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Speaker 1: Let us pray. Yet he send profits to them to

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Speaker 1: bring them again unto the Lord, and they testified against them,

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Speaker 1: but they would not give ear Second Chronicles twenty four

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Speaker 1: nineteen To day, Lord, I am making the conscious decision

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Speaker 1: to forever be mindful of how I conduct myself. Because

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Speaker 1: I am a leader, and because you have entrusted me

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Speaker 1: with influence in the lives of others. I will not

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Speaker 1: lower my standards to become comfortable with ungodliness. I will

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Speaker 1: not lower my standards to cater to the hearts of

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Speaker 1: those who desire to walk away from your goodness and

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Speaker 1: your mercy. Lord, I decree and declare that I will

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Speaker 1: stay the course and finish my race of faith with

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Speaker 1: all diligence. Whether eyes are on me or whether I

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Speaker 1: am alone, I will make sure that I represent Christ

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Speaker 1: in all that I do, For I know that I

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Speaker 1: do not have the luxury of living up to others

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Speaker 1: low expectations of my life. So with second Kings before

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Speaker 1: me and joe Ash's story heard by me, I will

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Speaker 1: not be moved from my place of faith in You God,

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Speaker 1: in Jesus name, Amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens

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Speaker 1: your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by

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Speaker 1: listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought to you

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Speaker 1: by Bible in a Year dot com Joash. In our

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Speaker 1: last story, we learned about Queen Athaliah, her foul, hard

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Speaker 1: turn to the entire nation of Judah. Corrupt and depressed,

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Speaker 1: she ruled to serve herself and killed her grandchildren in

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Speaker 1: attempts to secure her power. However, she overlooked one grandchild, Joash.

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Speaker 1: The righteous leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and placed Joash

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Speaker 1: as king over the land. Now we learn of Joash's

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Speaker 1: time as king. His faith would be reliant on the

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Speaker 1: high priest Jehoiada. However, would Joash's heart cling to righteousness

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Speaker 1: even in his teacher's absence, or would the darkness in

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Speaker 1: his heart be too much for him to bear alone?

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Speaker 1: Inspired by the Book of Second Kings and Second Chronicles,

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Speaker 1: this is Pastor Jack Graham with the day's episode of

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Speaker 1: the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode,

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Speaker 1: we heard about Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and Jezebel,

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Speaker 1: who became the only woman to ever rule over God's people.

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Speaker 1: Her evil heart and hunger for power caused her to

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Speaker 1: carry out a slaughter of all of David's descendants in

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Speaker 1: an attempt to secure her rule. But God's plan to

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Speaker 1: save his people through David could not be stopped, and

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Speaker 1: one child remained, Athaliah's grandson, Joash. When Joash was just seven,

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Speaker 1: the leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and installed him as king,

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Speaker 1: with Jehodah the High Priest as his counsel. Today, we'll

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Speaker 1: hear about Joash's righteous rule under the tutelage of his

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Speaker 1: garden and discovered that the young man stayed faithful to

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Speaker 1: his teaching. Let's listen now to today's reading from God's word.

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Speaker 1: The daughter of the witch Queen had fallen. The kingdom

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Speaker 1: of Judah was rid of its villainous empress and now

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Speaker 1: free to worship the Lord under its new king, Joash.

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Speaker 1: The new king was only a boy when he took

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Speaker 1: the throne at the age of seven. Joeash was given

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Speaker 1: a terribly heavy burden to bear. He desired to play, explore,

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Speaker 1: and learn any other boy his age. However, he was

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Speaker 1: now responsible for the well being of an entire nation.

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Speaker 1: Joash leaned on the guidance of Jehoiada the High Priest.

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Speaker 1: He was a gentle servant of God, wise and full

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Speaker 1: of God's spirit. He raised Joash and the fear and

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Speaker 1: wisdom of the Lord. Jehoiada gathered other elders, priests, and

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Speaker 1: leaders to come alongside the young king to strengthen and

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Speaker 1: counsel him. As Joash grew older, Jehoiada found two wives

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Speaker 1: for him to settle alliances with other tribes. As Jehoiada

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Speaker 1: grew stronger and more independent, the Lord blessed him with

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Speaker 1: many children and a thriving kingdom. Joash was surveying his

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Speaker 1: kingdom in the coolness of the morning. The sun was

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Speaker 1: just beginning to peer over the hillside, and the new

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Speaker 1: rays of light shone on the Temple of God. The

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Speaker 1: temple was brilliantly designed by Solomon, However, years of neglect

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Speaker 1: had broken it down. The temple had lost much of

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Speaker 1: its luster. Joash that the temple could not contain God, however,

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Speaker 1: it was a symbol of Israel's relationship with him. He

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Speaker 1: determined in his heart to repair the broken parts of

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Speaker 1: the temple. So Joash set plans in place to restore

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Speaker 1: the place of worship. Enthusiastic about his new project, King

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Speaker 1: Joash summoned all the priests and levites to his home.

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Speaker 1: They watched as the king laid out his plan. Now,

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Speaker 1: all we need is to collect the annual offerings from

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Speaker 1: the people, Joash said, with excitement, that will fund the

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Speaker 1: temple repairs. Go quickly to collect from them. However, as

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Speaker 1: Joash was speaking, his enthusiasm was not matched by the

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Speaker 1: men in the room. They left the meeting but delayed

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Speaker 1: in collecting the funds from the people. Joash was anxious

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Speaker 1: that the priests and levites did not reach out to

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Speaker 1: the people for an offering. He did not understand why

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Speaker 1: they would delay in such a noble project. Disturbed and hurt,

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Speaker 1: he summoned Joiada to his home. The old priest sat down.

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Speaker 1: Years had weighed heavily on Joiada, but he maintained his

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Speaker 1: bright smile and positive glow. Why haven't the priests and

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Speaker 1: levites collected the taxes yet, Joash asked, while pacing the room.

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Speaker 1: Moses declared, this tax in the community of Israel to

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Speaker 1: maintain the tabernacle. It is an act of worship. I

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Speaker 1: would have thought they would be excited to do so.

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Speaker 1: Jehoiada smiled and nodded his head. He stood up and

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Speaker 1: looked out the king's window towards the temple. He then

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Speaker 1: began to tell Joash about the years before he was king.

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Speaker 1: For six years, Queen Arthaliah and her men would collect

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Speaker 1: the temple tax and then raided in the middle of

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Speaker 1: the night to build altars to bail the people were

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Speaker 1: oppressed with their own offering. They were choked out by

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Speaker 1: their own acts of worship. Jehoiada looked at Joash and

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Speaker 1: put his hands on his shoulders. He was still a

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Speaker 1: young king, naive, but with a good heart. You must

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Speaker 1: comfort the people that things have changed, he said. Joe

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Speaker 1: nodded and left the room. He ordered for a large

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Speaker 1: chest to be made and placed outside the temple gate.

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Speaker 1: The chest was massive, immovable, and could be seen by all.

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Speaker 1: He then explained that the chest would be a symbol

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Speaker 1: of transparency. No one would take the money in secret

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Speaker 1: or in the shadows. When money would be taken to

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Speaker 1: repair the temple, all would be able to witness it.

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Speaker 1: So the proclamation was sent throughout all of Judah and Jerusalem.

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Speaker 1: People happily answered the call and brought their temple tax

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Speaker 1: to the chest of the temple. The elders, priests and

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Speaker 1: levites were pleased to partner with Joash. Since he proved

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Speaker 1: to be a leader of light, not of darkness. He

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Speaker 1: would not hide in the shadows as his grandmother. Masons,

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Speaker 1: metal workers, and carpenters were all hired to restore the temple.

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Speaker 1: The beaten up exterior of the temple began to be

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Speaker 1: smoothed of its rough surface. The rotting beams were replaced

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Speaker 1: with sturdy wood. The eroding metal was furbished and polished.

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Speaker 1: As the temple began to be cleaned, so did the

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Speaker 1: hearts of the people. The temple was a symbol of

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Speaker 1: their restored relationship to God after years of darkness. After

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Speaker 1: the work was done, there was still money left over.

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Speaker 1: The money was then used to make instruments for warship

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Speaker 1: and sacrifice. All these things Joash did under the loving

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Speaker 1: influence of Jehoiada the priest. However, time, as the great thief,

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Speaker 1: it takes even the best of men. After one hundred

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Speaker 1: thirty years of faithfully guiding, loving, and serving the people

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Speaker 1: of Judah, Jehoiada passed to be with his God. He

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Speaker 1: was buried among the kings in the city of David.

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Speaker 1: For Jehoiada was considered a king in his own right.

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Speaker 1: Without him, Joash would have been lost. The trumpets sounded

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Speaker 1: throughout the entire city of Jerusalem. The sun began its descent,

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Speaker 1: and the sky was painted a deep red. The whole

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Speaker 1: nation mourn as Joyada was buried into the ground. Joash

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Speaker 1: soaked in the corner of his palace. He sat in silence,

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Speaker 1: mourning over the death of his teacher, friend, and father.

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Speaker 1: There was a dormant darkness in his heart that had

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Speaker 1: been kept down by Jooyada's kindness. He felt it creeping

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Speaker 1: in slowly. He felt anger, he felt pride. The king

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Speaker 1: had never been without the counsel of Joyada. Seeing this

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Speaker 1: void as an opportunity, a few of Judah's elders came

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Speaker 1: to him and bowed. They implored of the king to

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Speaker 1: take their advice. They painted themselves as Jooiad as replacements.

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Speaker 1: They took advantage of Joash's vulnerable and malleable mind. Together

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Speaker 1: they conspired to abandon the temple of God. They erected

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Speaker 1: monuments and poles to the pagan god Asherah. The depraved

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Speaker 1: idol worship, once eradicated, had resurfaced, and the people of

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Speaker 1: Judah's suffered as a result. Selfishness replaced generosity, lewdness replaced kindness,

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Speaker 1: anger replaced hope. All began to crumble. The Lord rumbled

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Speaker 1: with divine anger against Joeash and his leaders. He watched

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Speaker 1: as all the progress established by Johoiada blew away like

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Speaker 1: sand in a storm. The Lord sent a messenger to

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Speaker 1: Joeash to counsel him back to holiness. To do this,

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Speaker 1: he sent Johoiada's son, Zechariah. Zechariah stood firm against Joash

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Speaker 1: and his corrupt elders. He warned them of what would

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Speaker 1: happen if they continued to muddy their minds with idolatry.

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Speaker 1: Why do you stray from the Lord? He asked? Were

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Speaker 1: you not prospering when under his guidance? Were you not

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Speaker 1: loved and successful while worshiping him? Was Judah not better off?

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Speaker 1: Zechariah's words were true, but fell on deaf ears. He

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Speaker 1: saw joe Ash's eyes. They were full of hurt and pain.

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Speaker 1: They were the eyes of a man who had given

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Speaker 1: in to the corruption in his own heart. Zechariah sighed,

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Speaker 1: he knew what was about to happen. However, the Lord

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Speaker 1: gave him boldness to say one final thing. If you

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Speaker 1: abandon the Lord. Surely you will feel the consequences. With

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Speaker 1: those words, Zechariah was struck on the jaw by the

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Speaker 1: king's guard. He fell to the floor. Immediately he felt

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Speaker 1: a flurry of kicks on his ribs and stomach. Zechariah

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Speaker 1: moaned in pain. As he rose to his feet, he

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Speaker 1: looked at Joash again. Resolute evil beamed from Joash's eyes.

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Speaker 1: Stone him, the king said, with a cold tone. Zachariah

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Speaker 1: was dragged out into the courtyard. He was tied to

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Speaker 1: a beam, facing an angry mob of Asherah worshippers. He

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Speaker 1: watched their hands caress the stones that would be thrown

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Speaker 1: at him. This was how the king repaid Jehoieda by

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Speaker 1: killing his son. Zechariah sighed and lifted his eyes to heaven.

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Speaker 1: May you see what they are doing. Lord, May you

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Speaker 1: deal with them as you please. And with those final words,

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Speaker 1: Zechariah felt the onslaught of stones crush his bones and face.

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Speaker 1: Moments later, the bloodied corpse of the prophet was hanging

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Speaker 1: from the beam. His lifeless and mangled body was an

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Speaker 1: image of Judah's collective heart. Springtime came and the nation

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Speaker 1: of Judah was vulnerable. The aramiean army marched in with

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Speaker 1: a small army to plunder the outside towns. They invaded

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Speaker 1: with force and killed every leader that rode out against them.

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Speaker 1: Although their army was small, they were able to take

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Speaker 1: large portions of land. The armies of Judah were uninspired

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Speaker 1: and ill prepared under their selfish King Joash rode against

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Speaker 1: the Aramians. He flew in with his horse and sword,

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Speaker 1: expecting to save his nation from evil. However, he was

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Speaker 1: delivered a harsh blow and brutally wounded. Before they could

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Speaker 1: kill him, King Joash was taken back to Jerusalem to heal.

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Speaker 1: Joash slept in his bed. He coughed and winced at

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Speaker 1: his fresh wounding. It was a moonless night, and now

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Speaker 1: shadows were cast in Joash's room. Leaders that were loyal

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Speaker 1: to God had crept in the middle of the night

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Speaker 1: and killed the king in his sleep. Thus ended the

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Speaker 1: forty year reign of Joash. His life was a true tragedy.

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Speaker 1: All the good he accomplished in his life was blotted

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Speaker 1: out by a few years of corruption. Joash serves as

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Speaker 1: an example that passed good does not outweigh present failure.

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Speaker 1: To be known and remembered as a true leader. One

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Speaker 1: must cling to God in all seasons of life. As

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Speaker 1: we began today's reading, Judah has a new king, the

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Speaker 1: young boy Joash. At just seven, he was too young

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Speaker 1: to bear the burden of leadership on his own, so Jehoidah,

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Speaker 1: who had cared for him while he hid from his

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Speaker 1: wicked grandmother Atholiah, served as the boy's teacher and counselor

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Speaker 1: until he came of age. Jehoidah was an honorable man

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Speaker 1: who sought God and served with godly wisdom. He instructed

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Speaker 1: Joash in God's ways from an early age until the

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Speaker 1: young king came of age. It's a reminder of us

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Speaker 1: to day that young people need godly leadership and spiritual

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Speaker 1: mentors in their lives, some one whose example can provide

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Speaker 1: wise counsel. This, of course, begins with parents and pastors

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Speaker 1: and others who have the responsibility to teach the young.

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Speaker 1: Because Jehoidah led the young king and taught him to

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Speaker 1: fear the Lord, God blessed the reign of Joash as

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Speaker 1: he matured. When Joash saw the temple in disrepair, he

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Speaker 1: was moved to restore God's house, so he ordered the

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Speaker 1: priest to take up the taxes and offerings from the

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Speaker 1: people to fund the restoration of the temple. It was

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Speaker 1: an act of worship, recognizing that God's house was a

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Speaker 1: sign to the people of God's presence, and it was

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Speaker 1: also a signed to God that his people's hearts were

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Speaker 1: turned to him. The king was sure that the people

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Speaker 1: would be eager to give their offerings to the Lord

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Speaker 1: to accomplish this, but after years of Athaliah's rule and

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Speaker 1: heard dishonest dealings with money, the people were reluctant to contribute.

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Speaker 1: They needed to learn to trust their leaders, both the

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Speaker 1: king and the priest. It is almost impossible for a

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Speaker 1: leader to inspire others and lead them when there is

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Speaker 1: a lack of trust. So joash had Jehoedah construct a

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Speaker 1: chess with a hole in the top, and whenever money

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Speaker 1: was removed from the chess, there was an open and

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Speaker 1: transparent accounting of the funds. The people then gave freely

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Speaker 1: and the temple was restored. This was not only a

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Speaker 1: physical act of restoration and cleansing, but a symbolic act

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Speaker 1: that demonstrated the changed hearts of God's people and their generosity.

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Speaker 1: After years of faithful service, Jehoedah left his earthly life

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Speaker 1: to be with his heavenly father. He served God in

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Speaker 1: the King of Judah with honor, integrity, and wisdom. Josh

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Speaker 1: had been given a strong example from this godly man. Sadly,

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Speaker 1: what followed jehoedah As death is an example of how

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Speaker 1: quickly darkness can take over our hearts when we lose focus.

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Speaker 1: In Second Chronicles twenty four, seventeen and eighteen we read

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Speaker 1: this now, after the death of Jehoedah, the princes of

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Speaker 1: Judah came and paid homage to the King. Then the

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Speaker 1: King listened to them and abandon the house of the Lord,

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Speaker 1: the God of their fathers, and serve the Asherim and

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Speaker 1: the idols. How sad that despite years under his wise mentor,

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Speaker 1: Joash failed to remember the Lord. This serves as a

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Speaker 1: vivid reminder of us today that though we are secure

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Speaker 1: in our salvation through Christ, it is possible to slip

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Speaker 1: into sinful behavior and live as though we are not

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Speaker 1: honoring God when we fail to keep our eyes on

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Speaker 1: the Lord and lean on his spirit to enable us.

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Speaker 1: When we begin listening to the wisdom of this world

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Speaker 1: or to those who represent the world, darkness, like a lion,

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Speaker 1: is waiting to devour us. God was angry with the

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Speaker 1: king and sent a message through Zechariah, the son of

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Speaker 1: Joash's mentor Jehodah. Because he had abandoned God, God would

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Speaker 1: turn away from him. There was still time for repentance.

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Speaker 1: If Joash had heard these words and turned from his ways,

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Speaker 1: history would remember him differently. Instead, he closed his ears

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Speaker 1: and his heart to God, and he had Zachariah the

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Speaker 1: prophet stoned to death. The king's heart has now turned

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Speaker 1: to darkness, and Judah was with him. The nation was

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Speaker 1: attacked by the Aramians, and Joash suffered a devastating wound.

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Speaker 1: He made it home, only to be killed by a

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Speaker 1: God fearing man who desired to see Judah returned to

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Speaker 1: the Lord, and so ended the tragic life of a

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Speaker 1: king who began so well but ended so poorly. May

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Speaker 1: his life and his tragic death serve as a lesson

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Speaker 1: to us today. Dear God, thank you for your word. Always,

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Speaker 1: thank you for the truth of it, even when it

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Speaker 1: is hard. Truth. Lord, we pledge that we will be

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Speaker 1: faithful to you. We're asking that your spirit would fill

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Speaker 1: us and use us all the days of our lives.

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Speaker 1: That you would guide us and guard us and protect

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Speaker 1: us and provide everything that we need to live in

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Speaker 1: the fear of the Lord always. And we pray this

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Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening

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Speaker 1: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham

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Speaker 1: from Dallas, Texas. Download the Prey dot com app and

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Speaker 1: make prayer and Bible study a priority in your life.

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Speaker 1: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love,

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Speaker 1: share it with a friend, pass it on because this

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Speaker 1: podcast can make a huge difference in people's lives. I'm

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Speaker 1: hearing wonderful stories of the impact of God's Word as

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Speaker 1: a result of listening to Bible in a Year. And

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Speaker 1: if you want more biblical resources, resources from God's Word

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Speaker 1: that will enable you and assist you in your walk

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Speaker 1: with God, then be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org.

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Speaker 1: That's Jack Graham dot org. God bless you. This episode

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Speaker 1: is sponsored by Medicia, an innovative healthcare solution for Christians

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Speaker 1: to save money without sacrificing quality.