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Speaker 1: Let us pray. And the time that David dwelt in

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Speaker 1: the country of the Philistines was a full year and

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Speaker 1: four months First Samuel twenty seven seven. Dear Lord, as

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Speaker 1: a tree finds its strength to endure from its roots,

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Speaker 1: I too will find my strength in the depths of

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Speaker 1: my roots and from the ground I choose to grow

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Speaker 1: in in moments of loneliness. Give me the resolve and

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Speaker 1: the strength to remain planted in the place You've called

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Speaker 1: me to. I will not abandon my values and morals

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Speaker 1: to partner with others who offer protection and gain at

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Speaker 1: the cost of my character and right to stand with you.

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Speaker 1: I will not become comfortable with compromise, as David and

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Speaker 1: his men did during their season of loneliness in First

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Speaker 1: Samuel twenty eight. Because I am new and transformed. I

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Speaker 1: will instead take on the latter spirit of David and

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Speaker 1: fight for what is mine. I will retake and regain

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Speaker 1: what the enemy has stolen from me. Through your power, God,

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Speaker 1: I will be able to reclaim my land, my position,

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

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Speaker 1: I declare that compromise is not an option. In Jesus' name, Amen,

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Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a 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.

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Speaker 2: Com David in zick leg In our last story, we

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Speaker 2: learned about Saul's latest pursuit to take David's life. David

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Speaker 2: once again had the opportunity to end Saul and with

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Speaker 2: him all the fleeing and exile. Yet David's conviction as

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Speaker 2: a man of God stood its crowd. He spared Saul,

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Speaker 2: and Saul once again repented and left David's presence. Now,

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Speaker 2: David dwells in the land of the Philistines, serving under

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Speaker 2: King Akish. David and his men made raids on the

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Speaker 2: enemies of Israel, pretending to make raids for the Philistines.

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Speaker 2: In this story, we learn about David's continued partnership with

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Speaker 2: the enemies of Israel and how small compromises continue to

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Speaker 2: overshadow David and his men, as inspired by the Book

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Speaker 2: of First Samuel.

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Speaker 3: This is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible

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Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we saw

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Speaker 3: how David once again had the opportunity to kill Saul,

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Speaker 3: but he chose not to do it. Rather than choose

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Speaker 3: his own way and try to justify his own actions,

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Speaker 3: he obeyed God. He stood firm in his conviction that

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Speaker 3: God would deal with assault. But despite Saul's apparent regret

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Speaker 3: for having chased David down again and his promise to

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Speaker 3: leave him alone, David's faith wavered, and he fled into

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Speaker 3: Philistine country, forming an alliance with a foreign king. Today

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Speaker 3: we'll learn how David's loyalty to Israel will be tested

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Speaker 3: and how his decision to settle in enemy territory will

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Speaker 3: bring peril to his people. So let's listen to the

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Speaker 3: scripture today.

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Speaker 2: David proved himself to be a convincing actor, as if

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Speaker 2: in a play, he played the role of a Philistine marauder.

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Speaker 2: David performed his role daily in front of Akish and

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Speaker 2: the other Philistines. He made raids on neighboring villages, ate

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Speaker 2: and drank as a Philistine, and spoke in their native tongue. However,

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Speaker 2: the lines between fiction and reality slowly began to blur

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Speaker 2: for David. His allegiance to Israel was muddled by his

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Speaker 2: Philistine company. His mind fell into a fog, and his

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Speaker 2: sense of right and wrong began to blend together. Now

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Speaker 2: David found himself among the Philistine camp, where they were

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Speaker 2: marching up against Israel. David, the chosen protector and rightful

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Speaker 2: king to the throne of the Hebrews, was preparing to

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Speaker 2: slaughter Israel. The Philistines began their march and gathered their

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Speaker 2: forces at the peak of Aphek. The Israelites were camped

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Speaker 2: by a spring below. The lords of the Philistines were

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Speaker 2: making their rounds and saw David and his men preparing

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Speaker 2: for battle. What are these Hebrews doing here, the commanders

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Speaker 2: asked Akish. Aikish responded, this is David, who has been

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Speaker 2: under my service for years. Now. I have found no

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Speaker 2: disloyalty in him. Yet David's eyes looked away. David had

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Speaker 2: given the visage of loyalty to Aikish, but had never

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Speaker 2: actually harmed any Israelites. However, he had not been faithful

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Speaker 2: to Israel either. When his soldiers were men without a country,

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Speaker 2: one of the Philistine commanders approached David and looked him

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Speaker 2: in the eyes. He knew what David had forgotten. David

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Speaker 2: was a Hebrew and their champion. Send the man back

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Speaker 2: with his soldiers. He may be separated from Saul now,

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Speaker 2: But what better way to reconcile with him than to

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Speaker 2: kill us in battle? Don't you remember the song Saul

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Speaker 2: has killed his thousands, but David has killed his ten thousands.

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Speaker 2: Aikish pulled David aside and embraced him. Aikish looked at

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Speaker 2: David and said, as the lord lives, you have been

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Speaker 2: nothing but faithful to me. I have found nothing wrong

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Speaker 2: with you. However, the lords do not approve, and I

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Speaker 2: cannot dispute them.

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Speaker 1: Go and be free.

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Speaker 2: David's heart turned. David was like a child who was

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Speaker 2: rejected by his father. He craved the affirmation from Saul,

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Speaker 2: yet found it in the enemy Akishvid did not want

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Speaker 2: to hurt the Israelites, but he also did not want

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Speaker 2: to leave Akish's side. What have I done to earn

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Speaker 2: their distrust? David asked. Akish hugged David and sent him

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Speaker 2: back to the land of the Philistines. That day, David

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Speaker 2: was spared from committing the sin of slaughtering his people. God,

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Speaker 2: in his mercy, kept David from waving his sword against

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Speaker 2: his brothers. So David and his men left back to Zickleg,

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Speaker 2: still men without a true alliance or country. David and

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Speaker 2: his men returned after a three day journey. As they

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Speaker 2: were approaching the city, they could see smoke rising into

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Speaker 2: the skies. David's eyes widened and the men ran fast

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Speaker 2: into the city of Zickleg. Homes were reduced to ash,

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Speaker 2: and smoke emanated from farms. The Amalekites rode in the

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Speaker 2: night and raided the city while the men were away

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Speaker 2: at war against Israel. David and his men ran frantically

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Speaker 2: through the city, shouting for their wives and children, yet

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Speaker 2: they could hear no response. David burst through the doors

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Speaker 2: of his home to find nothing but broken and burnt furniture.

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Speaker 2: Every man's wife and child had been taken by the Amalekites.

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Speaker 2: David's men writhed in tears over their captured wives. They

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Speaker 2: raised their fists at God. They cursed David, and they

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Speaker 2: wept on the floor among the ash and wreckage. While

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Speaker 2: his men yelled and wept in pain. David sat there silently.

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Speaker 2: David stared off into the distance, praying silently. The other

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Speaker 2: men became overwhelmed with.

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Speaker 1: Grief, but not David.

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Speaker 2: David sat there, remembering his time as a shepherd in Bethlehem.

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Speaker 2: He was reminded of when lions and wolves would come

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Speaker 2: after his sheep and steal them away. David would run

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Speaker 2: after them and slaughter the wild beasts to save his sheep.

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Speaker 2: This would be no different. David rose from his feet

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Speaker 2: to go meet with the Lord. They had some catching

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Speaker 2: up to do. Knelt before God under the stars. He

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Speaker 2: spoke to God as he used to while tending his sheep.

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Speaker 2: David breathed in the cool air and exhaled praises to

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Speaker 2: his Lord. He considered his family who had been taken

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Speaker 2: and the families of his men. Lord David said, shall

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Speaker 2: I pursue them? Will I overtake them if I go?

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Speaker 2: God responded to David quietly and firmly, Yes, David, I

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Speaker 2: have already given them into your hands. David stood to

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Speaker 2: his feet, picked up his spear, and marched intently back

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Speaker 2: to his men. The sun rose that morning in a

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Speaker 2: dark red covered the new sky. David, in six hundred

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Speaker 2: of his men ran without stopping, intent on reaching the

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Speaker 2: Amalekites before they could return home. They reached the Brook

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Speaker 2: of Bissor, The waters raged, and many of the men

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Speaker 2: were too exhausted to cross. Discouraged and weary, two hundred

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Speaker 2: of the men refused to follow David any longer and

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Speaker 2: remained on the shore of the brook. David and the

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Speaker 2: rest of his men crossed the brook. A fire was

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Speaker 2: burning in their soul to save their families, but they

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Speaker 2: had gone three days without food and almost no water.

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Speaker 2: Dragging their feet, they marched further and further. Finally, an

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Speaker 2: Egyptian in the open country gave the men bread, water,

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Speaker 2: fruits and cakes to eat. They were filled and strengthened

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Speaker 2: at the perfect time. David put his hand on the

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Speaker 2: Egyptian's shoulder and said, thank you friend. Where do you

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Speaker 2: come from? The boy smiled and said, I served the Amalekites,

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Speaker 2: but was abandoned by them when I became sick after

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Speaker 2: we raided the Israelites. David's eyes lit up, he smiled

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Speaker 2: to his cheeks and let out a bright laugh. He

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Speaker 2: grabbed the boy and asked intently, could you take us

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Speaker 2: to your old band. The boy nodded, and David and

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Speaker 2: his men ran forward faster and with more vigor. Less

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Speaker 2: than a day had passed, and the Egyptian led David

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Speaker 2: and a couple of his men to a cliff overlooking

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Speaker 2: the Amalekite camp. They peeked their heads over the rocks

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Speaker 2: and looked down at the valley. The men were spread

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Speaker 2: out far across a valley. Torches illuminated their dancing, drinking,

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Speaker 2: and feasting. David could spot his wife captive below, along

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Speaker 2: with the wives and children of his men. While the

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Speaker 2: Amalekites were still drinking, dancing, and enjoying the spoils of

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Speaker 2: their raid, they heard the horns of David echoing through

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Speaker 2: the valley. Before any man could realize what was happening,

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Speaker 2: David and his army descended upon the camp with might.

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Speaker 2: They swung their swords with the strength of fathers and husbands,

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Speaker 2: protecting their families. David marched through the camp, striking down

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Speaker 2: every Amalekite soldier in his sight. Some tried to fight,

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Speaker 2: with no success. David and his men were far too

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Speaker 2: angry and skilled for them to stand a chance. Others

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Speaker 2: fled on camels, but all the women and children were saved.

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Speaker 2: The sun began to rise, and David gathered the families,

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Speaker 2: the stolen goods, and all the live stock. David and

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Speaker 2: the families made their way back home. There to greet

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Speaker 2: them were the two hundred men who refused to continue

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Speaker 2: they came out elated to see their families. Everyone cheered

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Speaker 2: except the men who had fought. They looked at the

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Speaker 2: two hundred men with disgust and said to David, these

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Speaker 2: worthless men did not go with us. They should not

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Speaker 2: get any of the spoil. They should take their families

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Speaker 2: we have saved and leave. David calmed his men down

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Speaker 2: and had them keep quiet. He drew a deep breath

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Speaker 2: and looked at both groups of men. My brothers, this

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Speaker 2: is given to us by the Lord. He is the

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Speaker 2: one who preserved us. David said, as God has shared

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Speaker 2: his goodness with us, so we shall share. Those who

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Speaker 2: battle and those who support from Afar are equally in

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Speaker 2: need of food and shelter. David's words surprised the people,

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Speaker 2: but they were all pleased with his decree. David, still

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Speaker 2: a young man, was just now learning what it truly

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Speaker 2: means to lead like a king. They divided the spoils

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Speaker 2: amongst one another and sent the leftovers back home to Judah.

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Speaker 2: David's heart to protect Israel was beginning to resurface.

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Speaker 3: Today's story begins with David living a lie. He has

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Speaker 3: very cleverly convinced Akish of his loyalty to the Philistines,

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Speaker 3: and the king trusts David as one of his own. Still,

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Speaker 3: David had not yet done actual harm to any of

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Speaker 3: his own people, the Israelites. Instead, he was attacking neighboring towns,

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Speaker 3: enemies of Israel, and telling Akish that he was raiding

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Speaker 3: Israeli villages. But now, as the Philistines gather in numbers

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Speaker 3: to attack Israel, David isn't on a solo mission, and

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Speaker 3: he can't hide behind his deception. Were it not for

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Speaker 3: the distrust of Philistine commanders, David might have been compelled

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Speaker 3: to sin against his own people and attack them. The

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Speaker 3: commanders recognize David as a Hebrew, and not just any Hebrew.

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Speaker 3: This is the great shepherd warrior, David, the anointed King,

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Speaker 3: the one who was at one time one of Saul's

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Speaker 3: greatest soldiers. And though Aichis vouches for David, affirming that

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Speaker 3: he is a loyal Philictine, the commanders aren't believing it,

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Speaker 3: and so Achius tells David that while he trust him

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Speaker 3: with his life, the Philistine army commanders have rejected him.

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Speaker 3: He and his men must return to his home in Ziklak.

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Speaker 3: David's response is interesting he appeals to the king to

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Speaker 3: let him stay and serve him in a battle. Perhaps

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Speaker 3: he was finally getting the acceptance he wanted among the Philistines,

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Speaker 3: something that had eluded him with Saul. Or perhaps he

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Speaker 3: was forgetting his calling from God, his anointing to be

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Speaker 3: God's men the king of Israel. Whatever the reason, it

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Speaker 3: appears David was confused that his loyalties were divided, and

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Speaker 3: he may have been willing to turn over his own

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Speaker 3: people to the enemy. But God, in his grace, did

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Speaker 3: not allow David to participate in this battle. He closed

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Speaker 3: the door to protect the man that he had chosen

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Speaker 3: to serve him. How often do we fail to recognize

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Speaker 3: when God has protected us from ourselves, from our sins,

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Speaker 3: leading us out of temptation, and delivering us from evil,

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Speaker 3: as in the case of David, and for you and me,

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Speaker 3: this is all because of God's grace. That grace we

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Speaker 3: know is now found in the Lord Jesus Christ, who

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Speaker 3: went to a cross and died and rose again so

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Speaker 3: that we could receive the gift of eternal life. Not

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Speaker 3: by works of righteousness that we have done, but according

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Speaker 3: to his mercy He has saved us. This is the

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Speaker 3: grace of God. So David returns home with his men,

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Speaker 3: only to find the Amalakites had attacked while they were gone.

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Speaker 3: This is a terrible scene. These enemies of Israel had

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Speaker 3: burned the entire town down, but killing nobody. Instead, they

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Speaker 3: had taken the wives and the children of the men

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Speaker 3: of David captive. Everyone is heartbroken, They are weeping, and

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Speaker 3: the people the army even turned their anger towards David,

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Speaker 3: wanting to stone him. But the Bible says that David

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Speaker 3: encouraged himself in the Lord. And David found his strength

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Speaker 3: in the Lord and sought counsel. He went to the

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Speaker 3: Lord and asked him if he should pursue the Amalekites

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Speaker 3: and take what had been lost. So David and his

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Speaker 3: men went after the Amalekites. It was a long and

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Speaker 3: arduous journey, and they suffered from hunger and exhaustion. Two

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Speaker 3: hundred men actually turned back, unwilling or unable to continue.

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Speaker 3: But David found that Egyptian boy who had once served

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Speaker 3: the Amalekites. He gave them food and water, strengthening them

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Speaker 3: for battle, and led them to the enemy, and just

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Speaker 3: as God had promised, David was victorious. They returned home

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Speaker 3: with their wives and children, and the spoils of war,

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Speaker 3: which David insisted be shared with all, even those who

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Speaker 3: had not gone into battle. Then he sent some of

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Speaker 3: the spoils to Judah. His heart turned again to his

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Speaker 3: people that he was called to lead. Lord, we thank

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Speaker 3: you for this powerful story and how it reminds us

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Speaker 3: that you do protect us from evil and that you

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Speaker 3: often shield us from making terrible and sinful disobedient decisions.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for your grace, Thank you for your salvation

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Speaker 3: in Jesus Christ. And may we always be willing to

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Speaker 3: fight the good fight of faith and win great victories

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Speaker 3: for you in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening

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Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham

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Speaker 3: from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app and make

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Speaker 3: prayer and Bible study a priority in your life. If

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Speaker 3: you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love

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Speaker 3: or know. And by sharing this podcast, we can get

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Speaker 3: the word of God to the world. And if you

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Speaker 3: want more resources on how to tap into God's power

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Speaker 3: for Christian living, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org.

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Speaker 3: God bless you