Jacob & The Pot of Stew

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be Ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew ten sixteen. Dear Lord, we come before you with grateful hearts, thankful for the wisdom of your word. In Matthew ten sixteen, you remind us that the path of faith is not always easy. You send us into the world as sheep among wolves. Yet you give us clear instruction to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. Grant us discernment to see what is true and to recognize the traps of the enemy. Help us think clearly, make choices with sound judgment, and walk with courage when the way is difficult. Yet, Lord, let our wisdom never be cold or cruel. Balance it with gentleness, so that we may use our understanding to serve and heal. May we be wise but never deceitful, shrewd but always compassionate. Guide our steps so our actions reflect your love. Let our words carry peace and hope. Use us as vessels of your righteousness, shining with grace and truth. Amen, thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the chosen people. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Be sure to leave a review and share your journey of faith today. 00:01:46 Speaker 2: Previously on The Chosen People. 00:01:49 Speaker 3: Tell me how you learned you were pregnant, My lady, I was thought to be barren for so long, for over two decades, I wondered if I would ever know what it would be like to bear children. I finally asked Isaac to advocate for me and to go to his God, as we would have done with the old gods from back home. 00:02:09 Speaker 4: But this one answered, didn't he, my lady. 00:02:13 Speaker 3: He did, and he became my God. 00:02:16 Speaker 5: That day, two nations are in your womb. Two people will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. 00:02:33 Speaker 2: Deborah brought the first infant to her and placed him on her chest. Delirious with exhaustion, Rebecca frowned at the tiny babe. He was a dull, blotchy red and covered with hair like a fur coat. 00:02:46 Speaker 4: We should name him Esau. 00:02:49 Speaker 2: Rebecca stretched her arm out for the second child and drew him to her breast. 00:02:54 Speaker 3: Let's call him Jacob. 00:02:57 Speaker 2: In the back of her mind, Rebecca knew the other meaning of the name trickster Usurber even now, seeds of a plan to reverse the rolls of her two sons were in motion. Thus Jacob became Rachel's precious child before Esau even had a chance to latch onto her breast. He was the second son in her eyes. 00:03:19 Speaker 6: Fah It's settled Esau and Jacob. 00:03:27 Speaker 2: The forest floor was cool and damp, blanketed with the decaying remnants of last autumn's leaves, offering a soft, muted cushion beneath Esau's deliberate steps. His powerful arms, like those of a bear, kept the bow drawn taut, ready to release at a moment's notice. His breath rose in the frigid air, like smoke, curling up to the canopy of Syrian ash trees, their leaves hanging like the wet fur of a hunted beast. Each of Esau's steps was careful, silent, and imbued with purpose. It was there in the forest where he came alive. The smell of rotted leaves intermixed with earth and dew, the soft murmur of trickling streams and melodies of song birds, the primal, exhilarating feeling in his hungry belly. As he hunted for food, the primal thrill surged through him, his hunger gnawing like a wild beast within his belly. Esau was a creature of the bow and pine, a predator borne to the hunt, fierce and formidable as any bear. Esau had tracked a stag for miles, Its tracks invisible to the untrained eye, but Esau saw them. He saw every broken twig, smelled every dropping, and heard every shuffle in the leaves. The forests spoke to him and guided him to his prey. Esau finally crept goose and bushes, revealing a clearing beside a grove of hollyoakes. The stag, unaware of its peril, grazed calmly. Esau's only betrayal was the plume of his breath, rising in the cold morning air. He raised his bow, eyes narrowing as he aligned the arrow. The stag sensed its doom and tense to flee, but Esau's arrow flew true, striking it in the heart. It collapsed without struggle, its life extinguished in an instant. Esau approached the fallen creature, nodding in silent gratitude. 00:05:40 Speaker 7: You were fast, you were strong. Thank you for your meat. 00:05:46 Speaker 2: With a grunt, Esau crouched, Sliding his powerful arms beneath the stag. He heaved it on to his shoulders, planting his feet firmly, before beginning the trek back to camp. The sun had not yet risen over the land of Canaan, and the earth lay quiet under a shroud of fog. Jacob slipped from his tent, moving with the stealth of a thief through the sleeping camp. Each of his steps was as calculated and silent as his brothers in the forest. He entered Esau's tent, finding it empty as expected. He rifled through the disordered piles of fur and tangled bowstrings, muttering to himself. 00:06:30 Speaker 4: This place is a miss. What's that smell? 00:06:34 Speaker 3: Ugh? 00:06:36 Speaker 2: Jacob searched with little regard for Esau's belongings, confident his brother would notice no trace of his intrusion. Despite Esau's prowess in the wilderness, he was oblivious to much else, a fact Jacob intended to exploit. His fingers closed around the objects of his search, a medium sized iron pot and a leather pack of tanning knives. 00:07:00 Speaker 4: Let's see Ah, there you are. 00:07:06 Speaker 2: He concealed the part and knives beneath his cloak and returned to his own tent. A flickering candle cast a soft glow inside, revealing an orderly space. Jacob's tent was a testament to his meticulous nature. With sown pockets on the walls for tools and supplies and woven baskets for his garments. Every item had its place, providing the mental space he needed to think, plan, and scheme. He knew Esau would be back soon, game over his shoulder and ravenous. After hiding the part in his tent, he exited and watched the sunrise slowly creep over the undulating plains of Canaan. The air was fresh and damp. Jacob saw Esaw emerge from the forest. 00:07:54 Speaker 4: Right on time. 00:07:57 Speaker 2: Jacob approached his brother with a theatrical. 00:07:59 Speaker 4: Flow, Ah, our brave hunter has returned. Father, will be thrilled you conquered such a beast here. Let me help you with that. You must be exhausted, Yes, I am tired. 00:08:16 Speaker 7: Stag was long legged, in and. 00:08:18 Speaker 4: Fast, certainly no match for you, though, dear brother, your bow has never failed you. 00:08:26 Speaker 7: Yes, my arms are strong to keep the bow tight. Father will be pleased with the big stag. 00:08:36 Speaker 4: Speaking of Father, I was surprised you went't hunting this morning. That he was complaining last night about how you didn't finish your tasks in the fields. Father was upset, Yes, which is strange because he favors you, so I rarely see him. That worked out well. At least you brought a stag for him to eat. Will you be making him that stew? He loves? That will surely make him forgive you. 00:09:07 Speaker 7: Yes, I will cut stag and make stew with my knives and pot. Father won't be angry once I give him his favorite. 00:09:16 Speaker 4: Great idea, Esaw, find your special pot and knives, and I'll take the deer to the butchering stone. 00:09:23 Speaker 2: Esau transferred the stag to Jacob's shoulders. Jacob may buckled under its weight, but managed to carry it to the butchering stone. He listened as he saw rummage through his tent. His frustration mounting, he burst out of the tent, eyes wide with panic. 00:09:40 Speaker 4: My pot and knives, ho, god Mother and I are always telling you to be more tidy with your things. You wouldn't lose so much if you kept them organized. 00:09:51 Speaker 7: If I don't have stew, I can't please father. 00:09:54 Speaker 4: Well, don hasn't even settled completely over the fields. If you got your work done before father w look up, I'm sure all will be forgiven. 00:10:03 Speaker 7: But what about the stag. 00:10:05 Speaker 4: I'll butcher it myself. 00:10:07 Speaker 7: Thank you, brother. I will get some bread, then go to fields. I'm starving. 00:10:13 Speaker 4: No, no, there's no time for that. Go now, finish your work. I'll look for your misplaced items and cook up a nice meal for you. 00:10:22 Speaker 7: Why you do this for me? 00:10:25 Speaker 4: Why we're brothers, esaw twins. Your hurt is my hurt. 00:10:34 Speaker 2: Esau hurried to the fields, and a sly smile curled Jacob's lips as he watched. He and his brother were opposites in almost every way. Esau was a bear, large, hairy, and strong, living by instinct. Jacob, however, was a cat, smooth, controlled and cunning. Unlike his brother, Jacob craved more than sustenance. He sought influence, wealth, and power. 00:11:04 Speaker 4: I guess we're both hunters and as sense. But while my dear brother uses a bow and arrow, I prefer late. 00:11:16 Speaker 2: Jacob began butchering the stag with precise practice strokes. His brother was an adept hunter, but Jacob was a master butcher. His blade was always sharp, always. As the afternoon sun melted the morning fog, the air grew thick with heat, sapping Esau's strength. If he had paid more attention, he might have realized that it had been Jacob's turn to work the fields the day before. The undone work was not his burden. Yet Esau labored on sickle and hoe in hand, his back aching, his stomach growling like a caged beast. His brow was drenched in sweat and mad. As he finally threw down his sickle and trudged back to camp, the sides of his vision darkened with fatigue, his head throbbed, and his limbs felt leaden. Cresting the small hill, he saw Jacob seated by the fire, a pot of red lentil stew simmering. It's aroma mingling with that of freshly cooked game. Esau beamed at the sight of it, as if he hadn't seen food in days. 00:12:31 Speaker 4: Give me some red red. 00:12:34 Speaker 7: I'm starving, and field is he. 00:12:38 Speaker 4: I've made it for you, dear brother, but I won't give it for free. 00:12:43 Speaker 7: What do you want? 00:12:46 Speaker 4: I'll give you this stew for Oh, you're both right, your status as the firstborn son. 00:12:54 Speaker 7: What good is birthright? If i'd die, give me the red red? 00:12:58 Speaker 4: I ah, no, not yet. He saw that that's not good enough for me. I need you to agree that you are purchasing this red red in exchange for your birthright. Swear to me, I swear give me that bread. This is binding between us. Oh, you've spent too much time in the forest, my friend, And here you go. Wipe up that chin with some bread. 00:13:33 Speaker 2: Esau devoured the stew red liquid dripping down his beard. Jacob watched with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction. 00:13:43 Speaker 4: That easy. 00:13:46 Speaker 2: Isaac reclined by the fire, with Rebecca beside him and his sons opposite him. As was tradition, the two boys ended each night with their parents. Most nights, Jacob and Rebecca exchanged oaks and sharp jabs, sometimes at Isaac and Esau's expense. Isaac and Esau spoke of game, hunting, the weather, and how to carve figurines from almond branches. 00:14:11 Speaker 6: Tell me about the hunt today, Esau. 00:14:15 Speaker 7: Oh the stag was fast. 00:14:17 Speaker 4: Oh yes, how fast? 00:14:20 Speaker 7: Very fast? 00:14:21 Speaker 6: Oh so so what happened when you found it? 00:14:24 Speaker 7: I chased it into the grove and shut it. 00:14:29 Speaker 6: Oh, amazing, riveting dear the tail for the ages Esau. 00:14:36 Speaker 2: Rebecca and Jacob exchanged a knowing look. Laughing quietly, Isaac, still caught up in Esau's story, pressed on, I. 00:14:45 Speaker 6: Hear there's better hunting in the wilderness of Zin east of Beersheba. When you take my places ahead of the household. Perhaps you want to move our people there and teach your sons how to hunt it. 00:15:00 Speaker 4: Actually, that will no longer be Esau's decision. He sold me his birthright. 00:15:08 Speaker 3: Esau sold you his birthright? What do you mean? For what price? 00:15:14 Speaker 4: Some lentil soup? My dear brother calls it red red? 00:15:19 Speaker 5: What Esau? 00:15:22 Speaker 4: What is the meaning of this? 00:15:24 Speaker 7: I don't need birthright now. It's far, far away away in the future. 00:15:31 Speaker 4: You see, he doesn't want it anyway. It was a worthwhile trade, right, Esau. 00:15:37 Speaker 7: Right. 00:15:38 Speaker 6: Good, So, Rebecca, speak to your son, Jacob. 00:15:46 Speaker 3: You you can't be serious. 00:15:48 Speaker 4: It's Esau who isn't serious. I, on the other hand, know exactly what I want and the value this birthright holds in the future. If he despises his birthright so much, is it better that it's in my hands. I'm the one who wants it. 00:16:05 Speaker 3: He's got a point, Isaac. Wouldn't you want it in the hands of the one who understands its value? 00:16:11 Speaker 2: Isaac was silent, first brooding, then his brow softened to resignation. He stood and walked away, leaving the other three by the fire. 00:16:23 Speaker 3: His birthright, Jacob, really, how did you manage that? 00:16:27 Speaker 4: You know as well as I do that this family is doomed in Esau's hands. I'm doing you our herdsman, workers and craftsmen a favor. 00:16:35 Speaker 3: Your father may acknowledge and conceive the practical aspects of Esau's birthright, but you know the blessing of Abraham and Isaac can't be sold for stew. 00:16:44 Speaker 4: Now, I don't know. You'd be surprised how far a little stew can go with those two. 00:16:48 Speaker 3: What are you scheming, my son. 00:16:51 Speaker 4: Nothing you haven't already thought of. Mother. 00:16:55 Speaker 2: Jacob's ascent began with grabbing his brother's heel out of the womb. Now he seized his brother's birthright, all was falling into place for Jacob. Soon he would have the blessing as well. This prey dot com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. 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