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Fleeing From Laban - The Book of Genesis (2024) · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. So he fled with all that he had,
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  Speaker 1: and he rose up and passed over the river, and
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  Speaker 1: set his face toward the Mount Gilead. Genesis 31.21 Dear Lord,
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  Speaker 1: as the story in Genesis 31.17-55 unfolds, let the truth
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  Speaker 1: of this story minister to my soul. Lord, today I
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  Speaker 1: stand in a place of gratitude, for every season that
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  Speaker 1: I go through. I will look for the good that
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  Speaker 1: you've hidden in each trial and tribulation. Like Jacob, even
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  Speaker 1: though I don't feel honored or appreciated by others, I
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  Speaker 1: will hold my integrity and do everything with excellence, knowing
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  Speaker 1: that as I water the field that I'm entrusted with,
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  Speaker 1: I'm actually preparing myself to step into the great harvest
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  Speaker 1: season of my life. Give me the wisdom and knowledge
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  Speaker 1: to travel and build with people of integrity and honesty.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, God, for speaking on my behalf and for
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  Speaker 1: protecting me from others who would seek to harm and
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  Speaker 1: hinder me. I declare that I am covered, and I
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  Speaker 1: decree that under your protection, Lord, I am untouchable. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
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  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story. Brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Fleeing from Laban. Before this story, we learned how Jacob
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  Speaker 2: married Leah and Rachel and had 12 sons and one daughter.
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  Speaker 2: Leah and Rachel lived in constant feud with one another,
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  Speaker 2: and spited each other daily. Jacob, in search of a
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  Speaker 2: new beginning with his family, left Laban and ventured back
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  Speaker 2: to Canaan. However, Jacob tricked Laban into giving him stronger
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  Speaker 2: and more sheep. Now we will learn about Jacob leaving,
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  Speaker 2: Laban's anger at Jacob, and their treaty inspired by the
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  Speaker 2: book of Genesis.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Previously, we learned how Jacob
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  Speaker 3: was tricked into marrying Rachel's older sister Leah first, and
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  Speaker 3: then how he married Rachel, whom he loved. We learned
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  Speaker 3: about the awful spite between sisters and Jacob's lack of
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  Speaker 3: leadership in his family. Now Jacob has 12 sons and
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  Speaker 3: one daughter, and he decides he needs to leave Laban
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  Speaker 3: behind and move his family to Canaan, his homeland. The
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  Speaker 3: fortune he's amassed is plenty to send him off with
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  Speaker 3: his family to a new home, but Laban's sons are
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  Speaker 3: not happy with Jacob's prosperity, and Jacob fears for his
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  Speaker 3: own safety. Just as we saw him do when he
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  Speaker 3: tricked Esau, Jacob will try to run undetected without a goodbye.
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  Speaker 3: This is a story of sorrow and hurt as a
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  Speaker 3: family is broken up because of so much dysfunction on
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  Speaker 3: all sides. In the midst of it all, though, you
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  Speaker 3: will see how God works in bringing healing into hurtful
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  Speaker 3: situations and blessings into the biggest message you could possibly imagine.
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  Speaker 3: So let's listen now to today's story of Jacob fleeing
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  Speaker 3: Laban and the Lord continually blessing the chosen family.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob had amassed a large flock and a great amount
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  Speaker 2: of wealth. This caused Laban's sons to be riled up
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  Speaker 2: with anger. Jacob had heard rumors that Laban's sons were
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  Speaker 2: upset and willing to harm him, so he rushed immediately
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  Speaker 2: to his wives. He found them in the fields and said,
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  Speaker 2: I have fallen from the favor of your father. I
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  Speaker 2: have worked tirelessly for him, and he has cheated me
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  Speaker 2: far too many times. With desperation in his voice, Jacob
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  Speaker 2: continued by saying, God will not allow him to harm me.
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  Speaker 2: but we must go quick and flee to the land
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  Speaker 2: of my father. Leah and Rachel agreed. Is there anything
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  Speaker 2: left for us in our father's house? We are strangers
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  Speaker 2: in his land, and we are yours. Everything he earned
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  Speaker 2: from you has been spent. All the wealth that God
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  Speaker 2: has taken away from our father belongs to us and
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  Speaker 2: our children. Whatever God says, let us do it. So
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  Speaker 2: Jacob arose. and set his sons and wives on camels.
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  Speaker 2: He packed all he had earned and acquired from Paddan Aram,
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  Speaker 2: without notifying Laban. Jacob had entered the land a boy,
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  Speaker 2: desperate to build a life worth blessing. He left a
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  Speaker 2: man with a family larger than his father or grandfather
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  Speaker 2: could have ever dreamed of. He set his sights on Canaan,
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  Speaker 2: determined to lay hold of the blessing promised to him.
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  Speaker 2: Yet Jacob's neglect of his wives would not go without consequence. Rachel,
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  Speaker 2: as they were packing up to leave, stole idols from
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  Speaker 2: Laban's home. Three days had passed and Laban was notified
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  Speaker 2: that Jacob had fled. Laban was beside himself. He gathered
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  Speaker 2: a small army of kinsmen and pursued Jacob for seven days.
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  Speaker 2: Closely they tailed Jacob through the hill country of Gilead.
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  Speaker 2: With the full intent of killing Jacob and taking back
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  Speaker 2: his daughters, God met Laban in a dream. Be careful.
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  Speaker 2: Do not say a word to Jacob. Neither good or bad,
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  Speaker 2: God warned. That morning, before the sun had broken above
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  Speaker 2: the horizon, Laban and his men descended upon Jacob on horseback.
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  Speaker 2: They surrounded him, fury emanating from their faces. Laban, livid
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  Speaker 2: and weary, roared at Jacob. What have you done? You
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  Speaker 2: have tricked me again and taken my daughters like captives.
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  Speaker 2: Laban was speaking as a father, not as a landowner.
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  Speaker 2: His worry for his daughters caused a deep rage to
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  Speaker 2: boil up in him. You robbed me of a chance
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  Speaker 2: to kiss my daughters and grandchildren farewell. I would have
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  Speaker 2: sent you off well, with revelry, but instead you fleed
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  Speaker 2: like criminals. Laban's face seemed to shift from anger to
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  Speaker 2: to sorrow. Eyes beginning to fog up with tears, Laban
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  Speaker 2: pointed at Jacob. You are foolish, Jacob, and it is
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  Speaker 2: in my power to kill you and take back my daughters.
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  Speaker 2: But the God of your father warned me not to
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  Speaker 2: harm you. Laban's face fell. I understand you wanted to
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  Speaker 2: go back to the land of your father, but why
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  Speaker 2: would you steal my gods as well? Jacob, disarmed and dismayed,
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  Speaker 2: answered Laban and said, I left out of fear. I
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  Speaker 2: could not bear the thought of you taking your daughters
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  Speaker 2: from me by force. But as for your gods, I
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  Speaker 2: promise you I do not have them. If anyone here
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  Speaker 2: in my camp has them, they shall not live. Go
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  Speaker 2: and see for yourself. Whatever is yours, take back. For
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  Speaker 2: Jacob was unaware of Rachel's thievery. So Laban searched Jacob's
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  Speaker 2: tent and then ventured into Leah's tent. He tore apart everything,
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  Speaker 2: searching desperately for his idols. Finally, he entered Rachel's tent.
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  Speaker 2: He looked at her, then began to ransack the room.
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  Speaker 2: Rachel remained still, for she sat on a camel's saddle
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  Speaker 2: which held the idols in them. Forgive me for not
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  Speaker 2: getting up, Rachel said in her most dainty voice. It
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  Speaker 2: is my time of the month, and I cannot bear
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  Speaker 2: to stand. Laban continued his search in vain, then left
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  Speaker 2: the tent. Jacob watched Laban exit his wife's tent. For years,
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  Speaker 2: Jacob served under Laban. For years, he had watched Laban
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  Speaker 2: do business in the shadows. For years, he had taken
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  Speaker 2: the abuse and ridicule. He worked vigorously for Laban. Jacob
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  Speaker 2: once feared him as a child does his abusive father.
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  Speaker 2: Yet watching Laban scare his family and ransack the living
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  Speaker 2: space of his wives awoke a deep outrage within him.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob became indignant. Outraged, he berated Laban, saying, What is
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  Speaker 2: my offense? What have I done as a sin against you?
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  Speaker 2: You have pursued me like a criminal, and now you
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  Speaker 2: have felt through all my goods. Have you found your
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  Speaker 2: petty idols? Have you? Jacob's fumes grew higher, and his
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  Speaker 2: voice trembled with anger. For twenty years I have served you.
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  Speaker 2: Your sheep and goats never once miscarried under my care.
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  Speaker 2: I have not eaten of your flocks. Whatever was eaten
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  Speaker 2: by wild beasts I paid for myself. You showed me
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  Speaker 2: no grace. Day by day the heat consumed me, and
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  Speaker 2: in the cold of night I worked. I lost sleep,
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  Speaker 2: and I lost twenty years of my life under you.
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  Speaker 2: Laban's face grew white as Jacob bled his heart's anguish
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  Speaker 2: before him. Jacob's voice grew softer, yet it inspired more
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  Speaker 2: fear from all those listening. He said, I served seven
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  Speaker 2: years for Rachel. and you deceived me and gave me Leah.
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  Speaker 2: Yet I stayed and worked seven more. For six years
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  Speaker 2: I worked for your flocks, and in those years you
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  Speaker 2: changed my wage ten times. Jacob pointed to Laban and
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  Speaker 2: rebuked him, saying, I serve the God of Abraham and
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  Speaker 2: the fear of Isaac. If he was not on my side,
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  Speaker 2: you would have sent me my way empty-handed. He knows
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  Speaker 2: my affliction and your oppression. That is why he warned
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  Speaker 2: you last night. Laban composed himself. He spoke again as
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  Speaker 2: Jacob's equal. Those are my daughters, and those are my grandchildren.
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  Speaker 2: Your flocks are my flocks, and all that you see
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  Speaker 2: before you is mine. A sigh emanated from Laban's lungs.
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  Speaker 2: He looked behind Jacob, seeing his grandchildren listen from afar.
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  Speaker 2: But what can I do now for them? He said,
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  Speaker 2: Come now. Let us make a final agreement, a covenant
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  Speaker 2: that cannot be broken. So Laban and Jacob gathered stones
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  Speaker 2: to set as a monument to their agreement. Laban spoke
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  Speaker 2: loud and saying, Let this be a witness between us today,
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  Speaker 2: that we will remain separated and forge our own paths,
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  Speaker 2: as long as you agree to deal kindly with my
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  Speaker 2: daughters and take no more wives for yourself. So Jacob agreed.
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  Speaker 2: The two ate dinner together, and early in the morning
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  Speaker 2: Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren and went back to
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  Speaker 2: his land. Jacob, accustomed to being a trickster with his words,
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  Speaker 2: was forced to face Laban as an honest man, and Jacob,
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  Speaker 2: who once stood idly as his wives destroyed one another,
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  Speaker 2: promised to love them the way they were meant to
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  Speaker 2: be loved. And God, remaining faithful to his chosen, was
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  Speaker 2: working even in the dysfunction and imperfection.
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  Speaker 3: Well, despite the missteps, mistakes, and messiness, God has blessed
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  Speaker 3: Jacob beyond what he could have possibly imagined. But not
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  Speaker 3: everyone was so thrilled with this prosperity, and his brothers-in-law
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  Speaker 3: were very upset. Jacob once again decides to run. That's
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  Speaker 3: what he does. Only this time, he's taking a large household.
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  Speaker 3: But he doesn't want Laban to know he's leaving, for
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  Speaker 3: he fears Laban's anger more than he trusts in the
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  Speaker 3: promises of God. Though his methods and motives are certainly
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  Speaker 3: not perfect by any means, we do see Jacob once
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  Speaker 3: again setting his attentions on the blessings of God. just
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  Speaker 3: like when he tricked his father and brother so many
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  Speaker 3: years ago. Rachel and Leah commit to follow their husband,
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  Speaker 3: but there remains a lot of distrust with Rachel, for
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  Speaker 3: she takes three of her father's idols. When Laban finds
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  Speaker 3: out Jacob is left with his daughters and grandkids, he
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  Speaker 3: is now bent on retribution and gives chase. He's running
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  Speaker 3: after Jacob. But God intervenes to protect Jacob. the patriarch
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  Speaker 3: who is stewarding, though very poorly, God's plan of redemption
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  Speaker 3: for the world. And remember, this is all about God's
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  Speaker 3: plan of redemption. God warns Laban to proceed carefully and
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  Speaker 3: watch his words. When he finally catches up to Jacob,
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  Speaker 3: Laban's words are filled with rage, but more than anything,
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  Speaker 3: grief for the loss of his daughters and his grandchildren.
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  Speaker 3: As he unloads his feelings on Jacob, he reveals God
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  Speaker 3: had warned him not to harm him. It truly is
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  Speaker 3: a testament to the awesomeness and the sovereignty of our God.
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  Speaker 3: For when he speaks, even those who do not follow him,
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  Speaker 3: their hearts are changed. His sovereignty, his supremacy cannot be questioned.
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  Speaker 3: Laban has wielded control over Jacob for a long time now,
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  Speaker 3: often dishonest in his dealings and double-talking, truly no integrity.
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  Speaker 3: But when he was confronted with the truth of his past,
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  Speaker 3: manipulations and dishonesty, He addresses his son-in-law as his equal.
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  Speaker 3: Though he knows he could lay claim to much of
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  Speaker 3: what Jacob has, Laban knows he must make peace with Jacob,
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  Speaker 3: just as God had commanded him to do. Jacob and Laban,
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  Speaker 3: despite their differences and past grievances, make a covenant between
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  Speaker 3: them to go their own way in peace. And Laban,
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  Speaker 3: still the loving father, charges Jacob to take care of
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  Speaker 3: his daughters and to take no other wives. It is
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  Speaker 3: a plea for Jacob, It is an exhortation Jacob needed
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  Speaker 3: to hear. Sometimes when you are trapped in a dysfunctional
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  Speaker 3: situation or family or hurtful relationship, the only kind of
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  Speaker 3: reconciliation that will work is a peaceful separation. You just
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  Speaker 3: have to walk away. And that's what we are seeing
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  Speaker 3: in today's reading. In the end, this is a story
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  Speaker 3: of God's grace. Despite Jacob's sins, failures, and mistakes, God
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  Speaker 3: remains faithful. God protected him and led him to break
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  Speaker 3: free from Laban. Despite Laban's idolatrous pagan beliefs, God appeared
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  Speaker 3: to him and spoke to him and helped him to
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  Speaker 3: defuse a situation that could have turned out to be violent.
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  Speaker 3: So Jacob departs with his wives, committing to love them
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  Speaker 3: and care for them as he should. It's a new beginning,
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  Speaker 3: and as in many times in the case of God's story,
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  Speaker 3: with a new beginning comes a new name. That's what
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  Speaker 3: we're going to look at the next time. Let's pray.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, how we thank you for what this story
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  Speaker 3: is teaching us about breaking free from hurtful, toxic, damaging relationships.
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  Speaker 3: Help us to know that when we must break free,
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  Speaker 3: that you would give us wisdom to do so with
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  Speaker 3: grace and humility, trusting you to lead us all the
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  Speaker 3: way and that there could be peace in the midst
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  Speaker 3: of the separation. Thank you, Lord, that you are always faithful.
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  Speaker 3: faithful to us in every way. Just as you were
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  Speaker 3: faithful to Jacob, you are more than faithful to us.
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  Speaker 3: In Christ's name, amen. Thank you so very much for
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  Speaker 3: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham,
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  Speaker 3: pastor in Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and make
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  Speaker 3: prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast,
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  Speaker 3: share it with someone you love, because by sharing this podcast,
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  Speaker 3: you can make a difference in someone's life. And if
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  Speaker 3: you want more resources on how to tap into God's
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  Speaker 3: power for Christian living, be sure to visit jackgraham.org. God bless.