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The Death of Absalom - The Book of 2 Samuel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Absalom met the servants of David,
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  Speaker 1: and Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went
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  Speaker 1: under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his
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  Speaker 1: head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken
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  Speaker 1: up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule
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  Speaker 1: that was under him went away. 2 Samuel 18.9 Heavenly Father,
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  Speaker 1: today I will focus my heart and energy in the
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  Speaker 1: direction of those who have chosen to stand by me
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  Speaker 1: in the battle to achieve my goals. While others are
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  Speaker 1: focusing on all those who have left their lives, I
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  Speaker 1: will instead focus on all those who have encouraged and
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  Speaker 1: have fought for me through prayer and proximity. Today I
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  Speaker 1: will celebrate my wins with those loyal to me and
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  Speaker 1: my family. Today I will rejoice and praise you, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: with those who've chosen to build alongside me, even in
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  Speaker 1: my toughest times. I thank you for the Joabs in
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  Speaker 1: my life, who constantly remind me to stop crying and
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  Speaker 1: to stop giving my best energy to those who choose
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  Speaker 1: to exit my life, like David did with Absalom. I
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  Speaker 1: will be mindful and open to hearing hard corrections, because
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  Speaker 1: in the end, the words of a friend may be bitter,
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  Speaker 1: and lies from my enemies seem sweet. But because of this,
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  Speaker 1: I will look to those who tell me the truth,
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  Speaker 1: even when it doesn't feel good. I praise you, Yahweh,
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  Speaker 1: for you are all around me, creating opportunities to strengthen
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  Speaker 1: that which remains, my true relationships. In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
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  Speaker 1: with God. The Death of Absalom In our last story,
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  Speaker 1: Absalom successfully took the.
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  Speaker 3: Throne of David. David, not wanting to cause a civil
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  Speaker 3: war in the streets of Jerusalem, fled into the wilderness
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  Speaker 3: until he could plan his next step. Now we see
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  Speaker 3: Absalom mounting his attack on David and his men, and
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  Speaker 3: the tragic fall that comes after pride, inspired by the
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  Speaker 3: book of 2 Samuel.
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  Speaker 2: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 2: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we
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  Speaker 2: heard how Absalom spread lies and rumors to undermine David's
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  Speaker 2: rule until he was finally ready to strike and overthrow
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  Speaker 2: his father, David. David, who was unwilling to sacrifice his
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  Speaker 2: people to keep his throne, fled to the wilderness, trusting
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  Speaker 2: that God would restore him in his own time and
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  Speaker 2: in his own way. Today, we'll learn how Absalom takes
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  Speaker 2: the fight to David, believing he will win. His pride
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  Speaker 2: will be his downfall. as David and his mighty men
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  Speaker 2: once more show their courage and strength in battle and
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  Speaker 2: their loyalty to David and their faith in God. Let's
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  Speaker 2: listen now to today's scripture.
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  Speaker 3: Just like old times, David and his mighty men prepared
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  Speaker 3: for battle in the wilderness. There was something primal about exile.
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  Speaker 3: David and his men thought back on their time on
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  Speaker 3: the run from Saul. That is where they truly bonded
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  Speaker 3: and banded together as a unit. It was almost as
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  Speaker 3: if being in the wilderness was an unforeseen advantage. David
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  Speaker 3: sent his commanders, Joab, Etai, and Abishai, to gather them in.
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  Speaker 3: David began setting his armor and sharpening his sword when
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  Speaker 3: Abishai sat beside him. You should not go into battle
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  Speaker 3: with us, David, he said. David turned and looked shocked.
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  Speaker 3: Abishai put his hand on David's shoulder and said, If
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  Speaker 3: for some reason they overtake us, we need to have
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  Speaker 3: the freedom to retreat. If you are there, they will
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  Speaker 3: not allow us to retreat. You are the prize they
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  Speaker 3: are hunting. You must stay back. David's lips tightened and
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  Speaker 3: his brow furrowed. He was in deep thought. He knew
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  Speaker 3: Abishai was right. You must send word out to anyone
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  Speaker 3: loyal in Israel willing to fight with us, Abishai said.
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  Speaker 3: David nodded and said, Whatever seems best to you, I
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  Speaker 3: will do. So David sent them off. As they were departing,
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  Speaker 3: David turned to his generals and said, Please, for my sake,
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  Speaker 3: deal gently with Absalom. They agreed and rode into the
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  Speaker 3: distance to face Absalom's army. Absalom stood at the head
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  Speaker 3: of his army, watching the men of David appear from
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  Speaker 3: the distance. A small forest stood in between them, and
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  Speaker 3: the two armies began to run towards one another through
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  Speaker 3: the trees.
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  Speaker 4: The mighty men of David used the trees to their advantage,
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  Speaker 4: ramming soldiers into the wood. The armies of Absalom barely
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  Speaker 4: stood a chance against them. Absalom watched as his men
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  Speaker 4: were buried under the fury of David's army. He looked
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  Speaker 4: to his left and to his right. Bloodshed and carnage
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  Speaker 4: was everywhere, and Absalom fled in a frantic attempt.
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  Speaker 3: To save his life. As he rode through the trees,
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  Speaker 3: his head was snagged between two branches. and his horse
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  Speaker 3: continued to ride without him. Absalom's neck was gripped between
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  Speaker 3: the two branches, and he flailed in the air trying
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  Speaker 3: to catch a breath. A few of David's men stood
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  Speaker 3: under Absalom, watching him squirm in the air. Joab and
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  Speaker 3: Abishai bickered over whether to kill him or not. Yet
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  Speaker 3: Joab saw very little use in arguing further. He took
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  Speaker 3: his spear and drove it into Absalom as he hung there.
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  Speaker 3: They drug Absalom's body through dirt and leaves. There they
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  Speaker 3: threw him into a pit and put stones above his body.
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  Speaker 3: His grave would serve as a reminder that a kingdom
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  Speaker 3: established by pride and greed would be a kingdom short-lived.
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  Speaker 3: When David learned of Absalom's death, he returned home and
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  Speaker 3: wept for days. David's heart broke at his son's fate
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  Speaker 3: and wished that there could have been another way to
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  Speaker 3: save him. Joab returned home from victory and saw that
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  Speaker 3: the streets of Israel mourned in shame for Absalom's death.
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  Speaker 3: Their grieving vexed Joab. He walked into the house of
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  Speaker 3: David to see him lying on the floor, weeping over
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  Speaker 3: his son. Joab approached David and picked him up off
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  Speaker 3: the floor and slammed him against the wall. The floor
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  Speaker 3: shook and a few cups fell off the table beside them.
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  Speaker 3: David looked at Joab, shocked and confused. Joab continued to
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  Speaker 3: press David against the wall as he yelled, Today we
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  Speaker 3: have saved you, Israel, and your entire family from the
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  Speaker 3: tyranny of your son. Your whole household and all of
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  Speaker 3: Israel should be rejoicing, but instead they feel ashamed because
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  Speaker 3: you refuse to encourage them. Joab released David and swatted
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  Speaker 3: at the air. He turned and pointed to David again, yelling,
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  Speaker 3: You can't help yourself, David. Ever since I have known you,
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  Speaker 3: you have loved those who hate you and hated those
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  Speaker 3: who love you. Do we mean nothing to you? We
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  Speaker 3: just got home from battle, and we have to come
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  Speaker 3: home to these darkened streets filled with tears. Joab's legs
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  Speaker 3: began to shake. He was tired from battle and frustrated
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  Speaker 3: at his king. He sighed and said, I swear, if
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  Speaker 3: you do not go out there and encourage your people,
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  Speaker 3: your men will lose hope in you. They bled for you.
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  Speaker 3: The least you can do is thank them instead of
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  Speaker 3: wallowing in self-pity over your traitor's son. David said nothing
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  Speaker 3: to Joab. He was right. David had always spent so
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  Speaker 3: much time pining after the affection of those who betrayed him.
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  Speaker 3: Saul and Absalom were both examples of that. David composed
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  Speaker 3: himself and walked among the streets of Israel. He encouraged
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  Speaker 3: those who were mourning and stood at the gates in resolve.
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  Speaker 2: In God's word today, the stage is set for battle.
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  Speaker 2: Absalom's army is preparing to attack his father, but David
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  Speaker 2: and his men are ready and they're much more seasoned warriors.
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  Speaker 2: David put three of his most trusted commanders in charge
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  Speaker 2: of his army, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. Though he did
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  Speaker 2: not want to fight his son, David began to prepare
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  Speaker 2: for the battle as well. But Abishai advised David to
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  Speaker 2: stay behind for his safety, knowing that David's life was
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  Speaker 2: of great value. David trusted his men and agreed to
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  Speaker 2: follow Abishai's counsel. As his men readied themselves to go
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  Speaker 2: to the battle, David had a request. We read this
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  Speaker 2: in 2 Samuel 18, verse 5. And the king ordered Joab, Abishai,
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  Speaker 2: and Ittai, deal gently for my sake with the young
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  Speaker 2: man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king
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  Speaker 2: gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. After all
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  Speaker 2: the betrayal, after all that Absalom had done to David
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  Speaker 2: and his family, David still loved his son, his flesh
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  Speaker 2: and blood. And he requested that his life be spared.
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  Speaker 2: It may have seemed outrageous to those who heard it,
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  Speaker 2: as it may to you today. Absalom had committed treason
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  Speaker 2: and was actively trying to kill his father, and yet
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  Speaker 2: David asked his men for mercy upon his son. It's
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  Speaker 2: possible that this is a fault in David's life in
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  Speaker 2: that he failed to correct his children. One might even
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  Speaker 2: say that he was soft on discipline. But we also
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  Speaker 2: see in David a heart after God. and his heart
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  Speaker 2: is long-suffering and full of love and grace towards others.
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  Speaker 2: And despite the failures of his son and his family,
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  Speaker 2: David was a faithful father in so many ways. This
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  Speaker 2: would be a good time to remind ourselves that we
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  Speaker 2: have a good, good father a gracious Heavenly Father who
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  Speaker 2: loves us and is merciful towards us and is forgiving
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  Speaker 2: even when we run away and betray Him. Jesus is
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  Speaker 2: the Son of the Father who went to the cross
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  Speaker 2: and died and rose again so that we could be
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  Speaker 2: reunited with God our Father. God went to war for us,
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  Speaker 2: not against us, and He fought for our hearts and
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  Speaker 2: our lives and our souls. David's men accepted David's request
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  Speaker 2: and set off for the fight. And as fights go,
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  Speaker 2: this one wasn't much of a match. David's army was stronger, wiser,
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  Speaker 2: and more skilled than Absalom's army, and they quickly won
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  Speaker 2: the fight. Absalom was no warrior, and seeing the defeated hand,
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  Speaker 2: he fled the fight on his mule. And as he
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  Speaker 2: rode through the trees, his head was caught between the branches,
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  Speaker 2: and he hung there, helpless and unable to escape. One
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  Speaker 2: of Joab's men found him, but he remembered David's orders
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  Speaker 2: and was unwilling to kill Absalom. Joab, however, acted swiftly
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  Speaker 2: and with his armor-bearers killed Absalom, then took his body
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  Speaker 2: down from the tree. He then buried the body and
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  Speaker 2: erected stones over the grave, a monument named after Absalom
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  Speaker 2: himself to remind all of how God had dealt swiftly
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  Speaker 2: with the counterfeit king. David was now free from danger.
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  Speaker 2: His son who sought to kill him was dead, but
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  Speaker 2: this was of no comfort to David. David wept and
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  Speaker 2: grieved his son. And when Joab saw David's response, he
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  Speaker 2: could not stay silent any longer and rebuked David for
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  Speaker 2: focusing on his sorrow for the loss of one who
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  Speaker 2: wanted to kill him rather than rejoicing in his deliverance
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  Speaker 2: and encouraging those who remained loyal to him. The king
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  Speaker 2: was convicted by the honest words of his loyal commander
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  Speaker 2: and friend. He rose from his mourning and sat at
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  Speaker 2: the gate and received his people, who trusted in him
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  Speaker 2: as the king, that he was truly God's king. It
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  Speaker 2: was time to return to Jerusalem, and we'll hear more
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  Speaker 2: about that the next time. Dear God, we thank you
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  Speaker 2: for today's message of restoration and the victory for David
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  Speaker 2: and his men. Thank you for the reminder that your
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  Speaker 2: promises always endure, as does your patient love for us.
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  Speaker 2: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
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  Speaker 2: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham, and
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  Speaker 2: we appreciate so very much your interest, your prayers, and
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  Speaker 2: your involvement in this wonderful effort to walk through the Bible.
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  Speaker 2: make prayer a true priority in your life, along with
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  Speaker 2: the study of God's Word. If you appreciate and have
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  Speaker 2: would share it with someone you love because it will
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  Speaker 2: make a huge difference in their lives. And if you
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  Speaker 2: and follow him, how you can live the Christian life,
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  Speaker 2: be sure to visit jackgraham.org. Thank you and God bless you.