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The Life of a True Servant - The Book of Numbers & Deuteronomy · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Be strong and of good courage. Fear not,
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  Speaker 1: nor be afraid of them. For the Lord thy God,
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  Speaker 1: He it is that doth go with thee. He will
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  Speaker 1: not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deuteronomy 31.6 Dear God,
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  Speaker 1: as the words of Numbers and Deuteronomy ring loud in
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  Speaker 1: my ear, I will remember that life and death stand
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  Speaker 1: before me each day. As a new day dawns, blessings
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  Speaker 1: and cursing are before me, and I will choose the
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  Speaker 1: path of blessings. I declare that I will not stray
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  Speaker 1: from your commands, Lord, for in them I find life
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  Speaker 1: and life everlasting. Because of my devotion to you, you
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  Speaker 1: will promote me in front of your children. You will
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  Speaker 1: make public declaration that you have qualified me by your
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  Speaker 1: heart and not by words, standards, and accolades. Like Joshua,
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  Speaker 1: I will be strong and courageous. I will walk with
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  Speaker 1: Godfidence because you've promised me you'd be with me. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you for the Moses in my life who have gone
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  Speaker 1: before me and have passed the baton into my hands.
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  Speaker 1: Let my life be a living memorial to the dedication
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  Speaker 1: and diligence of the mighty men and women of faith
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  Speaker 1: who have gone before me. I'm ready. I can do this.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The life of a true servant. In our last story,
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  Speaker 2: we learned how Balaam was unable to curse Israel, but
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  Speaker 2: instead blessed them three times. He prophesied from God and
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  Speaker 2: spoke blessings and truth over them. Finally, he spoke of
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  Speaker 2: an all-powerful one that would come from Israel, a shining
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  Speaker 2: star from Jacob. In this story, we learn about the
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  Speaker 2: passing of Moses, his final words before God, and how
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  Speaker 2: Joshua became the new leader to lead the Israelites into
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  Speaker 2: the promised land, as inspired by the book of Numbers
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  Speaker 2: and Deuteronomy.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we heard the
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  Speaker 3: story of Balaam, who after his encounter with God had
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  Speaker 3: a changed heart and no longer sought to curse Israel
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  Speaker 3: for his own personal gain, but rather blessed the nation
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  Speaker 3: God had chosen. Our passage ended with a prophecy from
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  Speaker 3: Balaam of one who would come from Israel and shine
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  Speaker 3: bright as a star and bless the whole world. Today
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  Speaker 3: we move ahead many years to the final days of Moses,
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  Speaker 3: the great leader God has used for so many years
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  Speaker 3: to guide his people out of Egypt and through the desert.
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  Speaker 3: We'll also learn of the leader who was to come
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  Speaker 3: after him, a young man we've met before who desired
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  Speaker 3: to follow God and to live in his presence. Let's
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  Speaker 3: listen now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: It was still evening when the Lord spoke to Moses.
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  Speaker 2: The stars spread across the skies like a tapestry. Moses,
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  Speaker 2: now 120 years old, slept in his tent soundly. Dawn
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  Speaker 2: was approaching, and God spoke to Moses in the quiet, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Go up to the mountain, and I will let you
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  Speaker 2: gaze upon the land I have promised Israel. Even though
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  Speaker 2: you may not enter it, I shall let you see
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  Speaker 2: the fruit of your labor before you die. Moses had
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  Speaker 2: already accepted his fate and was going to welcome death gracefully. However,
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  Speaker 2: he was still concerned about the people of Israel. Moses,
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  Speaker 2: still lying in his bed, spoke to the Lord, saying,
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  Speaker 2: God of body and soul, appoint a man from among
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  Speaker 2: the people who shall lead, for they will be like
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  Speaker 2: sheep without a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd after all.
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  Speaker 2: And he had come to realize the people of Israel
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  Speaker 2: were no different than sheep in need of guidance and love.
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  Speaker 2: God spoke to Moses, Take Joshua, who has my spirit,
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  Speaker 2: and lay your hand on him to bless him. Make
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  Speaker 2: him stand before Eleazar the priest and commission him. As
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  Speaker 2: dawn broke, Moses gathered Joshua, Eleazar, and the congregation of Israel.
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  Speaker 2: Moses looked at the people of Israel, God's sheep. Their
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  Speaker 2: hopeful faces shone from the rising sun. Moses' heart welled
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  Speaker 2: with love, hope, and sadness. He rose his hand and
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  Speaker 2: spoke his final blessings over them. Hear me, sweet children
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  Speaker 2: of Israel. Blessings and curses stand before you. Every day
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  Speaker 2: there will be a choice to choose between life and death,
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  Speaker 2: hope and hopelessness, good and evil. If you listen closely
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  Speaker 2: to the voice of God and obey his commands, he
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  Speaker 2: will restore your souls. He will circumcise your heart as
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  Speaker 2: he did your bodies. Love the Lord your God with
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  Speaker 2: all your soul and you will prosper. Your enemies will
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  Speaker 2: be cursed and all you do will succeed. For God
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  Speaker 2: will take delight in you as he did your forefathers.
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  Speaker 2: Keep his commands close to your hearts. The afternoon had
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  Speaker 2: come And Moses continued to speak to Israel with a
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  Speaker 2: contented smile on his face. I am 120 years old today.
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  Speaker 2: I am no longer able to keep myself upright. The
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  Speaker 2: Lord will go before you and lead. He will vanquish
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  Speaker 2: every nation that opposes you. Moses then held the shoulder
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  Speaker 2: of Joshua and brought him before the people. Joshua will
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  Speaker 2: lead you as the head. Be strong and courageous. Fear
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  Speaker 2: no one. for God will not leave you or forsake you.
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  Speaker 2: The people cheered as the final words of Moses struck
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  Speaker 2: the collective court of Israel. Hope filled the crowd like
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  Speaker 2: an overflowing well. Moses turned to Joshua, holding his head
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  Speaker 2: close to his own. Be strong and have courage, he
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  Speaker 2: said to Joshua. It is God who goes before you.
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  Speaker 2: He will be with you. He will not leave you.
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  Speaker 2: Do not fear anything. Moses' voice cracked as he held
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  Speaker 2: back tears. Joshua looked deeply into the eyes of Moses,
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  Speaker 2: the eyes of a man blessed by God. After this,
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  Speaker 2: Moses said his final blessings over Israel. He spoke to
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  Speaker 2: them as a tender and loving father. Tears streamed down
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  Speaker 2: their faces as they listened in silence. After Moses said
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  Speaker 2: his prayers and blessings over Israel, he sang over them.
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  Speaker 2: His voice was old and raspy, but the people were
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  Speaker 2: enraptured by every word. They swayed to the song, smiling.
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  Speaker 2: Moses sang to God, and in that moment, his heart
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  Speaker 2: for the Lord was pouring out onto all the people listening.
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  Speaker 2: The deep well of connection was now overflowing, and the
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  Speaker 2: people rejoiced. The sun began its descent. Moses then climbed
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  Speaker 2: up the plains of Moab towards Mount Nebo. There at
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  Speaker 2: the peak, The Lord showed Moses the entire land. God
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  Speaker 2: mapped out the countryside before him, making mention of where
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  Speaker 2: all the twelve tribes would dwell. This is the land
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  Speaker 2: I swore to Abraham, God said gently. Even though you
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  Speaker 2: will not step foot in it, I have allowed you
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  Speaker 2: to see it. The setting sun painted the sky a
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  Speaker 2: deep orange. The land was golden. A strong breeze galloped
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  Speaker 2: across the plains up towards the mountain and blew Moses'
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  Speaker 2: hair back. He could not take his eyes off Canaan.
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  Speaker 2: Since that infamous day he met God as a burning bush,
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  Speaker 2: Moses had dreamed of the day he would finally see it.
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  Speaker 2: The land flowing with milk and honey. Tears fell from Moses' cheeks.
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  Speaker 2: He smiled and continued to look towards the countryside. As
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  Speaker 2: the golden rays dimmed below the horizon, Moses breathed his
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  Speaker 2: last breath and was joined with God for all eternity.
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  Speaker 2: The people mourned and looked to Joshua for guidance, and
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  Speaker 2: God blessed Joshua and filled him with a courageous spirit.
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  Speaker 2: Thus the days of Moses came to a close. The
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  Speaker 2: man God had chosen to lead his people out of
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  Speaker 2: captivity had died. One day, a leader greater than Moses
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  Speaker 2: would lead God's children out of captivity from their sin.
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  Speaker 2: The sting of death would split in half, just as
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  Speaker 2: the Red Sea. he would be the greater Moses. So
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  Speaker 2: Israel waited hundreds of years until his arrival.
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  Speaker 3: We open today's story with Moses, who is now 120
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  Speaker 3: years old. He has lived under the discipline of God
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  Speaker 3: because he spoke to the rock angrily and took credit
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  Speaker 3: for the water that flowed. God said, you will never
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  Speaker 3: enter the promised land. And yet God gave extended grace
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  Speaker 3: and peace to Moses in the final days of his life.
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  Speaker 3: Though he would never enter the land of promise, God
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  Speaker 3: would show Moses the land that he would give to Israel.
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  Speaker 3: Moses served God faithfully for decades, leading a stiff-necked people
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  Speaker 3: with both strength and humility. God tells him he'll soon
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  Speaker 3: join his brother Aaron and all of his people who
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  Speaker 3: had gone before him. Death, after all, is an open
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  Speaker 3: door to heaven and to all who trust in the
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  Speaker 3: Lord God through Jesus Christ. Even in these final days, Moses'
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  Speaker 3: chief concern is for the people and who will shepherd them.
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  Speaker 3: Moses wanted to be sure they were taken care of
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  Speaker 3: when he was gone and not left to go astray,
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  Speaker 3: as he knew they would. God reveals to Moses who
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  Speaker 3: his leader will be. It is the same one, the
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  Speaker 3: same man who sat outside the tent of meeting even
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  Speaker 3: as others went back to camp. It is the same
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  Speaker 3: man who believed God to take the promised land along
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  Speaker 3: with Caleb when the spies entered into the land. It
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  Speaker 3: was the same man who led their first battle against
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  Speaker 3: the Amalekites. Yes, this man is none other than Joshua.
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  Speaker 3: God tells Moses to call Joshua and bless him and
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  Speaker 3: commission him before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation
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  Speaker 3: of Israel. Moses, who is barely able to keep himself upright,
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  Speaker 3: then addresses his flock one last time. He has so
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  Speaker 3: much to remind them of. All of God's commandments, the
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  Speaker 3: laws for living as God's holy people. He recounts the
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  Speaker 3: stories of God's faithfulness over many years and countless challenges
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  Speaker 3: and campaigns. The final chapters of Numbers and Deuteronomy most
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  Speaker 3: of Deuteronomy, record his words. Then in Deuteronomy 30, verses
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  Speaker 3: 15 and 16, Moses says this, See, I have set
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  Speaker 3: before you today life and prosperity and death and adversity,
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  Speaker 3: in that I command you today to love the Lord
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  Speaker 3: your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep
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  Speaker 3: his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that you
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  Speaker 3: may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God
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  Speaker 3: may bless you in the land where you are entering
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  Speaker 3: to possess it. These are the greatest rewards for obeying God.
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  Speaker 3: If they choose obedience, they will experience fullness of life, blessing,
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  Speaker 3: and God's hand of provision and protection. Think about it,
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  Speaker 3: because the same is true for us. Of course, it
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  Speaker 3: doesn't mean that we will live our lives without adversity
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  Speaker 3: or hardship, but what we know because of the promises
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  Speaker 3: of God is is that God's ways are higher and
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  Speaker 3: better than our ways. And his way always leads to
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  Speaker 3: abundant life and blessing. But there is the other side.
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  Speaker 3: Moses warns the people that if they turn from God
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  Speaker 3: and follow other gods, false gods, they will perish. They
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  Speaker 3: are to keep God's commands close to their hearts. This
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  Speaker 3: is a powerful, powerful encouragement to you and me to
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  Speaker 3: stay in God's word daily and obey him. Moses then
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  Speaker 3: spoke to Joshua the words he would keep close to
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  Speaker 3: his heart for years to come. Be strong and courageous.
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  Speaker 3: Joshua was taking on a task that would require strength
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  Speaker 3: and courage in the face of great fear. But as
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  Speaker 3: Moses also reminded Joshua, God would be with him and
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  Speaker 3: go before him. God's faithful servant knew it was time
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  Speaker 3: to go. God took him to the top of Mount
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  Speaker 3: Nebo and showed Moses the land that he would give
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  Speaker 3: to Israel. God's grace and kindness shone through Moses one
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  Speaker 3: more time before he took his final rest and joined
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  Speaker 3: his heavenly Father. Dear God, how we thank you for
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  Speaker 3: the story of Moses. What a life, a life of
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  Speaker 3: example and leadership and service. One of the greatest men
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  Speaker 3: who ever lived because he was your man. May we
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  Speaker 3: follow his example of humility and strength in our lives
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  Speaker 3: and look to you in obedience. And help us to
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  Speaker 3: be strong and courageous always as we follow you, no
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  Speaker 3: matter what. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham
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  Speaker 3: from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app. and make Bible
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  Speaker 3: reading and prayer the priority of your life. If you
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  Speaker 3: enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love, because
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  Speaker 3: by sharing this podcast, you can make a difference, a
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  Speaker 3: big difference, an eternal difference in someone else's life. And
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  Speaker 3: if you want more resources on how to tap into
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  Speaker 3: God's power for your life, be sure to visit jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you.