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Speaker 1: Let us pray. And there was a very sore battle

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Speaker 1: that day, and Abner was beaten, and the men of

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Speaker 1: Israel before the servants of David second Samuel two seventeen. Lord,

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Speaker 1: I know you value relationships, and because I desire to

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Speaker 1: walk in your footsteps, relationships will be a focal point

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Speaker 1: for my life. In moments of strife and contention with friends,

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Speaker 1: my heart will seek to do what's right rather than

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Speaker 1: to be right. Mercy and kindness will be the companions

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Speaker 1: of my words. Love and understanding will be the chaperones

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Speaker 1: of my heart. For I now realize that two are

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Speaker 1: better than one. I realize that I can accomplish more

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Speaker 1: united with like minded relationships than by myself. Pride will

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Speaker 1: not cloud my judgment. Anger will not drive my emotions.

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Speaker 1: For I decree and declare that I am not run

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Speaker 1: by emotions but by your spirit God. Like Joe ab

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Speaker 1: in today's reading, I will stop future relationship casualties because

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Speaker 1: I realize we are all your children, God, and that

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Speaker 1: we are on the same team. With this truth, I

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Speaker 1: say in Jesus' name, Amen, listening to these daily prayers

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

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

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Speaker 1: you by Bible in a Year dot com.

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Speaker 2: The best of Friends fight. In our last story, we

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Speaker 2: learned about the fall of Saul and Jonathan. Their deaths

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Speaker 2: signified in ending to David's exile, and now a new

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Speaker 2: era of Israel can emerge to the glory of God.

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Speaker 2: Now we learn about David's messy ascension to the throne

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Speaker 2: as he is crowned King of Judah while Ishbosheth, the

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Speaker 2: son of Saul, is made King of Israel. David is

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Speaker 2: forced to rule within a divided nation, and his trusted commander,

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Speaker 2: Joe ab displays an incredible act of mercy as inspired

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Speaker 2: by the Book of Second Samuel.

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Speaker 3: Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's story, we heard

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Speaker 3: about the deaths of Saul and three of his sons,

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Speaker 3: including Jonathan, on the battlefield. Their death fulfilled what God

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Speaker 3: had told Saul would happen, and it meant that David

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Speaker 3: would no longer live in exile. He would no longer

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Speaker 3: be fearful of Saul. He could return to Israel and

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Speaker 3: begin his kingship to lead God's people. But we'll learn

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Speaker 3: today that Israel is now an divided nation, with Saul's

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Speaker 3: son Ishboshev thrust under the throne of Israel and David

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Speaker 3: ruling in Judah. We'll also hear how Joab, one of

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Speaker 3: the mighty men who had served alongside of David, will

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Speaker 3: be chosen as commander of Judas's army, and like David

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Speaker 3: did so many times with Saul, Joab will display incredible

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Speaker 3: mercy towards his enemies. So let's listen to today's word.

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Speaker 2: Israel was in ruin. War and turmoil with the Philistines

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Speaker 2: had scarred the Hebrew nation, and peace seemed like a

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Speaker 2: distant memory. Their time under King Saul was marked by

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Speaker 2: constant battle and captivity. The Philistines now occupied many territories

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Speaker 2: within Israel and Judah. Now that Saul and Jonathan had

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Speaker 2: been slain in battle, it was time for Israel to

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Speaker 2: have their new king. However, Israel had become divided as

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Speaker 2: a nation. Civil discourses and disagreements over territory had led

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Speaker 2: to a split among the country. The nation of Israel

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Speaker 2: had split into two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, both in

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Speaker 2: desperate need of a king.

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Speaker 1: To lead them.

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Speaker 2: Still hidden away in Ziklag, David sat with the Lord

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Speaker 2: in silence. It had been years since he called Israel

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Speaker 2: his home. Now that Saul was no longer pursuing him,

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Speaker 2: he was free to return. But how would they receive him?

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Speaker 2: Would they sing his praises as before? Would they cast

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Speaker 2: him out for dwelling with the Philistines. David looked at

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Speaker 2: the stars and asked himself these questions. He drew a

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Speaker 2: deep breath and prayed, Lord, should I go back to

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Speaker 2: the land of Judah. God met him in the quiet,

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Speaker 2: as he used to in the wilderness. He strengthened David's

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Speaker 2: heart and sent him forth to return to his homeland.

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Speaker 2: That next morning, David ventured forth with his family and

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Speaker 2: mighty men towards Hebron in the territory of Judah. As

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Speaker 2: Joshua had once led the Hebrews out of the wilderness

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Speaker 2: and into the promised land, David led his band of

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Speaker 2: Mistreit warriors and their families back to the land of Judah.

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Speaker 2: It was midday when David and his people walked through

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Speaker 2: the gates of Judah. David's eyes widened as he saw

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Speaker 2: a parade of people awaiting him. Women were dancing in

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Speaker 2: the streets, and music was being played in every alley

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Speaker 2: of the city. Men, women and children cheered as David

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Speaker 2: walked through the streets. Never had David felt such a

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Speaker 2: rush of love and a fiction. They led him to

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Speaker 2: the great courts and anointed him their king before the

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Speaker 2: entire nation. David crumbled before them and the Lord, with

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Speaker 2: tears streaming down his cheeks and a smile beaming from

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Speaker 2: his face. David was finally crowned king. Meanwhile, Abner, the

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Speaker 2: commander of Sal's army, took ash Bochef, the illegitimate son

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Speaker 2: of Saul, and thrust him onto the throne of Israel.

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Speaker 2: Abner ruled through him and used his position to leverage

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Speaker 2: rule over Israel. David would not seize the mantle of

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Speaker 2: king by force. He had waited for years in the

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Speaker 2: wilderness in Ziklag. He trusted that God would hand him

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Speaker 2: the entire kingdom in due time. For now, David ruled

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Speaker 2: Judah as well and helped restore them to stability and safety.

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Speaker 2: One of his mighty men, Joab, was elected as his commander. Together,

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Speaker 2: Joab and David drove out the enemies of Judah. Philistines

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Speaker 2: were driven out and peace was slowly being won day

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Speaker 2: by day. However, conflict was still lurking within the country.

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Speaker 2: As Abner plotted his takeover, Abner rose up to meet

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Speaker 2: Joab at the pool of Gibeon. The two commanders stood

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Speaker 2: on opposite ends of the water, with their armies behind them.

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Speaker 2: Abner's brows furrowed as he looked at Joab. Abner was

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Speaker 2: a decorated soldier. He was grisly and battle hardened. He

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Speaker 2: was right hand and to the king, and used to

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Speaker 2: governing a nation on his own. Joab was the nephew

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Speaker 2: of David Younger and used to being on the run.

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Speaker 2: He looked at Abner, knowing full well he was stronger

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Speaker 2: and able to crush him. Yet he did not want to.

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Speaker 2: Being with David for so long had taught him mercy.

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Speaker 2: He saw killing as a last resort. Abner shouted to Joab, saying,

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Speaker 2: send twelve of your best men forward, and they shall

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Speaker 2: fight between us. Joab paused and looked back at his men.

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Speaker 2: They nodded, understanding that the unity of Israel was at stake.

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Speaker 2: Joab looked back at Abner and said, let them rise.

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Speaker 2: So twelve men from each army came forth, each team

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Speaker 2: rushed into battle beside the water. They were equals blow

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Speaker 2: for blow. Each swipe of their sword was blocked, and

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Speaker 2: every attempt at a stab was thwarted. The twenty four

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Speaker 2: men were so evenly matched that each of them fell

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Speaker 2: by each other's swords. Each man grabbed the other head

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Speaker 2: and thrust their blades into the other, causing both to fall.

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Speaker 2: Abner watched as his men fell, so he sent his

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Speaker 2: army after Joabs. The battle was fierce. Israel's army, led

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Speaker 2: by Abner, was organized, tactful, and tested. Judah's army, led

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Speaker 2: by Joab was raw, scrappy, and trained by years in

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Speaker 2: the wilderness with David. Abner and the men of Israel

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Speaker 2: were succumbing to the weight of David's men. Though their

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Speaker 2: armor and swords were more polished, they lacked the direction

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Speaker 2: and heart that David imparted. Joab's brother Abashai and Ashahel

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Speaker 2: were fighting alongside him. Together they chopped through the enemy,

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Speaker 2: gliding with precision and ferocity. Asha Hell was swift and

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Speaker 2: was well known for his speed. While the battle was raging,

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Speaker 2: aha Hell honed in on Abner and began to pursue him.

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Speaker 2: Frightened at the sight of him, Abner fled the battle

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Speaker 2: towards the canyons. Abner knew aha Hell and did not

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Speaker 2: want to fight him. Abner shouted, do not follow me,

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Speaker 2: Asha Hell, I do not want to kill you. Yet

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Speaker 2: asha Hell kept on running towards him. Abner was a

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Speaker 2: hardened man, but he did not want to kill asha

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Speaker 2: Hell needlessly. As asha Hell leaped forward to strike down Abner,

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Speaker 2: he lifted up his spear and thrust it straight through

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Speaker 2: his stomach. Aha Hell fell to the ground and choked

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Speaker 2: on his blood. Joe Ab and Abishai stood still as

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Speaker 2: they watched their brother bleed below Abner. Abieschell was first

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Speaker 2: to yell. He picked up his spear and ran towards Abner.

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Speaker 2: Joeab pursued behind him. As the sun was setting over

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Speaker 2: the canyon, Joe Ab and Abishell worked their way through

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Speaker 2: the sea of men between them and Abner. One by

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Speaker 2: one they fell as Abner was backed into a corner

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Speaker 2: with many of his men behind him. The armies of

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Speaker 2: Judah advanced, and Joe Ab and Abishell were closer to

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Speaker 2: taking Abner's life. It was growing dark and the battle

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Speaker 2: became sloppy and gory. Abner ye to Joab, shall we

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Speaker 2: do this forever? How long will we devour one another?

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Speaker 2: Are we not brothers of Israel? Joabs stopped his men.

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Speaker 2: The army of Judah had backed Israel into the hills.

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Speaker 2: It was almost over. Judah looked back at his men

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Speaker 2: and said, if you had not spoken, my men would

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Speaker 2: have continued to kill you throughout the night. Joab paused again.

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Speaker 2: He took the trumpet off his belt and blew it

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Speaker 2: for the entire valley to year. The battle was over,

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Speaker 2: and Joab showed Abner's army mercy. Joab's army had killed

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Speaker 2: three hundred and sixty of Israel's men, while only nineteen

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Speaker 2: of Judah's men had fallen. Joab picked up his brother's

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Speaker 2: body and walked away from the battle. This first act

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Speaker 2: of mercy would make a ripple in the entire country

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Speaker 2: of Israel. Joab spared the lives of hundreds of men.

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Speaker 2: Mercy gives birth to peace.

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Speaker 3: As we began in today's story, Israel is in trouble.

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Speaker 3: The Philistines have occupied large amounts of territory in Israel,

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Speaker 3: and Judah King Saul is dead along with three of

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Speaker 3: his sons, and the nation is deeply divided split into

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Speaker 3: two kingdoms, Judah and Israel. They both desperately wanted a king,

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Speaker 3: but more than anything, they needed a godly ruler to

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Speaker 3: lead them. David, still at Ziklag, got word that Saul

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Speaker 3: and his sons had died, and after confirming that the

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Speaker 3: news was true, David tore his clothes and mourned the

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Speaker 3: death of his loved ones. But when the crying was over,

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Speaker 3: David turned his attention towards his home to Judah. He

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Speaker 3: sought God's counsel, asking if he should return to Judah,

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Speaker 3: and God answered telling him to go. Seeking God's will

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Speaker 3: has been and will continue to be a marker in

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Speaker 3: David's life. Though he would fail and fall at times,

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Speaker 3: David's heart always returns to the Lord to seek his wisdom,

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Speaker 3: his guidance, his governance, and so oh with God's blessing,

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Speaker 3: David gathers his people and crosses back into Judah, his home.

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Speaker 3: The men of Judah quickly came to David's side and

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Speaker 3: anointed him king of Judah. But to the north, in

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Speaker 3: the kingdom of Israel, Abner, the commander of Saul's army,

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Speaker 3: was scheming for power. He took the illegitimate son of

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Speaker 3: Saul Ishbosheth and placed him on the throne of Israel.

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Speaker 3: There would be no peace or unity in the divided nation.

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Speaker 3: David would one day rule a unified Israel, but he

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Speaker 3: would not do so by force. So for the moment

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Speaker 3: he ruled Judah, and ruled well, and took back more

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Speaker 3: and more territory from the Philistines, driving them out of

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Speaker 3: the land. At his side was a man named Joab,

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Speaker 3: who had fought with David for many years and witnessed

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Speaker 3: David's courage in battle, but also his mercy. Meanwhile, Abner

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Speaker 3: was still scheming for power, and he would resort to

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Speaker 3: force and violence in order to get his way. He

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Speaker 3: met Joab at the Pool of Gibbeon, ready to go

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Speaker 3: to battle. Abner challenged joe Ab to send his twelve

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Speaker 3: best men to fight against Abner's twelve, and so he did,

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Speaker 3: and so the two armies clashed in battle. David's army,

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Speaker 3: led by Joe Abb, was much more powerful, and Abner's

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Speaker 3: men were defeated. Abner fled in fear, but Joeab's brother

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Speaker 3: Ashiel pursued him. Ashuel was fast, but Abner was a

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Speaker 3: better fighter, and he didn't want to kill the young man.

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Speaker 3: He knew this would anger Joe Ebb and would surely

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Speaker 3: be his death. He urged AshEL to relent, but he didn't.

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Speaker 3: So Abner killed Ashiel with his spirit, and just as

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Speaker 3: he had feared, Joe Ebb and his other brother, Abishai

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Speaker 3: gave chase. They closed in on Abner, ready to strike

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Speaker 3: him down. Abner cried out to Joe ab appealing to

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Speaker 3: their brotherhood as men of Israel. Would they continue to

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Speaker 3: kill each other until none were left. Joe ab took

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Speaker 3: mercy on his enemy, who was one of his own countrymen.

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Speaker 3: And in Second Samuel two twenty eight we read this,

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Speaker 3: So Joe ab blew the trumpet, and all the men

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Speaker 3: stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.

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Speaker 3: Just like David, when given a chance to wipe out

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Speaker 3: his enemy, one who had done him great wrong, joeb

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Speaker 3: chose the path of mercy. Rather than take many lives,

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Speaker 3: he spared them. It was an act that would resonate

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Speaker 3: throughout both kingdoms and begin to pave the way for

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Speaker 3: unity and peace under the rule of King David. Let's pray,

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Speaker 3: Dear God, thank you for today's story and how It

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Speaker 3: shows us the path of mercy and of your justice.

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Speaker 3: Help us not to be quick to anger or to

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Speaker 3: seek revenge, but always always in you Lord, to extend

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Speaker 3: grace and mercy to those who have wronged us. In Jesus' name, Amen,

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Speaker 3: thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Please download Theprey

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Speaker 3: dot com app and make Bible study and prayer a

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Speaker 3: priority in your life. And if you enjoyed this podcast,

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Speaker 3: share it with someone you love. And if you want

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Speaker 3: more resources as to how to live abundantly in Jesus Christ,

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Speaker 3: be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.

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

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

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Speaker 4: Welcome to the Prey News podcast, where hope is our

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Speaker 4: only bias. Each day, we will unpack the most prominent

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Speaker 4: stories happening in the news and offer a Christian perspective.

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Speaker 4: We won't shy away from the hard topics, and we

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Speaker 4: won't dilute the hopeful message of Christ. This is more

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Speaker 4: than a daily brief on the news. It's a way

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Speaker 4: to be informed and transformed. Listen to Prey News on

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Speaker 4: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.