# 30 - Twins of Promise: Jacob & Esau - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau, two brothers whose rivalry will shape the future of nations. This episode explores the themes of divine prophecy, struggle, and how God’s plans unfold through both conflict and promise.
Episode 30 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 Psalm 135:4, “For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.”
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Show Notes:
(01:55) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:24) Twins of Promise: Jacob & Esau
(25:21) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
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Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
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Speaker 2: Can you count the stars Abram.
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Speaker 1: Abram shook his head uncertain.
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Speaker 2: You cannot, for there are too many. It is impossible.
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Speaker 2: It is to be the same with your offspring. The
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Speaker 2: great nation I shall make through your air would be
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Speaker 2: as innumerable as the stars in the night sky.
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Speaker 3: I would have you seek out a wife for Isaac
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Speaker 3: from the land of my family in Haram.
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Speaker 2: He is ready, Master.
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Speaker 3: He will make a fine husband, just as he will
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Speaker 3: bear his inheritance well.
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Speaker 1: For two weeks, Elieza had pondered how to fulfill his task.
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Speaker 1: Now standing at heron's well, he devised a test. He
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Speaker 1: closed his eyes and prayed silently to the God of Abram.
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Speaker 2: God, must I, God of my master Abram, make this
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Speaker 2: happen for me to day and show kindness to my
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Speaker 2: master Abrahm.
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Speaker 1: As he opened his eyes, a young woman approached her
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Speaker 1: water jug, balanced gracefully on her shoulder.
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Speaker 4: Please, my Lord, allow me to serve you.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca ran home and promised to send someone back to
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Speaker 1: meet them and escort them to her house.
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Speaker 3: Let her be the woman that God Almighty has appointed
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Speaker 3: for my master's son.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca's heart soared in anticipation.
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Speaker 4: Eliezer, who is that in the field coming out to
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Speaker 4: meet us?
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Speaker 1: That my lady is Master Isaac. Rebecca blushed and grinned
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Speaker 1: like a fool.
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Speaker 4: My Lord, I have traveled a long way to meet you.
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Speaker 4: I am honored to become your wife.
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Speaker 2: Oh no, no, Rebecca, it is I who am honored.
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Speaker 5: From the quiet womb to the chaos of the world.
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Speaker 5: Two brothers. Fate was intertwined with deep conflict and divine prophecy. Shallow,
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Speaker 5: my friends, from here in the holy Land of Israel.
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Speaker 5: I'm ya l extein with the International Fellowship of Christians
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Speaker 5: and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. Each day
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Speaker 5: we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible, stories
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Speaker 5: filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning
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Speaker 5: of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth
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Speaker 5: that we are all chosen for something great.
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Speaker 6: So take a moment.
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Speaker 5: Today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling extra grateful
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Speaker 5: for these stories, we would love it if you left
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Speaker 5: us a review. I read every single one of them,
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Speaker 5: and if you're interested in hearing more about the prophetic,
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Speaker 5: life saving work of the Fellowship, you can visit IFCJ
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Speaker 5: dot org let's begin under the shining stars of ancient skies,
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Speaker 5: two nations with a mother's womb. The story of Isaac's
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Speaker 5: offspring is a tale of destiny, rivalry, and divine promise.
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Speaker 5: Today's dramatized Bible story, inspired by Genesis twenty five nineteen
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Speaker 5: to twenty eight, asks us this, what does it mean
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Speaker 5: to be chosen? When being chosen brings both blessing and burden?
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Speaker 4: Ah, this thrashing about. I can't take much more of this.
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Speaker 4: These babies will tear themselves from my womb before I
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Speaker 4: can get them out.
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Speaker 6: Oh, I know, my lady, you will soon be in
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Speaker 6: your labors in earnest and we will bring them outside
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Speaker 6: of you. Then you can rest.
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Speaker 4: But then what violence will I have unleashed onto the world?
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Speaker 6: Now, my lady, do not be so dramatic. They are
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Speaker 6: only babes. They are just eager to be in the
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Speaker 6: world with us.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca groaned and then doubled over, gripping one of the
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Speaker 1: poles of the tent as another contraction raged through her body.
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Speaker 1: Real or false, she was not sure. The savage fighting
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Speaker 1: of the two children in her womb had led her
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Speaker 1: to cry out for the midwives twice before, only for
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Speaker 1: her to be told it was not time for them yet.
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Speaker 1: Just breathe and walk about, they had told her. She
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Speaker 1: wanted to throttle them. No one understood the severity of
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Speaker 1: the war being fought within her. What frustrated her further
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Speaker 1: was that they would not confirm that it was twins.
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Speaker 1: They said they could not say for certain, so they
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Speaker 1: did not want to say at all. But what else
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Speaker 1: could all this commotion be. Surely one babe was not
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Speaker 1: at war with itself. It had to be two of them,
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Speaker 1: Rebecca felt sure, and the oracle she had sought had
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Speaker 1: proved it as well. She had not shared what she
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Speaker 1: had learned with anyone. She was still not sure what
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Speaker 1: to make of it. Herself. What she had thought might
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Speaker 1: be a contraction began to subside, but that only seemed
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Speaker 1: to spur the warring babes within to wage of fresh assault.
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Speaker 1: They kicked and struck from within her, causing her to
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Speaker 1: WinCE in pain. As she straightened, she clutched her side,
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Speaker 1: and Deborah, her maid, gave her a helpless look that
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Speaker 1: came to assist her in getting back to her bedroom.
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Speaker 4: Ah, how long ago was the last one?
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Speaker 6: If another one comes soon, my lady, I will call
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Speaker 6: for the midwife. I fear she won't have anything new
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Speaker 6: to tell you if we call her too soon.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca exhaled sharply again as o Limb jabbed her in
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Speaker 1: the side. Her retaliation came from the opposite corner. Half
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Speaker 1: a heart beat later, Isaac timidly poked his head into
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Speaker 1: her tent.
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Speaker 2: Are you well, my love? Is it time yet? Should
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Speaker 2: I send for the midwife?
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Speaker 6: Master Isaac, I tell you the same as I told
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Speaker 6: your wife. It is not time yet. Now you should
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Speaker 6: not be in here. This is a woman. It's no mean.
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Speaker 4: Thank you my husband for inquiring. But no, I am
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Speaker 4: not well. I will not be well until I have
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Speaker 4: delivered the boys.
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Speaker 2: I hate this feeling. I wish there was something to
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Speaker 2: be done.
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Speaker 4: I want to help Rebecca, I really do. You're sweet, dear,
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Speaker 4: but your words offer little comfort.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca smiled weakly at Isaac. There was nothing to be done.
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Speaker 1: The twins would indeed come when they were ready. But
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Speaker 1: this was Isaac's way. He loved her. That was undeniable,
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Speaker 1: as undeniable as his faith in the God of his father.
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Speaker 1: His father told him to believe, and so he did. Yes,
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Speaker 1: he was a man of great faith but also profound simplicity.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca was so touched and grateful that he had gone
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Speaker 1: to their God on her behalf and simply asked to conceive.
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Speaker 1: She gathered that Abraham had never done that. When he
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Speaker 1: and his wife could not conceive, they waited and waited,
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Speaker 1: which had merits in and of itself, but Isaac had
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Speaker 1: simply gone and asked. In that regard, Rebecca and her
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Speaker 1: husband were much alike. Rebecca rarely denied herself anything, but
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Speaker 1: outside of that, they could not be any more different.
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Speaker 1: Just then, her powerful contraction racked her body. Eyes wide,
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Speaker 1: she stared daggers at Deborah for minimizing her pain. Only
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Speaker 1: moments ago. Rebecca knew that it was a real contraction,
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Speaker 1: but she only glared because she found that speech was
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Speaker 1: no longer accessible to her through the agonizing pain. What's wrong?
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Speaker 2: What do I need to do?
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Speaker 6: That's another contraction. The labor has begun in earnest. Now,
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Speaker 6: Master Isaac, go fetch the midwife. I'll stay with my lady.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca found her lungs at last and screamed out. As
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Speaker 1: the contraction continued, Deborah had her lean back on her
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Speaker 1: bed roll and grasped her hand tightly. The woman was,
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Speaker 1: in truth, more of a mother to Rebecca than her
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Speaker 1: own had ever been. Rebecca had often been praised for
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Speaker 1: being bold enough to leave the house of her father
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Speaker 1: and follow Abraham's servant through the desert to marry Isaac
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Speaker 1: and join his family. Still, Rebecca knew that perhaps she
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Speaker 1: had been so bold because she knew she would have
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Speaker 1: a faithful companion in Deborah by her side, as she
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Speaker 1: had been her own caregiver. She knew the woman would
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Speaker 1: become like a grandmother to her own children. The woman
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Speaker 1: vexed her sometimes, but she could not deny the love
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Speaker 1: she felt for her. She knew her twins would come
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Speaker 1: to feel the same.
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Speaker 2: Someday.
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Speaker 6: My lady, can you speak now?
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Speaker 1: Rebecca gave her a stiff nod. Deborah, in turn, gave
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Speaker 1: her a questioning look.
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Speaker 6: Yes, talk to me, my lady, until the next contraction
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Speaker 6: or the midwife comes. It will take your mind away
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Speaker 6: from here.
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Speaker 4: What should I speak of?
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Speaker 6: Tell me how you learned you were pregnant, my lady.
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Speaker 6: Also tell me how long you waited to become so.
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Speaker 6: Remind yourself of the answered prayer.
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Speaker 7: I was thought to be barren for so long, For
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Speaker 7: over two decades. I wondered if I would ever know
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Speaker 7: what it would be like to bear children. I wondered
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Speaker 7: if Isaac had been right to choose me, if his
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Speaker 7: God had been right to choose me.
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Speaker 6: I remember it well, my lady, But you didn't give up.
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Speaker 4: No. I finally asked Isaac to advocate for me and
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Speaker 4: to go to his God, as we would have done
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Speaker 4: with the old gods from back home.
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Speaker 6: But this one answered, didn't he, my lady.
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Speaker 4: He did, and he became my god that day, the
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Speaker 4: day I learned I was with child, I was so
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Speaker 4: happy that my decades of silence were finally over.
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Speaker 7: But even now I am reminded every kick that my
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Speaker 7: years of solitude and peace are behind me.
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Speaker 8: Oh, my lady, you are right about that, And no
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Speaker 8: more silence, no more sleep. The peace of mind you
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Speaker 8: head will be replaced with the constant and incessant wailings
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Speaker 8: of babes.
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Speaker 6: But take heart, it's worth all the struggle I throps.
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Speaker 1: Isaac found the midwife and hurried her along to the
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Speaker 1: entrance of his wife's tent, the tent that had also
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Speaker 1: been his mother's, the tent of the mistress of his household.
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Speaker 1: As soon as the midwife opened the flap of the tent.
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Speaker 1: Rebecca's screams hit him like a slap in the face.
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Speaker 1: He could not enter, and he could not just stand
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Speaker 1: there and do nothing at all. He had to go
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Speaker 1: find something to do. He took off with renewed purpose.
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Speaker 1: Eventually he spied an axe leaning against a pile of
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Speaker 1: wood gathered from the sparse wilderness. He picked up the
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Speaker 1: axe in one of his large rough hands and lifted
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Speaker 1: the first branch from the pile with the other. He
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Speaker 1: dragged it over to the clearing and set to his
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Speaker 1: task of breaking it down.
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Speaker 3: Master Isaac, I understand, Lady Rebecca has begun her labor.
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Speaker 1: Isaac was startled and looked up to see Eliezer and
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Speaker 1: his father standing before him.
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Speaker 3: My son, this will be a day you remember forever.
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Speaker 3: It was the same for me the day by Sarah
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Speaker 3: bore you for me. Thank you Father, Thank you Eliza.
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Speaker 3: You are quiet, Master Isaac, I confess I am surprised
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Speaker 3: to see you so reserved on today of all days.
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Speaker 2: Would you like to join us as we walk?
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Speaker 3: Come, Elieza, we should leave Isaac to his task. My son,
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Speaker 3: I will leave you to save the day ahead. When
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Speaker 3: Rebecca bears your heir. We will will celebrate even now,
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Speaker 3: Eliezar and I are seeing to the preparations.
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Speaker 1: Thank you, father, Isaac nodded respectfully to his father as
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Speaker 1: Abraham and his faithful servant took their leave mercifully. Rebecca's
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Speaker 1: tent was too far away for him to hear her screaming,
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Speaker 1: but he did hear the whimpering of another babe crying
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Speaker 1: somewhere near by. To think, in a few short hours,
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Speaker 1: Isaac could be hearing the sound of his own child.
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Speaker 1: His stomach nodded in anticipation, and he again took up
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Speaker 1: the axe and resumed his task, losing himself in his
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Speaker 1: thoughts as his father knew he would. The crying child
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Speaker 1: could belong to anyone, but most likely it was one
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Speaker 1: of his half siblings or nieces or nephews. The camp
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Speaker 1: was practically crawling with Abraham's many children and now their
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Speaker 1: children's children from his second wife, Father of multitudes. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: for a long time, he could not understand why he
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Speaker 1: and Rebecca could not conceive. He felt like he was
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Speaker 1: simultaneously failing her and failing to live up to his
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Speaker 1: father's legacy. Isaac tried not to think of it at all.
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Speaker 1: He placed the failure far away from his mind and
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Speaker 1: into an unreachable place. That way, he could work hard,
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Speaker 1: lead his family, and offer all a smile or joke,
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Speaker 1: as he so often did. Rebecca was so different from himself.
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Speaker 1: She was passionate and spoke her wants and desires in
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Speaker 1: a way that Isaac never could. It was not that
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Speaker 1: Isaac did not have a rich in a world. He
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Speaker 1: loved to appreciate a good joke and be at ease
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Speaker 1: with those he loved, but he also longed for the
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Speaker 1: quiet walks on his property where he would commune with
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Speaker 1: his God, Hoping to be half the leader his father was.
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Speaker 1: He followed his father's ways, the way of God most High,
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Speaker 1: and that was that he didn't question, or bargain or
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Speaker 1: wrestle the way Rebecca did. She had tied his family
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Speaker 1: and their culture with the strength that Isaac wasn't sure
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Speaker 1: he would have been able to do if their roles
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Speaker 1: had been reversed. But he also knew that her adoption
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Speaker 1: of his God came slowly. He didn't see the understanding
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Speaker 1: in her eyes until she finally received a miracle of
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Speaker 1: her own. Isaac smiled at the memory of that, and
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Speaker 1: then he recalled the day that had said it all
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Speaker 1: in motion. She came to him in pain and anguish,
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Speaker 1: and finally at her wits end of two decades of
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Speaker 1: being unable to conceive. In response, Isaac did the only
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Speaker 1: thing he could think of. He asked God, it had
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Speaker 1: been so simple. How had he not thought to ask before?
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Speaker 1: It had taken Rebecca's boldness to push into action, And
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Speaker 1: he was so grateful that he did act, and he
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Speaker 1: would be all over again if it all went well
00:14:52
Speaker 1: with Rebecca's labor. Isaac realized he had come to the
00:14:56
Speaker 1: end of the pile of wood, axe lifted high above
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Speaker 1: his head, ready to strike at nothing. He laughed to
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Speaker 1: himself as he lowered the axe and returned it to
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Speaker 1: where he had found it. Isaac then wandered off to
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Speaker 1: seek out another task to take his mind away from
00:15:12
Speaker 1: whatever was happening with Rebecca on her birthing bed in
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Speaker 1: her tent.
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Speaker 6: Breathe, my lady, breathe through it. It's not time to push.
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Speaker 1: Yet, Rebecca screamed in the midwife's face.
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Speaker 4: How could it not be time to push yet?
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Speaker 7: I feel like I'm either going to bring this baby
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Speaker 7: into the world or believe myself right here on the floor.
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Speaker 1: Deborah squeezed her hand in a comforting but also slightly
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Speaker 1: chastising way. Rebecca ignored the urge to scream at her
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Speaker 1: as well. Another contraction ripped through her body, though, rendering
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Speaker 1: her speechless until it passed.
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Speaker 4: Ah, what is this happening to me? Oh?
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Speaker 6: There there, It is not happening to you, my lady.
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Speaker 6: It is just happening. The pain of birth has been
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Speaker 6: the way of women since the ancient garden.
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Speaker 1: Just keep breathing, The words slipped from her mouth before
00:16:20
Speaker 1: she realized the exact phrase had led her to seek
00:16:23
Speaker 1: a diviner to ask that question. When she started showing
00:16:27
Speaker 1: and she first began to feel what she initially thought
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Speaker 1: was one babe within her, it quickly intensified to the
00:16:33
Speaker 1: point where she grew desperate enough to seek answers. Deborah
00:16:36
Speaker 1: had gone with her, of course, but no one seemed
00:16:39
Speaker 1: to understand the struggle happening inside her womb. She may
00:16:42
Speaker 1: have never carried a baby before, but every instinct told
00:16:46
Speaker 1: her this was abnormal. She didn't tell Isaac that she
00:16:49
Speaker 1: was seeking an oracle from a prophet. She knew he
00:16:52
Speaker 1: would disapprove of her. Returning to the ways of her people.
00:16:56
Speaker 1: But she was concerned that something was wrong. She was scared,
00:17:00
Speaker 1: and she wanted to learn more before risking disappointing him.
00:17:03
Speaker 1: She could not bear the idea of seeing that joy,
00:17:06
Speaker 1: that wide, creased smile of his that she loved, fall
00:17:10
Speaker 1: from his face. If she knew more, perhaps she could
00:17:13
Speaker 1: figure out what to do next. So Deborah had found
00:17:16
Speaker 1: the diviner and they went. The man had sought whatever
00:17:20
Speaker 1: deity he communed with, but she could sense that something
00:17:23
Speaker 1: was off. When he delivered the first message, it had
00:17:26
Speaker 1: a ring of falseness to it. But then the strangest
00:17:29
Speaker 1: thing happened. That same overwhelming sense of peace and presents
00:17:34
Speaker 1: that she had felt as a child when she drew
00:17:36
Speaker 1: the water for the camels, and again when she knew
00:17:38
Speaker 1: it was safe to go with Eliezza, came upon her.
00:17:42
Speaker 1: The diviner gave her a second oracle. This time she
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Speaker 1: knew it was true.
00:17:47
Speaker 2: Two nasions are in your own. Two people will come
00:17:52
Speaker 2: from you and be separated. One people will be stronger
00:17:57
Speaker 2: than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.
00:18:02
Speaker 1: Another contraction writ through her lower abdomen, and the pressure
00:18:06
Speaker 1: of it all disrupted her memory. And brought her back
00:18:09
Speaker 1: to her birthing bed.
00:18:11
Speaker 6: It's time, my lady, It's time to start pushing. You're
00:18:15
Speaker 6: almost there. They will be here soon. Come, let's breathe
00:18:19
Speaker 6: together a good now, push me.
00:18:31
Speaker 1: The first tiny peal of a cry came from the
00:18:34
Speaker 1: first born as Rebecca panted with exhaustion, but she knew
00:18:38
Speaker 1: she was not done yet.
00:18:40
Speaker 6: My lady, you need to push again. There is another
00:18:43
Speaker 6: babe in your wall. I know there is one more. Push.
00:18:48
Speaker 6: He's right there. And look, you're first born. You can
00:18:52
Speaker 6: hold them both soon, but you're not done yet.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: Breathe, push, Rebecca bellow is the second. When finally emerged
00:19:01
Speaker 1: from her wound, she collapsed back in exhaustion. Deborah brought
00:19:06
Speaker 1: the first infantel and placed him on her chest. Delirious
00:19:10
Speaker 1: with exhaustion, Rebecca frowned at the tiny babe. He was
00:19:14
Speaker 1: a dull, blotchy red and covered with hair like a
00:19:17
Speaker 1: fur coat, like an animal. Did all babes look this
00:19:21
Speaker 1: way when they first emerged? She had seen countless infants,
00:19:25
Speaker 1: but never once so recently birthed.
00:19:27
Speaker 2: But no.
00:19:28
Speaker 1: The midwife now approached with the second, and he appeared
00:19:32
Speaker 1: as he should.
00:19:33
Speaker 6: Another boy, My lady, congratulations.
00:19:37
Speaker 1: Rebecca stretched her arm out for the second child and
00:19:40
Speaker 1: drew him to her breast. Her heart felt as if
00:19:44
Speaker 1: it would burst. The euphoria of emotions swelled inside her body,
00:19:49
Speaker 1: the pain of just names ago forgotten. Her world narrowed
00:19:54
Speaker 1: to the babies in her arms. They were hers. She
00:19:57
Speaker 1: did it, and now they were here. She hadn't noticed
00:20:02
Speaker 1: tears streaming down her face, or even that Isaac now
00:20:05
Speaker 1: stood beside her, bathing her in the glow of his
00:20:08
Speaker 1: face splitting smile. She blinked and was brought back to reality.
00:20:14
Speaker 1: He gently placed his arms around all three of them
00:20:17
Speaker 1: and gazed down at them with admiration and awe in
00:20:20
Speaker 1: his eyes. Rebecca could have wandered at his joy all day.
00:20:25
Speaker 1: That something was nagging in the back of her mind,
00:20:28
Speaker 1: some question she had. The birth had been a blur.
00:20:32
Speaker 1: Then her mind sharpened, piercing the post birth haze, and
00:20:37
Speaker 1: she remembered.
00:20:39
Speaker 4: What was it you were saying before a second twins born?
00:20:44
Speaker 8: Oh?
00:20:45
Speaker 6: It was his hand, my lady. He was grasping the
00:20:48
Speaker 6: heel of the first.
00:20:50
Speaker 4: What but how is that normal? With twins?
00:20:56
Speaker 6: His little fist grasped the first seal with such force,
00:21:01
Speaker 6: I thought he should pull him back inside you.
00:21:04
Speaker 2: Is that true? Whatever could that mean?
00:21:08
Speaker 1: Surely that is some sign of the future. Deborah caught
00:21:13
Speaker 1: Rebecca's eye in question. Rebecca shook her head. Not here,
00:21:18
Speaker 1: not now, But she could not help but think of
00:21:20
Speaker 1: the oracle.
00:21:22
Speaker 2: Lee older will serve the younger.
00:21:26
Speaker 1: This babe, beside his red and hairy brother, would surely
00:21:30
Speaker 1: grow to do incredible things one day.
00:21:33
Speaker 6: Master Mistress, what will you name them?
00:21:37
Speaker 2: Well, the first born has been born with such an unusual.
00:21:41
Speaker 6: Color, it will fade, Master Isaac.
00:21:44
Speaker 3: Yes, but perhaps we should mark its significance in his name.
00:21:49
Speaker 2: Perhaps it's a sign as well. We should name him Esau.
00:21:55
Speaker 4: Why, well, the name borrows for.
00:21:58
Speaker 2: The words read and harry.
00:22:04
Speaker 4: That's very clever, Isaac.
00:22:06
Speaker 1: He will grow into it.
00:22:08
Speaker 2: But this will help us remember how my boy's great
00:22:13
Speaker 2: legacy began. Now, what of the second born, Rebecca, what.
00:22:17
Speaker 6: Do you think?
00:22:19
Speaker 1: Rebecca took a moment to think. She could not help
00:22:22
Speaker 1: but think of the ominous prophecy about the babe in
00:22:25
Speaker 1: her arms. He came out fighting, but surely his life
00:22:29
Speaker 1: would be a battle until he finally achieved whatever formidable
00:22:33
Speaker 1: legacy was his own. He would need protecting if he
00:22:36
Speaker 1: was to succeed. She intended to be there to help
00:22:39
Speaker 1: shape it, and he would require the protection of their
00:22:43
Speaker 1: God too.
00:22:45
Speaker 4: Let's call him Jacob.
00:22:48
Speaker 3: Heel Grabber.
00:22:50
Speaker 1: Are you sure well?
00:22:52
Speaker 2: I suppose it's fitting.
00:22:53
Speaker 6: The name has many means.
00:22:56
Speaker 4: May God protect heel grabber.
00:22:59
Speaker 1: In the back of her Rebecca knew the other meaning
00:23:02
Speaker 1: of the name, trickster usurper. Even now, seeds of a
00:23:06
Speaker 1: plan to reverse the roles of her two sons were
00:23:09
Speaker 1: in motion. Thus Jacob became Rachel's precious child before Esau
00:23:15
Speaker 1: even had a chance to latch onto her breast. He
00:23:18
Speaker 1: was the second son in her eyes.
00:23:21
Speaker 3: Ah, It's settled Esau and Jacob.
00:23:26
Speaker 1: The years passed, and as their naming would inform, Esau
00:23:30
Speaker 1: became his father's joy and Jacob his mother's. The midwife
00:23:35
Speaker 1: was right. Esau's red coloring faded, but the hair remained.
00:23:39
Speaker 1: He was large and short of words, like his father,
00:23:42
Speaker 1: but he was more bare than man, as the hair
00:23:45
Speaker 1: would suggest. He would spend days in the wild and
00:23:49
Speaker 1: come back with an elusive game that proved his skill
00:23:51
Speaker 1: as a hunter. Even as a boy, his outdoorsmanship was
00:23:55
Speaker 1: far beyond the other boys his age. Esau would proudly
00:23:59
Speaker 1: trek his hills through camp and cook and serve them
00:24:02
Speaker 1: to his delighted father. With every meal, he cemented the
00:24:06
Speaker 1: love and favor of his father. Jacob, on the other hand,
00:24:10
Speaker 1: had a more robust in a world she could see
00:24:13
Speaker 1: it turning in his mind. Even from a young age.
00:24:16
Speaker 1: He kept to camp mostly and by design by his
00:24:20
Speaker 1: mother's side. Jacob had a cunning and quickness to him
00:24:24
Speaker 1: that his brother woefully lacked. He saw everything and understood
00:24:28
Speaker 1: things far beyond his years. He didn't always let on
00:24:32
Speaker 1: that he was observing and learning, but his mother recognized
00:24:35
Speaker 1: the same quiet cleverness that she possessed, and as her
00:24:39
Speaker 1: husband had chosen a favorite child, she chose Jacob.
00:24:51
Speaker 5: As Rebecca's cries echo through her tent, her agony in
00:24:55
Speaker 5: childbirth makes me feel the raw humanity of our ancestors.
00:24:59
Speaker 5: The journey of our people has always been marked by
00:25:02
Speaker 5: struggle and divine intervention, and this story is no different.
00:25:07
Speaker 5: The birth of Asa and Jacob speaks to the mystery
00:25:11
Speaker 5: of God's.
00:25:11
Speaker 6: Work in our lives.
00:25:13
Speaker 5: It's a beautiful, chaotic entrance into the world that will
00:25:17
Speaker 5: never be the same because Jacob and Asa have been
00:25:22
Speaker 5: born into it. That in and of itself changed reality forever.
00:25:29
Speaker 5: But you know what, my friends, Their story, much like
00:25:31
Speaker 5: our own stories, is filled with unexpected twists and profound pain.
00:25:38
Speaker 5: But just like this story shows, we are not alone
00:25:41
Speaker 5: in our struggles. Just as Rebecca found strength in her faith,
00:25:47
Speaker 5: so too can we find solace in the knowledge that
00:25:51
Speaker 5: we are all part.
00:25:53
Speaker 6: Of something greater.
00:25:56
Speaker 5: Scripture tells us that Isaac prayed for his childless wife, Rebecca,
00:26:01
Speaker 5: and then Rebecca became pregnant. But according to Jewish tradition,
00:26:05
Speaker 5: this wasn't as simple as it seems. Isaac and Rebecca
00:26:09
Speaker 5: prayed the same prayer for nineteen long years. For nearly
00:26:15
Speaker 5: two decades, they pleaded with God. This wasn't a quick
00:26:19
Speaker 5: sprint to the finish line. It was a prayer marathon.
00:26:23
Speaker 5: And doesn't this mirror our own experiences with prayer. Sometimes
00:26:29
Speaker 5: our prayers are answered right away, but more often than not,
00:26:33
Speaker 5: we pray without receiving an immediate response. It's easy to
00:26:38
Speaker 5: become disheartened to think about giving up after our prayers
00:26:43
Speaker 5: aren't answered, But Isaac and Rebecca teach us a powerful
00:26:47
Speaker 5: lesson that we must press on. We must pray and
00:26:53
Speaker 5: then to pray again, because that next prayer may be
00:26:57
Speaker 5: the one that finally opens the door. But sometimes that door,
00:27:02
Speaker 5: that light at the end of the tunnel, it seems
00:27:04
Speaker 5: like it will never appear, doesn't it.
00:27:06
Speaker 6: Do you ever feel that way?
00:27:07
Speaker 5: You're praying for something that you want so bad and
00:27:10
Speaker 5: it feels like it will never come. That's when prayer
00:27:13
Speaker 5: can start to feel like digging, like we're frantically hollowing
00:27:17
Speaker 5: out a tunnel between us and our goal. The picture
00:27:21
Speaker 5: that comes to mind is my childhood growing up in Chicago.
00:27:24
Speaker 5: My sisters and I loved going to Lake Michigan to
00:27:27
Speaker 5: build sand castles on the beach, And once we'd finish
00:27:30
Speaker 5: building a castle, we'd dig a tunnel right through it.
00:27:34
Speaker 5: I'd start on one end and my sister would start
00:27:37
Speaker 5: on the other. We'd dig and dig, and even when
00:27:40
Speaker 5: it seemed to take forever, we'd keep on digging, knowing
00:27:42
Speaker 5: that we'd break through and eventually reach each other. And
00:27:46
Speaker 5: you know what we always did. And so I look
00:27:49
Speaker 5: at this innocent, sweet, fun situation that I had with
00:27:54
Speaker 5: my sister on the beach from childhood, and I think
00:27:57
Speaker 5: prayer is a lot like digging, isn't it. We have
00:28:00
Speaker 5: to keep on praying, keep on going, No matter how
00:28:04
Speaker 5: long we've been praying or how impossible our situation seems.
00:28:08
Speaker 5: Like Rebecca, we have to pray and pray, and then
00:28:12
Speaker 5: pray again, to keep praying until we get our answer,
00:28:16
Speaker 5: just like I kept digging until I reached my sister's hand.
00:28:20
Speaker 5: In today's Bible story, Rebecca's prayers are answered and we
00:28:25
Speaker 5: find her in pain. But Rebecca's pain is not just
00:28:30
Speaker 5: the pain of a mother and labor, but the deep
00:28:32
Speaker 5: pain and rob beauty of a nation being birthed, the
00:28:36
Speaker 5: pain of a promise unfolding. Rebecca's cries are out of
00:28:42
Speaker 5: frustration and agony, but there's definitely more to her struggle
00:28:48
Speaker 5: within her womb to nations wrestle. You see, Rebecca has
00:28:54
Speaker 5: had a tumultuous pregnancy and she's very worried about what
00:28:56
Speaker 5: it all means. God has told her that the twins
00:29:01
Speaker 5: she will bear are two forces struggling in her womb,
00:29:05
Speaker 5: and this was directly related to the mission of the
00:29:08
Speaker 5: Chosen People. Until the end of days. There will always
00:29:13
Speaker 5: be evil in the world, embodied by tyrants who believe
00:29:18
Speaker 5: that they can achieve anything with force. The Chosen People
00:29:23
Speaker 5: and all those who love God and love his word
00:29:26
Speaker 5: have been commissioned to be the force of moral goodness
00:29:30
Speaker 5: based on God's word and the Bible that we are
00:29:33
Speaker 5: studying today together. And if you open up your newspaper,
00:29:37
Speaker 5: turn on your TV, or log into the internet right now,
00:29:40
Speaker 5: you'll see the struggle. You'll see it in front of
00:29:42
Speaker 5: your eyes. You'll see that it's still going on. And
00:29:45
Speaker 5: I must tell you here in Israel, we see it
00:29:47
Speaker 5: every day where those who only believe in death. Unfortunately,
00:29:52
Speaker 5: many of our neighbors have sworn to destroy the Jewish
00:29:56
Speaker 5: people who are living in our biblical homeland and only
00:30:00
Speaker 5: wanting life.
00:30:02
Speaker 6: We believe, with.
00:30:03
Speaker 5: God's help, we won't let that happen. We won't let
00:30:07
Speaker 5: the enemies who want and seek death destroy Israel. And
00:30:12
Speaker 5: I know that you support us with so much love
00:30:15
Speaker 5: in this great and very real struggle, a struggle we
00:30:19
Speaker 5: hear echoed in the cries of a mother's labor pains
00:30:23
Speaker 5: right here in the scriptures. And then twins are born
00:30:28
Speaker 5: Asa Red and Harry the hunter, Jacob the quiet one,
00:30:33
Speaker 5: grasping his brother's heel. Their birth is a sign, a
00:30:37
Speaker 5: symbol of the future conflict and the eventual triumph of
00:30:41
Speaker 5: God's chosen path. Esa represents the nation's powerful and wild.
00:30:48
Speaker 5: Jacob represents Israel smaller but destined for greatness through God's covenant.
00:30:55
Speaker 5: Isaac's naming of Esa and Rebecca's naming of Jacob is prophetic. Esa,
00:31:01
Speaker 5: the man of the field, is rough and impulsive. Jacob,
00:31:05
Speaker 5: the one who had become Israel, is one who wrestles
00:31:09
Speaker 5: with God and prevails. This naming is not just about identity,
00:31:14
Speaker 5: as you can imagine, it's prophecy. It's about God's hand
00:31:19
Speaker 5: shaping the future through the intimate, painful and miraculous moments
00:31:23
Speaker 5: of birth. As Rebecca holds her sons, she holds the future.
00:31:29
Speaker 5: She sees the conflict, the struggle, and also the promise.
00:31:35
Speaker 5: Her tears are not just for the pain she endured,
00:31:38
Speaker 5: there for the vision that she holds in her heart,
00:31:41
Speaker 5: the vision of God's people chosen and beloved, filling their
00:31:45
Speaker 5: destiny amidst the chaos of the world. This is the
00:31:50
Speaker 5: story of redemption. And to speak more on that redemption
00:31:55
Speaker 5: is my good friend, Bishop Paul.
00:31:57
Speaker 9: Leonier, thank you ya, earl. Here on this chapter twenty
00:32:02
Speaker 9: five that is so full and expansive, with its colors
00:32:08
Speaker 9: and its personalities, and its textures and rhythms, I'm really
00:32:13
Speaker 9: glad they were going to take our time and break
00:32:15
Speaker 9: it down into three separate covenant conversations. So let's began
00:32:20
Speaker 9: it it verse nineteen and go to the end of
00:32:23
Speaker 9: the chapter. Can I begin by just stating that I
00:32:28
Speaker 9: believe Isaac is one of the most remarkable, special, unique
00:32:36
Speaker 9: men of covenant conversations. To me, he is so honorable.
00:32:40
Speaker 9: And we'll talk about some of this a little bit later,
00:32:43
Speaker 9: but right now I'm thinking about something you and I
00:32:46
Speaker 9: talked about earlier in chapter twenty four that says that
00:32:50
Speaker 9: he loved Rebecca. And then this really moves me. From
00:32:56
Speaker 9: that love, your Bible says, and that all too familiar
00:33:02
Speaker 9: motif or theme. God had promised children, and here Rebecca,
00:33:09
Speaker 9: like Sarah, could not conceive. She could not bring forth
00:33:14
Speaker 9: the child, and in the anguish of her life, your
00:33:19
Speaker 9: Bible says in verse twenty one, her husband, Isaac, who
00:33:23
Speaker 9: loved her, prayed for her. In that beautiful he loved
00:33:32
Speaker 9: her and he prayed for her. Now, Sarah had also
00:33:37
Speaker 9: been barren, had not been able to bring forth a child,
00:33:40
Speaker 9: as God had prophesied over her life, but there's no
00:33:44
Speaker 9: mention that Abraham prayed for her. Now we know with Jacob,
00:33:50
Speaker 9: and he loved his Rachel, But when he discovered that
00:33:54
Speaker 9: she Rachael could not conceive either. Your Bible says that
00:33:59
Speaker 9: Jacob was angry why I don't know, angry for her
00:34:04
Speaker 9: when he saw her tears, angry for himself at what
00:34:07
Speaker 9: their intimacy was missing. But this Isaac who loved his Rebecca,
00:34:14
Speaker 9: prayed for her. Wow. And when this Rebecca did conceive,
00:34:23
Speaker 9: the Bible tells us that she had twins in her belly,
00:34:27
Speaker 9: and there was a great contention in her womb. And
00:34:31
Speaker 9: do you know the scriptures say that she inquired.
00:34:36
Speaker 2: Of the Lord. Wow.
00:34:38
Speaker 9: She's the only woman mentioned in Torah who explicitly salt God. Wow.
00:34:50
Speaker 9: I want to stop here. I want to pray for you,
00:34:54
Speaker 9: is that okay? I want to pray for the loves
00:34:58
Speaker 9: of your life. Maybe a spouse, a child, children, grandchildren.
00:35:03
Speaker 9: I don't know, but maybe there's anguish, there's longing, something's missing,
00:35:08
Speaker 9: your heart is hurting. Maybe the children, like the boys
00:35:14
Speaker 9: in her belly, are contending against one another, wrestling against
00:35:19
Speaker 9: one another. And I want to pray with you, Oh,
00:35:22
Speaker 9: my dear God, I thank you for the precious people
00:35:24
Speaker 9: listening now. I pray that you would bless their families,
00:35:30
Speaker 9: touch their husband or their wife, the children, grandchildren. In
00:35:34
Speaker 9: this contentious time of such wrestling and warring, hearts that
00:35:40
Speaker 9: are broken, and longings and things that are missing, would
00:35:46
Speaker 9: you peace them and let them feel Your loving presence
00:35:52
Speaker 9: now for all of this with thank you, Amen.
00:35:57
Speaker 5: So let us trust that God's plans are personal, that
00:36:02
Speaker 5: they are present, that they are relevant, and that they
00:36:06
Speaker 5: are good for us. Let us trust that God sees
00:36:09
Speaker 5: our circumstances and is at work in our life. Yes,
00:36:15
Speaker 5: just as He was intricately involved in the lives of
00:36:18
Speaker 5: Jacob and Esa, he is.
00:36:20
Speaker 6: Involved in yours.
00:36:22
Speaker 5: When you face challenges, conflict, pain, or even seemingly mundane decisions,
00:36:28
Speaker 5: remember that God is there right there with you to
00:36:33
Speaker 5: bless you. And here's my final blessing for you. May
00:36:38
Speaker 5: the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord
00:36:40
Speaker 5: make his face shine upon you. May he be gracious
00:36:44
Speaker 5: to you. Made the Lord turn his face towards you
00:36:47
Speaker 5: and give you peace.
00:36:49
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with you.
00:36:53
Speaker 1: Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the
00:36:57
Speaker 1: pray dot Com app today. This pray d com production
00:37:01
Speaker 1: is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
00:37:05
Speaker 1: Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are
00:37:09
Speaker 1: the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein.
00:37:13
Speaker 1: Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
00:37:18
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
00:37:23
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
00:37:27
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
00:37:31
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier,
00:37:36
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
00:37:40
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