WEBVTT - Jacob's Wrestles With... Weekend Torah Teaching 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.040 On today's episode of Timeless Wisdom. 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:07.080 If you speak to secular people, they'll always challenge religious people, Hey, 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:08.920 how can you be religious? Look at all this evil? 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.320 How can you believe in God? There are kids with cancer, 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:16.160 and they're right. Those are legitimate questions which religious people 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:19.079 should struggle with you. But what if you turn it 0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:21.599 around and say, Okay, I have to struggle with kids 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:23.840 with cancer, But do you have to struggle with kids 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:24.639 with no cancer? 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:28.319 You have to struggle with the fact that there are 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:29.200 a kids period. 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:34.920 That's coming up on Timeless Wisdom with Denis Prager. Welcome 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:39.240 to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of hours 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.640 of Dennis's lectures, courses in classic radio programs, and to 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:54.880 purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles, go to Denisprager dot com. 0:00:55.160 --> 0:01:03.520 We are up to Genesis thirty two, isn't it huh? 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:05.720 Whizzing right along? That's correct? 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:11.119 Well, listen, there are fifty chapters in Genesis, and what's 0:01:11.200 --> 0:01:14.160 been our rate about a chapter and a half a time? 0:01:15.160 --> 0:01:20.559 About so there are after today, hopefully there are thirty. 0:01:20.680 --> 0:01:24.440 There were sixteen chapters left at a chapter and a half, 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:31.280 that is twelve sessions now, so we will finish Genesis, 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.479 god willing this year and within the coming semesters. 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:38.320 That's dramatic. Now I will be I tell you this. 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:42.440 Anybody who will have gone through the entire Tora with me, 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.840 I will present a personal I tell you what, I 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:51.160 will take you to lunch. Okay, I will take anybody 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:53.320 who lasts through the end of Deuteronomy. Of course, I 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:57.560 may end up bringing your great grandchildren to lunch. You 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:01.800 may end up coming in a walker. Hey, I may 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:08.120 end up coming with a walker, you know. But yes, Jerusalem, Cairo, 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:16.440 where Shahem Bethel, right wherever it will be. But that's 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:17.800 a promise, okay. 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:31.520 Chapter thirty two, All right, yeah, pretty good? Hello, all right, 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:34.640 everybody's getting up early again. Here we go. Chapter thirty two. 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:39.079 Early in the morning, Laban kissed his sons and daughters 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:44.680 and bad them goodbye. Then lave On or Laban left 0:02:44.720 --> 0:02:47.919 on his journey homeward. And we're done with lave On 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:54.000 here in this tremendous amount of problems that Jacob has had, 0:02:54.040 --> 0:02:55.679 and God spares him. 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:56.640 And all the sheep. 0:02:56.680 --> 0:02:59.440 And you recall all of that from last time. By 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:02.840 the way, who are the sons of Laban whom he kissed. 0:03:05.080 --> 0:03:08.800 We thought he only had daughters, right Ley and Rachel, 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:13.440 so it means sons in law. His son in law 0:03:13.520 --> 0:03:16.919 is Jacob, so it's not sons in law's. 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:21.000 It refers to grandchildren as well. That's who it refers to. 0:03:21.200 --> 0:03:23.080 Just want to keep you on your toes when you 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:25.720 look at the stuffs. Verse two thirty two. Jacob went 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:30.799 on his way, and angels of God encountered him. When 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:33.240 he saw them, Jacob said, this is God's camp camp 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:36.320 and hebrews mahnette, and he named it mahanaim, which is 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:38.720 like plural of mahanette. 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:40.880 Very interesting. 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:43.160 We're going to talk a little today about angels of 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:46.560 God and what that means and who they are, because 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:50.480 it's a real issue. Who are malachim In Hebrew, the 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:56.040 word is mauach Any of you Jews who have sung 0:03:56.160 --> 0:04:01.360 a very famous song Shalom Alehem on Shabbai night shah 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:06.720 loo male then it's mala hey hashaha eight shallo malehm 0:04:07.080 --> 0:04:14.480 peace unto you Malachy hashareh, the the angels of service 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:20.120 Malachy eleone, the angels of above. It's a very famous 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:23.320 melody that almost all of you who are Jewish, I 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:26.040 suspective heard at least once where you welcome in the 0:04:26.080 --> 0:04:27.480 Sabbath angels. 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:30.440 The trouble is that angel. 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:35.600 Is an English word with very specific connotations. In Hebrew, 0:04:36.000 --> 0:04:40.480 the word malach means something else, and it means more 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:41.680 so messenger. 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:45.960 It will become very relevant later when we come. 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:48.880 To one of the most famous portions in the Torah 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:51.839 of Jacob's wrestling. 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:56.160 And whom does he wrestle with? Will work on that, 0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:57.680 But I just want you to be aware of the 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:01.080 term here, that this can be translated as messengers of 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:03.919 God just as much as it can angels, at least 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:04.560 even more so. 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:09.599 Verse four, Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.520 in the land of say Ere, in the country the 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:15.880 country of edme where is this, those of you who 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:18.359 are looking, when you'll get the map, please look for 0:05:18.600 --> 0:05:22.200 say here. It'll be down south today it would be Jordan, 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:25.799 southern or southwestern Jordan. 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:28.040 That's where he's living. 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.599 And this is also an ancient enemy of Israel, Adome. 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:35.839 So this meant a great deal to ancient Jews later 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.520 than the Bible. But to ancient Jews what it meant Adome. 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:43.120 There's also a play on words here say, here is 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:46.719 the name of the place. In Hebrews sayar means hair. 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:50.320 So we're back to good old Esau again. Remember, you 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:52.680 can almost have forgotten him with all the travails of 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:55.480 twenty years with Laban that Jacob had. 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:57.720 And here we have the. 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:04.680 Eddon also means read, so we have all the characteristics 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.640 of Esau mentioned in where he lived. That's the help 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:11.360 of knowing the Hebrew. There play a lot of plays 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.720 on words. So we're back with Esau. Esau has had 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:19.160 twenty years to nurse his grudge against his brother, and 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:22.440 his brother Jacob is well aware of the fact that 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:25.560 Esau does not have a picture of him hanging in 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:30.320 his home, probably and instructed them this. 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:32.520 Is a go. 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:34.760 By the way, here's a good example of what I said, 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.760 the Hebrew for messengers. You all have this as messengers 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:42.560 right now. Here's the problem of Hebrew and translation. As 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:44.520 little you can do about it, but I'm here to 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:45.320 tell you about it. 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:50.680 Notice that the verse two it says that Jacob went 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:53.479 on his way in angels of God encountered him. Right, 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:55.840 the word for angels. 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.880 Is the exact same word as the word for messengers 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:03.840 in verse four, So you can either have U and 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:07.560 Jacob went on his way and messengers of God encountered him, 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:12.560 or you can have Jacob sent angels ahead to his brother. Now, 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:16.000 obviously Jacob doesn't have angels working for him, at least 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:19.640 not in this sense. But you must understand therefore that 0:07:19.760 --> 0:07:22.640 messenger of God is the better term than angel. 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:24.480 Okay, by the way. 0:07:24.280 --> 0:07:26.680 There's another good example of that. I may have mentioned 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:30.240 this to you, and that is profit. Prophet is a 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:34.440 bad term for the Hebrew Novi, you know the prophets 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:40.160 profit to any of you imply someone who tells the future. 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:43.920 That's not what a prophet's task was. A prophet's task 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:48.800 was to be a spokesman for God. Nave means spokesman. 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:53.200 And if we had better translations, it would be better. 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:56.080 We would be more, we would have a more accurate 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.360 understanding of what's going on. If we spoke of. 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:04.880 Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hoseiah as as spokesman, you'd have 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:08.000 a much better idea of what they are than prophets. 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:14.520 And likewise, messengers, God has messengers. Angels too is too 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:19.320 disneylandish in a certain sense. So please note that the 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:21.600 same word in Hebrew from messenger and angel. 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:23.520 And here is just two sentences away. 0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:30.080 It's Jacob sending messengers to Asov to Esau, his. 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:31.280 Brother in the land of Seherant. 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:35.000 He instructed them as follows, this is what you will 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:40.880 say to my lord Esau. Thus says you're a servant, Jacob. 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:45.920 Is this not cracking you up? You cannot get more 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:51.000 obsequious language if you tried, don't, for these are the 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:54.679 words you better use when you meet my brother, to 0:08:54.800 --> 0:09:03.600 my lord Esau and your servant, Jacob. Now, I meant 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.120 to tell you something more. 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:06.559 I'm going to come back. Well, let me tell you 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:07.720 about lord and servant, And. 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:13.600 Used clearly to ingratiate himself with Esau. He is very 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:17.160 worried about what Asov is going to do to him, 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:24.079 and the Ramban Nachmanides, medieval Jewish commentator, says he treats 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:25.880 Esau as if Eso. 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:26.800 Were the oldest brother. 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:30.880 And apparently from what the records that we have in 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:34.600 the old world, in the ancient world, that is how 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:38.040 younger siblings did defer to older siblings. 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.480 They would This was the language of the time. So 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:42.760 what is he doing now? 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:48.199 He is stating publicly for Esau's benefit. Hey, I acknowledge 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:51.080 that you're the eldest. Now that he got the bruhof 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:53.959 from Isaac, big deal, What does it cost him to. 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.880 Reacknowledge his firstborn status? You get it. 0:09:57.160 --> 0:10:00.000 But that is why these words are important to reason 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:06.120 again one two in order to ingratiate himself with Esau. 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:10.000 Two to re establish that I acknowledge that you're the firstborn. 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:13.160 Because this is the language that the younger sibling uses 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:16.880 for the older sibling. Okay, that's why this is very important. 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:19.120 I just I want to tell you something I have, 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:25.520 thanks to technology, a CD ram A compact this with 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:29.600 the entire Tanah, the entire Hebrew Bible on it. So 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:31.400 all I do is type in a word in Hebrew, 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:33.800 and it shows me every place in the Tanas that 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:39.200 it appears. I mean, it's just absolutely incredible instantaneously. So 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:44.679 I looked up malach and malachim angel or messenger in 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:49.800 singular and plural. Found the following, which I think is interesting. 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:53.120 First of all, this is the first time when Jacob 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:54.040 sends Malachim. 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:55.480 It's the first time in the. 0:10:55.480 --> 0:11:00.559 Torah that malachim are sent by man. Until now, all 0:11:00.640 --> 0:11:06.839 malachem were sent by God. Number two, no time better. 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:09.640 Every time in the Torah that malach is used in 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:16.880 the singular God sent it. Man only sends messengers. God 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:20.520 sends sometimes a messenger. I don't know if it's significant. 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:25.040 I can't believe it's purely coincidental that there was never 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:27.720 a singular messenger sent by Man. 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:30.920 It's always messengers. Maybe that's when it becomes an angel 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:32.280 when it's in the singular. Who knows. 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:36.719 Anyway, This is what you are to tell Esaul when 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:40.640 you meet him, thus says your servant Jacob. I stayed 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:44.040 with Laban and remained until now. Why is he saying that? 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:48.560 What is the importance of that message? Can anybody figure 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:55.040 out what is he trying to say to Asov here? Well, 0:11:55.080 --> 0:12:01.400 obviously he's coming home, but that that's right. This was 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:04.120 his way of saying, Hey, if I could have i'd 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:05.240 have met you much sooner. 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:07.959 But I was stuck with Laban all these twenty. 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:13.120 Years, like he was dying to see Asov the entire time. 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:17.000 Just couldn't give him a call, right, I mean, it's 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:20.320 really that you have to please understand the humor involved here, 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:22.800 not that he means, of course to be funny, but 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:26.760 it is humorous. He's using a Bologney line with this 0:12:26.800 --> 0:12:28.640 whole thing. Hey, you know, if I only could have 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.120 ace up, Jesus, I'd have been in touch. But I 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:32.640 was stuck with Laban the whole time. 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:36.120 So notice how rich this one sentence is with the 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:38.680 entire plan of Jacob. One. 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:42.559 I will treat you like the eldest all over again. Two, 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:45.160 I will be your humble servant. You are my lord. 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:48.000 Three Please no, I've been dying to be in touch 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:51.680 with you, but I've been detained for twenty years. Okay, 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.040 now that you see the richness of the sentence. So 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:58.200 now he says, and now, and there's a tactic in 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:02.200 the next verse. And I a quiet cattle and asses 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:06.200 and sheep and male and female slaves or servants, if 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:08.400 you will, and I send this message to my lord 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:10.440 in the hope of gaining your favor. 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:13.960 Now, why does he tell him how rich he is? Well, 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:16.960 this is also part of his tactic. Hey, listen, I 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:19.880 recognize who you are. You're my lord, you're my elder brother. 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:23.439 I've been detained, and I'm very rich, always very rich. 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:26.960 Then that means he thinks Esau will think, oh, I 0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:30.560 can get something from him, it is clear, and you 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:35.640 will see how clear it becomes that Yakov thinks that 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:43.280 Asov has one overwhelming desire in life, material welfare, and 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:48.760 generally speaking, he was probably right. That doesn't make Esau bad. 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:53.560 We have no basis on which to claim that Esau 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:57.319 is an evil man. Nothing in the biblical text suggests 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.880 that is that clear. He's a simple man. He's a 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:04.880 hunting man, which the Bible is not enthralled with. He's 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:09.560 a wild man. He doesn't care about birthrights. He cares 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:15.360 about eating well and hunting well and material welfare. But 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:19.200 he is not a bad man. He's just not the 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:22.960 person you want is your patriarch. Okay, that's very important 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:24.360 to understand what's going on. 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.400 This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:38.040 Now back to more of Dennis Fragger's timeless Wisdom. 0:14:38.600 --> 0:14:40.280 So he tells him how Richie is. 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:43.440 Sarna points out, though, that he doesn't mention a certain 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:47.640 animal that he does have. He mentions cattle, asks his sheep, 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:51.640 and then servants what animal does he have that he 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:57.880 doesn't mention, and this is two very intentional camels. He 0:14:57.920 --> 0:14:59.640 doesn't mention that he owns camels. 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:01.440 Sarna says. The reason is. 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:05.880 Because that's the most valuable livestock. He just doesn't want 0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:09.200 to give it up. It's very simple as that. I mean, 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.560 all of this is so human, right. If you knew 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:13.400 you were going to give up stuff, maybe your very 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:16.400 most valuable thing, you might not mention. Oh I'm really loaded. 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:20.160 I have a Cadillac and I have a Pontiac. 0:15:20.480 --> 0:15:23.880 But you don't mention your roles, Okay, I mean, if. 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:27.160 You're that wealthy, just to put it in common parlance, 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.200 comparing a camel and a rolls. 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:32.680 Verse verse seven. 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.680 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, we came to your 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:44.440 brother Esau. This is already somewhat bad language for Jacob's ears. 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:48.760 He's still your brother, see you. 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:52.120 Please remember we're back to the original problem that you 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:56.080 had with your brother. So the language, it's don't give 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:58.640 me first born and stuff. This is your brother, Esaw, 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:00.720 and he's more or less just like you left him 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:05.440 twenty years ago. We came to your brother Aesa. He 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:09.480 himself is coming to meet you. Now, how is that possible? 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.800 Clearly he has had his own spies out to find 0:16:13.840 --> 0:16:16.840 out what's happened with my brother. He never felt that 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:20.600 things had been reconciled. So he found out, and he's 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:23.840 coming to meet you, to which, of course, we're sure 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:29.680 that Jacob was delighted, especially with the following data. 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:34.760 And he's not alone. Four hundred men are with him. 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:40.720 Isn't now wonderful? You could only imagine Jacob's reaction. Jeez, 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:45.080 that's great news. Four hundred men in the Bible is 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:48.200 a regiment. This is not a well. 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:51.480 We counted and we noticed one more than three hundred 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:52.160 and ninety nine. 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:56.080 And he's coming with a regiment. This is not good 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:56.640 for Jacob. 0:16:56.720 --> 0:17:02.240 Jacob, Jacob has a ceaselessly truble He's it started in 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:04.160 the womb, right. 0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:06.240 There are some people like that, isn't it true? 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:09.680 There are some people who just seen that that problems 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.879 find them. They have an innate tropism for problems. Jacob 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:16.520 is one of them. It started in the womb. He 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:19.880 started fighting with his twin brother and it has never stopped. 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:24.159 He finally gets out of Laban's clutches. What is the 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:28.640 first news, Esaus showing up with a regiment. You gotta 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:31.160 start feeling for the guy. I mean, he hasn't done 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:33.760 terrible things either. When you think about it, that he 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:38.919 has deserved all these problems, all right, So he himself 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:39.720 is coming to meet you. 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:42.040 There four hundred men with him, to. 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:46.000 Which the reaction in verse eight is rather understandable. Jacob 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:54.880 was greatly frightened, and in his anxiety, one. 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:56.879 Second, let's just see, yes, yes, yes, yes. If I 0:17:56.920 --> 0:17:58.639 had any notes, they used them, okay. 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:03.640 And in his anxiety he divided the people with him, 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:09.760 and the flocks and herds and camels into two camps, thinking, 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:13.120 if Asuv comes to the one camp and attacks it. 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:15.960 The other camp may yet escape. I mean, that is 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:18.320 how bad he envisioned the meeting. 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:22.439 It also shows how plagued he was with guilt this 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:26.560 whole time, because I think it's both guilt and a 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:30.760 sense of my brother is very angry, and twenty years 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:32.879 has not assuaged that anger. 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:35.840 That's obviously the way he is feeling here, that. 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:38.720 He would divide up his camp and say, look, one 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:40.800 of you may get obliterated, but at least i'll have 0:18:40.840 --> 0:18:43.520 the other half that can run away while he's obliterating 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:44.280 the first half. 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:49.520 It's a sad time, obviously. Then Jacob said verse ten, 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:51.199 this is a prayer. 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:54.160 Notice that it's a somewhat different prayer than the one 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:56.600 he gave originally when he made that deal as it 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.760 were with God. Remember that this time he says, Oh, 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:03.000 God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:07.080 Oh Lord who said to me, return to your. 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.320 Native land, and I will deal bountifully with you. 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:13.680 I'm laughing because once again, while it is not as 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:16.560 obvious a deal as the first time he has a 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:21.320 prayer to God, it is a very unsubtle reminder to God. Hey, alisten, 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:24.320 there is a deal working here. You made a promise. 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:27.600 You notice that, Oh Lord, who promised the following, And 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:30.879 then he gets very specific, said that I will deal 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:33.440 very you will return to your native land, and I 0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:36.320 will deal bountifully with you. Hey, listen, I'm on my 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:38.720 way to my native land, and I like you to 0:19:38.720 --> 0:19:39.840 deal boundifully with me. 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:43.600 You made the promise, so says. 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:48.040 I am unworthy of all the kindness that you have 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:53.520 so steadfastly shown your servant. With my staff alone, I 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:57.120 crossed as Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 0:19:57.160 --> 0:19:59.320 You get the point. I just came. All I had 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.960 was a miserable staff, right like Rod. 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:06.399 And now I'm gonna have too camps worth of people 0:20:06.840 --> 0:20:08.720 and possessions. 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:10.399 Deliver me. 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:12.720 I pray from the hand of my brother, from the 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:16.240 hand of Aceov. Else I fear he may come and 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:19.240 strike me down, mothers and children alike. 0:20:19.320 --> 0:20:22.280 I mean he's quaking. He thinks his brother's an animal. 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:27.040 Yet you have said, I will deal bountifully with you, 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:29.520 and make your offspring as the sands of the. 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:32.520 Sea, which are too new porus to count. Twice he 0:20:32.640 --> 0:20:36.959 reminds God of what God brothers. So this is uh. 0:20:37.680 --> 0:20:40.720 It's a man of faith. But who still feels that 0:20:40.800 --> 0:20:44.160 God might need a little prompting. What can we say? 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:45.240 It's all too human? 0:20:45.359 --> 0:20:47.679 I would, I would, I would argue, which is of 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:49.080 course the appeal of the whole book. 0:20:50.280 --> 0:20:50.960 Verse fourteen. 0:20:51.000 --> 0:20:54.200 After spending the night there, he selected from what was 0:20:54.240 --> 0:21:00.600 at hand these presents for his brother Aesov. One hundred 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:05.880 she goats and twenty he goats, two hundred us. 0:21:05.720 --> 0:21:09.760 And twenty rams. Oh well, he ended up giving some 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:11.840 type of camel, maybe a sauna. 0:21:12.000 --> 0:21:15.960 Either he couldn't avoid it or whatever. But he does 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:20.119 end up giving camels thirty milch. It says here you 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:26.159 have another term. What's a milch camel? Anybody know? It's 0:21:26.200 --> 0:21:29.520 an old brand. It's like certain camels come in brands. 0:21:29.560 --> 0:21:35.480 I guess it's Steve. Oh really, so why. 0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:41.879 Isn't it just milk camel all right? Thirty milch or 0:21:41.920 --> 0:21:45.200 milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, 0:21:45.520 --> 0:21:48.240 twenty she asses and ten he asses. Notice it says 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:52.280 he gives from what was at hand. This was a 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:55.080 rich man. These were just what was around him. The 0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:57.440 total thanks to sauna. 0:21:57.160 --> 0:22:01.720 He gave him five one hundred and fifty easts. That's 0:22:01.760 --> 0:22:02.560 a nice present. 0:22:03.280 --> 0:22:06.880 But of course, if it works, it's a bargain, right 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:09.560 If you were thought you'd be killed, five hundred and 0:22:09.560 --> 0:22:12.679 fifty animals is a good deal. These he put in 0:22:12.720 --> 0:22:15.840 the charge of his servants, drove by drove. Why did 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:18.879 he put him in drove by drove so that it 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:23.160 would be a very slow process, whereby Esau could see 0:22:23.200 --> 0:22:24.240 all the riches that. 0:22:24.160 --> 0:22:24.800 He was getting. 0:22:25.720 --> 0:22:31.680 Even this is a tactic, and he told his servants 0:22:31.720 --> 0:22:33.760 this is part of the tactic. Go on ahead and 0:22:33.840 --> 0:22:36.919 keep a distance between droves. I mean, after all, what 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:39.360 is the most dramatic way to get a present? Slowly 0:22:39.520 --> 0:22:42.399 but steadily, right, not all at once? Here it all is, 0:22:42.440 --> 0:22:44.880 It's not as exciting. But if you show all here 0:22:44.920 --> 0:22:46.920 are the ewes, and here are the rams, and here 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:49.920 are the camels, and each one just, oh, my god, 0:22:49.960 --> 0:22:52.680 another thing from my darling brother Jacob. 0:22:52.600 --> 0:22:53.720 You can get overwhelmed. 0:22:54.200 --> 0:22:57.320 He instructed the one in front as follows. When my 0:22:57.400 --> 0:23:00.560 brother Aesov meets you and asks you, who's man are you? 0:23:00.920 --> 0:23:03.600 Where are you going? And whose animals are these ahead 0:23:03.600 --> 0:23:03.960 of you? 0:23:03.960 --> 0:23:08.400 You'll answer your servant Jacob's They are a gift sent 0:23:08.560 --> 0:23:13.760 to my lord Esau, and Jacob himself is right behind us. 0:23:16.520 --> 0:23:18.600 Let me read to you on seventeen Oh I did 0:23:18.600 --> 0:23:23.919 already on this? Okay, on that good again. 0:23:24.280 --> 0:23:30.800 Jacob's assumption is just as at the incident with the porridge, 0:23:31.880 --> 0:23:41.000 that Esau will be mollified by immediate gratification and material gratification. 0:23:42.080 --> 0:23:44.720 That is the way he reads his brother, and he's right. 0:23:45.960 --> 0:23:50.920 My brother wants immediate stuff in life. He will give 0:23:51.000 --> 0:23:54.760 up his anger for animals. He will give up his 0:23:54.960 --> 0:23:59.120 birthright for porridge. That is the way in which Jacob 0:23:59.200 --> 0:24:02.080 reads his brother. And we have no reason to think 0:24:02.119 --> 0:24:08.600 he's wrong, because indeed it works in both cases. Nineteen Wait, 0:24:08.640 --> 0:24:10.520 I just want to tell you one nineteen You shall 0:24:10.560 --> 0:24:14.560 answer again. You see the word he uses, your servant Jacob, 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:19.840 You see that constantly use of this language. Of you 0:24:19.960 --> 0:24:23.440 are ahead, you are above me. I defer to you, 0:24:23.440 --> 0:24:27.920