WEBVTT - 2 Chronicles 18

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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 today Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stongi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter eighteen,

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

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<v Speaker 1>was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance

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<v Speaker 1>by marriage with Ahab, and after several years, went down

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<v Speaker 1>to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and

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<v Speaker 1>cattle to honor Jehosha Fat and those who came with him.

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<v Speaker 1>He persuaded him to join in an attack against Ramothgilad.

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<v Speaker 1>King Ahab of Israel said to Jehoshafat, will you go

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<v Speaker 1>with me to attack Raymothgilead. Jehosha replied to the King

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel, I will support you. My army is at

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<v Speaker 1>your disposal and will support you in battle. Then Jehoshaphat added,

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<v Speaker 1>first seek an oracle from the Lord. So the King

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel assembled four hundred prophets and asked them should

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<v Speaker 1>we attack Raymoth Gilead or not. They said, attack, God

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<v Speaker 1>will hand it over to the king. But Jehoshaphat asked,

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<v Speaker 1>is there not a prophet of the Lord still here

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<v Speaker 1>that we may ask him? The King of Israel answered, Jehoshaphat,

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<v Speaker 1>there is still one man through whom we can seek

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord's will. But I despise him because he does

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<v Speaker 1>not prophesy prosperity for me, but always disaster. His name

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<v Speaker 1>is Machiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said the King should

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<v Speaker 1>not say such things. The King of Israel summoned an

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<v Speaker 1>officer and said, quickly, bring Machiah son of Imlah. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>The King of Israel and King Jehoshaphad of Judah were

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<v Speaker 1>sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes,

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<v Speaker 1>at the threshing floor at the entrance of the Gate

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<v Speaker 1>of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying. Before them. Zedekiah

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<v Speaker 1>son of Kenanah made iron horns and said, this is

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<v Speaker 1>what the Lord says. With these, you will gore Syria

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<v Speaker 1>until they are destroyed. All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying,

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<v Speaker 1>attack Raymoth Gilead. You will succeed. The Lord will hand

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<v Speaker 1>it over to the king. Now. The messenger who went

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<v Speaker 1>to summon Machiah said to him, look, the prophets are

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<v Speaker 1>in complete agreement that the King will succeed. Your words

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<v Speaker 1>must agree with theirs. You must predict success. But Machiah said,

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<v Speaker 1>as certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what

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<v Speaker 1>my God tells me to say. Makiah came before the

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<v Speaker 1>king king and the king asked him, Makiah, should we

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<v Speaker 1>attack Raymoth Gilead or not. He answered him, attack you

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<v Speaker 1>will succeed. They will be handed over to you. The

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<v Speaker 1>King said to him, how many times must I make

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<v Speaker 1>you solemnly promise in the name of the Lord to

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<v Speaker 1>tell me only the truth. Makiah replied, I saw all

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<v Speaker 1>Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd.

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<v Speaker 1>Then the Lord said, they have no master. They should

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<v Speaker 1>go home in peace. The King of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,

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<v Speaker 1>didn't I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me,

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<v Speaker 1>but disaster. Machiah said that, being the case, hear the

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<v Speaker 1>word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on

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<v Speaker 1>his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his

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<v Speaker 1>right and on his left. The Lord said, who will

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<v Speaker 1>deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Raymoth

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<v Speaker 1>Gilead and die there. One said this, and another that.

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<v Speaker 1>Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, I will deceive him. The Lord asked him how.

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<v Speaker 1>He replied, I will go out and be a lying

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<v Speaker 1>spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. The Lord said,

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<v Speaker 1>deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you

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<v Speaker 1>have proposed. So now look, the Lord has placed a

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<v Speaker 1>lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours.

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<v Speaker 1>But the Lord has decreed disaster for you. Zedekiah, son

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<v Speaker 1>of Kenanah, approached hit Machiah on the jaw and said,

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<v Speaker 1>which way did the Lord's spirit go when he went

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<v Speaker 1>from me to speak to you. Machiah replied, look, you

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<v Speaker 1>will see in the day when you go into an

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<v Speaker 1>inner room to hide. Then the King of Israel said,

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<v Speaker 1>take Machiah and return him to Ammon. The city official,

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<v Speaker 1>and joe oh Ash, the king's son, say this is

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<v Speaker 1>what the King says. Put this man in prison, give

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<v Speaker 1>him only a little bread and water until I returned safely.

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<v Speaker 1>Makaiah said, if you really do return safely, then the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord has not spoken through me. Then he added take note,

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<v Speaker 1>all you people. The King of Israel and King Jehoshaphat

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<v Speaker 1>of Judah attacked Raymoth Gilead. The King of Israel said

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<v Speaker 1>to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and then enter the battle.

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<v Speaker 1>But you wear your royal attire. So the King of

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<v Speaker 1>Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. Now, the

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<v Speaker 1>King of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders do not

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<v Speaker 1>fight common soldiers or high ranking officers, fight only the

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<v Speaker 1>King of Israel. When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they

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<v Speaker 1>said he must be the King of Israel. So they

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<v Speaker 1>turned and attacked him. But Jehoshaphat out the Lord helped

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<v Speaker 1>him God lured them away from him. When the chariot

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<v Speaker 1>commanders realized he was not the King of Israel, they

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<v Speaker 1>turned away from him. Now, an archer shot an arrow

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<v Speaker 1>at random, and it struck the King of Israel between

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<v Speaker 1>the plates of his armor. The king ordered his charioteer

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<v Speaker 1>turn around and take me from the battle line, for

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<v Speaker 1>I am wounded. While the battle raged throughout the day,

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<v Speaker 1>the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians.

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<v Speaker 1>He died in the evening as the sun was setting.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the privilege to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at it together today. And we thank you Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>that in this portion of scripture we can see a

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<v Speaker 1>glimpse of what it looks like when a heart is

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<v Speaker 1>hardened against you and when the accurate proclamation of your

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<v Speaker 1>truth is rejected. Lord, we see that activity in the

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<v Speaker 1>King of Israel, and it's a warning to us to

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<v Speaker 1>not emulate that behavior. Lord. That's something that you don't

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<v Speaker 1>want us to copy. That's something that you want us

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<v Speaker 1>to reject. Rather, you want us to be people who

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<v Speaker 1>have soft hearts and who listen to your word. Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>We know that during the course of Christ's earthly ministry,

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<v Speaker 1>when your son was here in the flesh, ministering on

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<v Speaker 1>this earth, there were people who harden their hearts against him,

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<v Speaker 1>and they wouldn't listen to his teaching, and they wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>accept him for who he was God in the flesh. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we pray that that would not be something that we

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<v Speaker 1>would copy, but rather we pray that as you speak

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<v Speaker 1>to us through the power of your Holy Spirit and

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<v Speaker 1>through the teaching of the prophets that you have inspired.

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<v Speaker 1>We pray Lord that our hearts would be soft and

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<v Speaker 1>mouldable and teachable, and that your instruction would be something

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<v Speaker 1>that we would be eager to listen to. We pray

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<v Speaker 1>Lord that that would be the case throughout the course

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<v Speaker 1>of our lives, and we pray in particular for today,

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<v Speaker 1>that today would be a day that we would listen

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<v Speaker 1>to your that today would be a day that we

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<v Speaker 1>would obey your word. Lord. We're grateful for the privilege

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<v Speaker 1>to know you, and we're grateful for the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>you are right here with us in all respects, and

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<v Speaker 1>we commit this day to your care and thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for your presence with us in it. We pray this

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