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You are Israel - The Book of Genesis · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
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  Speaker 1: but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power with
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  Speaker 1: God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32.28 Dear God,
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  Speaker 1: as I reflect on my life, thank you, Lord, for
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  Speaker 1: the gift of reconciliation and forgiveness. Thank you that even
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  Speaker 1: in my wrongdoings, you produce grace moments for me. Like
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  Speaker 1: Jacob in Genesis 32 and 33, I choose to believe
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  Speaker 1: the words of your angels that declare that here is
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  Speaker 1: the Lord's place. I declare that my life is the
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  Speaker 1: Lord's place. I declare that my business is the Lord's
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  Speaker 1: place and that my relationships are in the Lord's place. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: I will not be afraid of seasons when I feel
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  Speaker 1: I am wrestling for a new identity, a new blessing,
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  Speaker 1: and a new beginning. I confess that I will hold
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  Speaker 1: on to you, God, until I receive my newness, and
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  Speaker 1: I will not let go even after you bless me.
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  Speaker 1: You are my waymaker, and you are the God that
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  Speaker 1: makes old things new. Thank you, Lord, that even in
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  Speaker 1: the midst of dysfunction, you still allow your glory to
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  Speaker 1: settle my differences and bring restoration to my life. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you for a new name of victory and a new
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  Speaker 1: purpose for my life, filled with all your many blessings.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority
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  Speaker 1: in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
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  Speaker 1: stay tuned for The Bible in a Year, brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: You are Israel. Before this story, we learned of Jacob
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  Speaker 2: fleeing the service of Laban. He packed his family and
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  Speaker 2: traveled back to Canaan. However, Laban would not let Jacob go.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob and Laban bore their souls before one another, sharing
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  Speaker 2: the anger that rested in both their hearts. Eventually, the
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  Speaker 2: two made peace, and Laban sent Jacob on his way.
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  Speaker 2: Now we will learn about Jacob entering into his homeland
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  Speaker 2: once again although he feared the wrath of his brother Esau.
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  Speaker 2: Wrestling with God, Jacob will cling to the blessings of
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  Speaker 2: God and get his name changed, inspired by the book
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  Speaker 2: 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 heard the story
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  Speaker 3: of how Jacob fled from Laban, a man who had
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  Speaker 3: wronged and deceived Jacob for many years. In the end,
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  Speaker 3: The two men made peace and Laban let Jacob go
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  Speaker 3: to Canaan, the land of Jacob's father, the land of promise.
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  Speaker 3: And Jacob took with him his wealth and a large family. Today,
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  Speaker 3: we'll see how Jacob enters his former homeland and seeks
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  Speaker 3: reconciliation with his brother Esau. If you remember their story,
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  Speaker 3: it was Jacob who was the cheater and trickster in
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  Speaker 3: that relationship. And when he fled more than 20 years
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  Speaker 3: before Esau, was filled with rage and murderous intent. As
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  Speaker 3: you listen to this passage of Scripture, imagine the fear
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  Speaker 3: with which Jacob stepped into this dangerous territory to face
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  Speaker 3: his brother Esau. Before he encounters Esau, he's going to
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  Speaker 3: face another man. But this is not just any man,
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  Speaker 3: and he isn't a stranger, as Jacob will discover. It
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  Speaker 3: is an encounter Jacob must have before he faces Esau,
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  Speaker 3: and It will be a life-changing turning point in his
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  Speaker 3: life and future. So pay close attention as Jacob and
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  Speaker 3: Esau finally face each other again. Will there be bitterness
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  Speaker 3: and bloodshed or renewal and reconciliation? Let's listen to God's
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  Speaker 3: word and find out.
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  Speaker 2: A familiar breeze blew through the valley below Jacob. The
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  Speaker 2: sweet summer air caressed the plains, causing the grass to dance.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob smiled and turned his face towards the sun. He
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  Speaker 2: was home again. Still a few miles away from Canaan,
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  Speaker 2: he then turned towards the hill he had set camp on.
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  Speaker 2: Angels of the Lord had met him there. Already, Jacob
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  Speaker 2: knew that something holy and peculiar was taking place. This
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  Speaker 2: is God's camp, Jacob acknowledged. The last time Jacob was there,
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  Speaker 2: he had run away in fear of his brother Esau.
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  Speaker 2: Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, so he left in
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  Speaker 2: hope that his brother's anger would subside. Jacob sent messengers
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  Speaker 2: to go before him, saying, I have sojourned with our
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  Speaker 2: uncle Laban and have been there until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks,
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  Speaker 2: servants that I wish to share with you. I say
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  Speaker 2: all these things to find favor in your sight. Jacob's
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  Speaker 2: servants had sent Esau the message and waited on the
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  Speaker 2: outskirts of his land until to see what his response
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  Speaker 2: would be. Around the corner of the canyons, the messengers
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  Speaker 2: saw Esau coming out to meet with Jacob. Only behind
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  Speaker 2: him was four hundred armed men. A great fear fell
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  Speaker 2: upon Jacob. He remembered how wild of a man Esau was,
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  Speaker 2: filled with power and tact. Jacob did not have the
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  Speaker 2: strength nor the men to defend himself. Jacob prepared for
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  Speaker 2: the worst. He divided his camp into two parties and
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  Speaker 2: sent them on opposite ends of one another. If Esau
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  Speaker 2: came to destroy one of the camps, the other would
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  Speaker 2: be spared. Jacob trembled before God. Fear was overcoming him,
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  Speaker 2: and he looked to heaven and said, God of my
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  Speaker 2: fathers Abraham and Isaac, you have told me to return.
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  Speaker 2: You desired for me to be here so that you
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  Speaker 2: might bless me. I am not worthy of your kindness
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  Speaker 2: or your provision. Jacob for perhaps the first time in
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  Speaker 2: his life, felt the full weight of God's love for him.
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  Speaker 2: You have shown me steadfast love and faithfulness. I began
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  Speaker 2: with nothing to my name except a staff, and now
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  Speaker 2: I have two camps that rely on me. Tears hit
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  Speaker 2: Jacob's trembling hands. Please, deliver me from the revenge of
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  Speaker 2: my brother. I fear him. and I fear for all
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  Speaker 2: the people here under my care. But you promised to
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  Speaker 2: bless me and to expand my offspring. I will trust you.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob lingered there for the night. He sent out droves
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  Speaker 2: of gifts of cattle, goats, and other livestock before him
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  Speaker 2: to gain favor with Esau. Yet there was no predicting
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  Speaker 2: how Esau would receive his gifts, for he pursued Jacob
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  Speaker 2: with four hundred men behind him. That same night, Jacob
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  Speaker 2: arose with his wives and eleven children and sent them
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  Speaker 2: across the stream of Jabbok. He sent them away to
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  Speaker 2: be safe with everything else he had in his possession.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob was left alone, until a man sprang up from
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  Speaker 2: behind him. Struggling in the mud and gravel, Jacob wrestled
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  Speaker 2: with this man in the dead of night. Sweat and
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  Speaker 2: blood dripping from his body, Jacob fought for his life
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  Speaker 2: under the weight of this unknown stranger. The night drew on.
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  Speaker 2: and the sun was beginning to rear its head between
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  Speaker 2: the hills. Jacob, while endeavoring with this man, became increasingly
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  Speaker 2: more aware of his divine nature. His wrestling match was
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  Speaker 2: not an assault, but an invitation. This is God's camp,
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  Speaker 2: echoed in his memory. Jacob, the once timid tent dweller,
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  Speaker 2: found himself grappling on the ground with God himself. Dawn
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  Speaker 2: peeked through the trees. The man saw that he would
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  Speaker 2: not prevail against Jacob. He touched his hip socket and
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  Speaker 2: jammed his hip out of its joint. Jacob screamed and
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  Speaker 2: released his legs from around the man. Yet he clung
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  Speaker 2: to him with his arms, refusing to let go. Let
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  Speaker 2: me go, for the day is broken, the man said. Jacob,
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  Speaker 2: who had spent his entire life making his own luck,
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  Speaker 2: was face to face with the end of himself. He
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  Speaker 2: had deceived his brother into selling his birthright, he had
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  Speaker 2: tricked his father into blessing him, and he had swindled
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  Speaker 2: Laban into making him richer. Yet now Jacob was faced
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  Speaker 2: with God himself, and had no means to trick his
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  Speaker 2: way into victory. Jacob's eyes closed tightly, and he flexed
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  Speaker 2: his arms firmly to the legs of this man and said,
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  Speaker 2: I will not let you go unless you bless me.
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  Speaker 2: A slight smile came across the man's face. What is
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  Speaker 2: your name? he asked. Jacob! he shouted in pain. You
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  Speaker 2: shall no longer be called Jacob, he said, but Israel,
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  Speaker 2: for you have wrestled with God and with men, and prevailed. Please,
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  Speaker 2: tell me your name, Jacob asked. Now a full smile
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  Speaker 2: filled his face. Why is it that you ask my name?
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  Speaker 2: he said, and he blessed him. So Jacob called that
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  Speaker 2: place Peniel, saying, I have seen God face to face,
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  Speaker 2: and yet my life has been spared. The sun's rays
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  Speaker 2: reflected off of the stream beside Jacob, and the warmth
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  Speaker 2: of the day began to dry the blood and sweat
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  Speaker 2: off his body. Limping back to his camp, Jacob felt
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  Speaker 2: ready for whatever would come next. With the sun behind him,
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  Speaker 2: Jacob gazed upon the fields below. He could see Esau
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  Speaker 2: and his 400 men creeping closer and closer. Still filled
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  Speaker 2: with an exhausted euphoria, Jacob hobbled towards his brother with
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  Speaker 2: his family traveling behind him. As the two drew nearer,
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  Speaker 2: Esau began running towards Jacob. He ran with fervor and power.
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  Speaker 2: The years had not taken away Esau's strength. Before Esau
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  Speaker 2: could catch Jacob, he fell to his knees and bowed
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  Speaker 2: before him. As a bear would, Esau wrapped Jacob up
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  Speaker 2: in his arms and embraced him. He kissed his neck
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  Speaker 2: and wept at the sight of his twin brother. The
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  Speaker 2: years had wiped his bitterness away, and all that remained
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  Speaker 2: was the affection of two twin brothers united after decades apart.
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  Speaker 2: Esau lifted his eyes past his brother towards Jacob's family.
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  Speaker 2: Who are these with you? Esau said. Jacob then introduced
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  Speaker 2: his family to Esau, and they embraced his kindred spirits.
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  Speaker 2: Why have you sent so many gifts? Esau asked. To
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  Speaker 2: earn your forgiveness, brother, please take them. Esau refused them
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  Speaker 2: at first, but Jacob insisted. Jacob knew that he had
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  Speaker 2: truly wronged his brother and felt the depths of what
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  Speaker 2: he had done. The two of them embraced again, and
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  Speaker 2: Esau forgave Jacob. Esau departed that same day, and Jacob
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  Speaker 2: settled in a place near Shechem and built an altar
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  Speaker 2: to God called El Elohe Israel, meaning the God of Israel.
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  Speaker 2: And Jacob built a new life for him and his family,
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  Speaker 2: a life of flourishing and love. Though sorrow would not
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  Speaker 2: remain a stranger to Jacob, God's love was present.
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  Speaker 3: After years of self-imposed exile, Jacob is finally going home.
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  Speaker 3: He's now a wealthy man and much older, and he
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  Speaker 3: has a large family. It seems that God's plan is
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  Speaker 3: to make a great nation from his family is beginning
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  Speaker 3: to take shape. However, there are matters to be dealt
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  Speaker 3: with first, and Jacob is not expecting to return home
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  Speaker 3: to a hero's welcome. Will his brother Esau's anger remain,
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  Speaker 3: or even worse, could it have grown stronger and more bitter?
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  Speaker 3: Jacob had run in fear from his problems. That's what
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  Speaker 3: he always did, run, because he was filled with selfish
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  Speaker 3: ambitions and deceptive in all his ways. We've been there,
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  Speaker 3: haven't we? We know when we have disobeyed God, messed up,
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  Speaker 3: and then there comes the time of consequences. The fact
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  Speaker 3: that we can't hide our sin any longer and it
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  Speaker 3: comes time to face the music. God wants to remind
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  Speaker 3: Jacob that even in this moment, he is not alone.
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  Speaker 3: So he sends angels to meet him on the outskirts
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  Speaker 3: of Canaan. Jacob sends messengers ahead to let Esau know
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  Speaker 3: that he's returned and that he is ready to share
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  Speaker 3: his accumulated wealth. Can you imagine the fear Jacob must
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  Speaker 3: have been feeling, just waiting to see how Esau would react?
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  Speaker 3: But notice that this time, rather than resorting to scheming
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  Speaker 3: and cleverness, Jacob goes to God in prayer. He turns
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  Speaker 3: the problem over to God. Jacob acknowledges God's presence and
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  Speaker 3: how unworthy he was of the faithfulness and the blessing
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  Speaker 3: of the Almighty. Then he made his honest petition, openly
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  Speaker 3: telling God of all his fears and reminding God, of
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  Speaker 3: his promise to bless the nations through him. So now
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  Speaker 3: we're seeing a much more mature and reverent Jacob than
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  Speaker 3: we've seen before. He's now truly humble. And knowing how
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  Speaker 3: much he owes Esau for his treachery, Jacob sends three
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  Speaker 3: lead parties ahead, filled with gifts of livestock, to meet Esau.
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  Speaker 3: What he does next is yet another sign of Jacob
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  Speaker 3: embracing the mantle of leadership and role of protector of
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  Speaker 3: his family. He guides him across the river and then
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  Speaker 3: returns alone to camp. It's only him now, exposed and vulnerable.
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  Speaker 3: That very night there is a battle, but not with
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  Speaker 3: his estranged brother. The Lord himself wrestles with Jacob. Jacob
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  Speaker 3: stubbornly refused to quit or to give up. Even after
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  Speaker 3: God touched his hip and threw it out of socket,
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  Speaker 3: Jacob would not relent or let go of his opponents.
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  Speaker 3: This is one of the most fascinating scenes in all
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  Speaker 3: the Bible. He doesn't recognize this stranger he is wrestling
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  Speaker 3: with as God, but he knows there's something very special
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  Speaker 3: about him. In the Gospel of Luke, we find a
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  Speaker 3: story of the risen Christ walking on the road to Emmaus.
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  Speaker 3: His traveling companions did not recognize him for who he was,
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  Speaker 3: the risen Christ, but their hearts were strangely warmed. They
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  Speaker 3: knew something was different. Was Jacob's heart also warmed? Jacob
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  Speaker 3: agrees to only release his opponent if the man will
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  Speaker 3: bless him. He cries out for the blessing of God.
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  Speaker 3: But before God gives him the blessing, he gives him
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  Speaker 3: a new name. And this new name has great significance. Jacob,
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  Speaker 3: the cheater, will now be called Israel, the prince of God,
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  Speaker 3: because he wrestled with God and did not quit. Jacob
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  Speaker 3: leaves that encounter with a brand new name, but also
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  Speaker 3: a limp as a reminder of that night forever. When
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  Speaker 3: we truly encounter God, it will change us in ways
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  Speaker 3: that we cannot understand or even possibly sometimes imagine. And
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  Speaker 3: it will bless us in ways we cannot foresee. That
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  Speaker 3: very day, Jacob finally meets Esau and reconciliation occurs. The
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  Speaker 3: Lord God had gone before Jacob, now Israel. It was
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  Speaker 3: not the shower of gifts that softened Esau's heart, but
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  Speaker 3: God's grace. Jacob is now humble and repented. making no
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  Speaker 3: excuses for his actions. Esau, for his part, makes no
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  Speaker 3: attempt to take advantage of his upper hand. There's no
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  Speaker 3: more need for hate, no more need for running, no
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  Speaker 3: more need for separation. Now there is peace. The two
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  Speaker 3: brothers embrace, and Esau forgives Jacob. As Esau departs, Jacob, Israel,
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  Speaker 3: builds an altar to remember God's faithfulness. The altar is
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  Speaker 3: called the God of Israel. for that is who God is.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God of Israel and of all nations, the God
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  Speaker 3: and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for
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  Speaker 3: being the God who wrestles with his children and blesses them.
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  Speaker 3: Just as you bless Jacob for clinging to you, may
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  Speaker 3: you bless us as we turn to you, trust you,
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  Speaker 3: and never let go. Thank you for this beautiful story
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  Speaker 3: of unification between brothers and the hope that shines through
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  Speaker 3: into our broken relationships. Help us to trust you to
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  Speaker 3: go before us in our relationships, just as you did
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  Speaker 3: for Jacob and Esau. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you
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  Speaker 3: for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
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  Speaker 3: Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app
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  Speaker 3: into God's power for successful Christian living, be sure to
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  Speaker 3: visit jackgram.org. God bless.
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