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David in Ziklag - The Book of 1 Samuel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And the time that David dwelt in
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  Speaker 1: the country of the Philistines was a full year and
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  Speaker 1: four months. 1 Samuel 27 7 Dear Lord, as a
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  Speaker 1: tree finds its strength to endure from its roots, I
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  Speaker 1: too will find my strength in the depths of my
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  Speaker 1: roots and from the ground I choose to grow in.
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  Speaker 1: In moments of loneliness, give me the resolve and the
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  Speaker 1: strength to remain planted in the place you've called me to.
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  Speaker 1: I will not abandon my values and morals to partner
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  Speaker 1: with others who offer protection and gain at the cost
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  Speaker 1: of my character and right to stand with you. I
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  Speaker 1: will not become comfortable with compromise as David and his
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  Speaker 1: men did during their season of loneliness in 1 Samuel 28.
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  Speaker 1: Because I am new and transformed, I will instead take
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  Speaker 1: on the latter spirit of David and fight for what
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  Speaker 1: is mine. I will retake and regain what the enemy
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  Speaker 1: has stolen from me. Through your power, God, I will
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  Speaker 1: be able to reclaim my land, my position, and all
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  Speaker 1: that belongs to me, my family, and my future. I
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  Speaker 1: declare that compromise is not an option. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for the
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: David in Ziklag In our last story, we learned about
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  Speaker 2: Saul's latest pursuit to take David's life. David once again
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  Speaker 2: had the opportunity to end Saul, and with him all
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  Speaker 2: the fleeing and exile. Yet David's conviction as a man
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  Speaker 2: of God stood its ground. He spared Saul, and Saul
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  Speaker 2: once again repented and left David's presence. Now David dwells
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  Speaker 2: in the land of the Philistines, serving under King Achish.
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  Speaker 2: David and his men made raids on the enemies of Israel,
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  Speaker 2: pretending to make raids for the Philistines. In this story,
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  Speaker 2: we learn about David's continued partnership with the enemies of
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  Speaker 2: Israel and how small compromises continue to overshadow David and
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  Speaker 2: his men, as inspired by the book of 1 Samuel.
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  Speaker 3: This is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we saw
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  Speaker 3: how David once again had the opportunity to kill Saul,
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  Speaker 3: but he chose not to do it. Rather than choose
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  Speaker 3: his own way, and try to justify his own actions,
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  Speaker 3: he obeyed God. He stood firm in his conviction that
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  Speaker 3: God would deal with Saul. But despite Saul's apparent regret
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  Speaker 3: for having chased David down again and his promise to
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  Speaker 3: leave him alone, David's faith wavered and he fled into
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  Speaker 3: Philistine country, forming an alliance with a foreign king. Today
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  Speaker 3: we'll learn how David's loyalty to Israel will be tested
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  Speaker 3: and how his decision to settle in enemy territory will
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  Speaker 3: bring peril to his people. So, let's listen to the
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  Speaker 3: scripture today.
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  Speaker 2: David proved himself to be a convincing actor, as if
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  Speaker 2: in a play he played the role of a Philistine marauder.
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  Speaker 2: David performed his role daily in front of Achish and
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  Speaker 2: the other Philistines. He made raids on neighboring villages, ate
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  Speaker 2: and drank as a Philistine, and spoke in their native tongues. However,
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  Speaker 2: the lines between fiction and reality slowly began to blur
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  Speaker 2: for David. His allegiance to Israel was muddled by his
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  Speaker 2: Philistine company. His mind fell into a fog, and his
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  Speaker 2: sense of right and wrong began to blend together. Now
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  Speaker 2: David found himself among the Philistine camp, where they were
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  Speaker 2: marching up against Israel. David, the chosen protector and rightful
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  Speaker 2: king to the throne of the Hebrews, was preparing to
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  Speaker 2: slaughter Israel. The Philistines began their march and gathered their
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  Speaker 2: forces at the peak of Aphek. The Israelites were camped
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  Speaker 2: by a spring below. The lords of the Philistines were
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  Speaker 2: making their rounds and saw David and his men preparing
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  Speaker 2: for battle.' What are these Hebrews doing here?' the commanders
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  Speaker 2: asked Achish. Achish responded,' This is David, who has been
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  Speaker 2: under my service for years now. I have found no
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  Speaker 2: disloyalty in him yet.' David's eyes looked away. David had
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  Speaker 2: given the visage of loyalty to Achish, but had never
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  Speaker 2: actually harmed any Israelites. However, he had not been faithful
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  Speaker 2: to Israel either. David and his soldiers were men without
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  Speaker 2: a country. One of the Philistine commanders approached David and
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  Speaker 2: looked him in the eyes. He knew what David had forgotten.
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  Speaker 2: David was a Hebrew, and their champion was Send the
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  Speaker 2: man back with his soldiers. He may be separated from
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  Speaker 2: Saul now, but what better way to reconcile with him
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  Speaker 2: than to kill us in battle? Don't you remember the song,
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  Speaker 2: Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his
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  Speaker 2: ten thousands? Achish pulled David aside and embraced him. Achish
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  Speaker 2: looked at David and said, As the Lord lives, you
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  Speaker 2: have been nothing but faithful to me. I have found
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  Speaker 2: nothing wrong with you. However, the lords do not approve,
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  Speaker 2: and I cannot dispute them. Go and be free. David's
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  Speaker 2: heart turned. David was like a child who was rejected
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  Speaker 2: by his father. He craved the affirmation from Saul, yet
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  Speaker 2: found it in the enemy Achish. David did not want
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  Speaker 2: to hurt the Israelites, but he also did not want
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  Speaker 2: to leave Achish's side. What have I done to earn
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  Speaker 2: their distrust? David asked. Achish hugged David and sent him
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  Speaker 2: back to the land of the Philistines. That day, David
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  Speaker 2: was spared from committing the sin of slaughtering his people.
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  Speaker 2: God in his mercy kept David from waving his sword
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  Speaker 2: against his brothers. So David and his men left back
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  Speaker 2: to Ziklag, still men without a true alliance or country.
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  Speaker 2: David and his men returned after a three-day journey. As
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  Speaker 2: they were approaching the city, they could see smoke rising
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  Speaker 2: into the skies. David's eyes widened, and the men ran
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  Speaker 2: fast into the city of Ziklag. Homes were reduced to ash,
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  Speaker 2: and smoke emanated from farms. The Amalekites rode in the
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  Speaker 2: night and raided the city while the men were away
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  Speaker 2: at war against Israel. David and his men ran frantically
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  Speaker 2: through the city, shouting for their wives and children, yet
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  Speaker 2: they could hear no response. David burst through the doors
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  Speaker 2: of his home to find nothing but broken and burnt furniture.
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  Speaker 2: Every man's wife and child had been taken by the Amalekites.
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  Speaker 2: David's men writhed in tears over their captured wives. They
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  Speaker 2: raised their fists at God. They cursed David, and they
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  Speaker 2: wept on the floor among the ash and wreckage. While
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  Speaker 2: his men yelled and wept in pain, David sat there silently.
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  Speaker 2: David stared off into the distance, praying silently. The other
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  Speaker 2: men became overwhelmed with grief, but not David. David sat there,
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  Speaker 2: remembering his time as a shepherd in Bethlehem. He was
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  Speaker 2: reminded of when lions and wolves would come after his
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  Speaker 2: sheep and steal them away. David would run after them
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  Speaker 2: and slaughter the wild beasts to save his sheep. This
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  Speaker 2: would be no different. David rose from his feet to
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  Speaker 2: go meet with the Lord. They had some catching up
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  Speaker 2: to do. David knelt before God under the stars. He
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  Speaker 2: spoke to God as he used to while tending his sheep.
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  Speaker 2: David breathed in the cool air and exhaled praises to
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  Speaker 2: his Lord. He considered his family who had been taken
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  Speaker 2: and the families of his men. Lord, David said, shall
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  Speaker 2: I pursue them? Will I overtake them if I go?
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  Speaker 2: God responded to David quietly and firmly. Yes, David, I
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  Speaker 2: have already given them into your hands. David stood to
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  Speaker 2: his feet, picked up his spears, and marched intently back
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  Speaker 2: to his men. The sun rose that morning, and a
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  Speaker 2: dark red covered the new sky. David and six hundred
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  Speaker 2: of his men ran without stopping, intent on reaching the
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  Speaker 2: Amalekites before they could return home. They reached the brook
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  Speaker 2: of Bezor. The waters raged, and many of the men
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  Speaker 2: were too exhausted to cross. Discouraged and weary, two hundred
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  Speaker 2: of the men refused to follow David any longer, and
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  Speaker 2: remained on the shore of the brook. David and the
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  Speaker 2: rest of his men crossed the brook. A fire was
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  Speaker 2: burning in their soul to save their families, but they
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  Speaker 2: had gone three days without food and almost no water.
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  Speaker 2: Dragging their feet, they marched further and further. Finally, an
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  Speaker 2: Egyptian in the open country gave the men bread, water, fruits,
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  Speaker 2: and cakes to eat. They were filled and strengthened at
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  Speaker 2: the perfect time. David put his hand on the Egyptian's
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  Speaker 2: shoulder and said, Thank you, friend. Where do you come from?
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  Speaker 2: The boy smiled and said, I served the Amalekites but
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  Speaker 2: was abandoned by them when I became sick after we
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  Speaker 2: raided the Israelites. David's eyes lit up. He smiled to
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  Speaker 2: his cheeks and let out a bright laugh. He grabbed
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  Speaker 2: the boy and asked intently, Could you take us to
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  Speaker 2: your old band? The boy nodded, and David and his
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  Speaker 2: men ran forward faster and with more vigor. Less than
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  Speaker 2: a day had passed. and the Egyptian led David and
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  Speaker 2: a couple of his men to a cliff overlooking the
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  Speaker 2: Amalekite camp. They peeked their heads over the rocks and
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  Speaker 2: looked down at the valley. The men were spread out
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  Speaker 2: far across a valley. Torches illuminated their dancing, drinking, and feasting.
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  Speaker 2: David could spot his wife captive below, along with the
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  Speaker 2: wives and children of his men. While the Amalekites were
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  Speaker 2: still drinking, dancing, and enjoying the spoils of their raid,
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  Speaker 2: they heard the horns of David echoing through the valley.
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  Speaker 2: Before any man could realize what was happening, David and
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  Speaker 2: his army descended upon the camp with might. They swung
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  Speaker 2: their swords with the strength of fathers and husbands protecting
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  Speaker 2: their families. David marched through the camp, striking down every
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  Speaker 2: Amalekite soldier in his sight. Some tried to fight with
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  Speaker 2: no success. David and his men were far too angry
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  Speaker 2: and skilled for them to stand a chance. Others fled
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  Speaker 2: on camels, but all the women and children were saved.
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  Speaker 2: The sun began to rise and David gathered the families,
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  Speaker 2: the stolen goods, and all the livestock. David and the
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  Speaker 2: families made their way back home. There to greet them
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  Speaker 2: were the two hundred men who refused to continue. They
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  Speaker 2: came out elated to see their families. Everyone cheered except
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  Speaker 2: the men who had fought. They looked at the two
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  Speaker 2: hundred men with disgust and said to David, These worthless
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  Speaker 2: men did not go with us. They should not get
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  Speaker 2: any of the spoil. They should take their families we
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  Speaker 2: have saved and leave. David calmed his men down and
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  Speaker 2: had them keep quiet. He drew a deep breath and
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  Speaker 2: looked at both groups of men. My brothers, this is
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  Speaker 2: given to us by the Lord. He is the one
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  Speaker 2: who preserved us, David said. As God has shared his
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  Speaker 2: goodness with us, so we shall share. Those who battle
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  Speaker 2: and those who support from afar are equally in need
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  Speaker 2: of food and shelter. David's words surprised the people, but
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  Speaker 2: they were all pleased with his decree. David, still a
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  Speaker 2: young man, was just now learning what it truly means
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  Speaker 2: to lead like a king. They divided the spoils amongst
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  Speaker 2: one another and sent the leftovers back home to Judah.
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  Speaker 2: David's heart to protect Israel was beginning to resurface.
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  Speaker 3: Today's story begins with David living a lie. He has
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  Speaker 3: very cleverly convinced Achish of his loyalty to the Philistines
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  Speaker 3: and the king trusts David as one of his own. Still,
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  Speaker 3: David had not yet done actual harm to any of
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  Speaker 3: his own people, the Israelites. Instead, he was attacking neighboring towns,
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  Speaker 3: enemies of Israel, and telling Achish that he was raiding
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  Speaker 3: Israeli villages. But now as the Philistines gather in numbers
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  Speaker 3: to attack Israel, David isn't on a solo mission and
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  Speaker 3: he can't hide behind his deception. Were it not for
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  Speaker 3: the distrust of Philistine commanders, David might have been compelled
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  Speaker 3: to sin against his own people and attack them. The
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  Speaker 3: commanders recognized David as a Hebrew, and not just any Hebrew.
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  Speaker 3: This is the great shepherd warrior David, the anointed king,
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  Speaker 3: the one who was at one time one of Saul's
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  Speaker 3: greatest soldiers. And though Achish vouches for David, affirming that
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  Speaker 3: he is a loyal Philistine, the commanders aren't believing it.
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  Speaker 3: And so Achish tells David that while he trusts him
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  Speaker 3: with his life, the Philistine army commanders have rejected him.
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  Speaker 3: He and his men must return to his home in Ziklag.
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  Speaker 3: David's response is interesting. He appeals to the king to
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  Speaker 3: let him stay and serve him in a battle. Perhaps
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  Speaker 3: he was finally getting the acceptance he wanted among the Philistines,
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  Speaker 3: something that had eluded him with Saul. Or perhaps he
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  Speaker 3: was forgetting his calling from God, his anointing to be
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  Speaker 3: God's man, the king of Israel. Whatever the reason, it
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  Speaker 3: appears David was confused that his loyalties were divided. And
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  Speaker 3: he may have been willing to turn over his own
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  Speaker 3: people to the enemy. But God in his grace did
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  Speaker 3: not allow David to participate in this battle. He closed
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  Speaker 3: the door to protect the man that he had chosen
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  Speaker 3: to serve him. How often do we fail to recognize
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  Speaker 3: when God has protected us from ourselves, from our sins,
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  Speaker 3: leading us out of temptation and delivering us from evil?
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  Speaker 3: As in the case of David and for you and me,
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  Speaker 3: This is all because of God's grace. That grace we
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  Speaker 3: know is now found in the Lord Jesus Christ, who
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  Speaker 3: went to a cross and died and rose again so
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  Speaker 3: that we could receive the gift of eternal life. Not
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  Speaker 3: by works of righteousness that we have done, but according
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  Speaker 3: to his mercy he has saved us. This is the
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  Speaker 3: grace of God. So David returns home with his men
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  Speaker 3: only to find the Amalekites had attacked while they were gone.
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  Speaker 3: This is a terrible scene. These enemies of Israel had
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  Speaker 3: burned the entire town down, but killing nobody. Instead, they
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  Speaker 3: had taken the wives and the children of the men
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  Speaker 3: of David captive. Everyone is heartbroken. They are weeping. And
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  Speaker 3: the people, the army, even turned their anger towards David,
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  Speaker 3: wanting to stone him. But the Bible says that David
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  Speaker 3: encouraged himself in the Lord. David found his strength in
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  Speaker 3: the Lord and sought counsel. He went to the Lord
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  Speaker 3: and asked him if he should pursue the Amalekites and
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  Speaker 3: take what had been lost. So David and his men
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  Speaker 3: went after the Amalekites. It was a long and arduous journey,
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  Speaker 3: and they suffered from hunger and exhaustion. Two hundred men
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  Speaker 3: actually turned back, unwilling or unable to continue. But David
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  Speaker 3: found an Egyptian boy who had once served the Amalekites.
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  Speaker 3: He gave them food and water, strengthening them for battle,
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  Speaker 3: and led them to the enemy. And just as God
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  Speaker 3: had promised, David was victorious. They returned home with their
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  Speaker 3: wives and children and the spoils of war, which David
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  Speaker 3: insisted be shared with all, even those who had not
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  Speaker 3: gone into battle. Then he sent some of the spoils
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  Speaker 3: to Judah. His heart turned again to his people that
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  Speaker 3: he was called to lead. Lord, we thank you for
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  Speaker 3: this powerful story and how it reminds us that you
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  Speaker 3: do protect us from evil. and that you often shield
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  Speaker 3: us from making terrible and sinful, disobedient decisions. Thank you
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  Speaker 3: for your grace. Thank you for your salvation in Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 3: And may we always be willing to fight the good
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  Speaker 3: fight of faith and win great victories for you. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank 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
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  Speaker 3: bless you.