WEBVTT - 2 Chronicles 14

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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 Chronicles, chapter fourteen,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the English Standard version. Abijah

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<v Speaker 1>slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the

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<v Speaker 1>city of David, and Asa, his son, reigned in his

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<v Speaker 1>place in his days. The land had rest for ten years.

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<v Speaker 1>And Asa did what was good and right in the

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<v Speaker 1>eyes of the Lord his God. He took away the

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<v Speaker 1>foreign altars and the high places, and broke down the pillars,

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<v Speaker 1>and cut down the Ashiram, and commanded Judah to seek

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep

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<v Speaker 1>the law and the commandment. He also took out of

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<v Speaker 1>all the city of Judah the high places and the

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<v Speaker 1>incense altars, and the kingdom had rest under him. He

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<v Speaker 1>built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest.

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<v Speaker 1>He had no war in those years, for the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>gave him peace. And he said to Judah, let us

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<v Speaker 1>build these cities and surround them with walls and towers,

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<v Speaker 1>gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we

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<v Speaker 1>have sought the Lord, our God. We have sought him,

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<v Speaker 1>and he has given us peace on every side. So

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<v Speaker 1>they built and prospered, and Aesa had an army of

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with large shields and spears,

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<v Speaker 1>and two hundred eighty thousand men from Benjamin that carried

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<v Speaker 1>shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor. Zara.

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<v Speaker 1>The Ethiopian came out against them with an army of

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<v Speaker 1>a million men and three hundred chariots and came as

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<v Speaker 1>far as Marishah. And Asa went out to meet him,

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<v Speaker 1>and they drew up their lines of battle in the

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<v Speaker 1>valley of Zephatha at Merishah, and Asa cried to the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord his God, Oh Lord, there is none like you

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<v Speaker 1>to help between the mighty and the weak. Help us, o, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>our God, for we rely on you, and in your

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<v Speaker 1>name we have come against this multitude. Oh Lord, you

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<v Speaker 1>are our God. Let not man prevail against you. So

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah,

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<v Speaker 1>and the Ethiopians fled. Asa and the people who were

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<v Speaker 1>with him pursued them as far as Gharar, and the

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<v Speaker 1>Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken

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<v Speaker 1>before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah

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<v Speaker 1>carried away very much spoil, and they attacked all the

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<v Speaker 1>cities around Gharar, for the fear of the Lord was

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<v Speaker 1>upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was

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<v Speaker 1>much plunder in them, and they struck down the tents

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<v Speaker 1>of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in

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<v Speaker 1>abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. Let's pray, Lord,

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful for the example that we see in this

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<v Speaker 1>portion of Scripture of people who called out to you,

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<v Speaker 1>of people who trusted that you could ultimately be the

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<v Speaker 1>one who fought their battles for them. And Lord, even

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<v Speaker 1>in the midst of insurmountable odds, you delivered your people,

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<v Speaker 1>and you helped them when it seemed like there was

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<v Speaker 1>no natural or human way that they could be rescued. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful for your miraculous deliverance, and we're grateful that

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<v Speaker 1>you have done the same for us. Lord, the odds

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<v Speaker 1>of us naturally speaking, coming to our senses and reaching

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<v Speaker 1>out to you were insurmountable odds. But in the midst

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<v Speaker 1>of all that we we wrestle with, and even in

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<v Speaker 1>the midst of the fact that we were deliberately defiant

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<v Speaker 1>against you, you reached into our lives. You opened our eyes,

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<v Speaker 1>you softened our hearts, and you gave us the privilege

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<v Speaker 1>to trust in your son, Jesus Christ and to receive

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<v Speaker 1>your free gift of salvation through faith in your son. Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>We're grateful for that fact. We're grateful for that reality,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're grateful that you fight battles for us, just

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<v Speaker 1>as you did for the people mentioned in this portion

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<v Speaker 1>of your word. Lord, we pray that whatever we're struggling

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<v Speaker 1>with right now, in the midst of this season of life,

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<v Speaker 1>that we would entrust all that we deal with, and

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<v Speaker 1>all that weighs our minds down and all that weighs

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<v Speaker 1>our hearts down to you, and to rejoice in the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that you're the one who secures victory for your children.

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<v Speaker 1>We're grateful that you've accomplished this on our behalf, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>and we seek to worship you today. We pray Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>that in all aspects of today, that we bring honor

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<v Speaker 1>and glory to your name. We thank you for your

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<v Speaker 1>presence with us, and we pray this all in Jesus name, Amen, mhm.