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Speaker 1: Let us pray. Then went he down and dipped himself

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Speaker 1: seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of

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Speaker 1: the Man of God, and his flesh came again like

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Speaker 1: unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

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Speaker 1: Second Kings five fourteen. With a new day upon me

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Speaker 1: and a new opportunity for growth, I turned my attention

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Speaker 1: to you, Lord. I turn to you with a humble

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Speaker 1: heart and a request that cleanse me from any illness

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Speaker 1: and disease that will plague my mind, body, and soul.

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Speaker 1: I denounced the leprosy mindset of mediocrity that desires to

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Speaker 1: eat away at my dreams and desires give me the

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Speaker 1: faith of name and servant to speak up and to

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Speaker 1: know where I can find life. I release all my

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Speaker 1: pride and ego that may try to under my freedom

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Speaker 1: and breakthrough. As I move with faith, Meet me at

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Speaker 1: my place of action, Meet me at the place of

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Speaker 1: my obedience. No matter how absurd your instruction may seem,

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Speaker 1: I'll dip my life into the living water of your

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Speaker 1: word until I am made whole. Thank you, Lord for

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Speaker 1: my newness and for my healing. I shall live and

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Speaker 1: experience your goodness from this moment on 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. A rotting body made new. In

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Speaker 1: our last story, God promised a child to a childless

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Speaker 1: woman to reward her generous spirit. However, when the boy's

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Speaker 1: life was abruptly taken, all hope seemed to disappear. Elisha

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Speaker 1: laid over the child's body, and by the grace of God,

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Speaker 1: his life was restored. Now we learn of a foreign warrior,

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Speaker 1: a commander of the armies of Syria, is plagued with

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Speaker 1: leprosy and his only hope for healing lies in the

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Speaker 1: Jordan River. Inspired by the Book of Second Kings, Hello,

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Speaker 1: this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible

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Speaker 1: in a Year. In our previous episode, Elisha befriended a

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Speaker 1: Schinnomite woman who generously provided food and lodging for the

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Speaker 1: prophet as he traveled through the kingdom doing God's will.

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Speaker 1: The Lord blessed the woman with a son because of

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Speaker 1: her kindness, but one day the boy suddenly died, leaving

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Speaker 1: her heartbroken of course, she turned to God through Elisha

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Speaker 1: and was given back this son that she had lost

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Speaker 1: because God worked a miracle and brought life back into

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Speaker 1: her son's lifeless body. Today we'll hear how Elisha shows

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Speaker 1: God's power beyond Israel, bringing healing and faith to the

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Speaker 1: home of a Syrian commander. So let's listen now to

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Speaker 1: today's scripture. Deep into the north and the kingdom of Syria,

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Speaker 1: the wind whistled under the blade of Naman. He was

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Speaker 1: a mighty man fighting under the name of the Syrian king.

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Speaker 1: His bravery and skill was unmatched in all the land,

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Speaker 1: and he led his men well. Nayman was the crown

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Speaker 1: jewel of his king and the most beloved warrior in

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Speaker 1: his country. For years, Nayman fought and led with complete bravery.

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Speaker 1: His men howled like a pack of wolves behind him

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Speaker 1: as they made raids on other nations. No man could

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Speaker 1: defeat Nayman. Yet that did not make him invincible. Nayman

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Speaker 1: came home from bad and stripped off his armor. His

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Speaker 1: body ached. Yet this pain was not from hours of fighting.

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Speaker 1: Beginning with his finger tips and crawling up his arm

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Speaker 1: like a spider's web, was rotten skin in flesh, ulcers

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Speaker 1: laced his midsection, and his ears were slowly deteriorating underneath

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Speaker 1: his helmet. Nayman, for all his might and power, could

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Speaker 1: not escape the deadly grip of leprosy. Soon the disease

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Speaker 1: seeped through his entire body. His skin slowly tore off

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Speaker 1: his body, and he lost all feeling in his fingers

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Speaker 1: and toes. Nayman could no longer grip a sword, let

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Speaker 1: alone march into battle with his men, so from a

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Speaker 1: distance he would command raids and establish battle strategies. One day,

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Speaker 1: the horsemen of Syria came into Israel like a rain cloud.

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Speaker 1: Their swords and arrows flew through the city like locusts.

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Speaker 1: Nayman's men were excellent raiders, the best in all the East.

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Speaker 1: They raided a border city in israel I, then left

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Speaker 1: with many spoils and slaves. One captive from this raid

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Speaker 1: was a young Israelite girl. She was carried off from

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Speaker 1: her family and forced into service in Nayman's household. The

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Speaker 1: newly captured girl worked under Nayman's wife. She kept quiet,

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Speaker 1: as all slaves did. However, even though her mouth remained shut,

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Speaker 1: her eyes and ears were open. She watched his Namen

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Speaker 1: limped through the house. She listened in the night as

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Speaker 1: he cried out in anguish. Nayman's plight was no secret

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Speaker 1: to the slave girl. She knew he had leprosy. She

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Speaker 1: knew he was dying. One morning, after lying awake to

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Speaker 1: the sound of Nayman's screams, the girl was tending to

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Speaker 1: her mistress. She looked at her mistress carefully. There was

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Speaker 1: deep pain behind her false mask of nobility. The girl

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Speaker 1: knew that the woman worried over her husband's illness. The

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Speaker 1: girl worked up the courage to speak. If only Nayman

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Speaker 1: was with the Prophet of Israel, he would surely cure him.

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Speaker 1: The wife of Nayman perked up immediately. Her eyes widened,

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Speaker 1: and even though there was no visible smile, there was

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Speaker 1: a glimmer of hope. For the first time in years,

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Speaker 1: Nayman's wife spoke to her husband about the Prophet of Israel.

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Speaker 1: Nayman felt a small sliver of hope, a small chance,

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Speaker 1: was the only thing someone in his situation needed. Nayman

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Speaker 1: had been counting the days until his demise for years. Now,

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Speaker 1: for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime,

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Speaker 1: he could place his faith in something. Nayman sent word

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Speaker 1: to his king for permission to depart for Israel. The

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Speaker 1: king loved Namen and sent word to the King of Israel. Immediately.

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Speaker 1: He sent over gifts of gold, silver, and fine clothing

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Speaker 1: as a sign of good will. The letter wrote, when

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Speaker 1: you receive this letter, it will be with my servant Nayman.

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Speaker 1: I have sent him so that you may cure him

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Speaker 1: of leprosy. The King of Israel at that time was Yerrome.

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Speaker 1: Nayman stood before Yoom. He watched as the King of

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Speaker 1: Israel scanned over the letter. Yoom looked up from the

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Speaker 1: letter towards the gifts of gold and silver, then back

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Speaker 1: at the letter. Audible scoffs could be heard from the king.

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Speaker 1: They made Namen uneasy. The King of Israel was silent

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Speaker 1: for a long time. Then, in a fit of rage,

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Speaker 1: he ripped up the letter and tore his robe. The

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Speaker 1: king stood to his feet and yelled, who am I

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Speaker 1: to you God? His anger was palpable. Nayman's heart began

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Speaker 1: to sink as he heard the words fling from Yoom's mouth.

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Speaker 1: Am I God, to just kill and make live with

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Speaker 1: my words? The King of Syria must be laying a

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Speaker 1: trap for me, for certainly he does not believe I

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Speaker 1: can just cure a man of leprosy. The king continued

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Speaker 1: his fit in front of Naymen, then sent him away.

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Speaker 1: Naymen left humiliated. His hope had been quenched like water

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Speaker 1: to a camp fire. Now all that remained was a

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Speaker 1: long and painful journey back home. What Naymen did not

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Speaker 1: know was that the king was not the man of God.

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Speaker 1: The girl spoke of. Elishah was the prophet. Elishah had

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Speaker 1: heard the king tore his clothes in front of nobles

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Speaker 1: from Syria. He heard of Naymen and the king of

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Speaker 1: Syria's letter. Elisha pondered what God may be doing, and

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Speaker 1: then sent word to the king. He said, why do

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Speaker 1: you tell your clothes over nothing? Send the man to

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Speaker 1: me so that he may know there is a prophet

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Speaker 1: in Israel. So word was sent to Namen, and he

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Speaker 1: reluctantly came to the house of Elishah. Nayman knocked on

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Speaker 1: the door. To his surprise, Elishah did not answer. Instead,

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Speaker 1: it was one of Elisha's servants. Go to the Jordan

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Speaker 1: river and wash yourself seven times. The servant said, your

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Speaker 1: flesh shall be healed, and your body shall be made new.

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Speaker 1: Then the servant shut the door, leaving Nayman to stew

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Speaker 1: in his anger. Nayman was flustered and offended at the interaction.

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Speaker 1: He did not even come out to see me, He yelled,

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Speaker 1: I thought a man of such power would have stood

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Speaker 1: up and called upon the Lord for me. Isn't he

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Speaker 1: supposed to wave his hand and make something happen. Nayman's

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Speaker 1: blood was boiling. The warrior in him was showing as

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Speaker 1: he swung his fists in the air. He could not

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Speaker 1: help but storm away in a rage. And why the

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Speaker 1: Jordan river, he asked, aren't all the rivers in Syria

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Speaker 1: cleaner and more immaculate than any river in Israel? So

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Speaker 1: Nayman left heartbroken that he had been humiliated twice in

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Speaker 1: one day, once by a king and a second time

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Speaker 1: by a prophet. As he was walking away, one of

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Speaker 1: his servants came in close and whispered, Father, the prophet

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Speaker 1: has spoken a word over you to wash and be clean.

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Speaker 1: Why not do it? The servant spoke with a great

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Speaker 1: amount of care. He loved his master dearly and hated

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Speaker 1: to see him suffer. He did not realize it, but

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Speaker 1: God was using him to soften Nayman's heart. For God

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Speaker 1: did not only want Nayman to be healed, He desired

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Speaker 1: for his pride to be washed away as well. Nayman

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Speaker 1: approached the Jordan River. He had heard ancient stories of

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Speaker 1: the Israelite people crossing this river. He had heard whispers

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Speaker 1: of God parting the sea for them to cross over safely.

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Speaker 1: Even though he did not pay much attention to those stories,

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Speaker 1: there was something mysterious as he dipped his feet into

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Speaker 1: the river. Nayman waded into the water slowly. The water

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Speaker 1: was cold, the sun was setting, giving way to a

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Speaker 1: gentle evening breeze. Nayman carefully removed his clothes and began

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Speaker 1: to wash his brittle skin. Nayman was always fearful going

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Speaker 1: into the water. His skin was so thin and fragile

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Speaker 1: that he was afraid he might just dissolve into the

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Speaker 1: water and drift away with the current. He softly touched

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Speaker 1: his skin with the water and scrubbed himself gently. He

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Speaker 1: took handfuls of water and washed his body. The sun

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Speaker 1: was kissing the horizon now, and the evening breeze drifted

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Speaker 1: over the water. An intoxicating peace came over Nayman. He

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Speaker 1: closed his eyes. The coolness of the water with the

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Speaker 1: fresh air filled his heart with gladness. He opened his eyes, slowly,

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Speaker 1: watching the last light illuminate his skin. It was once

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Speaker 1: gray and rotting, but now it was vibrant and smooth.

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Speaker 1: His limbs were filled with renewed strength, and his face

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Speaker 1: no longer needed to be held together by cloths. Namen

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Speaker 1: was a new man in the place where he once

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Speaker 1: brought his people out of slavery. God brought Namen out

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Speaker 1: of sickness. His dirtiness was washed away with the tides

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Speaker 1: of the Jordan River. All that plagued him drifted away

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Speaker 1: as though it never existed. Naman was given a new

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Speaker 1: body in one day. God would do this for all

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Speaker 1: of mankind. One day God would wash away all that

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Speaker 1: plagued humanity, sin, sickness, death, and destruction would be washed

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Speaker 1: away by the cleansing power of a loving God. To

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Speaker 1: day we are introduced to a man named Naeman. He

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Speaker 1: is a commander in the Syrian army, a powerful and

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Speaker 1: successful leader in battle. And yet, despite his military prowess,

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Speaker 1: his wealth, and his standing in society, Nieman had a problem,

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Speaker 1: a problem that he couldn't solve. He was a leper.

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Speaker 1: Naeman was no friend to Israel and had led raids

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Speaker 1: into the Northern Kingdom, often carrying Israelites back to Syria

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Speaker 1: as slaves. One of those slaves was a young girl

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Speaker 1: whom Naaman had placed in the household to serve his wife.

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Speaker 1: This young Israelite girl had every reason to hate this

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Speaker 1: man and want him to suffer for what he had

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Speaker 1: done to her, and yet she saw his pain and

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Speaker 1: had compassion upon him. She spoke to her mistress and said,

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Speaker 1: the Prophet of Israel could cure his disease. If you

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Speaker 1: want an example of someone who loved her enemy and

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Speaker 1: bless those who persecuted her, looked no further than this

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Speaker 1: young lady. Naaman went to the Syrian king and has

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Speaker 1: to go to Israel. The king, eager to see his

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Speaker 1: faithful general restored to health, sent him with a personal

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Speaker 1: letter in hopes that he would be healed. Naemon went

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Speaker 1: to the palace of the king, where he presented the

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Speaker 1: letter and his request to Jehoram. Jehoram, who was king

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Speaker 1: at that time, thought this was a trap being set

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Speaker 1: by the King of Syria, and tore his clothes in distress. Sadly,

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Speaker 1: he did not think of the prophet Elishah. But God's

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Speaker 1: plan would not be changed. When Elishah heard what had happened,

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Speaker 1: he told the king to send Nam in his way.

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Speaker 1: Naaman quickly went to Elishah, expecting the prophet to come

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Speaker 1: out to him and perform a miracle in front of

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Speaker 1: all who watched. Elisha did not even go outside to

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Speaker 1: receive him. He sent a messenger with instructions for the

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Speaker 1: commander to dip himself in the Jordan river seven times.

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Speaker 1: Naeman was offended. He was offended for two reasons. First,

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Speaker 1: Naeman was used to being given honor and prestige, and

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Speaker 1: he expected nothing less from this Israelite prophet. But at

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Speaker 1: the end of the day, Naaman was no more special

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Speaker 1: than anyone else. He was a sick person in need

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Speaker 1: of healing. Elisha's decision not to go out to meet

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Speaker 1: him personally was a first step in humbling Naaman before God. Secondly,

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Speaker 1: why would Naeman, a proud Syrian, want to bathe in

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Speaker 1: a Jordan river an Israeli river. He couldn't imagine why

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Speaker 1: he should dip himself in such a dirty river when

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Speaker 1: he had much cleaner choices back home, But as Naman

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Speaker 1: would soon discover, this was God's chosen land and he

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Speaker 1: was seeking healing from the God of Israel, and so

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Speaker 1: he would have to humble himself before God. How many

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Speaker 1: times do we seek healing or blessing or favors from

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Speaker 1: God and we put conditions on how we receive it.

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Speaker 1: Like Naaman, we are unwilling to surrender ourselves to know

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Speaker 1: and do God's will as an act of surrender. Naaman

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Speaker 1: was about to go home, angry and disappointed. Then in

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Speaker 1: Second Kings fifteen thirteen, we read these words, but his

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Speaker 1: servants came near and said to him, my father, it

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Speaker 1: is a great word. The prophet has spoken to you.

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Speaker 1: Will you not do it? Has he actually said to you?

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Speaker 1: Wash and be clean? To his credit, nam And listened

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Speaker 1: to his servants. Perhaps he was still doubtful, but he

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Speaker 1: did exactly as Elishah told him to do. And as

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Speaker 1: he came out of the Jordan the seventh time, his

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Speaker 1: skin became smooth and clean, like that of a baby.

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Speaker 1: There was no mistaking it. This was a miracle. He

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Speaker 1: was healed, and it was God who did it through

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Speaker 1: nam And God demonstrated his heart to heal not only

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Speaker 1: his own people, but to bring healing and hope to

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Speaker 1: the gentiles as well, and one day God would send

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Speaker 1: one who would bring healing to the whole world and

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Speaker 1: turn hearts to the God of all the earth. Dear God,

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Speaker 1: thank you that even when we are unsure and have

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Speaker 1: doubts about your plan and our willingness to follow it,

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Speaker 1: we know that when we trust you and surrender our

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Speaker 1: wills to do your will, that you will heal our

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Speaker 1: hearts and our hurts, and you will demonstrate your love

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Speaker 1: for us over and over again. We know you did

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Speaker 1: this at the cross when Jesus died, and in the

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Speaker 1: promise of the Resurrection that he lives forever. So thank you,

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Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ, that you are our healer and you

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Speaker 1: are our hope, and that you wash us clean and

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Speaker 1: give us new hearts and an abundant life in Jesus name. Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 1: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the prey

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Speaker 1: dot com app and make prayer and Bible study a

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Speaker 1: priority in your life. And if you enjoyed this podcast,

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Speaker 1: tell someone else about it. We would love to connect

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Speaker 1: with you at Jack Graham dot org for there are

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Speaker 1: resources and opportunities for you to continue to grow in

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Speaker 1: your faith through this ministry. God bless you. This episode

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

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Speaker 1: to save money without sacrificing quality