WEBVTT - 2 Chronicles 28

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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 Stangey, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter

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<v Speaker 1>twenty eight and we'll be reading from the New English translation.

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<v Speaker 1>Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign,

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<v Speaker 1>and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did

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<v Speaker 1>not do what pleased the Lord. In contrast to his

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<v Speaker 1>ancestor David, he followed in the footsteps of the kings

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel. He also made images of the bales. He

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<v Speaker 1>offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben Hinham and passed

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<v Speaker 1>his sons through the fire, a horrible sin practiced by

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<v Speaker 1>the nations, whom the Lord drove out. Before the Israelites,

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<v Speaker 1>he offered sacrifices and burned in on the high places,

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<v Speaker 1>on the hills and under every green tree. The Lord

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<v Speaker 1>his God handed him over to the King of Syria.

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<v Speaker 1>The Syrians defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus.

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<v Speaker 1>He was also handed over to the King of Israel,

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<v Speaker 1>who thoroughly defeated him in one day. King Pica, son

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<v Speaker 1>of Ramaliah of Israel, killed one hundred twenty thousand warriors

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<v Speaker 1>in Judah because they had abandoned the Lord God of

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<v Speaker 1>their ancestors. Zikri, an Ephriamite warrior, killed the king's son

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<v Speaker 1>Messiah Azrakam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the

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<v Speaker 1>king second in command. The Israelites seized from their brothers

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred thousand wives, sons, and daughters. They also carried

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<v Speaker 1>off a huge amount of plunder and took it back

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<v Speaker 1>to Samaria. Odad, a prophet of the Lord, was there.

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<v Speaker 1>He went to meet the army as they arrived in

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<v Speaker 1>Samaria and said to them, look, because the Lord God

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<v Speaker 1>of your ancestors was angry with Judah, he handed them

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<v Speaker 1>over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that

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<v Speaker 1>God has taken notice, and now you are planning to

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<v Speaker 1>enslave the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you

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<v Speaker 1>not also guilty before the Lord your God. Now listen

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<v Speaker 1>to me, send back those you have seized from your brothers,

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<v Speaker 1>for the Lord is very angry at you. So some

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<v Speaker 1>of the Ephriamite family leaders Azariah son of jehochinaan Berachiah

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<v Speaker 1>son of Mishilimoth, Jekiskaiah son of Shallam, and Amassa son

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<v Speaker 1>of Hadlai confronted those returning from the battle. They said

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<v Speaker 1>to them, don't bring those captives here. Are you planning

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<v Speaker 1>on making us even more sinful and guilty before the Lord?

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<v Speaker 1>Our guilt is already great, and the Lord is very

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<v Speaker 1>angry at Israel. So the soldiers released the captives and

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<v Speaker 1>the plunder before the officials and the entire assembly men

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<v Speaker 1>were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among

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<v Speaker 1>the plunder for those who were naked, so they clothed them,

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<v Speaker 1>supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and

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<v Speaker 1>provided them with oil to rub on their skin. They

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<v Speaker 1>put the ones who couldn't walk on donkeys. They brought

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<v Speaker 1>them back to their brothers at Jericho, the city of

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<v Speaker 1>the date palm trees, and they returned to Samaria. At

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<v Speaker 1>that time, King Ahaz asked the King of Assyria for help.

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<v Speaker 1>The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried

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<v Speaker 1>off captives. The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah

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<v Speaker 1>in the lowlands and the Negev. They captured and settled

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<v Speaker 1>in Beth Schemesh, Ijalon, Getteroth, Soko and its surrounding villages,

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<v Speaker 1>Timna and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages.

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<v Speaker 1>The Lord humiliated Judah because of King AHAs of Israel,

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<v Speaker 1>for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very unfaithful

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<v Speaker 1>to the Lord. King Tiglath, Poliser of Assyria, came but

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<v Speaker 1>he gave him more trouble than support. A has gathered

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<v Speaker 1>riches from the Lord's temple, the royal palace, and the

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<v Speaker 1>officials and gave them to the King of Assyria, but

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<v Speaker 1>that did not help. During this time of trouble, King

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<v Speaker 1>AHAs was even more unfaithful to the Lord. He offered

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<v Speaker 1>sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, whom he thought had

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<v Speaker 1>defeated him. He reasoned, since the gods of the kings

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<v Speaker 1>of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so

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<v Speaker 1>they will help me. But they caused him and all

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<v Speaker 1>Israel to stumble. A has gathered the items in God's

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<v Speaker 1>temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord's temple and erected altars on every street corner in

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<v Speaker 1>d Jerusalem, in every city. Throughout Judah, he set up

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<v Speaker 1>high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord God of his ancestors. The rest of the

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<v Speaker 1>events of Ahas' reign, including the accomplishments from start to finish,

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<v Speaker 1>are recorded in the scroll of the Kings of Judah

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<v Speaker 1>and Israel. Ah has passed away and was buried in

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<v Speaker 1>the city of David. They did not bring him to

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<v Speaker 1>the tombs of the Kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah

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<v Speaker 1>replaced him as king. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>at this portion of scripture, we could see how easy

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<v Speaker 1>it is for the human heart to drift toward false

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<v Speaker 1>sources of help and false sources of comfort. But Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>you have assured us in your word that you are

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<v Speaker 1>the source of our help, that you are the God

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<v Speaker 1>of all comfort, and the you provide ultimate help, ultimate strength,

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<v Speaker 1>and ultimate victory to each of us through faith in

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<v Speaker 1>your son Jesus Christ. So Lord, we pray that that

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<v Speaker 1>would be the help that we would seek, and that

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<v Speaker 1>our confidence would be in you always. We're grateful, Lord

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<v Speaker 1>for your presence with us, and we commit this day

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<v Speaker 1>to your care, and we thank you for all these

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<v Speaker 1>things in Jesus' name. Amen.