WEBVTT - 2 Kings 16

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stanghy, and today we're in Second King's Chapter sixteen,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. A Has,

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<v Speaker 1>son of Jotham, became King of Judah in the seventeenth

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<v Speaker 1>year of Pica's rule in Israel. He was twenty years

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<v Speaker 1>old at the time, and he ruled from Jerusalem for

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<v Speaker 1>sixteen years. A Has wasn't like his ancestor David. Instead,

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<v Speaker 1>he disobeyed the Lord and was even more sinful than

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<v Speaker 1>the kings of Israel. He sacrificed his own son, which

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<v Speaker 1>was a disgusting custom of the nations that the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>had forced out of Israel. A Has offered sacrifices at

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<v Speaker 1>the locale as well as on every hill and in

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<v Speaker 1>the shade of large trees. While Ahaz was ruling Judah,

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<v Speaker 1>the King of Edom recaptured the town of Elath from

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<v Speaker 1>Judah and forced out the people of Judah. Edomites then

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<v Speaker 1>moved into Elath, and they still lived there. About the

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<v Speaker 1>same time, King Resin of Syria and King Pica of

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<v Speaker 1>Israel marched to Jerusalem and attacked, but they could not

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<v Speaker 1>capture it. A has sent a message to King Tiglath

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<v Speaker 1>Poliser of Assyria that said, your majesty, King Resin and

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<v Speaker 1>King Pica are attacking me, your loyal servant, please come

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<v Speaker 1>and rescue me. Along with the message, A has sent

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<v Speaker 1>silver and gold from the Lord's temple and from the

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<v Speaker 1>palace treasury as a gift for the Assyrian king. As

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<v Speaker 1>soon as Tiglath Polieser received the message, he and his

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<v Speaker 1>troops marched to Syria. He captured the Kappa city of Damascus.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he took the people living there to the town

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<v Speaker 1>of Kerr as prisoners and killed King Resin. Later, AHAs

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<v Speaker 1>went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Polizer, and while Ahaz

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<v Speaker 1>was there, he saw an altar and sent a model

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<v Speaker 1>of it back to Uriah the priest, along with the

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<v Speaker 1>plans for building one. Uriah followed the plans and built

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<v Speaker 1>an altar exactly like the one in Damascus, finishing it

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<v Speaker 1>just before Ahaz came back. When Ahaz returned, he went

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<v Speaker 1>to see the altar and to offer sacrifices on it.

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<v Speaker 1>He walked up to the altar and poured wine over it.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he offered sacrifices to please the Lord, to give

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<v Speaker 1>him thanks, and to ask for his blessings. After that,

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<v Speaker 1>he had the bronze altar moved aside so his new

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<v Speaker 1>altar would be right in front of the Lord's temple.

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<v Speaker 1>He told Uriah the priest, from now on the morning

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<v Speaker 1>and evening sacrifice, as well as all gifts of grain

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<v Speaker 1>and wine, are to be offered on this altar. The

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<v Speaker 1>sacrifices for the people and for the king must also

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<v Speaker 1>be offered here. Sprinkle the blood from all the sacrifices

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<v Speaker 1>on it, but leave the bronze altar for me to

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<v Speaker 1>use for prayer and finding out what God wants me

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<v Speaker 1>to do. Uriah did everything A has told him. A

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<v Speaker 1>has also had the side panels and the small bulls

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<v Speaker 1>taken off the movable stands in the Lord's temple. He

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<v Speaker 1>had the large bronze bull called the Sea, removed from

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<v Speaker 1>the bronze bulls on which it rested, and had it

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<v Speaker 1>placed on a stand made of stone. He took down

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<v Speaker 1>the special tent that was used for worship on the

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<v Speaker 1>Sabbath and closed up the private entrance that the kings

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<v Speaker 1>of Judah used for going into the temple. He did

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<v Speaker 1>all these things to please Tiglath Polizer. Everything else A

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<v Speaker 1>has did while he was king is written in the

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<v Speaker 1>history of the Kings of Judah. A has died and

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<v Speaker 1>was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son

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<v Speaker 1>Hezekiah became king. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>your word, and we thank you for the privilege of

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<v Speaker 1>being able to look at it today. And Lord, as

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<v Speaker 1>we look at the life of King Ahs, we read

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<v Speaker 1>here that a has displeased you greatly, and we could

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<v Speaker 1>see him taking liberties with things that you had prescribed,

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<v Speaker 1>things that you had said should be the case, particularly

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<v Speaker 1>in the arrangement of the temple, and he did what

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<v Speaker 1>he wanted to do. Instead, he sought to please a

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<v Speaker 1>neighboring king instead of seeking to honor You with all

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<v Speaker 1>aspects of his life. Lord, we know that each of us,

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<v Speaker 1>to one degree or another, deal with the fear of man.

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<v Speaker 1>We feel intimidated by others. We look for the approval

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<v Speaker 1>of others instead of realizing that you are the primary

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<v Speaker 1>audience that we ought to be concerned with. And Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that through faith in your son Jesus Christ,

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<v Speaker 1>you give us a new mind. But we also know,

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<v Speaker 1>Lord that it's very easy for us at times to

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<v Speaker 1>adopt the mindset and the pattern of thinking of this

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<v Speaker 1>world that really just leads to discouragement, depression, and despair.

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<v Speaker 1>But Lord, in Jesus Christ, your son, we find hope.

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<v Speaker 1>And we pray that we will live in that hope

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<v Speaker 1>today and that we would continually give you praise for it.

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<v Speaker 1>We love you, Lord, and we thank you for your

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<v Speaker 1>presence with us today, and we commit this day to

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<v Speaker 1>your care, Praying this all in Jesus' name. Amen.