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Victory after Victory - The Books of 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Be of good courage, and let us play the men
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  Speaker 1: for our people and for the cities of our God,
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  Speaker 1: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good. 2
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  Speaker 1: Samuel 10.12 Dear God, etch in the foundations of my
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  Speaker 1: heart that I am a giant killer, like David in
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  Speaker 1: 2 Samuel 10. I will not cower and run away
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  Speaker 1: when I am faced with challenges and limiting mindsets. that
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  Speaker 1: try to loom over areas of my life. As I
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  Speaker 1: build my faith on your word, my feet will move
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  Speaker 1: with purpose and speed in the direction of my calling,
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  Speaker 1: knowing that the armies of heaven are backing my life,
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  Speaker 1: like the army of Israel backed King David. Today, I
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  Speaker 1: make known the truth that I am not afraid to
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  Speaker 1: fight for what God has spoken over my life. I
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  Speaker 1: make known the fact that I will fight for the
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  Speaker 1: dignity of others. Through the battles and blows of life,
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  Speaker 1: I will stay on the battlefield until God gives me
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  Speaker 1: the victory. I am fighting the fight of faith for
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. I am fighting for more. I am fighting
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  Speaker 1: for peace. And I am fighting to become the highest
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  Speaker 1: version of me. In Jesus' name, Amen. Listening to these
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  Speaker 1: daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from
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  Speaker 1: the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Victory after victory. In our last story, David came to
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  Speaker 2: the realization that that the Lord should have a temple
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  Speaker 2: built for him. Nathan the prophet agreed and spoke for
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  Speaker 2: the Lord, saying his kingdom would be established forever. The
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  Speaker 2: Lord blessed all of David's exploits, and the kingdom of
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  Speaker 2: Israel continued to grow day by day. In this story, Hanan,
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  Speaker 2: king of Ammon, will humiliate David's servants, and the Ammonites
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  Speaker 2: learn that David is not a king to be trifled with.
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  Speaker 2: as inspired by 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we
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  Speaker 3: saw David's heart to honor God and build the Lord
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  Speaker 3: a home, a temple where his glory could be on
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  Speaker 3: display for all the world to see. As a result
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  Speaker 3: of his faithfulness, David received a message from God through
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  Speaker 3: the prophet Nathan. The message was this, God would establish
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  Speaker 3: a lasting kingdom through David. God blessed David's efforts both
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  Speaker 3: as king and as a warrior, and today we'll continue
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  Speaker 3: to see the victories that God gives to David. We'll
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  Speaker 3: also hear how the king of Ammon meets David's act
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  Speaker 3: of kindness with distrust and disrespect and discovers that David
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  Speaker 3: is not a king to be mocked or toyed with.
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  Speaker 3: And as always, through it all, God's name will be
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  Speaker 3: made known not just among the Israelites, Let's listen now
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  Speaker 3: to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Not too far away from Israel, Nahash, the king of
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  Speaker 2: the Ammonites, had died. Trumpets sounded in the distance, and
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  Speaker 2: the Ammonite people mourned the death of their king. Hanan,
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  Speaker 2: his son, took the throne after his father and surrounded
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  Speaker 2: himself with counsel. David heard of Nahash's death and remembered
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  Speaker 2: the kindness he showed David while in the wilderness. There
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  Speaker 2: was historic blood between the Ammonites and the Israelites. However,
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  Speaker 2: David was determined to usher in a new era of peace.
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  Speaker 2: David gathered some of his men to go and console
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  Speaker 2: Hanan with gifts and goodwill. The servants entered the land.
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  Speaker 2: There was a slight eeriness in the city when they entered.
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  Speaker 2: Being Israelites in the land of the Ammonites was uncomfortable,
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  Speaker 2: and whispers filled the streets as they passed. Nevertheless, the
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  Speaker 2: men walked into the halls of Hanan, determined to comfort him.
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  Speaker 2: The princes and counselors sat beside Hanan as David's men entered.
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  Speaker 2: One of them leaned over to Hanan and whispered, Do
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  Speaker 2: you really think David sent comforters because of your father?
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  Speaker 2: You know they are here to spy on our land.
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  Speaker 2: It is a ruse, my king. Hanan gave a slight nod,
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  Speaker 2: not taking his eyes off the men as they entered
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  Speaker 2: the room. The men bowed before Hanan and laid gifts
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  Speaker 2: at his feet. However, corruption and paranoia had easily gripped
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  Speaker 2: Hanan's mind. He stood to his feet and ordered the
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  Speaker 2: servants to be taken at once. The servants were confused
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  Speaker 2: at his intentions. Anon slipped a devious smile and ordered
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  Speaker 2: his men to shave off half of their beards and
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  Speaker 2: cut the lower half of their robes, exposing their genitalias
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  Speaker 2: before everyone. Then they cast them out into the streets
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  Speaker 2: for all to see. Ammonite cackles filled the city streets
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  Speaker 2: as the men ran in embarrassment. Tears of shame filled
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  Speaker 2: their eyes, and they hid themselves in Jericho. They sent
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  Speaker 2: word to David and told him what happened. David did
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  Speaker 2: not send men to get them. He went himself. David
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  Speaker 2: rode to his men swiftly as a father would to
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  Speaker 2: his hurting children. David found them hiding in Jericho and
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  Speaker 2: comforted them. Remain here until your beards grow back. Here
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  Speaker 2: are supplies and new robes. So David left them and
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  Speaker 2: relieved them of their duties until they recovered their dignity.
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  Speaker 2: He mounted his horse and left the area. He rode
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  Speaker 2: fast and aggressively. He looked forward with fury in his eyes.
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  Speaker 2: David would not forgive the humiliation of his servants. Unlike Hanan,
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  Speaker 2: David was a king with actual power. Hanan would soon
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  Speaker 2: learn this for himself. The Ammonites heard that David was
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  Speaker 2: outraged by Hanan's disrespect. They wanted to attack him before
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  Speaker 2: he attacked them. So they hired 20,000 Syrian mercenaries to
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  Speaker 2: join their army. They also allied with a neighboring city
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  Speaker 2: to gain an extra 13,000 men. Soon, a vast army
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  Speaker 2: prepared themselves for David's retaliation. Unperturbed, David sent Joab, his
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  Speaker 2: mighty men, and a portion of his army to face them.
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  Speaker 2: Joab scooped out the field and saw that the Ammonites
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  Speaker 2: and the Syrians split up to ambush them on both ends.
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  Speaker 2: Joab and the mighty men decided to march towards the Syrians,
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  Speaker 2: while the army of Israel took on the Ammonites. Joab
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  Speaker 2: shouted to his men with his spear in the air
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  Speaker 2: and said, Protect one another. If one side proves to
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  Speaker 2: be too strong, we will come to each other's aid.
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  Speaker 2: Joab looked to the battlefield. He longed for battle, craved it.
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  Speaker 2: But the armies were large and his men were few.
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  Speaker 2: Be strong and courageous, Joab yelled again, for you are
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  Speaker 2: the city of God. A roar followed Joab's words, and
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  Speaker 2: the men of Israel descended upon the Syrians and Ammonites.
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  Speaker 2: Joab and the mighty men reached the Syrians first. Their
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  Speaker 2: speed caught the Syrians completely off guard. Never had they
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  Speaker 2: seen men fight with such unity. Months of training with
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  Speaker 2: David in the wilderness honed them in. They battled as
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  Speaker 2: a single unit, as if they were one body. They
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  Speaker 2: overwhelmed the Syrians within minutes. and they began to flee.
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  Speaker 2: The Ammonites saw their mercenaries flee and became scared. They
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  Speaker 2: fled from the battle and hid behind their city gates.
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  Speaker 2: Joab returned with the soldiers and awaited orders from David
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  Speaker 2: for the next move. The Syrians threw their weapons on
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  Speaker 2: the floor in frustration. They had been caught completely off guard.
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  Speaker 2: Though they were hired hands, they would not allow themselves
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  Speaker 2: to be beaten and humiliated by Israel. They rallied and
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  Speaker 2: gathered their allies from beyond the Euphrates. Shobak, their commander,
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  Speaker 2: led them to Helam and awaited David for battle. Shobak
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  Speaker 2: stood taller than all the other men under his command.
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  Speaker 2: He was fierce and a brilliant swordsman and tactician. The
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  Speaker 2: Syrians feared him and followed him into battle. This time
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  Speaker 2: David did not send Joab and his men. David rode
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  Speaker 2: out with his army behind him to Helam. Thousands of
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  Speaker 2: Syrian horsemen and soldiers stood before David on the opposite
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  Speaker 2: end of the field. David drew his sword and, without
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  Speaker 2: saying a word, ran headfirst into battle. The men of
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  Speaker 2: Israel stood in awe of their king. He ran like
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  Speaker 2: a lion, shortening the gap between him and his prey.
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  Speaker 2: The Syrian chariots rushed in first. For a moment, it
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  Speaker 2: seemed as though it was David running towards a sea
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  Speaker 2: of chariots on his own. His men followed behind him,
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  Speaker 2: inspired by their warrior king. David's fighting was like poetry.
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  Speaker 2: His sword slashed the legs of horses, sending the horsemen
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  Speaker 2: flying through the air. His shield absorbed every blow, and
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  Speaker 2: his blade returned with twice the force. David's sword seemed
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  Speaker 2: to dance in his hand as he fought his way
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  Speaker 2: through the Syrian lines. Shobak had David in his line
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  Speaker 2: of vision. He ran towards David, toppling other soldiers on
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  Speaker 2: his way. David barely saw Shobak at the corner of
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  Speaker 2: his eye before he struck a blow to his side
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  Speaker 2: with his shield. David flew into the air and landed
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  Speaker 2: on his back. Shobak did not stop and ran toward
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  Speaker 2: David with his sword in the air. David dodged the
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  Speaker 2: second attack and swiped Shobak's calf. The two fought ferociously,
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  Speaker 2: yet Shobak's strength was no match for David's skill. David
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  Speaker 2: allowed Shobak to come close, grabbed the hilt of his sword,
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  Speaker 2: and drove his blade into Shobak's side. He stumbled back,
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  Speaker 2: holding his stomach. Frightened that David might slay him where
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  Speaker 2: he stood, Shobak ran away. Bleeding from his stomach, Shobak
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  Speaker 2: ran through the battle looking for safety. Growing faint, he
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  Speaker 2: fell to his knees and bled out on the battlefield.
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  Speaker 3: The battle was won.
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  Speaker 2: David and his men killed 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen.
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  Speaker 2: David raised his spear into the air and roared a
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  Speaker 2: mighty cry of victory with the blood of his enemy
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  Speaker 2: laced on his face and clothes. The men of Israel
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  Speaker 2: shouted and chanted to God. The kings of the east
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  Speaker 2: trembled in fear of David and made peace with Israel.
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  Speaker 2: David used his sword to make a statement, but he
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  Speaker 2: would go no further than protecting his people. David was
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  Speaker 2: not a conqueror and had no interest in enslaving other kingdoms.
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  Speaker 2: He wanted peace. and welcomed any kingdom that desired the same.
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  Speaker 2: David's bravery became renowned in all the land, yet even
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  Speaker 2: the bravest of kings can be undone by the smallest
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  Speaker 2: of temptations, a lesson David would soon learn.
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  Speaker 3: Today's passage begins with the death of the Ammonite king.
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  Speaker 3: His son, Hanun, was his successor. And when David heard
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  Speaker 3: of the death of the man who had once been
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  Speaker 3: kind to him when he was in exile, he wanted
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  Speaker 3: to show his respect and return the kindness. So he
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  Speaker 3: sent some of his men on a peaceful mission into
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  Speaker 3: the land of the Ammonites, historically enemies of Israel. Though
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  Speaker 3: he was a very powerful king with a great army,
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  Speaker 3: David wanted to rule with peace whenever possible. But as
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  Speaker 3: his men entered the palace of Hanun, there they were
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  Speaker 3: met with distrust and paranoia. Now, for sure, a certain
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  Speaker 3: amount of trepidation on the part of the Ammonite king
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  Speaker 3: would have been understandable. But rather than give the men
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  Speaker 3: a chance to speak, he had them seized immediately. Their
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  Speaker 3: beards were shaved, an act of humiliation in itself in
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  Speaker 3: those days, and their robes were cut off at the waist,
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  Speaker 3: exposing them to ridicule as they were cast into the streets.
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  Speaker 3: The men fled in embarrassment and hid in Jericho. 2
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  Speaker 3: Samuel 10.5 tells us how David reacted. We read, When
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  Speaker 3: it was told to David, he sent to meet them,
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  Speaker 3: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said,
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  Speaker 3: Remain in Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return. Now,
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  Speaker 3: don't miss the significance of this passage. First, it tells
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  Speaker 3: us that David was primarily concerned with his men. As
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  Speaker 3: a king, he could have focused first on the disrespect
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  Speaker 3: shown to him by Hanun. He could have immediately departed
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  Speaker 3: to attack the Ammonites to punish them for their mockery.
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  Speaker 3: But he went first to his men to care for
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  Speaker 3: their needs and comfort them. Secondly, David went to them himself.
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  Speaker 3: A great leader is never above serving those who follow him.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus gave us the best example of this as he
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  Speaker 3: washed his own disciples' feet. David surely could have sent
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  Speaker 3: someone else to reach his men, but he went to
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  Speaker 3: see them himself. So, with the first priority handled, David
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  Speaker 3: then turned to the Ammonites, for their offense could not
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  Speaker 3: be unanswered. David gathered his men with his faithful commander
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  Speaker 3: Joab in charge. Joab wisely was careful in his plan
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  Speaker 3: of attack. He'd learned from David, a skillful and wise
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  Speaker 3: military leader. And rather than rush into the war, Joab
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  Speaker 3: surveyed the battlefield. He saw there were two fronts on
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  Speaker 3: which to fight, so he prepared his men and they
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  Speaker 3: resolved to fight as one unit, supporting each other where
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  Speaker 3: any weakness arose. Joab's men were strong and ready for
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  Speaker 3: battle and the enemy was quickly defeated. and the Syrian
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  Speaker 3: mercenaries driven off. When the Syrians realized they were in
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  Speaker 3: a large fight, they gathered their allies, and this time
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  Speaker 3: David himself led the Israelite army into battle. God, as
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  Speaker 3: he had been doing since David rose to the throne,
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  Speaker 3: gave David a convincing victory, and the Syrians were defeated
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  Speaker 3: and driven away. And rather than use this as an
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  Speaker 3: opportunity to increase his territory and kill his enemies, David
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  Speaker 3: made peace with the Syrians and their allies, who knew
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  Speaker 3: now that David and God's people were not to be abused.
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  Speaker 3: But as David's fame and power grew, a complacency began
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  Speaker 3: to creep in, and with it, temptation was just around
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  Speaker 3: the corner. We'll discover the tragic consequences of that in
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  Speaker 3: our next reading. Dear God, we thank you for today's
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  Speaker 3: passage on servant leadership. Help us always be willing to
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  Speaker 3: serve those around us and to help those that we
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  Speaker 3: lead and love. May we show kindness even to our
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  Speaker 3: enemies as Jesus taught us. And it is in his
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  Speaker 3: name that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 3: today's Bible in a Year podcast. I hope you are
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  Speaker 3: enjoying it as much as I am. This is Pastor
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  Speaker 3: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the Pray.com
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  Speaker 3: app and make prayer the priority in your life. And
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  Speaker 3: into God's power for living, be sure to visit jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you.
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  Speaker 2: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
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  Speaker 3: Without sacrificing quality.