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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: Let us pray. And Joshua made peace with them, and
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  Speaker 1: made a league with them, to let them live. And
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  Speaker 1: the princes of the congregation swear unto them. Joshua 9.15
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  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, as word of my life's victories begin
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  Speaker 1: to spread, help me to have divine discernment, so that
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  Speaker 1: I can identify those who have alternative motives. and deceitful hearts.
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  Speaker 1: Even if some relationships make it through, I thank you, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: that you will still protect me and work everything on
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  Speaker 1: my behalf. Like the enemy army in Joshua 9.10, I
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  Speaker 1: thank you that you are working on my behalf until
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  Speaker 1: I have utter victory. When I feel tired and unsure,
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  Speaker 1: Give me strength, Holy Spirit, to stand my ground until
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  Speaker 1: every enemy is removed from my life. When it seems
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  Speaker 1: like more is against me than are for me, I
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  Speaker 1: will look to you and to your mighty hand to
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  Speaker 1: provide a divine strategy for advancement and momentum. Any and
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  Speaker 1: all enemies to my success, like fear, doubt, anxiety, mediocrity,
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  Speaker 1: and lack, will be eradicated through the power of your might,
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  Speaker 1: like the five kings found in Joshua. I'm leaving nothing
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  Speaker 1: to chance. I'm sealing the cave of limitations off permanently.
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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: Joshua and the Treaty In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: about the idolatry of Achan causing Israel's first defeat. Achan
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  Speaker 2: took idols from the city of Jericho after God had
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  Speaker 2: given them victory. Achan's actions caused God to remove his
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  Speaker 2: victorious hand from over Israel. and they were beaten by
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  Speaker 2: the kingdom of Ai. Achan was found out and dealt
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  Speaker 2: with harshly. Afterwards, Joshua led the army of Israel to
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  Speaker 2: defeat Ai and restore hope to the people. In this story,
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  Speaker 2: we learn of a new kind of warfare. The people
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  Speaker 2: of Gibeon lie in order to be spared by Israel
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  Speaker 2: and trick them into a political and social treaty as
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  Speaker 2: inspired by the book of Joshua.
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  Speaker 3: Hi, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of The
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year. In yesterday's episode, we learned how
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  Speaker 3: the deceit of just one person in Israel's camp had
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  Speaker 3: consequences on the entire community, and how God rooted out
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  Speaker 3: the sin of Achan so his people would know that
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  Speaker 3: God's authority was not to be disregarded. God then granted
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  Speaker 3: Joshua and his men another victory, and as word spread
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  Speaker 3: throughout the and the people of Israel. Today we'll hear
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  Speaker 3: how the Gibeonites would engage in treachery and deception to
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  Speaker 3: secure a treaty with Israel. They appealed to the mercy
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  Speaker 3: of Joshua to save themselves. Will Joshua fall for their trickery?
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  Speaker 3: Let's find out in today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Word of Israel's triumph over Jericho and Ai spread beyond
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  Speaker 2: the Jordan into the hill country. Israel was great in
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  Speaker 2: number and a terror to the people of Canaan All
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  Speaker 2: along the coast of the great sea towards Lebanon, kings
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  Speaker 2: and kingdoms gathered together as one army to fight against
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  Speaker 2: Joshua and Israel. When Gibeon heard of Joshua and his God,
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  Speaker 2: they schemed as to how they could be spared by
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  Speaker 2: the great Israelite army. They gathered worn-out sacks, old clothes,
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  Speaker 2: and patched wineskins to display on their donkeys. They crumbled
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  Speaker 2: the leather on their sandals and dried out their provisions.
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  Speaker 2: They were the perfect picture of poverty. As actors in
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  Speaker 2: a play, they immersed themselves into character to deceive the
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  Speaker 2: compassionate people of Israel. They traveled to Gilgal, where Israel
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  Speaker 2: was camped, and came to Joshua. Limping and coughing, they
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  Speaker 2: approached him and said, We have come from far away.
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  Speaker 2: Please allow us to be your servants so that we
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  Speaker 2: can be safe here with you. Joshua looked at the
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  Speaker 2: seemingly helpless people with a hint of suspicion. Who are you,
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  Speaker 2: and where did you come from? Joshua asked. Still in character,
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  Speaker 2: they lifted their heads and said, From a distant country
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  Speaker 2: we have come because of the Lord your God. We
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  Speaker 2: heard of what he did for you in Egypt and
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  Speaker 2: against the Amorites, so we traveled far to come be
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  Speaker 2: your servants. Joshua and the men made peace with them
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  Speaker 2: and allowed them to dwell there. However, Joshua did not
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  Speaker 2: ask God for guidance or counsel. because he had assumed
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  Speaker 2: their intentions were pure. Joshua made a covenant promise with
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  Speaker 2: the Gibeonites, and was bound by his word to protect them.
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  Speaker 2: Three days had passed. Joshua had bound them by oath
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  Speaker 2: to not attack their land, and the people of Israel
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  Speaker 2: murmured and complained amongst themselves at Joshua's foolishness. The elders
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  Speaker 2: of Israel were embarrassed and angry, so they made the
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  Speaker 2: Gibeonites their woodcutters, since they were bound by their word
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  Speaker 2: to be servants. The five surrounding kings heard that the
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  Speaker 2: Gibbonites had joined Israel. This caused a panic among them,
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  Speaker 2: since the Gibbonites were a royal people filled with skilled warriors.
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  Speaker 2: If they had bowed to Israel, surely there would be
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  Speaker 2: little hope for any small nation to fight against them.
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  Speaker 2: Adonon Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word to the kings
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  Speaker 2: of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon and the five of
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  Speaker 2: them joined forces to war against the vast Israelite army.
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  Speaker 2: The horde of Canaanite nations gathered together towards Israel's camp.
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  Speaker 2: A few miles away, they prepared to slaughter God's people mercilessly.
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  Speaker 2: Joshua gathered the best of his men and went up
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  Speaker 2: from Gilgal. With a sword in his hand and fire
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  Speaker 2: in his heart, Joshua led his men all night to
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  Speaker 2: meet with the allied armies. Joshua and his mighty men
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  Speaker 2: stood at a distance from the allied camp. They were
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  Speaker 2: sound asleep, for Joshua had traveled all night in order
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  Speaker 2: to surprise them. They stood there, shoulders rolled back and
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  Speaker 2: their grips tight on their blades. The wind picked up slightly,
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  Speaker 2: and clouds began to roll in from the north. The
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  Speaker 2: rising sun was blocked by the darkness of the rain clouds.
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  Speaker 2: Thunder could be heard from the distance. Joshua and his
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  Speaker 2: men looked down at the enemy camp. They were many
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  Speaker 2: and outnumbered them. God spoke to Joshua quietly and with intensity, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Do not fear them. I have already given you victory.
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  Speaker 2: All the men will fall before you. With that word,
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  Speaker 2: Joshua raised his sword and ran forward with his mighty
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  Speaker 2: men of valor in pursuit behind them. The thunders roared
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  Speaker 2: and the rain showered down like bullets. Their ambush was sudden, unexpected,
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  Speaker 2: and perfectly timed. God had gone before them and threw
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  Speaker 2: the enemy into a panic. Like one fatal swoop of
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  Speaker 2: a sharpened blade, Joshua and his men cut through the
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  Speaker 2: enemy camp effortlessly. The enemy retreated and Israel pursued. The
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  Speaker 2: rain grew heavier and the wind howled against them. They
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  Speaker 2: tried to climb the mountain of Beth-horon, but were thwarted
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  Speaker 2: when hail rained down from the skies. Large stones of
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  Speaker 2: ice fell from the sky and demolished whoever was left
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  Speaker 2: to flee from Israel. The sound of crumbling ice and
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  Speaker 2: cracking skulls mingled with the booming thunder. More men died
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  Speaker 2: by hail than swords. The battle raged on. Men fought
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  Speaker 2: in a swamp of mud, ice, and blood. Iron pierced flesh.
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  Speaker 2: Ice and spears flew through the air. Victory was near,
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  Speaker 2: but not yet secured. The sun began to set, and
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  Speaker 2: if darkness came, victory would be delayed. In a moment
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  Speaker 2: of holy fury, Joshua lifted his eyes to heaven, spoke
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  Speaker 2: to God, saying, Son, stand still in the valley of Gibeon. Moon,
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  Speaker 2: hold your place a while longer. Stand still until vengeance
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  Speaker 2: is finished. And the sun delayed its descent along the
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  Speaker 2: valley until Israel claimed victory. The might of God, the
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  Speaker 2: sword of man, and the power of prayer brought Israel victory.
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  Speaker 2: God had fought for his people, and five armies crumbled
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  Speaker 2: as the walls of Jericho. The kings of the five
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  Speaker 2: kingdoms retreated into a cave nearby while their armies were slaughtered.
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  Speaker 2: For hours they hid in their cowardice. The king's eyes
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  Speaker 2: widened as they saw Joshua standing at the base of
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  Speaker 2: the cave. They gazed into the eyes of Joshua. Blood
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  Speaker 2: dripped from his sword and forehead. Dirt and the flesh
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  Speaker 2: of his enemies caked his clothes. His eyes were that
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  Speaker 2: of a hungry lion. They thought Joshua would kill them
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  Speaker 2: right then and there. Instead, they watched as the light
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  Speaker 2: from the cave grew dimmer, as Joshua commanded a stone
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  Speaker 2: to be laid to block the entrance.
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  Speaker 3: In darkness, they waited.
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  Speaker 2: The next day, Joshua brought them in front of the
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  Speaker 2: elders of Israel and struck them down. For an entire
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  Speaker 2: day he hung them on trees and then tossed their
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  Speaker 2: bodies back into the cave of their own cowardice.
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  Speaker 3: As word spread throughout Canaan of Israel's overwhelming strength in battles,
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  Speaker 3: The kings of the region began to plot as to
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  Speaker 3: how they could overtake this invading nation. They decided to
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  Speaker 3: join forces to come against God's people. All the nations
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  Speaker 3: but one, the people of Gibeon, were not keen to
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  Speaker 3: fight this unbeatable army. But rather than approach in good
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  Speaker 3: faith and extend an offer of peace, they decided to
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  Speaker 3: try another tactic, deception. They disguised themselves as destitute travelers
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  Speaker 3: coming from far away. They were there to seek God's
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  Speaker 3: protection and favor, they said. The Gibeonites knew all the
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  Speaker 3: right words to say. They spoke of God's faithfulness from
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  Speaker 3: their escape of Israel up until the recent military victories.
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  Speaker 3: They played the part they needed Joshua to see and believe.
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  Speaker 3: And Joshua and the other leaders fell for it. They
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  Speaker 3: felt compassion for these men and made a covenant of
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  Speaker 3: peace with Gibeon, allowing them to live among them. And
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  Speaker 3: they did this all without seeking God's counsel. There is
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  Speaker 3: an important lesson on wisdom here. Are we to have
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  Speaker 3: hearts of compassion as God does? Absolutely. But does that
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  Speaker 3: mean that we should blindly enter into relationships without seeking
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  Speaker 3: wise counsel? Absolutely not. Should we throw caution to the
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  Speaker 3: wind because someone says the right words and looks the part?
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely not. If Joshua and his men had consulted God
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  Speaker 3: and sought God's wisdom, they would have known this was
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  Speaker 3: a ruse. But they did not seek God, and now
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  Speaker 3: they had a very bad covenant with Gibeon. When the
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  Speaker 3: people of Israel discovered that these people were actually Gibeonites,
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  Speaker 3: they were understandably upset with Joshua for his lapse in judgment.
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  Speaker 3: Because of this covenant, they would no longer be able
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  Speaker 3: to conquer the towns of Gibeon. So Joshua cursed the
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  Speaker 3: Gibeonites for their deception. They would be spared, but they
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  Speaker 3: would become servants, woodcutters, and fetchers of water for all
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  Speaker 3: of God's people. The treaty with the Gibeonites angered the
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  Speaker 3: other kings, and they joined forces to slaughter these men
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  Speaker 3: and God's people. But God was with Joshua and his army.
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  Speaker 3: And as they set off into a battle that would
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  Speaker 3: have seemed more like a suicide mission, God met them
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  Speaker 3: and promised Joshua that victory would be theirs. Once again,
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  Speaker 3: God intervened in miraculous ways, confusing the enemy armies, raining
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  Speaker 3: down hailstones that killed more than Joshua's army could kill.
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  Speaker 3: Joshua lifted his voice to the heavens and asked God
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  Speaker 3: to still the sun and the moon, to keep daylight
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  Speaker 3: going until all the enemies were defeated. Joshua was bold
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  Speaker 3: enough to ask anything of God. This was truly the
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  Speaker 3: first daylight savings time, and it would go down in
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  Speaker 3: history with God's people as one of the most important
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  Speaker 3: events recorded in Joshua 10, 14. There has been no
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  Speaker 3: day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded
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  Speaker 3: the voice of man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
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  Speaker 3: There is incredible power in prayer, and we see it here.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus told his disciples and us that nothing is impossible
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  Speaker 3: with God, that we can ask in his name and receive.
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  Speaker 3: Joshua caught just a glimpse of that truth and believed,
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  Speaker 3: and because of his faith in God, all five kingdoms
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  Speaker 3: were defeated that day. His faith and the people's fortitude
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  Speaker 3: would lead to a period of peace and success, and
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  Speaker 3: we'll hear more about that tomorrow. Let's pray. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for your graciousness and kindness to us, that
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  Speaker 3: you are always willing to give what we ask when
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  Speaker 3: we ask in your name, according to your will. May
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  Speaker 3: we trust in you always, as Joshua did. Amen. Thank
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  Speaker 3: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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• 14:34
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  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.