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

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And behold, the servants of David and
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  Speaker 1: Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought a great
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  Speaker 1: spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron,
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  Speaker 1: for he had sent him away, and he was gone
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  Speaker 1: in peace. 2 Samuel 3.22 Lord, when I inherit opportunities
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  Speaker 1: that seem to be in ruins and surrounded with conflict,
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  Speaker 1: I thank you that, like David, I will be wise
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  Speaker 1: and tactful when it comes to leading and making decisions.
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  Speaker 1: In the midst of chaos, I trust and believe that
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  Speaker 1: your hand will continue to be with me, in spite
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  Speaker 1: of the circumstances around me, like you did with David.
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  Speaker 1: I realize that on my journey to claim what you've
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  Speaker 1: promised me, there may be people who are occupying the
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  Speaker 1: seat you've called me to sit in. However, I will
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  Speaker 1: not take it by force or by vengeful means. because
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  Speaker 1: I know that in your perfect timing you will deliver
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  Speaker 1: it into my hands. No matter the wait time, I
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  Speaker 1: will calm my heart and soul with memories of your
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  Speaker 1: goodness and faithfulness to me. I will stand in the
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  Speaker 1: place of greatness. I will rule over and flourish in
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  Speaker 1: what you've entrusted to me. The life you have for
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  Speaker 1: me is coming to pass, and I thank you in advance,
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  Speaker 1: knowing that my new chapter of victory is being written
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  Speaker 1: even as I speak. In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen. King of Israel, In our last story, we witness
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  Speaker 2: the divided kingdom of Israel. Israel named Ish-bosheth king, while
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  Speaker 2: Judah crowned David. The two nations were at odds with
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  Speaker 2: one another, and Abner, general of Israel's army, killed Joab's brother. Joab,
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  Speaker 2: David's commander, spared Israel's army. However, it was not the
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  Speaker 2: end of the conflict. Now we witness the messy merging
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  Speaker 2: of two kingdoms, murder and Betrayal and sorrow follow the
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  Speaker 2: greatness of a united kingdom. David, God's anointed, will inherit
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  Speaker 2: a kingdom riddled with imperfection and in desperate need of
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  Speaker 2: God's guidance, inspired by the book of 2 Samuel.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Yesterday we heard how David
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  Speaker 3: ascended to the throne of Judah, but Ish-bosheth was crowned
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  Speaker 3: king of Israel. The nation was divided and fighting within itself.
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  Speaker 3: It was a civil war. We heard the story of
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  Speaker 3: Joab and Abner as the armies of Israel and Judah
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  Speaker 3: clashed and many died, but Joab's mercy spared many more. Today,
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  Speaker 3: we'll hear how the conflict between the two sides is
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  Speaker 3: far from over, as are the problems of Israel. It
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  Speaker 3: is a story of jealousy, betrayal, shifting loyalties, and ultimately
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  Speaker 3: a kingdom that is in desperate need of a godly leader.
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  Speaker 3: and desperately in need of God himself. So let's listen
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  Speaker 3: to God's word today.
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  Speaker 2: The spite of King Saul lived on through Ish-bosheth and
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  Speaker 2: the armies of Israel. Day after day, there was conflict
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  Speaker 2: between the sibling nations and heartache scarred the people for
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  Speaker 2: over two years. King David grew stronger through the conflict.
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  Speaker 2: His love for the whole nation of Israel and Judah
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  Speaker 2: informed every tactical decision he made. David was wise, tactful,
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  Speaker 2: and merciful as he planned, yet he was ruthless on
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  Speaker 2: the battlefield. His men followed him passionately, and Israel's strength
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  Speaker 2: began to wane. Abner was also finding a place for
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  Speaker 2: himself among the armies of Israel. Ish-bosheth was a weak leader,
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  Speaker 2: and in need of Abner's guidance continually. Abner loved Ish-bosheth
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  Speaker 2: as he loved Saul. Yet above all, he loved Israel
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  Speaker 2: and wanted it to flourish. Between the battle and hardship,
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  Speaker 2: Abner found comfort in the company of Saul's concubine, Rizpah.
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  Speaker 2: Together they made love, ate, and took walks among the city.
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  Speaker 2: The two of them fell in love, and this was
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  Speaker 2: truly disturbing to Ish-bosheth. One day, he stormed into Abner's
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  Speaker 2: quarters and yelled, Why would you mingle with my dead
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  Speaker 2: father's concubine?
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  Speaker 3: I forbid it!
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  Speaker 2: Abner looked at Ishbosheth with rage. He did not try
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  Speaker 2: and hide his anger. Abner flipped the table in between
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  Speaker 2: them and pointed to Ishbosheth. Do you treat me like
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  Speaker 2: a dog? Abner yelled. I have shown you, the house
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  Speaker 2: of Saul, and all of Israel nothing but love and faithfulness.
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  Speaker 2: I show honor to you, your uncles, and all of
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  Speaker 2: Saul's allies. Now you storm into my house and charge
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  Speaker 2: me because of a woman? Abner stormed closer to Ish-bosheth.
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  Speaker 2: Ish-bosheth stood still, fearing Abner would do something to him.
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  Speaker 2: Abner leaned in and whispered in his ear, saying, Mark
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  Speaker 2: my words. I will establish the kingdom of David here
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  Speaker 2: in Israel. The nation will be united under him, and
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  Speaker 2: you will dwindle into nothingness. And just like that, Abner
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  Speaker 2: left the room. Ish-bosheth stood still, unable to answer Abner,
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  Speaker 2: for he was a weak man and a coward. Abner
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  Speaker 2: gathered a few of his men and sent them out
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  Speaker 2: to David. They rode through the night, hoping to find
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  Speaker 2: David before another battle began. Abner's message to David was,
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  Speaker 2: Who does this land belong to? Make a covenant with me,
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  Speaker 2: and my sword will be yours. Together we will unite
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  Speaker 2: Israel and Judah. As his men were riding, Abner wasted
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  Speaker 2: no time. He gathered a few of the elders of
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  Speaker 2: Israel and spoke to them plainly. He knew that many
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  Speaker 2: of them doubted Ish-bosheth and would gladly welcome a stronger
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  Speaker 2: king worthy of their loyalty. Together they conspired to leave
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  Speaker 2: Ish-bosheth and bind themselves to King David for the good
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  Speaker 2: of Israel. Already a nation was beginning to form in
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  Speaker 2: the shadows. Abner ventured to Hebron to meet with David
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  Speaker 2: with twenty men behind him. They entered into the city
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  Speaker 2: to find it bustling with activity. The smell of freshly
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  Speaker 2: baked bread and cooked meat filled the air, and men
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  Speaker 2: and women exchanged goods in the marketplace. They felt safe
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  Speaker 2: and secure, with no worries of future raids or ambushes
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  Speaker 2: from Israel or the Philistines. Abner could not help but
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  Speaker 2: regret the months spent serving Ish-bosheth, for David had truly
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  Speaker 2: led Judah into a period of cultural and economic thriving.
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  Speaker 2: David was standing at the entrance of his home to
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  Speaker 2: greet Abner. They embraced as old friends. Abner was a
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  Speaker 2: young man when David defeated Goliath and joined the armies
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  Speaker 2: of Israel. The two had grown close in battle years ago.
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  Speaker 2: Now they stood as friends, ready to make amends and
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  Speaker 2: build alliances. David hosted a great feast for Abner and
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  Speaker 2: his men, and all of them laughed into the night
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  Speaker 2: and rejoiced in one another's company. After this, Abner was
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  Speaker 2: sent away in peace. The two of them would reconvene
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  Speaker 2: at another time. Shortly after, Joab returned with his men
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  Speaker 2: from a raid. Spoils of war were carried in on carriages,
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  Speaker 2: and all the people of Hebron marveled at Joab and
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  Speaker 2: his men. David embraced Joab, happy to see him back
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  Speaker 2: healthy and unharmed. Joab sat at David's hall to eat,
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  Speaker 2: and one of the servants mentioned to him that Abner
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  Speaker 2: had just left. Joab's eyes widened, and he stood up
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  Speaker 2: from his chair and looked at David. Joab's eyes were foggy,
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  Speaker 2: and it seemed like he was holding back tears. Abner
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  Speaker 2: came to you? Joab asked David. David nodded matter-of-factly. That
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  Speaker 2: man killed my brother. He has come to deceive you.
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  Speaker 2: He wants to know where you dwell and what your
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  Speaker 2: weaknesses are. He does not care about you. David's resolve
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  Speaker 2: to partner with Abner did not relent. He knew that
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  Speaker 2: Abner was the key to uniting the kingdoms. However, Joab
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  Speaker 2: seeped with rage. Frantic, hurt, and weary from battle, Joab
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  Speaker 2: stormed out of David's presence. The night fell upon all
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  Speaker 2: the land of Judah and Israel. Abner had just settled
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  Speaker 2: into his home when a messenger came to him. The
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  Speaker 2: message said that Abner needed to return to Hebron immediately
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  Speaker 2: and meet David at the gates. Abner wasted no time
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  Speaker 2: and took his horse to Hebron without his men. Abner
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  Speaker 2: rode fast, for the message seemed urgent. Is David in danger?
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  Speaker 2: Am I in danger? Abner thought to himself. It did
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  Speaker 2: not take long for Abner to arrive at the gates
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  Speaker 2: of Hebron. He dismounted his horse and looked around for David.
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  Speaker 2: He peeked his head over some shrubs and around some trees.
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  Speaker 2: Still no sign of David. Abner looked behind him to
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  Speaker 2: see a hooded figure ten yards away. Ah, my king,
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  Speaker 2: Abner said. He came in close to speak with him.
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  Speaker 2: Before Abner could make another sound, a blade was driven
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  Speaker 2: into his ribs. Abner gasped as blood spat out of
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  Speaker 2: his mouth. He fell to his knees, holding the blade
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  Speaker 2: in his abdomen. He looked up to see a face
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  Speaker 2: under the hood, illuminated by the moonlight. It was Joab
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  Speaker 2: standing over him, watching the life slowly leave his eyes.
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  Speaker 2: Abner fell to the floor and bled out in front
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  Speaker 2: of Joab. Dawn emerged from the valley and the sun
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  Speaker 2: shone on Abner's lifeless body. David stood over it, knowing
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  Speaker 2: exactly who was to blame. He had his men capture
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  Speaker 2: Joab and bring him. Joab knelt before David with spears
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  Speaker 2: pointed towards him. This was David's first betrayal as king.
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  Speaker 2: How he handled Joab would set a precedent for all
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  Speaker 2: other acts of disobedience in the future. David closed his
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  Speaker 2: eyes and prayed a silent prayer. He then opened his
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  Speaker 2: eyes and looked at Joab. My hands and the hands
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  Speaker 2: of Judah are clean from this blood. You and you
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  Speaker 2: alone are to blame for Abner's death. I know in
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  Speaker 2: my heart God will deal with you more harshly than
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  Speaker 2: I ever could. Your family will be cut off from
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  Speaker 2: my favor and God's. There will be defeat in battle,
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  Speaker 2: disease and misfortune to plague you and your children and
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  Speaker 2: your children's children. And like that, David allowed Joab to
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  Speaker 2: go his way. David wept over Abner, for he represented
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  Speaker 2: a past bond to Saul and Jonathan. He would have
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  Speaker 2: to find another way to unite the kingdoms. The next day,
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  Speaker 2: Ish-bosheth was laying in his bed taking a nap. What
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  Speaker 2: little courage he had vanished at the news of Abner's death.
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  Speaker 2: Now he awaited his inevitable demise. Unbeknownst to Ish-Bosheth, that
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  Speaker 2: demise would come sooner than expected. Ish-Bosheth napped during the
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  Speaker 2: day as the warm breeze trickled in through his window. Slowly,
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  Speaker 2: three of Ish-Bosheth's men entered into his room. Raman, Rechab,
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  Speaker 2: and Banah creeped near to his bed, doing their best
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  Speaker 2: to remain quiet. Raman lifted his blade and drove it
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  Speaker 2: into Ish-Bosheth's side. As his eyes opened at the pain,
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  Speaker 2: Rechab swung his axe down and chopped off his head.
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  Speaker 2: Later that day, the three men sauntered into Hebron with
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  Speaker 2: their heads held high. They could not wait to show
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  Speaker 2: David what they had done. They smiled cheek to cheek,
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  Speaker 2: eyes beaming with the thought of possible reward and status.
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  Speaker 2: They entered into David's throne room and laid their head
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  Speaker 2: out on the table before David. Rechab grinned and presented
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  Speaker 2: the head of Ish-bosheth. Behold, my king, the Lord has
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  Speaker 2: avenged you today. Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the
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  Speaker 2: king that sought your life. David stood up from his
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  Speaker 2: seat and observed the head. The men could not contain
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  Speaker 2: their excitement. David walked around them and said, Let me
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  Speaker 2: tell you a story. The room grew tense for a
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  Speaker 2: moment as David spoke. A man once came to me
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  Speaker 2: and told me that he was the one who killed Saul. Behold,
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  Speaker 2: Saul is dead, he shouted. He expected me to reward him.
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  Speaker 2: He expected riches, favor, and a hug. He received no
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  Speaker 2: such thing. I slaughtered him right where he stood. The
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  Speaker 2: men began to sweat as they listened to David's voice
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  Speaker 2: grow loud. Tell me, how should I treat the men
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  Speaker 2: who murder their innocent king in his bed? Before they
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  Speaker 2: could answer the question, David and his men struck them
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  Speaker 2: down and cut off their heads and feet. David desired
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  Speaker 2: his kingdom to be united through mercy, diplomacy, and worship,
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  Speaker 2: not assassination. Shortly after, the elders of Israel came to David.
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  Speaker 2: They crowned him king over all Israel, and the two
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  Speaker 2: split nations were united once again. David was thirty years
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  Speaker 2: old now and felt as though he had lived an
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  Speaker 2: entire lifetime. After slaying giants, fighting the Philistines, fleeing from
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  Speaker 2: Saul and navigating a civil war, David had finally taken
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  Speaker 2: the mantle as shepherd over God's sheep. Many acts of
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  Speaker 2: faith and failure would follow David. Yet one thing would remain,
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  Speaker 2: his desire to know God and unite himself to his
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  Speaker 2: will forever.
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  Speaker 3: Today's story begins with Ish-bosheth still ruling over Israel. There
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  Speaker 3: was constant conflict between the two kingdoms, a civil war.
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  Speaker 3: David flourished along with Judah while Israel floundered under a
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  Speaker 3: weak and unwise king. Abner was still advisor to Ish-bosheth,
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  Speaker 3: seeking to help Israel grow strong. But when Ish-bosheth confronted
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  Speaker 3: Abner for his romantic involvement with one of Saul's concubines,
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  Speaker 3: Abner was deeply offended and angered. After all that he
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  Speaker 3: had done for the king and for Israel, it seemed
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  Speaker 3: so petty to him. And just like that, his loyalty turns.
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  Speaker 3: This man wanted what was best for Israel, and he
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  Speaker 3: realized Ish-bosheth wasn't the best for Israel. He vowed that
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  Speaker 3: he would help to bring about a unified Israel under David,
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  Speaker 3: as this was the will of God. So Abner sent
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  Speaker 3: word to David that he would join forces with him
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  Speaker 3: in order to unify Israel. To unify Israel under his rule,
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  Speaker 3: the rule of David, and so then he gathered the
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  Speaker 3: Israelite elders and reminded them of their desire to have
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  Speaker 3: David as king. This is what he said to them
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  Speaker 3: in 2 Samuel. Now then, bring it about, for the
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  Speaker 3: Lord has promised David, saying, By the hand of my
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  Speaker 3: servant David I will save my people Israel from the
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  Speaker 3: hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all
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  Speaker 3: their enemies. Abner knew the truth, that David was the
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  Speaker 3: chosen man to be king of Israel. It would be
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  Speaker 3: through him, David, that God would deliver his people. Abner
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  Speaker 3: knew that it was far better to be on the
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  Speaker 3: side of God's will rather than resist or to fight
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  Speaker 3: against it. When he reunites with David, it is like
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  Speaker 3: a meeting of long-lost friends. David embraced and accepted him.
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  Speaker 3: David could have been bitter and angry about Abner's allegiance
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  Speaker 3: to Abisheth, but instead he threw a feast for Abner
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  Speaker 3: and sent him away in peace, resolved to work with
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  Speaker 3: Abner to unify Israel. When David's commander, Joab, found out
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  Speaker 3: that the man who killed his brother had been received
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  Speaker 3: with open arms, he was not as understanding. He told
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  Speaker 3: David that Abner surely had evil motives and could not
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  Speaker 3: be trusted, but David was unwavering. Joab went away angry,
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  Speaker 3: and the mercy he showed on the battlefield gave way
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  Speaker 3: to hatred and murderous intent. When we are bitter and angry,
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  Speaker 3: it always finds a way to express itself, and often
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  Speaker 3: with disastrous consequences. So he tricked Abner into thinking David
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  Speaker 3: had called for him, and under the cover of night,
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  Speaker 3: he murdered Abner in cold blood. David, of course, knew
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  Speaker 3: who had committed this crime and had Joab brought to him.
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  Speaker 3: Once more, we see David's mercy on display. Rather than
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  Speaker 3: kill Joab, David sent him away, vowing that God would
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  Speaker 3: deal with Joab himself. But although Abner was gone, Ish-bosheth
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  Speaker 3: was still not safe on the throne, and one night
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  Speaker 3: three of his men snuck into his room and took
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  Speaker 3: off his head, then traveled to Hebron to deliver it
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  Speaker 3: to David. Surely they were expecting a reward, but what
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  Speaker 3: they received was the same fate as Ish-bosheth. David was
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  Speaker 3: not interested in a hostile, violent takeover. He knew that
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  Speaker 3: peace and unity would not be achieved through the sword.
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  Speaker 3: He himself was setting the example for his people. And
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  Speaker 3: so when the elders of Israel finally came and crowned
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  Speaker 3: David king over all of Israel, both Israel and Judah,
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  Speaker 3: the stage was set for a different kind of rule,
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  Speaker 3: one that was marked by the God of Israel and
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  Speaker 3: those who sought after him. We'll hear more of this
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  Speaker 3: story the next time as the shepherd of God's people, David,
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  Speaker 3: leads Israel. Dear God, we thank you for your word today,
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  Speaker 3: always teaching us your truth. May we live in obedience
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  Speaker 3: to your word every day. In Jesus' name, 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 Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app
• 18:08
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