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Speaker 1: And the time that David dwelt in the country of

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Speaker 1: the Philistines was a full year and four months. First

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Speaker 1: Samuel twenty seven seven. Dear Lord, as a tree finds

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Speaker 1: its strength to endure from its roots, I too will

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Speaker 1: find my strength in the depths of my roots and

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Speaker 1: from the ground I choose to grow in in moments

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Speaker 1: of loneliness. Give me the resolve and the strength to

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Speaker 1: remain planted in the place You've called me to. I

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Speaker 1: will not abandon my values and morals to partner with

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Speaker 1: others who offer protection and gain at the cost of

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Speaker 1: my character and right to stand with you. I will

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Speaker 1: not become comfortable with compromise, as David and his men

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Speaker 1: did during their season of loneliness in First Samuel twenty eight.

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Speaker 1: Because I am new and transformed. I will instead take

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Speaker 1: on the latter spirit of David and fight for what

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Speaker 1: is mine. I will retake and regain what the enemy

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Speaker 1: has stolen from me. Through your power, God, I will

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Speaker 1: be able to reclaim my land, my position, and all

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Speaker 1: that belongs to me, my family, and my future. I

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Speaker 1: declare that compromise is not an option in Jesus name, Amen,

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Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer or priority in your life to

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Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the

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Speaker 1: Bible in a Year brought to you by Bible in

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Speaker 1: a Year dot Com David in zick leg. In our

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Speaker 1: last story, we learned about Saul's latest pursuit to take

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Speaker 1: David's life. David once again had the opportunity to end

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Speaker 1: Saul and with him all the fleeing and exile. At

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Speaker 1: David's conviction, as a man of God stood its crowd,

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Speaker 1: he spared Saul, and Saul once again repented and left

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Speaker 1: David's presence. Now, David dwells in the land of the Philistines,

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Speaker 1: serving under King Akish. David and his men made raids

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Speaker 1: on the enemies of Israel, pretending to make raids for

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Speaker 1: the Philistines. In this story, we learn about David's continued

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Speaker 1: partnership with the enemies of Israel and how small compromises

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Speaker 1: continue to overshadow David and his men. As inspired by

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Speaker 1: the Book of First Samuel. This is Jack Graham with

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Speaker 1: today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. In

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Speaker 1: our last episode, we saw how David once again had

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to kill Saul, but he chose not to

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Speaker 1: do it. Rather than choose his own way and try

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Speaker 1: to justify his own actions, he obeyed God. He stood

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Speaker 1: firm in his conviction that God would deal with Saul.

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Speaker 1: But despite saul apparent regret for having chased David down

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Speaker 1: again and his promise to leave him alone, David's faith wavered,

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Speaker 1: and he fled into Philistine country, forming an alliance with

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Speaker 1: a foreign king. Today we'll learn how David's loyalty to

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Speaker 1: Israel will be tested and how his decision to settle

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Speaker 1: in enemy territory will bring peril to his people. So

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Speaker 1: let's listen to the scripture today. David proved himself to

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Speaker 1: be a convincing actor, as if in a play, he

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Speaker 1: played the role of a Philistine marauder. David performed his

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Speaker 1: role daily in front of Akish and the other Philistines.

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Speaker 1: He made raids on neighboring villages, ate and drank as

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Speaker 1: a Philistine, and spoke in their native tongue. However, the

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Speaker 1: lines between fiction and reality slowly began to blur for David.

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Speaker 1: His allegiance to Israel was muddled by his Philistine company.

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Speaker 1: His mind fell into a fog. His sense of right

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Speaker 1: and wrong began to blend together. Now, David found himself

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Speaker 1: among the Philistine camp where they were marching up against Israel. David,

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Speaker 1: the chosen protector and rightful king to the throne of

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Speaker 1: the Hebrews, was preparing to slaughter Israel. The Philistines began

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Speaker 1: their march and gathered their forces at the peak of Aphek.

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Speaker 1: The Israelites were camped by a spring below. The lords

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Speaker 1: of the Philistines were making their rounds and saw David

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Speaker 1: and his men preparing for battle. What are these Hebrews

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Speaker 1: doing here, the commanders asked Akish. Akish responded, this is David,

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Speaker 1: who has been under my service for years. Now. I

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Speaker 1: have found no disloyalty in him. Yet David's eyes looked away.

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Speaker 1: David had given the visage of loyalty to Akish, but

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Speaker 1: had never actually harmed any Israelites. However, he had not

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Speaker 1: been faithful to Israel either. David and his soldiers were

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Speaker 1: men without a country. One of the Philistine commanders approached

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Speaker 1: David and looked him in the eyes. He knew what

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Speaker 1: David had forgotten. David was a Hebrew, and that champion.

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Speaker 1: Send the man back with his soldiers. He may be

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Speaker 1: separated from Saul now. But what better way to reconcile

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Speaker 1: with him than to kill us in battle? Don't you

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Speaker 1: remember the song Saul has killed his thousands, but David

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Speaker 1: has killed his ten thousands. Akish pulled David aside and

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Speaker 1: embraced him. Akish looked at David and said, as the

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Speaker 1: lord lives, you have been nothing but faithful to me.

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Speaker 1: I have found nothing wrong with you. However, the lords

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Speaker 1: do not approve and I cannot dispute them. Go and

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Speaker 1: be free. David's heart turned. David was like a child

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Speaker 1: who was rejected by his father. He craved the affirmation

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Speaker 1: from Saul, yet founded in the enemy Akish. David did

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Speaker 1: not want to hurt the Israelites, but he also did

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Speaker 1: not want to leave Akish's side. What have I done

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Speaker 1: to earn their distrust? David asked. Akish hugged David and

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Speaker 1: sent him back to the land of the Philistines. That day,

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Speaker 1: David was spared from committing the sin of slaughtering his people.

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Speaker 1: God and his mercy kept David from waving his sword

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Speaker 1: against his brothers. So David and his men left back

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Speaker 1: to Zikleg, still men without a true alliance or country.

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Speaker 1: David and his men returned after a three day journey.

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Speaker 1: As they were approaching the city, they could see smoke

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Speaker 1: rising into the skies. David's eyes widened and the men

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Speaker 1: ran fast into the city of Zikleg. Homes were reduced

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Speaker 1: to ash, and smoke emanated from farms. The Amalekites rode

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Speaker 1: in the night and raided the city while the men

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Speaker 1: were away at war against Israel. David and his men

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Speaker 1: ran frantically through the city, shouting for their wives and children,

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Speaker 1: yet they could hear no response. David burst through the

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Speaker 1: doors of his home to find nothing but broken and

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Speaker 1: burnt furniture. Every man's wife and child had been taken

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Speaker 1: by the Amalekites. David's men rithed in tears over their

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Speaker 1: captured wives. They raised their fists at God. They cursed David,

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Speaker 1: and they wept on the floor among the ash and wreckage.

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Speaker 1: While his men yelled and wept in pain, David sat

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Speaker 1: there silently. David stared off into the distance, praying silently.

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Speaker 1: The other men became overwhelmed with grief, but not David.

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Speaker 1: David sat there, remembering his time as a shepherd and Bethlehem.

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Speaker 1: He was reminded of when lions and wolves would come

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Speaker 1: after his sheep and steal them away. David would run

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Speaker 1: after them and slaughter the wild beasts to save his sheep.

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Speaker 1: This would be no different. David rose from his feet

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Speaker 1: to go meet with the Lord. They had some catching

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Speaker 1: up to do. David knelt before God under the stars.

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Speaker 1: He spoke to God as he used to while tending

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Speaker 1: his sheep. David breathed in the cool air and exhaled

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Speaker 1: praises to his Lord. He considered his family who had

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Speaker 1: been taken, and the families of his men. Lord David said,

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Speaker 1: shall I pursue them? Will I overtake them if I go?

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Speaker 1: God responded to David quietly and firmly, Yes, David, I

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Speaker 1: have already given them into your hands. David stood to

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Speaker 1: his feet, picked up his spear, and marched intently back

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Speaker 1: to his men. The sun rose that morning in a

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Speaker 1: dark red covered the new sky. David and six hundred

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Speaker 1: of his men ran without stopping, intent on reaching the

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Speaker 1: Amalekites before they could return home. They reached the Brook

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Speaker 1: of Bizor, The waters raged, and many of the men

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Speaker 1: were too exhausted to cross. Discouraged and weary, two hundred

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Speaker 1: of the men refused to follow David any longer and

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Speaker 1: remained on the shore of the brook. David and the

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Speaker 1: rest of his men crossed the brook. A fire was

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Speaker 1: burning in their soul to save their families. But they

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Speaker 1: had gone three days without food and almost no water.

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Speaker 1: Dragging their feet, they marched further and further. Finally, an

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Speaker 1: Egyptian in the open country gave the men bread, water,

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Speaker 1: fruits and cakes to eat. They were filled and strengthened

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Speaker 1: at the perfect time. David put his hand on the

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Speaker 1: Egyptian's shoulder and said, thank you friend. Where do you

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Speaker 1: come from? The boy smiled and said, I served the Amalekites,

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Speaker 1: but was abandoned by them when I became sick. After

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Speaker 1: we raided the Israelites. David's eyes lit up, he smiled

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Speaker 1: to his cheeks and let out a bright laugh. He

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Speaker 1: grabbed the boy and asked intently, could you take us

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Speaker 1: to your old band. The boy nodded, and David and

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Speaker 1: his men ran forward, faster and with more vigor. Less

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Speaker 1: than a day had passed and the Egyptian led David

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Speaker 1: in a couple of his men to a cliff overlooking

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Speaker 1: the Amalekite camp. They peeked their heads over the rocks

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Speaker 1: and looked down at the valley. The men were spread

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Speaker 1: out far across a valley. Torches illuminated their dancing, drinking,

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Speaker 1: and feasting. David could spot his wife captive below, along

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Speaker 1: with the wives and children of his men. While the

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Speaker 1: Amalekites were still drinking, dancing, and enjoying the spoils of

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Speaker 1: their raid, they heard the horns of David echoing through

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Speaker 1: the valley. Before any man could realize what was happening,

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Speaker 1: David and his army descended upon the camp with might.

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Speaker 1: They swung their swords with the strength of fathers and husbands,

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Speaker 1: protecting their families. David marched through the camp, striking down

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Speaker 1: every Amalekite soldier in his sight. Some tried to fight,

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Speaker 1: with no success. David and his men were far too

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Speaker 1: angry and skilled for them to stand a chance. Others

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Speaker 1: fled on camels, but all the women and children were saved.

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Speaker 1: The sun began to rise, and David gathered the families,

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Speaker 1: the stolen goods, and all the live stock. David and

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Speaker 1: the families made their way back home. There to greet

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Speaker 1: them were the two hundred men who refused to continue.

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Speaker 1: They came out elated to see their families. Everyone cheered,

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Speaker 1: except the men who had fought. They looked at the

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Speaker 1: two hundred men with disgust and said to David, these

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Speaker 1: worthless men did not go with us. They should not

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Speaker 1: get any of the spoil. They should take their families

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Speaker 1: we have saved and leave. David calmed his men down

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Speaker 1: and had them keep quiet. He drew a deep breath

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Speaker 1: and looked at both groups of men. My brothers, this

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Speaker 1: is given to us by the Lord. He is the

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Speaker 1: one who preserved us, David said, as God has shared

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Speaker 1: his goodness with us, so we shall share. Those who

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Speaker 1: battle and those who support from Afar are equally in

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Speaker 1: need of food and shelter. David's words surprised the people,

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Speaker 1: but they were all pleased with his decree. David, still

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Speaker 1: a young man, was just now learning what it truly

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Speaker 1: means to lead like a king. They divided the spoils

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Speaker 1: amongst one another and sent the leftovers back home to Judah.

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Speaker 1: David's heart to protect Israel was beginning to resurface. Today's

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Speaker 1: story begins with David living a lie. He has very

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Speaker 1: cleverly convinced Akish of his loyalty to the Philistines and

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Speaker 1: the king trusts David as one of his own. Still,

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Speaker 1: David had not yet done actual harm to any of

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Speaker 1: his own people, the Israelites. Instead, he was attacking neighboring towns,

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Speaker 1: enemies of Israel, and telling Akish that he was raiding

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Speaker 1: Israeli villages. But now, as the Philistines gather in numbers

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Speaker 1: to attack Israel, David isn't on a solo mission, and

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Speaker 1: he can't hide behind his deception. Were it not for

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Speaker 1: the distrust of Philistine commanders, David might have been compelled

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Speaker 1: to sin against his own people and attack them. The

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Speaker 1: commanders recognized David as a Hebrew, and not just any Hebrew.

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Speaker 1: This is the great shepherd warrior, David, the anointed King,

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Speaker 1: the one who was at one time one of Saul's

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Speaker 1: greatest soldiers. And though Achish vouches for David, affirming that

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Speaker 1: he's a loyal Felistine, the commanders aren't believing it, and

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Speaker 1: so Achis tells David that while he trust him with

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Speaker 1: his life, the Philistine army commanders have rejected him. He

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Speaker 1: and his men must return to his home in Ziklak.

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Speaker 1: David's response is interesting. He appeals to the king to

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Speaker 1: let him stay and serve him in a battle. Perhaps

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Speaker 1: he was finally getting the acceptance he wanted among the Philistines,

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Speaker 1: something that had eluded him with Saul. Or perhaps he

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Speaker 1: was forgetting his calling from God, his anointing to be

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Speaker 1: God's men the king of Israel. Whatever the reason, it

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Speaker 1: appears David was confused that his loyalties were divided, and

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Speaker 1: he may have been willing to turn over his own

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Speaker 1: people to the enemy. But God and his grace did

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Speaker 1: not allow David to participate in this battle. He closed

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Speaker 1: the door to protect the man that he had chosen

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Speaker 1: to serve him. How often do we fail to recognize

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Speaker 1: when God has protected us from ourselves, from our sins,

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Speaker 1: leading us out of temptation, and delivering us from evil,

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Speaker 1: as in the case of David, and for you and

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Speaker 1: b this is all because of God's grace. That grace

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Speaker 1: we know is now found in the Lord Jesus Christ,

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Speaker 1: who went to a cross and died and rose again

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Speaker 1: so that we could receive the gift of eternal life.

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Speaker 1: Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but

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Speaker 1: according to his mercy he has saved us. This is

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Speaker 1: the grace of God. So David returns home with his men,

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Speaker 1: only to find the Amalochites had attacked while they were gone.

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Speaker 1: This is a terrible scene. These enemies of Israel had

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Speaker 1: burned the entire town down, but killing nobody. Instead, they

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Speaker 1: had taken the wives and the children of the men

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Speaker 1: of David captive. Everyone is heartbroken, they're weeping, and the people.

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Speaker 1: The army even turned their anger towards David, wanting to

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Speaker 1: stone him. But the Bible says that David encouraged himself

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Speaker 1: in the Lord, and David found his strength in the

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Speaker 1: Lord and sought counsel. He went to the Lord and

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Speaker 1: asked him if he should pursue the Amalekites and take

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Speaker 1: what had been lost. So David and his men went

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Speaker 1: after the Amalekites. It was a long and arduous journey,

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Speaker 1: and they suffered from hunger and exhaustion. Two hundred men

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Speaker 1: actually turned back, unwilling or unable to continue, but David

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Speaker 1: found that an Egyptian boy who had once served the Amalekites.

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Speaker 1: He gave them food and water, strengthening them for battle,

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Speaker 1: and led them to the enemy, and just as God

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Speaker 1: had promised, David was victorious. They returned home with their

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Speaker 1: wives and children, and the spoils of war, which David

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Speaker 1: insisted be shared with all, even those who had not

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Speaker 1: gone into battle. Then he sent some of the spoils

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Speaker 1: to Judah. His heart turned again to his people that

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Speaker 1: he was called to lead. Lord, we thank you for

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Speaker 1: this powerful story and how it reminds us that you

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Speaker 1: do protect us from evil and that you often shield

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Speaker 1: us from making terrible and sinful disobedient decisions. Thank you

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Speaker 1: for your grace, Thank you for your salvation in Jesus Christ,

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Speaker 1: and may we always be willing to fight the good

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Speaker 1: fight of faith and win great victories for you in

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Speaker 1: Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible

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Speaker 1: in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.

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Speaker 1: Download the Prey dot com app and make prayer and

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Speaker 1: Bible study a priority in your life. If you enjoyed

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Speaker 1: this podcast, share it with someone you love or know.

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Speaker 1: And by sharing this podcast, we can get the word

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Speaker 1: of God to the world. And if you want more

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Speaker 1: resources on how to tap into God's power for Christian living,

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Speaker 1: be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.

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Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Medician, an innovative healthcare solution

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Speaker 1: for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.