# 37 - Jacob Meets Rachel - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Jacob’s love story takes center stage as he falls for Rachel and works seven long years to marry her, only to face a shocking betrayal. This episode delves into themes of love, perseverance, and deception, exploring how Jacob’s labor and Laban’s trickery shape his journey and relationships.
Episode 37 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
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Show Notes:
(02:16) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:35) Jacob Meets Rachel - Cinematic Retelling
(30:50) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00:00
Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. The words were a final seal,
00:00:06
Speaker 1: a decisive declaration that Jacob was now the inheritor of
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Speaker 1: Isaac's promise, passed down from Abraham through Jacob, the blessing
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Speaker 1: of God most High would endure.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: You will hunt and kill him like.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: The stag Esau stormed out of the tent and looked around.
00:00:33
Speaker 1: His eyes narrowed with a hunter's intensity. He grabbed his
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Speaker 1: bow and arrow, searching frantically for his twin. Panic jabbed
00:00:43
Speaker 1: at Jacob's legs. He was shaking, agitated, ready to run.
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Speaker 2: What do I do?
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Speaker 3: Mother?
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Speaker 2: Tell me what to do.
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Speaker 4: Flee to Laban, my brother in heron. You can stay
00:00:56
Speaker 4: with him until your brother's fury does Maybe with time
00:00:59
Speaker 4: he'll get what you've done to him.
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Speaker 2: I refuse to let this bright me. I will thrive
00:01:05
Speaker 2: in Laban's household. I return richer and wiser, ready to
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Speaker 2: take back what's mine for my brother.
00:01:12
Speaker 1: Jacob opened his eyes to a vision. He found himself
00:01:16
Speaker 1: standing at the base of a monumental staircase that stretched
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Speaker 1: upwards into the infinite expanse of the heavens.
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Speaker 2: Here, you're really here.
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Speaker 5: Look around, you, son of Isaac. Behold the splendor of
00:01:35
Speaker 5: this land.
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Speaker 1: Jacob surveyed the starlit landscape. The radiance of the staircase
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Speaker 1: illuminated its rich and vibrant valleys cut with rushing rivers
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Speaker 1: and lush forests.
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Speaker 5: The land on which you lie I will give to
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Speaker 5: you and your descendants. Your offspring shall be like the
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Speaker 5: dust of the earth. And you shall spread abroad to
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Speaker 5: the west, and to the east, and to the north
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Speaker 5: and to the south. Through you and your descendants, all
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Speaker 5: families of the earth who will be blessed.
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Speaker 6: What is the price of love? What if it was
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Speaker 6: a lifetime of labor and the reward came disguised as betrayal? Selloh,
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Speaker 6: my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel.
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Speaker 6: I'm Elextein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
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Speaker 6: and welcome to the Chosen People. Now let's begin. Imagine
00:02:40
Speaker 6: a love story, not the gain from Hollywood, where perfect
00:02:43
Speaker 6: people find perfect love in a perfect world. Know this
00:02:46
Speaker 6: love story is raw and real, tangled and human flaws,
00:02:52
Speaker 6: but also promising divine intervention. Jacob's on the run, fleeing
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Speaker 6: from the brother he deceived, searching for a place to
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Speaker 6: call home, and what he finds is well, a woman
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Speaker 6: and a journey that will test his faith. As you listen,
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Speaker 6: ask yourself this, what would you do for love? How
00:03:13
Speaker 6: far would you go to secure the future that you
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Speaker 6: dreamed of? What if the path to your heart's desire
00:03:20
Speaker 6: was lined with deception, disappointment, and years of waiting. Now
00:03:25
Speaker 6: let's listen to Jacob's story, where love and labor intertwine
00:03:29
Speaker 6: with dreams and deceit in the most unexpected ways.
00:03:37
Speaker 1: The air was bitterly dry. The harshastern sun beat Jacob's
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Speaker 1: neck as if with hatred. Jacob groaned and moaned with
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Speaker 1: each step, missing the comforts of his tent in Canaan.
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Speaker 1: The glass stung his eyes. His steps became slower as
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Speaker 1: time passed. It had been over a month on the
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Speaker 1: path to Haran. Jacob's will to press on waned with
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Speaker 1: each day. But what choice did he have. He couldn't
00:04:08
Speaker 1: turn back home. His brother would kill him. He couldn't
00:04:11
Speaker 1: remain on the road. The sun would char him for
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Speaker 1: the buzzards to feast. Jacob needed refuge, a place to
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Speaker 1: kick up his feet and rest. He passed through the
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Speaker 1: borders of Haran, and the child desert plains gave way
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Speaker 1: to slightly less brown hills undulating like waves in a storm.
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Speaker 1: Jacob's eyes scanned the land for any sign of life.
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Speaker 1: He longed for water, food, and a pillow. His feet
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Speaker 1: shurned dust with each labored step until he made it
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Speaker 1: to a pasture, where the land was painted with shades
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Speaker 1: of tan, yellow and light green. More life. Jacob knew
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Speaker 1: where there was pasture, there was bound to be water. Desperately,
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Speaker 1: he turned his head to see flocks of sheep like
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Speaker 1: down near a well.
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Speaker 2: At last, water h.
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Speaker 1: Jacob mustered the strength to run toward the well, but
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Speaker 1: when he arrived he found it was sealed by a
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Speaker 1: large stone. He pounded his fists on it and pressed
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Speaker 1: his forehead down in defeat.
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Speaker 2: Oh, just my luck.
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Speaker 1: Just then Jacob saw a few men in the distance
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Speaker 1: herding a few sheep to the well. If Jacob had
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Speaker 1: any water left in his body, he would have cried. Instead,
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Speaker 1: he shouted with a raspy voice.
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Speaker 2: My brothers, where have you come from?
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Speaker 3: We're from Heran.
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Speaker 2: Do you know a chief named Laban, the son of Nahor? Well, yeah,
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Speaker 2: we know him. These are his borders. Oh, thank god,
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Speaker 2: Mosaigh is all well with him and his households.
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Speaker 7: Sure in fact, is your youngest daughter. Rachel is on
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Speaker 7: her way now with her father's flock. Very nice looking flock.
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Speaker 7: A nice looking lady as well, if I do.
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Speaker 2: Say so myself. It's high noon already, my friends. Is
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Speaker 2: it time to water your livestock? I've been traveling a
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Speaker 2: long while without water.
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Speaker 5: Ah.
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Speaker 7: Sorry, friend, We don't open up the well till all
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Speaker 7: the flocks are here. Once Rachel is here with Laban's flock,
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Speaker 7: we will open it up. Besides, we'll need extra servants
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Speaker 7: to help us move this stone. It's a heavy thing.
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Speaker 2: It is.
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Speaker 1: Jacob shook in place, watching the silhouette of Laban's daughter
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Speaker 1: slowly approach. His thirst multiplied with each passing second. It
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Speaker 1: seemed like an eternity. When the shepherdess and her sheep
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Speaker 1: finally reached the well, Jacob bent down to the stone
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Speaker 1: and held it off the well. Jacob plunged his head
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Speaker 1: into the water and drank. All The shepherds sprang back
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Speaker 1: in surprise.
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Speaker 7: Oi, friend, that stone usually takes at least four men
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Speaker 7: to push off.
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Speaker 3: How do you do that?
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Speaker 2: If you thought that was impressive, you should see my
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Speaker 2: brother handle an ox.
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Speaker 7: But still, that stone weighs more than three men.
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Speaker 2: It's an odd gift given to my brother and me.
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Speaker 2: I can't explain it.
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Speaker 1: Jacob slipped his hair back and wiped his eyes. His
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Speaker 1: thirst was finally quenched, and he could see clearly, and
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Speaker 1: what he saw took his breath away. Standing before him,
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Speaker 1: skin kissed by the sun, with amber curls draped gracefully
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Speaker 1: over her shoulders was Rachel, the daughter of Larban. She
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Speaker 1: looked at him with a raised brow and amused, smile.
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Speaker 8: You must have been mighty thirsty, you to throw that
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Speaker 8: stone like a sack of oats. Where have you come from?
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Speaker 1: Jacob was speechless, which was an odd feeling. He cleared
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Speaker 1: his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing
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Speaker 1: came out. Instead, he inched forward and held her face
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Speaker 1: in his hands.
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Speaker 9: What are you doing?
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Speaker 1: Jacob kissed her on both cheeks and began to laugh.
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Speaker 1: He laughed, and he laughed, and fell on to his knees,
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Speaker 1: hysterically from the exhaustion and weeks of sparse food and water,
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Speaker 1: laughter from meeting the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen
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Speaker 1: in his life. His fit of laughter slowly turned to sobs,
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Speaker 1: and tears rolled down his dusty cheeks.
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Speaker 7: Best to step back, my lady, Rachel, this one seems
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Speaker 7: to be a bit batty.
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Speaker 9: Sir, I think you need to leave.
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Speaker 1: Jacob held his stomach, which was tightening as he oscillated
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Speaker 1: between hysterical laughter and weeping. He waved his hands and
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Speaker 1: stood to his feet, trying to compose himself.
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Speaker 2: No, please, I'm not a madman. Well, I suppose a
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Speaker 2: madman doesn't know he's a mad man. So if I
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Speaker 2: was a madman, I would certainly say that I wasn't.
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Speaker 2: What was your question?
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Speaker 9: I didn't ask a question.
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Speaker 2: Oh right, I'm sorry. My name is Jacob, the son
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Speaker 2: of Isaac and Rachel, your father's sister. I've come here
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Speaker 2: because my mother said that Laban would take me in
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Speaker 2: for a while.
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Speaker 8: Were you sent away or something? Did you commit a crime?
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Speaker 8: Are you on the run?
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Speaker 2: Uh? Yes? And no uh. I've made an awful first impression.
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Speaker 2: It's been a long journey, and frankly, it doesn't help
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Speaker 2: that I was just struck by lightning. Lightning, at least
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Speaker 2: that's how I felt when I gazed upon your beauty
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Speaker 2: for the first time.
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Speaker 8: Well, yes, that's very lovely for you to say. I'm
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Speaker 8: going to run and fetch my father for you.
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Speaker 2: I can go with you.
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Speaker 8: No, No, that won't be necessary.
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Speaker 9: You've had a long journey.
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Speaker 8: Remain here while I get my father. My friends will
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Speaker 8: give you some of their bread.
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Speaker 1: Jacob watched Rachel leave, eyes wide with embarrassment. He buried
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Speaker 1: his face in his hands and groaned, But.
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Speaker 7: You wish you were struck by lightning after that. Ah,
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Speaker 7: here's some bread and a swig of wine to forget
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Speaker 7: that dreadful moment.
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Speaker 1: Jacob laughed at himself and gladly accepted. He rolled the
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Speaker 1: bread in his hands and watched Rachel recede from view.
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Speaker 1: He sighed and smiled. Jacob was fatigued and uncertain of
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Speaker 1: his mental state, but one thing he was sure of
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Speaker 1: was this. He was madly in love with the shepherdess Rachel.
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Speaker 1: Larban's wide, hairy frame lumbered up the slight slope leading
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Speaker 1: to the well. For a moment, Jacob thought he was
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Speaker 1: looking at an aged eshaw approaching. Labin wrapped Jacob in
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Speaker 1: his arms without warning and lifted him off the ground.
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Speaker 3: Ah, my own bonent flesh, look at you, a spitting
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Speaker 3: image of my sister, only you got a little scruff
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Speaker 3: on your chin.
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Speaker 2: Ha ha, Lord Layman, it would be a great act of
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Speaker 2: mercy if you'd give me sanctuary here for a while
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Speaker 2: as my mother's kinsman.
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Speaker 3: What's this, lord, nonsense, you're my sweet sister son. You'll
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Speaker 3: stay under my roof as an honored guest, not a refugee. Come, Come,
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Speaker 3: there's a hot pot on the flame.
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Speaker 1: Larban led Jacob to his camp. Larban's wealth and resources
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Speaker 1: nearly rivaled his father's. Fires were set between sights, with
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Speaker 1: large thick tents firmly erected on each corner of the
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Speaker 1: bordered estate. Jacob looked at the servants, herders, and farm hands.
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Speaker 1: They all wore finely woven robes, matching in color and design,
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Speaker 1: green with purple fringes. The women wore the same colored
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Speaker 1: purple headbands and green sashes. Jacob observed the servants or
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Speaker 1: sweeping in unison, while the children help prepare dishes that
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Speaker 1: were neatly stacked in rows in wooden boxes. Everything had
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Speaker 1: its place, Everything was in order, just the way Jacob
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Speaker 1: l liked it. They entered the large gathering tent where
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Speaker 1: the main family dined. Laban's wife had just reclined with
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Speaker 1: her daughters.
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Speaker 3: This is my eldest daughter, Leah and of course you
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Speaker 3: already met my younger daughter, Rachel. I haven't been blessed
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Speaker 3: with sons, but she's been a fine herder. For Beside
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Speaker 3: them are Zilpah and Bilhah. They are daughters born to
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Speaker 3: me through let's say more unsavory circumstances. They are now
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Speaker 3: the maid servants of my daughters.
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Speaker 2: It's an honor to meet you all.
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Speaker 1: Jacob bowed his head, stealing a glance in Rachel's direction.
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Speaker 1: She looked more ravishing in the torchlight, flickering flames illuminating
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Speaker 1: her amber curls, full lips, and wide greenish hazel eyes.
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Speaker 1: The very sight of her made Jacob swoon. He smiled,
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Speaker 1: looking for anything in return. She didn't give him the satisfaction.
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Speaker 1: He turned his eyes to Leah, who smiled intently at him.
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Speaker 1: Her complexion was redder than her sister's, with eyes that
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Speaker 1: resembled the morning fog banks. Jacob couldn't tell if Lea
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Speaker 1: was unsightly or if Rachel's beauty overshadowed any of her
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Speaker 1: redeeming qualities.
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Speaker 4: May God bless you, Jacob. We pray your time here
00:14:01
Speaker 4: is refreshing.
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Speaker 9: You certainly need it. And the bath.
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Speaker 3: Rachel you've lost your manners. I'm sorry, my boy. My
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Speaker 3: youngest spends too much time with a shepherd's she forgets
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Speaker 3: how to be a lady.
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Speaker 2: I take no offense, Lord Layban. Rachel saw me at
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Speaker 2: my worst to day. I pray she doesn't hold it
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Speaker 2: against me.
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Speaker 1: Jacob searched her again for any slight movement of her
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Speaker 1: chin or eyes. Nothing, he continued.
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Speaker 2: It's the custom of my father's household to never accept
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Speaker 2: the gift without giving a gift in return. I'd ask
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Speaker 2: that Rachel let me tend to her flocks while I
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Speaker 2: stay here.
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Speaker 1: There it was a slight twist of her beautiful lips
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Speaker 1: curling upward. It was only for a moment, but Jacob
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Speaker 1: knew he'd had her, and because he couldn't help himself,
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Speaker 1: he added.
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Speaker 2: The time away from the flocks may allow her to
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Speaker 2: regain the manners she lost.
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Speaker 1: And the smile left replaced with a roll of the eyes.
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Speaker 1: But to Jacob, a roll of the eyes was just
00:15:08
Speaker 1: as satisfying as a smile. He was in her mind
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Speaker 1: for a moment. He wanted to live there forever. A
00:15:18
Speaker 1: month had passed, and Jacob cheerfully tended Laban's flock daily,
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Speaker 1: the house of Laban was a pleasant respite from the
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Speaker 1: chaotic mess he left behind. Jacob applied the knowledge he
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Speaker 1: learned from his father to Laban's flock. Isaac had a
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Speaker 1: way of breeding sheep, weeding out specific blemishes and weaknesses.
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Speaker 1: He was a savanth that way, much like his dear
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Speaker 1: brother was with hunting. He thought about them often, but
00:15:47
Speaker 1: knew he couldn't yet return. No doubt, Esau's blood still
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Speaker 1: boiled hot with betrayal. Jacob led the flocks to an
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Speaker 1: enclosed pasture and returned to the dining tent. Lea was there,
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Speaker 1: weaving a cord of flowers for a centerpiece. Her dull
00:16:03
Speaker 1: face turned brighter anytime Jacob entered the room.
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Speaker 4: Hello, Jacob, how is your day?
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Speaker 2: Fine? I suppose where's Rachel?
00:16:14
Speaker 4: Probably chopping wood somewhere with her calloused hands. I swear
00:16:18
Speaker 4: sometimes I think she purposefully acts like a boy to
00:16:21
Speaker 4: please father.
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Speaker 1: Jacob wasn't listening. He fiddled with his cup, staring at
00:16:27
Speaker 1: the tense entrance. Rachel entered with her servant Bella, and
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Speaker 1: Jacob quickly moved, leaving Leah behind. He composed himself before
00:16:36
Speaker 1: greeting her, straightening his robes and hair suavely, he approached
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Speaker 1: Good evening, Rachel.
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Speaker 8: Good evening, Jacob, How are my father's.
00:16:45
Speaker 2: Flax growing more beautiful by the day. I've scattered some
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Speaker 2: olive leaves around for them, and it's given their wool
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Speaker 2: an excellent sheen.
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Speaker 9: Very clever, Jacob, I thought.
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Speaker 2: So, your flocks have been in good hands. Rachel.
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Speaker 8: I doubted that at first, since I took you for
00:17:04
Speaker 8: a madman.
00:17:06
Speaker 2: Oh, Rachel, in many ways I am a madman.
00:17:11
Speaker 1: Jacob smiled and looked deeply into Rachel's eyes. At first,
00:17:16
Speaker 1: the stair made Rachel uncomfortable, but as time passed she
00:17:20
Speaker 1: had grown to enjoy it. The moment was abruptly interrupted
00:17:24
Speaker 1: with Larbin's entrance.
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Speaker 3: Jacob, come, my boy, sit beside me tonight as we eat.
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Speaker 1: Jacob sat beside Larbin, who gave him a firm pat.
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Speaker 2: On the back.
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Speaker 3: Jacob. I was thinking about what my sister would say
00:17:39
Speaker 3: if she knew you were working here without a wage?
00:17:42
Speaker 3: Were kinsmen? You're not my servant or slave. I should
00:17:47
Speaker 3: pay you for the excellent work you're doing. What shall
00:17:50
Speaker 3: your wages be?
00:17:52
Speaker 2: You're very kind, as always, Lord Layban. I've actually given
00:17:56
Speaker 2: that question quite a bit of thought.
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Speaker 3: Hah ah, of course you have. You're a shrewd man.
00:18:03
Speaker 3: What's your price for the work.
00:18:06
Speaker 1: Jacob turned his gaze back at Rachel. She glanced back,
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Speaker 1: wondering why he was looking at her. Her smile curled
00:18:14
Speaker 1: on the edges of Jacob's face. He turned to Larbon
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Speaker 1: with a glint in his eye.
00:18:20
Speaker 2: I'll serve you for seven more years. That should be
00:18:23
Speaker 2: more than enough for your youngest daughter, Rachel's hand in marriage.
00:18:28
Speaker 1: Rachel nearly choked on her food. Leo gasped in horror,
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Speaker 1: but laughing was perfectly still stroking his beard and considering
00:18:37
Speaker 1: the exchange.
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Speaker 9: Father, Are you considering his offer?
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Speaker 4: What are you going to do?
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Speaker 9: Oh?
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Speaker 3: Yes, well, I suppose it's better I give her to
00:18:51
Speaker 3: you were kinsman than another dog from another clan wanted
00:18:55
Speaker 3: to swap rocks and land. You have yourself at deal?
00:19:04
Speaker 9: A deal?
00:19:05
Speaker 4: Father? Is Rachel really to marry before me?
00:19:08
Speaker 3: I'm your lord, father, I'll hear no complaints or moans
00:19:12
Speaker 3: about my decisions. Rachel will marry Jacob after seven years
00:19:17
Speaker 3: of labor.
00:19:19
Speaker 1: They shook on it, and Rachel stormed out of the tent.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: Leah simply sat there, quiet and dejected. Her servant Silpa
00:19:28
Speaker 1: comforted her. Jacob followed Rachel out dusk wrestled against ay,
00:19:34
Speaker 1: and the sun's final rays were being pushed behind the mountains.
00:19:38
Speaker 1: Rachel looked out at the valley with her shoulder leaning
00:19:41
Speaker 1: against the thick trunk of a sycamore tree. Its leaves
00:19:44
Speaker 1: swayed gently to the evening breeze, soothing her chaotic mind.
00:19:49
Speaker 1: Jacob approached softly and spoke tenderly, Are you okay, Rachel?
00:19:55
Speaker 1: She turned her face to him, greenish brown eyes seeming
00:19:59
Speaker 1: almost golden in the final light of dusk. Her beauty
00:20:02
Speaker 1: unsteadied him at times.
00:20:05
Speaker 2: Would marrying me be such a terrible thing?
00:20:09
Speaker 1: Rachel allowed a slight smile to escape from her frown.
00:20:14
Speaker 1: She shook her head and responded with an uncharacteristically gentle tone.
00:20:20
Speaker 9: Of course, not, Jacob.
00:20:21
Speaker 8: You come from a good family, with a good birthright
00:20:24
Speaker 8: waiting for you at home. But I wonder, are you
00:20:28
Speaker 8: a good man?
00:20:30
Speaker 2: That's a difficult question to answer. My father's a good man.
00:20:36
Speaker 2: My grandfather was a great man. That we shall see
00:20:39
Speaker 2: about me.
00:20:40
Speaker 9: We shall see.
00:20:41
Speaker 2: Indeed, one thing that's certain, dear Rachel, is that I
00:20:46
Speaker 2: do love you. And seven years of labor for your
00:20:49
Speaker 2: hand will seem like near moments as long as I
00:20:53
Speaker 2: get to see you every day.
00:20:54
Speaker 8: You're much more eloquent than the first time we met.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: Yes, you see me at my worst. Now give me
00:21:02
Speaker 2: a chance you'll see me at my best.
00:21:05
Speaker 1: Rachel allowed a full smile to grace her face. She
00:21:09
Speaker 1: reached out a hand and Jacob took it. They watched
00:21:13
Speaker 1: the skies for a long while, silently longing for a
00:21:17
Speaker 1: tighter embrace. Yet behind them, peeking out from the large
00:21:21
Speaker 1: tent was Leah, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed.
00:21:27
Speaker 1: Her unrequited love for Jacob was as enduring as the
00:21:30
Speaker 1: stars in the sky. Jacob looked at his reflection in
00:21:37
Speaker 1: the still pond. He rubbed his face, observing the scruff
00:21:42
Speaker 1: that had turned into a meager looking beard. His mother
00:21:45
Speaker 1: had always joked that Esau stole all his hair in
00:21:48
Speaker 1: the womb. He could never quite grow a full beard,
00:21:52
Speaker 1: which made him wildly and securer times, especially on a
00:21:55
Speaker 1: day like this one. It had been seven years since
00:21:59
Speaker 1: his agreement with the Laban. He had worked tirelessly, expanding
00:22:03
Speaker 1: Larban's flocks sevenfold. Each year, the flocks became more beautiful
00:22:08
Speaker 1: as did Rachel. They had grown much closer in seven years,
00:22:13
Speaker 1: often stealing away moments to walk by the streams or
00:22:16
Speaker 1: eat dates over the pond's edge. The years passed by
00:22:21
Speaker 1: like a few days because of the love he had
00:22:23
Speaker 1: for her.
00:22:24
Speaker 2: Ley Ben, it's been seven years tending to your flocks.
00:22:28
Speaker 2: I'm here now, too, humbly ask for Rachel. Of course,
00:22:33
Speaker 2: dear boy. Let's have a feast, a wonderful feast to
00:22:36
Speaker 2: celebrate the occasion. Wine will flow like the rivers of Eden.
00:22:42
Speaker 2: Food will be bursting out.
00:22:43
Speaker 3: Of our ears.
00:22:47
Speaker 1: That night, music, dancing, and laughter abounded. Everyone in the
00:22:52
Speaker 1: clan gathered for a decadent feast lambshanks with juniper jam,
00:22:57
Speaker 1: date cakes and roasted figs, whine imported from the vineyards
00:23:01
Speaker 1: of Poor Jacob feasted and drank to his heart's content,
00:23:06
Speaker 1: but Rachel was silent and unwilling to celebrate. Jacob plumped
00:23:11
Speaker 1: beside her and leaned in.
00:23:13
Speaker 2: I haven't seen your sister all night. She's usually paddling
00:23:17
Speaker 2: behind me like a lost pup. It's been rather nice
00:23:20
Speaker 2: having some space, is she.
00:23:25
Speaker 9: I'm not sure, Rachel?
00:23:27
Speaker 2: What's wrong, my love? Why does your beautiful face hang
00:23:31
Speaker 2: low on such a joyous occasion. Don't you want to
00:23:35
Speaker 2: be with me?
00:23:37
Speaker 9: Of course I do, Jacob.
00:23:39
Speaker 2: Then we shall be together tonight.
00:23:42
Speaker 3: Not yet, dear boy, the night has only begun. Drink, laugh,
00:23:47
Speaker 3: and enjoy this special night. I shall have my servants
00:23:50
Speaker 3: prepare your bride and send her to your tent.
00:23:54
Speaker 1: The festivities continued, as did Jacob's drinking lob and ensured
00:23:59
Speaker 1: the servant always kept his cup filled in the conversation light.
00:24:04
Speaker 1: When the time came for Jacob to bed his wife,
00:24:06
Speaker 1: thus sealing the marriage covenant, he stumbled to his tent.
00:24:10
Speaker 1: He fell into the dirt in front and crawled.
00:24:13
Speaker 2: In Rachel, your husband has arrived.
00:24:20
Speaker 1: He saw his wife adorned in a beautiful gown of purple,
00:24:25
Speaker 1: green and white. She wore a thin veil, as was
00:24:28
Speaker 1: the custom. Jacob slapped himself, trying to sober up.
00:24:33
Speaker 4: I am waiting for you, my husband.
00:24:35
Speaker 2: I've waited seven years for this moment.
00:24:40
Speaker 4: A as have I. Jacob.
00:24:43
Speaker 1: Jacob gently but clumsily, took her by the hips and
00:24:46
Speaker 1: drew her in close. In the back of his mind,
00:24:50
Speaker 1: he wished he had not drank so much. He would
00:24:53
Speaker 1: have been able to save the moment. Without the inside
00:24:55
Speaker 1: of his tent spinning, The two sealed the marriage covenant
00:25:00
Speaker 1: by lying with each other. Their passionate breaths rose with
00:25:03
Speaker 1: the heat of the flickering candles. When they were finished,
00:25:08
Speaker 1: Jacob released a sigh of bliss and lay his head
00:25:11
Speaker 1: down to sleep. The woman beside him, now his wife,
00:25:16
Speaker 1: blew out the candles and laid her head on his chest.
00:25:20
Speaker 2: Ah, I love.
00:25:22
Speaker 4: You, Rachel, I love you, Jacob.
00:25:28
Speaker 1: Jacob's eyes creaked open. Dawn broke into his tent through
00:25:33
Speaker 1: an opening in the roof, uninvited. He propped himself up
00:25:36
Speaker 1: and rubbed his head. It felt as if his skull
00:25:39
Speaker 1: would crack open. He rolled his neck back and took
00:25:43
Speaker 1: a drink from his water skin. He sighed, then looked
00:25:46
Speaker 1: back at his bride. Her face was down on the pillow,
00:25:50
Speaker 1: hair draped over her face. Jacob pet her hair and
00:25:54
Speaker 1: whispered in her ear good morning. She turned and her
00:26:00
Speaker 1: head toward him, her hair falling to the side. Jacob
00:26:04
Speaker 1: shouted in shock and fell back. It wasn't Rachel, but.
00:26:08
Speaker 2: Leah, Leah. What are you doing here?
00:26:12
Speaker 4: I was with you last night, Jacob. Don't you remember?
00:26:15
Speaker 2: What's no? What? No? How is it possible? How was
00:26:20
Speaker 2: supposed to be with Rachel. I how how did you?
00:26:23
Speaker 4: My father insisted that it should be this way. He
00:26:26
Speaker 4: sent Rachel back to her tent and bid me meet
00:26:28
Speaker 4: you in here to be your wife. We sealed the covenant.
00:26:32
Speaker 4: It's done.
00:26:33
Speaker 2: That treacherous snake. Leyban tricked me.
00:26:37
Speaker 4: I will make an excellent wife, Jacob, I swear I
00:26:40
Speaker 4: will give you plenty of sons and daughters.
00:26:42
Speaker 2: Where's Laban?
00:26:44
Speaker 1: Jacob left Lea and stormed out of this tent, shirt
00:26:48
Speaker 1: still off and heads still throbbing. Larban was sipping a
00:26:52
Speaker 1: warm cup of tea, directing some of his workers as
00:26:55
Speaker 1: they cleaned.
00:26:56
Speaker 3: Layban, good morning, my son, I trust you slept well
00:27:01
Speaker 3: beside your new bride. It's such an amazing moment in life,
00:27:05
Speaker 3: young love.
00:27:07
Speaker 2: What have you done to me? I served you for
00:27:10
Speaker 2: seven years for Rachel? That was our agreement. Why have
00:27:14
Speaker 2: you deceived me?
00:27:15
Speaker 3: Come now, Jacob or kinsman. You know our customs. It's
00:27:20
Speaker 3: not tradition to have your youngest daughter married before your eldest.
00:27:24
Speaker 2: So you chose deception instead of negotiation.
00:27:29
Speaker 3: Jacob, Jacob, you know better. I knew you wouldn't take
00:27:34
Speaker 3: Lea for a bride price of seven years I did
00:27:38
Speaker 3: what I had to do. This way I get to
00:27:41
Speaker 3: marry off my eldest daughter, and you work my fields
00:27:44
Speaker 3: for far more years than she's worth. It's a win win. Well.
00:27:50
Speaker 3: By that, of course, I mean that I win twice.
00:27:54
Speaker 1: Love And gave Jacob a certain look that sent shiffers
00:27:57
Speaker 1: down his spine. It was the look of a opened
00:28:01
Speaker 1: behind his large, jolly veneer was a cunning and calculating mind.
00:28:06
Speaker 1: He may have looked like Esau, but he was more
00:28:09
Speaker 1: like Jacob, a trickster. Jacob sobered immediately he understood who
00:28:15
Speaker 1: he was dealing with. Now they were cut from the
00:28:18
Speaker 1: same cloth. The trickster had been tricked. Jacob was angry,
00:28:23
Speaker 1: but he couldn't avoid the irony. Jacob responded with a
00:28:26
Speaker 1: calm and calculated look.
00:28:29
Speaker 2: You've bested me, Laban. You're surely a shrewd man. I
00:28:34
Speaker 2: should have known, since you and my mother, Rebecca are
00:28:37
Speaker 2: from the same line. She has a sharp mind as well.
00:28:42
Speaker 1: Flattery was how Jacob would get what he needed from Larban.
00:28:46
Speaker 1: The poor man had awakened something in Jacob. Larban wasn't
00:28:50
Speaker 1: the only servant in the reeds.
00:28:53
Speaker 2: I will work seven more years for Rachel. That was
00:28:56
Speaker 2: the bride price we agreed upon. In seven years, I
00:29:00
Speaker 2: expect to have her. There aren't any other secret daughters
00:29:03
Speaker 2: I should be aware of.
00:29:05
Speaker 9: Ah.
00:29:06
Speaker 3: You are a good sport. You have yourself a deal.
00:29:09
Speaker 1: Jacob bowed his head and walked back to his tent.
00:29:13
Speaker 1: Rachel was waiting nearby, eyes red from a night of tears.
00:29:18
Speaker 9: I swear, Jacob, I had no choice.
00:29:21
Speaker 2: It's going to be all right. In seven years, you'll
00:29:24
Speaker 2: be mine and I'll be yours.
00:29:26
Speaker 9: But what about Leah?
00:29:28
Speaker 2: What about her? My grandfather had two wives? Why can't I?
00:29:32
Speaker 9: I'm worried that Well.
00:29:35
Speaker 2: You are the one I love, Rachel. I will have
00:29:38
Speaker 2: you as my wife, and when the time is right,
00:29:42
Speaker 2: Laybad will know who he's slighted.
00:29:45
Speaker 1: Jacob placed a gentle hand on her chin and kissed
00:29:48
Speaker 1: her forehead. Leah was watching intently from the distance. He
00:29:52
Speaker 1: walked over to his tent and paused. He gave Leah
00:29:56
Speaker 1: an indifferent look, then passed her to enter his tent.
00:30:00
Speaker 1: For seven years, Jacob labored, and once the time had passed,
00:30:04
Speaker 1: he was finally able to marry Rachel. The night of
00:30:08
Speaker 1: their wedding, Jacob was completely sober, eyes clear, and heart
00:30:12
Speaker 1: fluttering with love. They sealed their promise that night with
00:30:16
Speaker 1: passion underneath the stars. To Jacob, it was well worth
00:30:21
Speaker 1: the fourteen years. Yet something was hiding in the margins
00:30:26
Speaker 1: between love and longing. Leah's love for Jacob, Jacob's love
00:30:31
Speaker 1: for Rachel, Lea's contempt for Rachel, and Laban's love of
00:30:35
Speaker 1: control were all brewing. Like the Eastern, Western, Southern, and
00:30:40
Speaker 1: Northern winds. They were doomed to collide, causing a storm
00:30:46
Speaker 1: of epic proportions.
00:30:53
Speaker 6: Jacob, with his heart full of love for Rachel, is
00:30:56
Speaker 6: willing to work seven long years just to win her hand.
00:31:01
Speaker 6: That kind of love is the stuff of fairy tales
00:31:04
Speaker 6: and love songs. But then the twist, the deception, Laban's
00:31:10
Speaker 6: cunning move slipping Leah into Jacob's bed instead of Rachel.
00:31:15
Speaker 6: Sometimes even pure and true love isn't enough to shield
00:31:19
Speaker 6: us from the harsh realities of life. For this family,
00:31:23
Speaker 6: the harsh realities, we'll only get harsher, and that brings
00:31:27
Speaker 6: us to Leah. Poor poor Leah, caught in a web
00:31:32
Speaker 6: that's not of her own making. She's desperate for a
00:31:35
Speaker 6: husband's love. It's heart wrenching when you look at it.
00:31:38
Speaker 6: From her perspective, Lea's struggle for affection, for recognition, for
00:31:44
Speaker 6: feeling wanted. Most of us, from a tender age, we're
00:31:48
Speaker 6: taught that crying signifies weakness. Be strong. We're told hold
00:31:54
Speaker 6: your tears, move on, get it together. But here the
00:31:58
Speaker 6: Bible actually teaches us something very different. This is what
00:32:01
Speaker 6: the scripture tells us. Quote Leah had weak eyes, but
00:32:07
Speaker 6: Rachel was beautiful end quote from her youth, Leah wept
00:32:12
Speaker 6: over her fate that she felt wasn't fair. Lea wept
00:32:17
Speaker 6: for herself and for her future children. And as she wept,
00:32:22
Speaker 6: she prayed that God would alter her destiny. And then
00:32:26
Speaker 6: we see it. God saw Leah's tears, and he heard
00:32:32
Speaker 6: her prayers, and as a result, God chose Leah to
00:32:37
Speaker 6: be Jacob's first wife, despite Rachel's greater beauty and beloved status.
00:32:43
Speaker 9: This is the.
00:32:45
Speaker 6: Profound power of tears. Leah's weak eyes were actually a
00:32:52
Speaker 6: symbol of her immense strengths, because it was through her
00:32:56
Speaker 6: tears that she reshaped history, that she changed the course
00:33:01
Speaker 6: of her life and the course of the world as
00:33:05
Speaker 6: we know it still today.
00:33:07
Speaker 9: You see.
00:33:08
Speaker 6: Jewish tradition holds that the gates of tears are the
00:33:12
Speaker 6: only gates to Heaven that never close. And I'll tell
00:33:17
Speaker 6: you something, my friends, we hold that same power, that
00:33:21
Speaker 6: same ability that lay a wheelded. We too can cry
00:33:26
Speaker 6: out to God with heartfelt tears of sincerity, of faith,
00:33:31
Speaker 6: of love. And through those tears, God hears our prayers
00:33:35
Speaker 6: and he alters the trajectory of our lives, which impacts
00:33:41
Speaker 6: the entire world. So, if there's one thing that I
00:33:44
Speaker 6: hope you get from this story, it's this, never underestimate
00:33:49
Speaker 6: the power of tears. As one rabbi so beautifully put it,
00:33:55
Speaker 6: the gates of tears were never locked. What a shame
00:33:59
Speaker 6: if no no one bothers to walk right through them.
00:34:03
Speaker 6: And that brings us to another layer of this story,
00:34:07
Speaker 6: the rich nuanced insights found in centuries of Jewish study
00:34:11
Speaker 6: of the original Hebrew text. Names in the Bible are
00:34:16
Speaker 6: more than just labels. We've already learned a bit that
00:34:19
Speaker 6: the names of the Biblical figures carry deep meanings and
00:34:23
Speaker 6: prophetic implications. Take Leah, for instance, her name literally translates
00:34:29
Speaker 6: to weary. It reflects her life's journey, her struggle for love,
00:34:35
Speaker 6: her constant yearning for Jacob's affection. Every time we say
00:34:40
Speaker 6: her name Leah, were reminded of her weariness and her
00:34:44
Speaker 6: struggle to be seen and loved. Rachel, on the other hand,
00:34:50
Speaker 6: in Hebrew, is pronounced Rachel, and it literally translates to eu.
00:34:56
Speaker 2: E w e.
00:34:58
Speaker 6: It symbolizes and beauty. Her name Rachel. Rachel paints a
00:35:04
Speaker 6: picture of gentleness and grace, qualities that drew Jacob's heart
00:35:08
Speaker 6: to her in the first place. It's a very stark
00:35:12
Speaker 6: contrast to Leah's weariness, highlighting the different paths that they walked.
00:35:17
Speaker 6: You see in translation, we might overlook the prophetic implication
00:35:21
Speaker 6: of these names, but oh no, if we do, we
00:35:25
Speaker 6: might miss how Leah's weariness in Rachel's beauty are not
00:35:29
Speaker 6: just personal traits. No, they are woven into God's larger story.
00:35:36
Speaker 6: Leah's name, her weariness, speaks to the struggle that many
00:35:40
Speaker 6: of us face in finding recognition and finding love. Rachel's
00:35:45
Speaker 6: name her beauty remind us of the allure and desire
00:35:50
Speaker 6: that often drive our actions, and that brings us to Jacob.
00:35:55
Speaker 6: The Hebrew teaching that I want to point out about
00:35:57
Speaker 6: Jacob happens right away in Jenne's twenty nine rite in
00:36:01
Speaker 6: the very first verse here the Bible uses an unusual expression,
00:36:05
Speaker 6: as Jacob continues his travels. Most English translations tell us
00:36:10
Speaker 6: that quote, Jacob continued his journey end quote. But that's
00:36:15
Speaker 6: not the literal translation of the Hebrew. The closest translation
00:36:20
Speaker 6: says this quote and Jacob lifteth up his feet end quote.
00:36:27
Speaker 6: I'm going to read it to you in Hebrew so
00:36:29
Speaker 6: that you can hear how it sounds. This is what
00:36:31
Speaker 6: it says in Genesis twenty nine, the very first verse,
00:36:36
Speaker 6: vaissa ya akkov raglav. Let me say that again, vaissa
00:36:42
Speaker 6: ya akov raglov. But this isn't the Bible's regular expression
00:36:48
Speaker 6: for traveling. So why does scripture use it here? This
00:36:53
Speaker 6: isn't how it usually says that the Biblical figure traveled
00:36:57
Speaker 6: uses different words. Why well? The Jewish ages have a
00:37:02
Speaker 6: beautiful explanation that has always inspired me so much, and
00:37:06
Speaker 6: I hope that it will inspire you too. They teach
00:37:09
Speaker 6: that after Jacob woke up from his dream of God's promise,
00:37:12
Speaker 6: he felt quote light footed end quote. Isn't that beautiful?
00:37:19
Speaker 6: When he woke up from his dream, he felt light footed.
00:37:23
Speaker 6: After hearing God's promise, Jacob felt that he could do anything,
00:37:28
Speaker 6: He could overcome any of the challenges that God would
00:37:31
Speaker 6: put his way, and he would put many his way,
00:37:34
Speaker 6: including the challenge of finding the right wife, the challenge
00:37:37
Speaker 6: of living in the house of dishonest Laban, and the
00:37:41
Speaker 6: challenge of being father to God's chosen people. Those are
00:37:44
Speaker 6: all pretty big tasks. But when Jacob woke up light footed,
00:37:50
Speaker 6: he knew that he could overcome them. And I want
00:37:54
Speaker 6: you to remember, my friends, that just like Jacob, God
00:37:56
Speaker 6: has promised each one of us that as long as
00:38:01
Speaker 6: we dedicate ourselves to Him, he will be with us.
00:38:06
Speaker 6: We can feel lightfooted in that. And when you feel
00:38:10
Speaker 6: lightfooted that you know God is with you, you could
00:38:15
Speaker 6: accomplish anything. As you can see, there's more than romance
00:38:20
Speaker 6: going on here in this biblical love story. And to
00:38:23
Speaker 6: add even more, here's our good friend, Bishop Paulineer.
00:38:27
Speaker 10: Thank you so much.
00:38:28
Speaker 3: Elle.
00:38:28
Speaker 10: Here we are in this Genesis chapter twenty nine, and
00:38:32
Speaker 10: Jacob arrives.
00:38:34
Speaker 2: To a field of sheep.
00:38:37
Speaker 10: Can I just tell you that I've always been intrigued,
00:38:40
Speaker 10: even marveled, at the relationship the Jewish people have with sheep.
00:38:48
Speaker 10: You know that back in the garden of Eden, after
00:38:50
Speaker 10: they had sinned and God was sending them out from
00:38:55
Speaker 10: the garden. He first clothed them animal skins, covering them
00:39:03
Speaker 10: with a bloody thing. Was this redemption at work? Was
00:39:07
Speaker 10: it an altar somewhere? Was it a lamb? I think
00:39:13
Speaker 10: about the offering at the altar of two brothers canaan Abel,
00:39:18
Speaker 10: and how Cain brought his vegetables from his garden, but
00:39:23
Speaker 10: Able brought a lamb a sheep. Why was he even
00:39:27
Speaker 10: raising sheep if indeed he was vegetarian, as many people believe. Well,
00:39:35
Speaker 10: maybe it was for the wool, Perhaps for the milk.
00:39:40
Speaker 10: Later on God spoke to Noah and told him he
00:39:45
Speaker 10: could now eat the meat, but not drink the blood,
00:39:49
Speaker 10: because that always belongs to God. And of course the
00:39:52
Speaker 10: lamb was part of that first and perpetual passover that
00:39:58
Speaker 10: was appointed in Egypt, and then later that elaborate, sophisticated
00:40:04
Speaker 10: sacrificial system at Mount Sinai. For me, the only answer
00:40:10
Speaker 10: is the altar. And you know so well that increasingly
00:40:17
Speaker 10: the altar was the center of Jewish life. Someone would
00:40:22
Speaker 10: move to a community and they'd build an altar, They
00:40:26
Speaker 10: would pitch a tent and dig a well. Those three things.
00:40:32
Speaker 10: Build an altar, pitch a tent, dig a well, that
00:40:38
Speaker 10: reveals to us the level of priority and importance of
00:40:42
Speaker 10: the altar of the sacrifice of the lamb. Later on
00:40:49
Speaker 10: we'll discover how the children of Israel got into the
00:40:54
Speaker 10: land of ghost and how the role of shepherd.
00:41:01
Speaker 2: Played into that.
00:41:03
Speaker 10: We'll think about that King David, who was first and
00:41:06
Speaker 10: foremost shepherd. And for Christians, we look to the New
00:41:11
Speaker 10: Testament and we think of Jesus being born and laid
00:41:17
Speaker 10: in a manger which was rich in the whole sheep
00:41:21
Speaker 10: narrative and culture. That the whole reason Jesus was being
00:41:27
Speaker 10: born there was because it was that space was special
00:41:33
Speaker 10: where sacrificial lambs were birthed and raised. We hear that
00:41:41
Speaker 10: John the Baptist when he sees Jesus coming and he
00:41:46
Speaker 10: cries out, behold the Lamb of God who takes away
00:41:49
Speaker 10: the sins of the world, the lamb, the Lamb of God.
00:41:54
Speaker 10: And we hear Jesus himself saying, I am the good Shepherd.
00:42:01
Speaker 10: You know, I remember some time ago seeing a photograph
00:42:04
Speaker 10: and a video of yah Elle in one of our
00:42:07
Speaker 10: Fellowship campaigns.
00:42:09
Speaker 2: And it strucked me.
00:42:10
Speaker 3: It was so beautiful.
00:42:13
Speaker 10: Yah El was on a sheep farm, and she was
00:42:16
Speaker 10: holding and caressing and laughing with a lamb so earthy
00:42:20
Speaker 10: and raw and real. I told my wife, I said,
00:42:25
Speaker 10: this is my favorite picture of yah El because of
00:42:29
Speaker 10: the authenticity. I'm telling you, if you could have made
00:42:32
Speaker 10: the picture black and white, it would have looked three
00:42:35
Speaker 10: thousand years old. But here Rachel is at one with
00:42:42
Speaker 10: the sheep, and it's with that flock that Jacob finds
00:42:46
Speaker 10: her and Rachel meets her future husband. There was never
00:42:53
Speaker 10: a moment quite like that for Jacob Agan. She was
00:42:57
Speaker 10: so beautiful to him, she captured is hard and ultimately
00:43:03
Speaker 10: Rachel gave Jacob two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, and nobody
00:43:09
Speaker 10: had wonder how Jacob felt about those two boys, particularly
00:43:15
Speaker 10: because of their mother, Rachel.
00:43:19
Speaker 6: This is more than a love story. It's part of
00:43:22
Speaker 6: the ultimate love story, the story of God's love for
00:43:26
Speaker 6: his chosen people. In each of our stories, even the
00:43:30
Speaker 6: painful ones. God doesn't waste our pain or discard us
00:43:34
Speaker 6: because of our flaws. No, God loves us, and he
00:43:39
Speaker 6: promises to bless each one of us his chosen People.
00:43:45
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Speaker 1: executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited
00:44:08
Speaker 1: by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced
00:44:13
Speaker 1: by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
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Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
00:44:22
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
00:44:26
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