1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: I'm John Stanghy, and today we're in First Chronicles, chapter nineteen, 5 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. Sometime later, 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: King Nahsh of Ammon died and his son Henan became King. 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: David said, nay Hash was kind to me, so I 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: will be kind to his son. He sent some officials 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: to Ammon to tell Hanan how sorry he was that 10 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: his father had died. But when David's officials arrived at Ammon, 11 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: the Ammonite leaders said to Hanan, do you really believe 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: King David is honoring your father by sending these men 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: to comfort you. He probably sent them to spy on 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: our country so he can come and destroy. Hanin arrested 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: David's officials and had their beard shaved off and their 16 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: robes cut off just below the waist, and then he 17 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: sent them away. They were terribly ashamed. When David found 18 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: out what had happened to his officials, he sent a 19 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: message that told them stay in Jericho until your beards 20 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: grow back. Then you can come home. The Ammonites realized 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: they had made David furious, so they paid over thirty 22 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: tons of silver to hire chariot troops from Mesopotamia and 23 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: from the Syrian kingdoms of Macah and Zoba. Thirty two 24 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: thousand troops, as well as the king of Macan his 25 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: army came and camped near Medeba. The Ammonite troops also 26 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: left their towns and came to prepare for battle. David 27 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: heard what was happening, and he sent out Joab with 28 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: his army. The Ammonite troops marched to the entrance of 29 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: the city and prepared for battle while the Syrian troops 30 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: took their position in the open fields. Joab saw that 31 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: the enemy troops were lined up on both sides of him, 32 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: so he picked some of the best Israelite soldiers to 33 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: fight the Syrians. Then he put his brother Abishai in 34 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 1: command of the rest of the army and told them 35 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: to fight against the Ammonites. Joab told his brother, if 36 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: the Syrians are too much for me to handle, come 37 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: and help me, and if the Ammonites are too strong 38 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: for you, I'll come and help you. Be brave and 39 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: fight hard to protect our people and the towns of 40 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: our Lord God. I pray he will do whatever pleases him. 41 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: Joeab and his soldiers attacked the Syrians, and the Syrians 42 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: ran from them. When the Ammonite troops saw that the 43 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: Syrians had run away, they ran from Abishai's soldiers and 44 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: went back into their own city. Joab then returned to Jerusalem. 45 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: As soon as the Syrians realized they had been defeated, 46 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: they sent for their troops that were stationed on the 47 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: other side of the Euphrates River. Shofak, the commander of 48 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: had Atesar's army, led these troops to Ammon. David found 49 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,239 Speaker 1: out what the Syrians were doing, and he brought Israel's 50 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: entire army together. They crossed the Jordan River, and he 51 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: commanded them to take their positions facing the Syrian troops. 52 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: Soon after the fighting began, the Syrians ran from Israel. 53 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: David killed seven thousand Chariot troops and forty thousand regular soldiers. 54 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: He also killed Shofak, their commander. When the kings who 55 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: had been under had at Aesar's rules saw that Israel 56 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: had defeated them, they made peace with David and accepted 57 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: him as their new ruler the Syrians never helped the Ammonites. Again, 58 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 59 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to 60 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: look at this passage of scripture today and we could 61 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: see that you were protecting and defending David and the 62 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: people of Israel, and even the nations that were rising 63 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: up against them were shown a display of your power 64 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: at work in the leadership and in the military of 65 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: the nation you had chosen. Lord, We're grateful that you 66 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: look at unworthy people and you choose them to become 67 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: part of your family and to give you glory. And Lord, 68 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: we know that that's exactly what you've done for us. 69 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: In Christ Jesus, you chose us to be your children, 70 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,679 Speaker 1: to be men and women who know you through faith 71 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: in your son, You've given us new life. You protect 72 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: us from those that would come against us. You tell 73 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: us in your word that there are spiritual forces that 74 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: line up against the people of God, but that your 75 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: strength is sufficient in the midst of our human weakness. 76 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: So we're grateful, Lord for the battles that you fight 77 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: on our behalf. Were grateful for your presence with us. 78 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: We're grateful for the strength that you give to us. 79 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: We pray that our faith in your son, Jesus Christ 80 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: would be strong each and every day in the midst 81 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: of whatever context we find ourselves in. We love you, Lord, 82 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: and we thank you that you loved us first, and 83 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: you show us that day by day in so many ways. 84 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.