffering.
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  Speaker 3: King Joram was unwise but not blind. He could see
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  Speaker 3: that Joab would soon attack, so he sought help from
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  Speaker 3: the king Jehoshaphat to the south. The righteous king of
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  Speaker 3: Judah was not interested in warfare, but he understood the
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  Speaker 3: need to assist God's people, his Jewish brothers and sisters
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  Speaker 3: in Israel. So he agrees to help, reminding Joram that
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  Speaker 3: Israel and Judah are as one. Joram had also enlisted
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  Speaker 3: the king of Edom to aid, and it's from that
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  Speaker 3: direction that he plans to attack Moab. Together, the three
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  Speaker 3: armies prepare for battle in the wilderness. But they are
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  Speaker 3: growing tired and thirsty and hungry, and just like the
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  Speaker 3: Israelites did with Moses, Joram began to show his lack
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  Speaker 3: of faith. He was certain God had brought him there
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  Speaker 3: to die. But Jehoshaphat did not lack faith, and he
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  Speaker 3: was not worried. He asked Joram if there was a
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  Speaker 3: prophet of God, someone they could talk to. One of
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  Speaker 3: Joram's guards remembered Elisha and suggested that they seek him out.
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  Speaker 3: It's notable that the king himself did not think of
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  Speaker 3: Elisha because he was so far from God and the
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  Speaker 3: voice of God or the true people of God. So
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  Speaker 3: they did go to Elisha and his first response was
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  Speaker 3: to send them away. Joram had his own false prophets.
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  Speaker 3: Why not seek them? But then we see God's grace
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  Speaker 3: extended to Israel and King Joram as Elisha responds in
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  Speaker 3: 2 Kings 3.14. And Elisha said, As the Lord of
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  Speaker 3: hosts lives, before men I stand. Were it not that
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  Speaker 3: I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I
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  Speaker 3: would neither look at you or see you. Jehoshaphat's righteousness
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  Speaker 3: enabled Joram to experience God's blessing and protection. And this
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  Speaker 3: would be a good place to stop and reflect and
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  Speaker 3: remember that one day the King of Eternity, the Lord
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  Speaker 3: Jesus Christ, would come from Judah, the tribe of Judah,
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  Speaker 3: and His righteousness would open the door for all of
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  Speaker 3: us to experience God's presence, salvation, blessing, and life. Elisha
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  Speaker 3: then called a musician to play. And as he did,
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  Speaker 3: God's word came to Elisha, who prophesied that the armies
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  Speaker 3: would be provided water in a miraculous way as the
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  Speaker 3: pools of water would form without wind or rain to
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  Speaker 3: fill them. Not only would God meet their physical needs,
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  Speaker 3: he would give them great victory over Moab. The next morning,
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  Speaker 3: Elisha offered a sacrifice to the Lord and reminder that
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  Speaker 3: the good favor of these kings did not come from
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  Speaker 3: the prophet, but the one who spoke through him. And
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  Speaker 3: just as the Lord had promised, their needs were met,
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  Speaker 3: and the Moabite army was soundly defeated. Meshah, the Moabite king,
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  Speaker 3: saw the defeat that was coming, but rather than turn
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  Speaker 3: to God and He turned to his own false gods
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  Speaker 3: and even sacrificed his son to try to gain this
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  Speaker 3: idol's favor. But it was a futile effort, and God's
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  Speaker 3: 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 Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: Let me encourage you to download the Pray.com app and
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: always make Bible reading and Bible study a priority in
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  Speaker 3: your life, along with prayer. If you enjoyed this podcast,
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: share it with someone you love. Let someone know. Because
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: by sharing this podcast, you can truly make a difference
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: in someone's life. And if you want more resources from me,
• 17:01
  Speaker 3: Jack Graham, as to how you can grow in your
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  Speaker 3: Christian life, then go to jackgraham.org. That's jackgraham.org. God bless you.