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Speaker 1: Let us pray, and Absalom met the servants of David

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Speaker 1: an Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went

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Speaker 1: under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his

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Speaker 1: head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken

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Speaker 1: up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule

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Speaker 1: that was under him went away Second Samuel eighteen nine,

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Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, to day, I will focus my heart and

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Speaker 1: energy in the direction of those who have chosen to

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Speaker 1: stand by me in the battle to achieve my goals.

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Speaker 1: While others are focusing on all those who have left

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Speaker 1: their lives, I will instead focus on all those who

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Speaker 1: have encouraged and have fought for me through prayer and proximity.

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Speaker 1: To day, I will celebrate my winds with those loyal

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Speaker 1: to me and my family. To day, I will rejoice

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Speaker 1: and praise You Lord with those who have chosen to

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Speaker 1: build alongside me even in my toughest times. I thank

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Speaker 1: you for the Joe abs in my life who constantly

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Speaker 1: remind me to stop crying and to stop giving my

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Speaker 1: best energy to those who choose to exit my life.

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Speaker 1: Like David did with Absolom, I will be mindful and

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Speaker 1: open to hearing hard corrections, because in the end, the

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Speaker 1: words of a friend may be bitter than lies from

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Speaker 1: my enemies seem sweet. But because of this, I will

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Speaker 1: look to those who tell me the truth, even when

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Speaker 1: it doesn't feel good. I praise you Yahweh, for you

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Speaker 1: are all around me, creating opportunities to strengthen that which

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Speaker 1: remains my true relationships in Jesus name. Amen, Thank you

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Speaker 1: for praying with us to day. Continue your time with

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Speaker 1: God by listening to to day's Bible story, brought to

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Speaker 1: you by biblee dot Com.

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Speaker 2: The Death of Absalom. In our last story, Absalom successfully

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Speaker 2: took the throne of David. David, not wanting to cause

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Speaker 2: a civil war in the streets of Jerusalem, fled into

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Speaker 2: the wilderness until he could plan his next step. Now

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Speaker 2: we see Absalom mounting his attack on David and his

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Speaker 2: men and the tragic fall that comes after pride. Inspired

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Speaker 2: by the Book of Second Samuel.

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Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we

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Speaker 3: heard how Absalom spread lies and rumors to undermine David's

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Speaker 3: rule until he was finally ready to strike and overthrow

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Speaker 3: his father David. David, who was unwilling to sacrifice his

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Speaker 3: people to keep his throne, fled to the wilderness, trusting

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Speaker 3: that God would restore him in his own time and

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Speaker 3: in his own way. Today we'll learn how Absalom takes

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Speaker 3: the fight to David, believing he will win. His pride

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Speaker 3: will be his downfall as David and his mighty men

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Speaker 3: once more show their courage and strengthen battle and their

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Speaker 3: loyalty to David and their faith in God. Let's listen

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Speaker 3: now to today's scripture.

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Speaker 2: Just like old times, David and his mighty men prepared

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Speaker 2: for battle in the wilderness. There was something primal about exile.

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Speaker 2: David and his men thought back on their time on

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Speaker 2: the run from Saul. That is where they truly bonded

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Speaker 2: and banded together as a unit. It was almost as

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Speaker 2: if being in the wilderness was an unforeseen advantage. David

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Speaker 2: sent his commanders Joe, ab Etai, and Abashi to gather

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Speaker 2: them in. David began setting his armor and sharpening his sword.

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Speaker 2: Abishai I sat beside him. You should not go into

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Speaker 2: battle with us, David, he said. David turned and looked shocked.

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Speaker 2: Abishi put his hand on David's shoulder and said, if

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Speaker 2: for some reason they overtake us, we need to have

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Speaker 2: the freedom to retreat. If you are there, they will

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Speaker 2: not allow us to retreat. You are the prize they

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Speaker 2: are hunting. You must stay back. David's lips tightened and

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Speaker 2: his brow furrowed. He was in deep thought. He knew

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Speaker 2: Abishi was right. You must send word out to anyone

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Speaker 2: loyal than Israel willing to fight with us, Abishi said.

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Speaker 2: David nodded and said, whatever seems best to you, I

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Speaker 2: will do so. David sent them off. As they were departing,

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Speaker 2: David turned to his generals and said, please, for my sake,

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Speaker 2: deal gently with Absalom. They agreed and rode into the

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Speaker 2: distance to face Absalom's army. Absalom stood at the head

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Speaker 2: of his army, watching the men of David appear from

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Speaker 2: the distance. A small forest stood in between them, and

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Speaker 2: the two armies began to run towards one another through

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Speaker 2: the trees. The mighty men of David used the trees

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Speaker 2: to their advantage, ramming soldiers into the wood. The armies

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Speaker 2: of Absalom barely stood a chance against them. Absalom watched

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Speaker 2: as his men were buried under the fury of David's army.

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Speaker 2: He looked to his left and to his right. Blood

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Speaker 2: shed and carnage was everywhere, and Absalom fled in a

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Speaker 2: frantic attempt to save his life. As he rode through

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Speaker 2: the trees, his head was snagged between two branches, and

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Speaker 2: his horse continued to ride without him. Absalom's neck was

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Speaker 2: gripped between the two branches, and he flailed in the

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Speaker 2: air trying to catch a breath. A few of David's

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Speaker 2: men stood under Absalom, watching him squirm in the air.

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Speaker 2: Joeab and Abershi bickered over whether to kill him or not.

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Speaker 2: Yet Joab saw very little use in arguing further. He

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Speaker 2: took his spear and drove Ovid into Absalom. As he

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Speaker 2: hung there, they drug Absalom's body through dirt and leaves.

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Speaker 2: There they threw him into a pit and put stones

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Speaker 2: above his body. His grave would serve as a reminder

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Speaker 2: that a kingdom established by pride and greed would be

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Speaker 2: a kingdom short lived. When David learned of Absalom's death,

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Speaker 2: he returned home and wept for days. David's heart broke

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Speaker 2: at his son's fate and wished that there could have

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Speaker 2: been another way to save him. Joab returned home from

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Speaker 2: victory and saw that the streets of Israel mourned in

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Speaker 2: shame for Absalom's death. There, grieving, vexed Joab, he walked

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Speaker 2: into the house of David to see him lying on

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Speaker 2: the floor weeping over his son. Joab approached David and

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Speaker 2: picked him up off the floor and slammed him against

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Speaker 2: the wall. The floor shook and a few cups fell

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Speaker 2: off the table beside them. David looked at Joab, shocked

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Speaker 2: and confused. Joab continued to press David against the wall

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Speaker 2: as he yelled, today we have saved you, Israel, and

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Speaker 2: your entire family from the tyranny of your son. Your

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Speaker 2: whole household and all of Israel should be rejoicing, but

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Speaker 2: instead they feel ashamed because you refuse to encourage them.

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Speaker 2: Joab released David and swatted at the air. He turned

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Speaker 2: and pointed to David again, yelling, you can't help yourself. David.

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Speaker 2: Ever since I have known you, you have loved those

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Speaker 2: who hate you and hated those who love you. Do

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Speaker 2: we mean nothing to you? We just got home from

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Speaker 2: battle and we have to come home to these darkened

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Speaker 2: streets filled with tears. Joab's legs began to shake. He

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Speaker 2: was tired from battle and frustrated at his king. He

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Speaker 2: sighed and said, I swear, if you do not go

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Speaker 2: out there and encourage your people, your men will lose

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Speaker 2: hope in you. They bled for you. The least you

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Speaker 2: can do is thank them instead of wallowing in self

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Speaker 2: pity over your traitor's son. David said nothing to Joab.

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Speaker 2: He was right. David had always spent so much time

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Speaker 2: pining after the affection of those who betrayed him. Saul

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Speaker 2: and Absalom were both examples of that. David composed himself

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Speaker 2: and walked among the streets of Israel. He encouraged those

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Speaker 2: who were mourning, and stood at the gates and resolved.

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Speaker 3: In God's word. Today the stage is set for battle.

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Speaker 3: Absalom's army is preparing to attack his father, but David

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Speaker 3: and his men are ready, and they're much more seasoned warriors.

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Speaker 3: David put three of his most trusted commanders in charge

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Speaker 3: of his army, Joeb, Abishai and Itah. Though he did

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Speaker 3: not want to fight his son, David began to prepare

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Speaker 3: for the battle as well, but Abishai advised David to

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Speaker 3: stay behind for his safety, Knowing that David's life was

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Speaker 3: of great value. David trusted his men and agreed to

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Speaker 3: follow Abishai's council. As his men ready themselves to go

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Speaker 3: to the battle, David had a request. We read this

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Speaker 3: in Second Samuel eighteen, verse five. And the king ordered

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Speaker 3: Joe ab Abashai and Edtai deal gently for my sake

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Speaker 3: with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard

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Speaker 3: when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

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Speaker 3: After all the betrayal, after all that Absalom had done

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Speaker 3: to David and his family, David still loved his son,

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Speaker 3: his flesh and blood, and he requested that his life

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Speaker 3: be spared. It may have seemed outrageous to those who

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Speaker 3: heard it, as it made to you today. Absalom had

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Speaker 3: committed treason and was actively trying to kill his father,

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Speaker 3: and yet David asked his men for mercy upon his son.

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Speaker 3: It's possible that this is a fault in David's life,

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Speaker 3: in that he failed to correct his children. One might

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Speaker 3: even say that he was soft on discipline. But we

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Speaker 3: also see in David a heart after God, and his

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Speaker 3: heart is long suffering and full of love and grace

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Speaker 3: towards others. And despite the failures of his son and

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Speaker 3: his family, David was a faithful father in so many ways.

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Speaker 3: This would be a good time to remind ourselves that

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Speaker 3: we have a good, good father, a gracious, heavenly Father

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Speaker 3: who loves us and is merciful towards us, and is

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Speaker 3: forgiving even when we run away and betray him. Jesus

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Speaker 3: is the son of the Father who went to the

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Speaker 3: cross and died and rose again so that we could

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Speaker 3: be reunited with God, our father. God went to war

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Speaker 3: for us, not against us, and he fought for our

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Speaker 3: hearts and our lives and our souls. David's men accepted

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Speaker 3: David's request and set off for the fight, and as

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Speaker 3: fights go, this one wasn't much of a match. David's

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Speaker 3: army was stronger, wiser, and more skill than Absalom's army,

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Speaker 3: and they quickly won the fight. Absalom was no war

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Speaker 3: and seeing the defeated hand, he fled the fight on

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Speaker 3: his mule, and as he rode through the trees, his

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Speaker 3: head was caught between the branches and he hung there,

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Speaker 3: helpless and unable to escape. One of Joab's men found him,

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Speaker 3: but he remembered David's orders and was unwilling to kill Absolom. Joeab, however,

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Speaker 3: acted swiftly and with his armor bearers, killed Absalom, then

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Speaker 3: took his body down from the tree. He then buried

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Speaker 3: the body and erected stones over the grave, a monument

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Speaker 3: named after Absolom himself, to remind all of how God

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Speaker 3: had dealt swiftly with the counterfeit. King David was now

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Speaker 3: free from danger. His son, who sought to kill him,

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Speaker 3: was dead, but this was of no comfort to David.

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Speaker 3: David wept and grieved his son, and when Joeab saw

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Speaker 3: David's response, he could not stay silent any longer and

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Speaker 3: rebuked David for focusing on his sorrow for the loss

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Speaker 3: of one who wanted to kill him, rather than reach

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Speaker 3: rejoicing in his deliverance and encouraging those who remain loyal

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Speaker 3: to him. The king was convicted by the honest words

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Speaker 3: of his loyal commander and friend. He rose from his

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Speaker 3: mourning and sat at the gate and received his people

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Speaker 3: who trusted in him as the king, that he was

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Speaker 3: truly God's king. It was time to return to Jerusalem,

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Speaker 3: and we'll hear more about that the next time. Dear God,

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Speaker 3: we thank you for today's message of restoration and the

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Speaker 3: victory for David and his men. Thank you for the

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Speaker 3: reminder that your promises always endure, as does your patient

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Speaker 3: love for us. In Jesus's name, Amen, thank you for

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Speaker 3: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor

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Speaker 3: Jack Graham, and we appreciate so very much your interest,

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Speaker 3: your prayers, and your involvement in this wonderful effort to

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Speaker 3: walk through the Bible. I would encourage you to download

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Speaker 3: the Prey dot com app and make prayer a true

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Speaker 3: priority in you along with the study of God's word.

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Speaker 3: If you appreciate and have enjoyed this podcast, it would

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Speaker 3: be very helpful if you would share it with someone

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Speaker 3: you love because it will make a huge difference in

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Speaker 3: their lives. And if you want to know more about

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Speaker 3: how you can know Jesus and follow him how you

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Speaker 3: can live the Christian life, be sure to visit Jack

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Speaker 3: Graham dot org. Thank you and God bless you.

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Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare

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Speaker 2: Each day, we'll unpack the most prominent stories happening in

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Speaker 2: the news and offer a Christian perspective.

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Speaker 1: We won't shy away from the hard topics, and we

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Speaker 1: won't dilute the hopeful message of Christ. This is more

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Speaker 1: than a daily brief on the news.

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Speaker 2: It's a way to be informed and transformed. Listen to

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Speaker 2: Prey News on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

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Speaker 2: you get your podcasts.