Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. The words were a final seal,
Speaker 1: a decisive declaration that Jacob was now the inheritor of
Speaker 1: Isaac's promise, passed down from Abraham through Jacob, the blessing
Speaker 1: of God most High would endure.
Speaker 2: You will hunt and kill him like.
Speaker 1: The stag Esau stormed out of the tent and looked around.
Speaker 1: His eyes narrowed with a hunter's intensity. He grabbed his
Speaker 1: bow and arrow, searching frantically for his twin. Panic jabbed
Speaker 1: at Jacob's legs. He was shaking, agitated, ready to run.
Speaker 2: What do I do?
Speaker 3: Mother?
Speaker 2: Tell me what to do.
Speaker 4: Flee to Laban, my brother in heron. You can stay
Speaker 4: with him until your brother's fury does Maybe with time
Speaker 4: he'll get what you've done to him.
Speaker 2: I refuse to let this bright me. I will thrive
Speaker 2: in Laban's household. I return richer and wiser, ready to
Speaker 2: take back what's mine for my brother.
Speaker 1: Jacob opened his eyes to a vision. He found himself
Speaker 1: standing at the base of a monumental staircase that stretched
Speaker 1: upwards into the infinite expanse of the heavens.
Speaker 2: Here, you're really here.
Speaker 5: Look around, you, son of Isaac. Behold the splendor of
Speaker 5: this land.
Speaker 1: Jacob surveyed the starlit landscape. The radiance of the staircase
Speaker 1: illuminated its rich and vibrant valleys cut with rushing rivers
Speaker 1: and lush forests.
Speaker 5: The land on which you lie I will give to
Speaker 5: you and your descendants. Your offspring shall be like the
Speaker 5: dust of the earth. And you shall spread abroad to
Speaker 5: the west, and to the east, and to the north
Speaker 5: and to the south. Through you and your descendants, all
Speaker 5: families of the earth who will be blessed.
Speaker 6: What is the price of love? What if it was
Speaker 6: a lifetime of labor and the reward came disguised as betrayal? Selloh,
Speaker 6: my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel.
Speaker 6: I'm Elextein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
Speaker 6: and welcome to the Chosen People. Now let's begin. Imagine
Speaker 6: a love story, not the gain from Hollywood, where perfect
Speaker 6: people find perfect love in a perfect world. Know this
Speaker 6: love story is raw and real, tangled and human flaws,
Speaker 6: but also promising divine intervention. Jacob's on the run, fleeing
Speaker 6: from the brother he deceived, searching for a place to
Speaker 6: call home, and what he finds is well, a woman
Speaker 6: and a journey that will test his faith. As you listen,
Speaker 6: ask yourself this, what would you do for love? How
Speaker 6: far would you go to secure the future that you
Speaker 6: dreamed of? What if the path to your heart's desire
Speaker 6: was lined with deception, disappointment, and years of waiting. Now
Speaker 6: let's listen to Jacob's story, where love and labor intertwine
Speaker 6: with dreams and deceit in the most unexpected ways.
Speaker 1: The air was bitterly dry. The harshastern sun beat Jacob's
Speaker 1: neck as if with hatred. Jacob groaned and moaned with
Speaker 1: each step, missing the comforts of his tent in Canaan.
Speaker 1: The glass stung his eyes. His steps became slower as
Speaker 1: time passed. It had been over a month on the
Speaker 1: path to Haran. Jacob's will to press on waned with
Speaker 1: each day. But what choice did he have. He couldn't
Speaker 1: turn back home. His brother would kill him. He couldn't
Speaker 1: remain on the road. The sun would char him for
Speaker 1: the buzzards to feast. Jacob needed refuge, a place to
Speaker 1: kick up his feet and rest. He passed through the
Speaker 1: borders of Haran, and the child desert plains gave way
Speaker 1: to slightly less brown hills undulating like waves in a storm.
Speaker 1: Jacob's eyes scanned the land for any sign of life.
Speaker 1: He longed for water, food, and a pillow. His feet
Speaker 1: shurned dust with each labored step until he made it
Speaker 1: to a pasture, where the land was painted with shades
Speaker 1: of tan, yellow and light green. More life. Jacob knew
Speaker 1: where there was pasture, there was bound to be water. Desperately,
Speaker 1: he turned his head to see flocks of sheep like
Speaker 1: down near a well.
Speaker 2: At last, water h.
Speaker 1: Jacob mustered the strength to run toward the well, but
Speaker 1: when he arrived he found it was sealed by a
Speaker 1: large stone. He pounded his fists on it and pressed
Speaker 1: his forehead down in defeat.
Speaker 2: Oh, just my luck.
Speaker 1: Just then Jacob saw a few men in the distance
Speaker 1: herding a few sheep to the well. If Jacob had
Speaker 1: any water left in his body, he would have cried. Instead,
Speaker 1: he shouted with a raspy voice.
Speaker 2: My brothers, where have you come from?
Speaker 3: We're from Heran.
Speaker 2: Do you know a chief named Laban, the son of Nahor? Well, yeah,
Speaker 2: we know him. These are his borders. Oh, thank god,
Speaker 2: Mosaigh is all well with him and his households.
Speaker 7: Sure in fact, is your youngest daughter. Rachel is on
Speaker 7: her way now with her father's flock. Very nice looking flock.
Speaker 7: A nice looking lady as well, if I do.
Speaker 2: Say so myself. It's high noon already, my friends. Is
Speaker 2: it time to water your livestock? I've been traveling a
Speaker 2: long while without water.
Speaker 5: Ah.
Speaker 7: Sorry, friend, We don't open up the well till all
Speaker 7: the flocks are here. Once Rachel is here with Laban's flock,
Speaker 7: we will open it up. Besides, we'll need extra servants
Speaker 7: to help us move this stone. It's a heavy thing.
Speaker 2: It is.
Speaker 1: Jacob shook in place, watching the silhouette of Laban's daughter
Speaker 1: slowly approach. His thirst multiplied with each passing second. It
Speaker 1: seemed like an eternity. When the shepherdess and her sheep
Speaker 1: finally reached the well, Jacob bent down to the stone
Speaker 1: and held it off the well. Jacob plunged his head
Speaker 1: into the water and drank. All The shepherds sprang back
Speaker 1: in surprise.
Speaker 7: Oi, friend, that stone usually takes at least four men
Speaker 7: to push off.
Speaker 3: How do you do that?
Speaker 2: If you thought that was impressive, you should see my
Speaker 2: brother handle an ox.
Speaker 7: But still, that stone weighs more than three men.
Speaker 2: It's an odd gift given to my brother and me.
Speaker 2: I can't explain it.
Speaker 1: Jacob slipped his hair back and wiped his eyes. His
Speaker 1: thirst was finally quenched, and he could see clearly, and
Speaker 1: what he saw took his breath away. Standing before him,
Speaker 1: skin kissed by the sun, with amber curls draped gracefully
Speaker 1: over her shoulders was Rachel, the daughter of Larban. She
Speaker 1: looked at him with a raised brow and amused, smile.
Speaker 8: You must have been mighty thirsty, you to throw that
Speaker 8: stone like a sack of oats. Where have you come from?
Speaker 1: Jacob was speechless, which was an odd feeling. He cleared
Speaker 1: his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing
Speaker 1: came out. Instead, he inched forward and held her face
Speaker 1: in his hands.
Speaker 9: What are you doing?
Speaker 1: Jacob kissed her on both cheeks and began to laugh.
Speaker 1: He laughed, and he laughed, and fell on to his knees,
Speaker 1: hysterically from the exhaustion and weeks of sparse food and water,
Speaker 1: laughter from meeting the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen
Speaker 1: in his life. His fit of laughter slowly turned to sobs,
Speaker 1: and tears rolled down his dusty cheeks.
Speaker 7: Best to step back, my lady, Rachel, this one seems
Speaker 7: to be a bit batty.
Speaker 9: Sir, I think you need to leave.
Speaker 1: Jacob held his stomach, which was tightening as he oscillated
Speaker 1: between hysterical laughter and weeping. He waved his hands and
Speaker 1: stood to his feet, trying to compose himself.
Speaker 2: No, please, I'm not a madman. Well, I suppose a
Speaker 2: madman doesn't know he's a mad man. So if I
Speaker 2: was a madman, I would certainly say that I wasn't.
Speaker 2: What was your question?
Speaker 9: I didn't ask a question.
Speaker 2: Oh right, I'm sorry. My name is Jacob, the son
Speaker 2: of Isaac and Rachel, your father's sister. I've come here
Speaker 2: because my mother said that Laban would take me in
Speaker 2: for a while.
Speaker 8: Were you sent away or something? Did you commit a crime?
Speaker 8: Are you on the run?
Speaker 2: Uh? Yes? And no uh. I've made an awful first impression.
Speaker 2: It's been a long journey, and frankly, it doesn't help
Speaker 2: that I was just struck by lightning. Lightning, at least
Speaker 2: that's how I felt when I gazed upon your beauty
Speaker 2: for the first time.
Speaker 8: Well, yes, that's very lovely for you to say. I'm
Speaker 8: going to run and fetch my father for you.
Speaker 2: I can go with you.
Speaker 8: No, No, that won't be necessary.
Speaker 9: You've had a long journey.
Speaker 8: Remain here while I get my father. My friends will
Speaker 8: give you some of their bread.
Speaker 1: Jacob watched Rachel leave, eyes wide with embarrassment. He buried
Speaker 1: his face in his hands and groaned, But.
Speaker 7: You wish you were struck by lightning after that. Ah,
Speaker 7: here's some bread and a swig of wine to forget
Speaker 7: that dreadful moment.
Speaker 1: Jacob laughed at himself and gladly accepted. He rolled the
Speaker 1: bread in his hands and watched Rachel recede from view.
Speaker 1: He sighed and smiled. Jacob was fatigued and uncertain of
Speaker 1: his mental state, but one thing he was sure of
Speaker 1: was this. He was madly in love with the shepherdess Rachel.
Speaker 1: Larban's wide, hairy frame lumbered up the slight slope leading
Speaker 1: to the well. For a moment, Jacob thought he was
Speaker 1: looking at an aged eshaw approaching. Labin wrapped Jacob in
Speaker 1: his arms without warning and lifted him off the ground.
Speaker 3: Ah, my own bonent flesh, look at you, a spitting
Speaker 3: image of my sister, only you got a little scruff
Speaker 3: on your chin.
Speaker 2: Ha ha, Lord Layman, it would be a great act of
Speaker 2: mercy if you'd give me sanctuary here for a while
Speaker 2: as my mother's kinsman.
Speaker 3: What's this, lord, nonsense, you're my sweet sister son. You'll
Speaker 3: stay under my roof as an honored guest, not a refugee. Come, Come,
Speaker 3: there's a hot pot on the flame.
Speaker 1: Larban led Jacob to his camp. Larban's wealth and resources
Speaker 1: nearly rivaled his father's. Fires were set between sights, with
Speaker 1: large thick tents firmly erected on each corner of the
Speaker 1: bordered estate. Jacob looked at the servants, herders, and farm hands.
Speaker 1: They all wore finely woven robes, matching in color and design,
Speaker 1: green with purple fringes. The women wore the same colored
Speaker 1: purple headbands and green sashes. Jacob observed the servants or
Speaker 1: sweeping in unison, while the children help prepare dishes that
Speaker 1: were neatly stacked in rows in wooden boxes. Everything had
Speaker 1: its place, Everything was in order, just the way Jacob
Speaker 1: l liked it. They entered the large gathering tent where
Speaker 1: the main family dined. Laban's wife had just reclined with
Speaker 1: her daughters.
Speaker 3: This is my eldest daughter, Leah and of course you
Speaker 3: already met my younger daughter, Rachel. I haven't been blessed
Speaker 3: with sons, but she's been a fine herder. For Beside
Speaker 3: them are Zilpah and Bilhah. They are daughters born to
Speaker 3: me through let's say more unsavory circumstances. They are now
Speaker 3: the maid servants of my daughters.
Speaker 2: It's an honor to meet you all.
Speaker 1: Jacob bowed his head, stealing a glance in Rachel's direction.
Speaker 1: She looked more ravishing in the torchlight, flickering flames illuminating
Speaker 1: her amber curls, full lips, and wide greenish hazel eyes.
Speaker 1: The very sight of her made Jacob swoon. He smiled,
Speaker 1: looking for anything in return. She didn't give him the satisfaction.
Speaker 1: He turned his eyes to Leah, who smiled intently at him.
Speaker 1: Her complexion was redder than her sister's, with eyes that
Speaker 1: resembled the morning fog banks. Jacob couldn't tell if Lea
Speaker 1: was unsightly or if Rachel's beauty overshadowed any of her
Speaker 1: redeeming qualities.
Speaker 4: May God bless you, Jacob. We pray your time here
Speaker 4: is refreshing.
Speaker 9: You certainly need it. And the bath.
Speaker 3: Rachel you've lost your manners. I'm sorry, my boy. My
Speaker 3: youngest spends too much time with a shepherd's she forgets
Speaker 3: how to be a lady.
Speaker 2: I take no offense, Lord Layban. Rachel saw me at
Speaker 2: my worst to day. I pray she doesn't hold it
Speaker 2: against me.
Speaker 1: Jacob searched her again for any slight movement of her
Speaker 1: chin or eyes. Nothing, he continued.
Speaker 2: It's the custom of my father's household to never accept
Speaker 2: the gift without giving a gift in return. I'd ask
Speaker 2: that Rachel let me tend to her flocks while I
Speaker 2: stay here.
Speaker 1: There it was a slight twist of her beautiful lips
Speaker 1: curling upward. It was only for a moment, but Jacob
Speaker 1: knew he'd had her, and because he couldn't help himself,
Speaker 1: he added.
Speaker 2: The time away from the flocks may allow her to
Speaker 2: regain the manners she lost.
Speaker 1: And the smile left replaced with a roll of the eyes.
Speaker 1: But to Jacob, a roll of the eyes was just
Speaker 1: as satisfying as a smile. He was in her mind
Speaker 1: for a moment. He wanted to live there forever. A
Speaker 1: month had passed, and Jacob cheerfully tended Laban's flock daily,
Speaker 1: the house of Laban was a pleasant respite from the
Speaker 1: chaotic mess he left behind. Jacob applied the knowledge he
Speaker 1: learned from his father to Laban's flock. Isaac had a
Speaker 1: way of breeding sheep, weeding out specific blemishes and weaknesses.
Speaker 1: He was a savanth that way, much like his dear
Speaker 1: brother was with hunting. He thought about them often, but
Speaker 1: knew he couldn't yet return. No doubt, Esau's blood still
Speaker 1: boiled hot with betrayal. Jacob led the flocks to an
Speaker 1: enclosed pasture and returned to the dining tent. Lea was there,
Speaker 1: weaving a cord of flowers for a centerpiece. Her dull
Speaker 1: face turned brighter anytime Jacob entered the room.
Speaker 4: Hello, Jacob, how is your day?
Speaker 2: Fine? I suppose where's Rachel?
Speaker 4: Probably chopping wood somewhere with her calloused hands. I swear
Speaker 4: sometimes I think she purposefully acts like a boy to
Speaker 4: please father.
Speaker 1: Jacob wasn't listening. He fiddled with his cup, staring at
Speaker 1: the tense entrance. Rachel entered with her servant Bella, and
Speaker 1: Jacob quickly moved, leaving Leah behind. He composed himself before
Speaker 1: greeting her, straightening his robes and hair suavely, he approached
Speaker 1: Good evening, Rachel.
Speaker 8: Good evening, Jacob, How are my father's.
Speaker 2: Flax growing more beautiful by the day. I've scattered some
Speaker 2: olive leaves around for them, and it's given their wool
Speaker 2: an excellent sheen.
Speaker 9: Very clever, Jacob, I thought.
Speaker 2: So, your flocks have been in good hands. Rachel.
Speaker 8: I doubted that at first, since I took you for
Speaker 8: a madman.
Speaker 2: Oh, Rachel, in many ways I am a madman.
Speaker 1: Jacob smiled and looked deeply into Rachel's eyes. At first,
Speaker 1: the stair made Rachel uncomfortable, but as time passed she
Speaker 1: had grown to enjoy it. The moment was abruptly interrupted
Speaker 1: with Larbin's entrance.
Speaker 3: Jacob, come, my boy, sit beside me tonight as we eat.
Speaker 1: Jacob sat beside Larbin, who gave him a firm pat.
Speaker 2: On the back.
Speaker 3: Jacob. I was thinking about what my sister would say
Speaker 3: if she knew you were working here without a wage?
Speaker 3: Were kinsmen? You're not my servant or slave. I should
Speaker 3: pay you for the excellent work you're doing. What shall
Speaker 3: your wages be?
Speaker 2: You're very kind, as always, Lord Layban. I've actually given
Speaker 2: that question quite a bit of thought.
Speaker 3: Hah ah, of course you have. You're a shrewd man.
Speaker 3: What's your price for the work.
Speaker 1: Jacob turned his gaze back at Rachel. She glanced back,
Speaker 1: wondering why he was looking at her. Her smile curled
Speaker 1: on the edges of Jacob's face. He turned to Larbon
Speaker 1: with a glint in his eye.
Speaker 2: I'll serve you for seven more years. That should be
Speaker 2: more than enough for your youngest daughter, Rachel's hand in marriage.
Speaker 1: Rachel nearly choked on her food. Leo gasped in horror,
Speaker 1: but laughing was perfectly still stroking his beard and considering
Speaker 1: the exchange.
Speaker 9: Father, Are you considering his offer?
Speaker 4: What are you going to do?
Speaker 9: Oh?
Speaker 3: Yes, well, I suppose it's better I give her to
Speaker 3: you were kinsman than another dog from another clan wanted
Speaker 3: to swap rocks and land. You have yourself at deal?
Speaker 9: A deal?
Speaker 4: Father? Is Rachel really to marry before me?
Speaker 3: I'm your lord, father, I'll hear no complaints or moans
Speaker 3: about my decisions. Rachel will marry Jacob after seven years
Speaker 3: of labor.
Speaker 1: They shook on it, and Rachel stormed out of the tent.
Speaker 1: Leah simply sat there, quiet and dejected. Her servant Silpa
Speaker 1: comforted her. Jacob followed Rachel out dusk wrestled against ay,
Speaker 1: and the sun's final rays were being pushed behind the mountains.
Speaker 1: Rachel looked out at the valley with her shoulder leaning
Speaker 1: against the thick trunk of a sycamore tree. Its leaves
Speaker 1: swayed gently to the evening breeze, soothing her chaotic mind.
Speaker 1: Jacob approached softly and spoke tenderly, Are you okay, Rachel?
Speaker 1: She turned her face to him, greenish brown eyes seeming
Speaker 1: almost golden in the final light of dusk. Her beauty
Speaker 1: unsteadied him at times.
Speaker 2: Would marrying me be such a terrible thing?
Speaker 1: Rachel allowed a slight smile to escape from her frown.
Speaker 1: She shook her head and responded with an uncharacteristically gentle tone.
Speaker 9: Of course, not, Jacob.
Speaker 8: You come from a good family, with a good birthright
Speaker 8: waiting for you at home. But I wonder, are you
Speaker 8: a good man?
Speaker 2: That's a difficult question to answer. My father's a good man.
Speaker 2: My grandfather was a great man. That we shall see
Speaker 2: about me.
Speaker 9: We shall see.
Speaker 2: Indeed, one thing that's certain, dear Rachel, is that I
Speaker 2: do love you. And seven years of labor for your
Speaker 2: hand will seem like near moments as long as I
Speaker 2: get to see you every day.
Speaker 8: You're much more eloquent than the first time we met.
Speaker 2: Yes, you see me at my worst. Now give me
Speaker 2: a chance you'll see me at my best.
Speaker 1: Rachel allowed a full smile to grace her face. She
Speaker 1: reached out a hand and Jacob took it. They watched
Speaker 1: the skies for a long while, silently longing for a
Speaker 1: tighter embrace. Yet behind them, peeking out from the large
Speaker 1: tent was Leah, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed.
Speaker 1: Her unrequited love for Jacob was as enduring as the
Speaker 1: stars in the sky. Jacob looked at his reflection in
Speaker 1: the still pond. He rubbed his face, observing the scruff
Speaker 1: that had turned into a meager looking beard. His mother
Speaker 1: had always joked that Esau stole all his hair in
Speaker 1: the womb. He could never quite grow a full beard,
Speaker 1: which made him wildly and securer times, especially on a
Speaker 1: day like this one. It had been seven years since
Speaker 1: his agreement with the Laban. He had worked tirelessly, expanding
Speaker 1: Larban's flocks sevenfold. Each year, the flocks became more beautiful
Speaker 1: as did Rachel. They had grown much closer in seven years,
Speaker 1: often stealing away moments to walk by the streams or
Speaker 1: eat dates over the pond's edge. The years passed by
Speaker 1: like a few days because of the love he had
Speaker 1: for her.
Speaker 2: Ley Ben, it's been seven years tending to your flocks.
Speaker 2: I'm here now, too, humbly ask for Rachel. Of course,
Speaker 2: dear boy. Let's have a feast, a wonderful feast to
Speaker 2: celebrate the occasion. Wine will flow like the rivers of Eden.
Speaker 2: Food will be bursting out.
Speaker 3: Of our ears.
Speaker 1: That night, music, dancing, and laughter abounded. Everyone in the
Speaker 1: clan gathered for a decadent feast lambshanks with juniper jam,
Speaker 1: date cakes and roasted figs, whine imported from the vineyards
Speaker 1: of Poor Jacob feasted and drank to his heart's content,
Speaker 1: but Rachel was silent and unwilling to celebrate. Jacob plumped
Speaker 1: beside her and leaned in.
Speaker 2: I haven't seen your sister all night. She's usually paddling
Speaker 2: behind me like a lost pup. It's been rather nice
Speaker 2: having some space, is she.
Speaker 9: I'm not sure, Rachel?
Speaker 2: What's wrong, my love? Why does your beautiful face hang
Speaker 2: low on such a joyous occasion. Don't you want to
Speaker 2: be with me?
Speaker 9: Of course I do, Jacob.
Speaker 2: Then we shall be together tonight.
Speaker 3: Not yet, dear boy, the night has only begun. Drink, laugh,
Speaker 3: and enjoy this special night. I shall have my servants
Speaker 3: prepare your bride and send her to your tent.
Speaker 1: The festivities continued, as did Jacob's drinking lob and ensured
Speaker 1: the servant always kept his cup filled in the conversation light.
Speaker 1: When the time came for Jacob to bed his wife,
Speaker 1: thus sealing the marriage covenant, he stumbled to his tent.
Speaker 1: He fell into the dirt in front and crawled.
Speaker 2: In Rachel, your husband has arrived.
Speaker 1: He saw his wife adorned in a beautiful gown of purple,
Speaker 1: green and white. She wore a thin veil, as was
Speaker 1: the custom. Jacob slapped himself, trying to sober up.
Speaker 4: I am waiting for you, my husband.
Speaker 2: I've waited seven years for this moment.
Speaker 4: A as have I. Jacob.
Speaker 1: Jacob gently but clumsily, took her by the hips and
Speaker 1: drew her in close. In the back of his mind,
Speaker 1: he wished he had not drank so much. He would
Speaker 1: have been able to save the moment. Without the inside
Speaker 1: of his tent spinning, The two sealed the marriage covenant
Speaker 1: by lying with each other. Their passionate breaths rose with
Speaker 1: the heat of the flickering candles. When they were finished,
Speaker 1: Jacob released a sigh of bliss and lay his head
Speaker 1: down to sleep. The woman beside him, now his wife,
Speaker 1: blew out the candles and laid her head on his chest.
Speaker 2: Ah, I love.
Speaker 4: You, Rachel, I love you, Jacob.
Speaker 1: Jacob's eyes creaked open. Dawn broke into his tent through
Speaker 1: an opening in the roof, uninvited. He propped himself up
Speaker 1: and rubbed his head. It felt as if his skull
Speaker 1: would crack open. He rolled his neck back and took
Speaker 1: a drink from his water skin. He sighed, then looked
Speaker 1: back at his bride. Her face was down on the pillow,
Speaker 1: hair draped over her face. Jacob pet her hair and
Speaker 1: whispered in her ear good morning. She turned and her
Speaker 1: head toward him, her hair falling to the side. Jacob
Speaker 1: shouted in shock and fell back. It wasn't Rachel, but.
Speaker 2: Leah, Leah. What are you doing here?
Speaker 4: I was with you last night, Jacob. Don't you remember?
Speaker 2: What's no? What? No? How is it possible? How was
Speaker 2: supposed to be with Rachel. I how how did you?
Speaker 4: My father insisted that it should be this way. He
Speaker 4: sent Rachel back to her tent and bid me meet
Speaker 4: you in here to be your wife. We sealed the covenant.
Speaker 4: It's done.
Speaker 2: That treacherous snake. Leyban tricked me.
Speaker 4: I will make an excellent wife, Jacob, I swear I
Speaker 4: will give you plenty of sons and daughters.
Speaker 2: Where's Laban?
Speaker 1: Jacob left Lea and stormed out of this tent, shirt
Speaker 1: still off and heads still throbbing. Larban was sipping a
Speaker 1: warm cup of tea, directing some of his workers as
Speaker 1: they cleaned.
Speaker 3: Layban, good morning, my son, I trust you slept well
Speaker 3: beside your new bride. It's such an amazing moment in life,
Speaker 3: young love.
Speaker 2: What have you done to me? I served you for
Speaker 2: seven years for Rachel? That was our agreement. Why have
Speaker 2: you deceived me?
Speaker 3: Come now, Jacob or kinsman. You know our customs. It's
Speaker 3: not tradition to have your youngest daughter married before your eldest.
Speaker 2: So you chose deception instead of negotiation.
Speaker 3: Jacob, Jacob, you know better. I knew you wouldn't take
Speaker 3: Lea for a bride price of seven years I did
Speaker 3: what I had to do. This way I get to
Speaker 3: marry off my eldest daughter, and you work my fields
Speaker 3: for far more years than she's worth. It's a win win. Well.
Speaker 3: By that, of course, I mean that I win twice.
Speaker 1: Love And gave Jacob a certain look that sent shiffers
Speaker 1: down his spine. It was the look of a opened
Speaker 1: behind his large, jolly veneer was a cunning and calculating mind.
Speaker 1: He may have looked like Esau, but he was more
Speaker 1: like Jacob, a trickster. Jacob sobered immediately he understood who
Speaker 1: he was dealing with. Now they were cut from the
Speaker 1: same cloth. The trickster had been tricked. Jacob was angry,
Speaker 1: but he couldn't avoid the irony. Jacob responded with a
Speaker 1: calm and calculated look.
Speaker 2: You've bested me, Laban. You're surely a shrewd man. I
Speaker 2: should have known, since you and my mother, Rebecca are
Speaker 2: from the same line. She has a sharp mind as well.
Speaker 1: Flattery was how Jacob would get what he needed from Larban.
Speaker 1: The poor man had awakened something in Jacob. Larban wasn't
Speaker 1: the only servant in the reeds.
Speaker 2: I will work seven more years for Rachel. That was
Speaker 2: the bride price we agreed upon. In seven years, I
Speaker 2: expect to have her. There aren't any other secret daughters
Speaker 2: I should be aware of.
Speaker 9: Ah.
Speaker 3: You are a good sport. You have yourself a deal.
Speaker 1: Jacob bowed his head and walked back to his tent.
Speaker 1: Rachel was waiting nearby, eyes red from a night of tears.
Speaker 9: I swear, Jacob, I had no choice.
Speaker 2: It's going to be all right. In seven years, you'll
Speaker 2: be mine and I'll be yours.
Speaker 9: But what about Leah?
Speaker 2: What about her? My grandfather had two wives? Why can't I?
Speaker 9: I'm worried that Well.
Speaker 2: You are the one I love, Rachel. I will have
Speaker 2: you as my wife, and when the time is right,
Speaker 2: Laybad will know who he's slighted.
Speaker 1: Jacob placed a gentle hand on her chin and kissed
Speaker 1: her forehead. Leah was watching intently from the distance. He
Speaker 1: walked over to his tent and paused. He gave Leah
Speaker 1: an indifferent look, then passed her to enter his tent.
Speaker 1: For seven years, Jacob labored, and once the time had passed,
Speaker 1: he was finally able to marry Rachel. The night of
Speaker 1: their wedding, Jacob was completely sober, eyes clear, and heart
Speaker 1: fluttering with love. They sealed their promise that night with
Speaker 1: passion underneath the stars. To Jacob, it was well worth
Speaker 1: the fourteen years. Yet something was hiding in the margins
Speaker 1: between love and longing. Leah's love for Jacob, Jacob's love
Speaker 1: for Rachel, Lea's contempt for Rachel, and Laban's love of
Speaker 1: control were all brewing. Like the Eastern, Western, Southern, and
Speaker 1: Northern winds. They were doomed to collide, causing a storm
Speaker 1: of epic proportions.
Speaker 6: Jacob, with his heart full of love for Rachel, is
Speaker 6: willing to work seven long years just to win her hand.
Speaker 6: That kind of love is the stuff of fairy tales
Speaker 6: and love songs. But then the twist, the deception, Laban's
Speaker 6: cunning move slipping Leah into Jacob's bed instead of Rachel.
Speaker 6: Sometimes even pure and true love isn't enough to shield
Speaker 6: us from the harsh realities of life. For this family,
Speaker 6: the harsh realities, we'll only get harsher, and that brings
Speaker 6: us to Leah. Poor poor Leah, caught in a web
Speaker 6: that's not of her own making. She's desperate for a
Speaker 6: husband's love. It's heart wrenching when you look at it.
Speaker 6: From her perspective, Lea's struggle for affection, for recognition, for
Speaker 6: feeling wanted. Most of us, from a tender age, we're
Speaker 6: taught that crying signifies weakness. Be strong. We're told hold
Speaker 6: your tears, move on, get it together. But here the
Speaker 6: Bible actually teaches us something very different. This is what
Speaker 6: the scripture tells us. Quote Leah had weak eyes, but
Speaker 6: Rachel was beautiful end quote from her youth, Leah wept
Speaker 6: over her fate that she felt wasn't fair. Lea wept
Speaker 6: for herself and for her future children. And as she wept,
Speaker 6: she prayed that God would alter her destiny. And then
Speaker 6: we see it. God saw Leah's tears, and he heard
Speaker 6: her prayers, and as a result, God chose Leah to
Speaker 6: be Jacob's first wife, despite Rachel's greater beauty and beloved status.
Speaker 9: This is the.
Speaker 6: Profound power of tears. Leah's weak eyes were actually a
Speaker 6: symbol of her immense strengths, because it was through her
Speaker 6: tears that she reshaped history, that she changed the course
Speaker 6: of her life and the course of the world as
Speaker 6: we know it still today.
Speaker 9: You see.
Speaker 6: Jewish tradition holds that the gates of tears are the
Speaker 6: only gates to Heaven that never close. And I'll tell
Speaker 6: you something, my friends, we hold that same power, that
Speaker 6: same ability that lay a wheelded. We too can cry
Speaker 6: out to God with heartfelt tears of sincerity, of faith,
Speaker 6: of love. And through those tears, God hears our prayers
Speaker 6: and he alters the trajectory of our lives, which impacts
Speaker 6: the entire world. So, if there's one thing that I
Speaker 6: hope you get from this story, it's this, never underestimate
Speaker 6: the power of tears. As one rabbi so beautifully put it,
Speaker 6: the gates of tears were never locked. What a shame
Speaker 6: if no no one bothers to walk right through them.
Speaker 6: And that brings us to another layer of this story,
Speaker 6: the rich nuanced insights found in centuries of Jewish study
Speaker 6: of the original Hebrew text. Names in the Bible are
Speaker 6: more than just labels. We've already learned a bit that
Speaker 6: the names of the Biblical figures carry deep meanings and
Speaker 6: prophetic implications. Take Leah, for instance, her name literally translates
Speaker 6: to weary. It reflects her life's journey, her struggle for love,
Speaker 6: her constant yearning for Jacob's affection. Every time we say
Speaker 6: her name Leah, were reminded of her weariness and her
Speaker 6: struggle to be seen and loved. Rachel, on the other hand,
Speaker 6: in Hebrew, is pronounced Rachel, and it literally translates to eu.
Speaker 2: E w e.
Speaker 6: It symbolizes and beauty. Her name Rachel. Rachel paints a
Speaker 6: picture of gentleness and grace, qualities that drew Jacob's heart
Speaker 6: to her in the first place. It's a very stark
Speaker 6: contrast to Leah's weariness, highlighting the different paths that they walked.
Speaker 6: You see in translation, we might overlook the prophetic implication
Speaker 6: of these names, but oh no, if we do, we
Speaker 6: might miss how Leah's weariness in Rachel's beauty are not
Speaker 6: just personal traits. No, they are woven into God's larger story.
Speaker 6: Leah's name, her weariness, speaks to the struggle that many
Speaker 6: of us face in finding recognition and finding love. Rachel's
Speaker 6: name her beauty remind us of the allure and desire
Speaker 6: that often drive our actions, and that brings us to Jacob.
Speaker 6: The Hebrew teaching that I want to point out about
Speaker 6: Jacob happens right away in Jenne's twenty nine rite in
Speaker 6: the very first verse here the Bible uses an unusual expression,
Speaker 6: as Jacob continues his travels. Most English translations tell us
Speaker 6: that quote, Jacob continued his journey end quote. But that's
Speaker 6: not the literal translation of the Hebrew. The closest translation
Speaker 6: says this quote and Jacob lifteth up his feet end quote.
Speaker 6: I'm going to read it to you in Hebrew so
Speaker 6: that you can hear how it sounds. This is what
Speaker 6: it says in Genesis twenty nine, the very first verse,
Speaker 6: vaissa ya akkov raglav. Let me say that again, vaissa
Speaker 6: ya akov raglov. But this isn't the Bible's regular expression
Speaker 6: for traveling. So why does scripture use it here? This
Speaker 6: isn't how it usually says that the Biblical figure traveled
Speaker 6: uses different words. Why well? The Jewish ages have a
Speaker 6: beautiful explanation that has always inspired me so much, and
Speaker 6: I hope that it will inspire you too. They teach
Speaker 6: that after Jacob woke up from his dream of God's promise,
Speaker 6: he felt quote light footed end quote. Isn't that beautiful?
Speaker 6: When he woke up from his dream, he felt light footed.
Speaker 6: After hearing God's promise, Jacob felt that he could do anything,
Speaker 6: He could overcome any of the challenges that God would
Speaker 6: put his way, and he would put many his way,
Speaker 6: including the challenge of finding the right wife, the challenge
Speaker 6: of living in the house of dishonest Laban, and the
Speaker 6: challenge of being father to God's chosen people. Those are
Speaker 6: all pretty big tasks. But when Jacob woke up light footed,
Speaker 6: he knew that he could overcome them. And I want
Speaker 6: you to remember, my friends, that just like Jacob, God
Speaker 6: has promised each one of us that as long as
Speaker 6: we dedicate ourselves to Him, he will be with us.
Speaker 6: We can feel lightfooted in that. And when you feel
Speaker 6: lightfooted that you know God is with you, you could
Speaker 6: accomplish anything. As you can see, there's more than romance
Speaker 6: going on here in this biblical love story. And to
Speaker 6: add even more, here's our good friend, Bishop Paulineer.
Speaker 10: Thank you so much.
Speaker 3: Elle.
Speaker 10: Here we are in this Genesis chapter twenty nine, and
Speaker 10: Jacob arrives.
Speaker 2: To a field of sheep.
Speaker 10: Can I just tell you that I've always been intrigued,
Speaker 10: even marveled, at the relationship the Jewish people have with sheep.
Speaker 10: You know that back in the garden of Eden, after
Speaker 10: they had sinned and God was sending them out from
Speaker 10: the garden. He first clothed them animal skins, covering them
Speaker 10: with a bloody thing. Was this redemption at work? Was
Speaker 10: it an altar somewhere? Was it a lamb? I think
Speaker 10: about the offering at the altar of two brothers canaan Abel,
Speaker 10: and how Cain brought his vegetables from his garden, but
Speaker 10: Able brought a lamb a sheep. Why was he even
Speaker 10: raising sheep if indeed he was vegetarian, as many people believe. Well,
Speaker 10: maybe it was for the wool, Perhaps for the milk.
Speaker 10: Later on God spoke to Noah and told him he
Speaker 10: could now eat the meat, but not drink the blood,
Speaker 10: because that always belongs to God. And of course the
Speaker 10: lamb was part of that first and perpetual passover that
Speaker 10: was appointed in Egypt, and then later that elaborate, sophisticated
Speaker 10: sacrificial system at Mount Sinai. For me, the only answer
Speaker 10: is the altar. And you know so well that increasingly
Speaker 10: the altar was the center of Jewish life. Someone would
Speaker 10: move to a community and they'd build an altar, They
Speaker 10: would pitch a tent and dig a well. Those three things.
Speaker 10: Build an altar, pitch a tent, dig a well, that
Speaker 10: reveals to us the level of priority and importance of
Speaker 10: the altar of the sacrifice of the lamb. Later on
Speaker 10: we'll discover how the children of Israel got into the
Speaker 10: land of ghost and how the role of shepherd.
Speaker 2: Played into that.
Speaker 10: We'll think about that King David, who was first and
Speaker 10: foremost shepherd. And for Christians, we look to the New
Speaker 10: Testament and we think of Jesus being born and laid
Speaker 10: in a manger which was rich in the whole sheep
Speaker 10: narrative and culture. That the whole reason Jesus was being
Speaker 10: born there was because it was that space was special
Speaker 10: where sacrificial lambs were birthed and raised. We hear that
Speaker 10: John the Baptist when he sees Jesus coming and he
Speaker 10: cries out, behold the Lamb of God who takes away
Speaker 10: the sins of the world, the lamb, the Lamb of God.
Speaker 10: And we hear Jesus himself saying, I am the good Shepherd.
Speaker 10: You know, I remember some time ago seeing a photograph
Speaker 10: and a video of yah Elle in one of our
Speaker 10: Fellowship campaigns.
Speaker 2: And it strucked me.
Speaker 3: It was so beautiful.
Speaker 10: Yah El was on a sheep farm, and she was
Speaker 10: holding and caressing and laughing with a lamb so earthy
Speaker 10: and raw and real. I told my wife, I said,
Speaker 10: this is my favorite picture of yah El because of
Speaker 10: the authenticity. I'm telling you, if you could have made
Speaker 10: the picture black and white, it would have looked three
Speaker 10: thousand years old. But here Rachel is at one with
Speaker 10: the sheep, and it's with that flock that Jacob finds
Speaker 10: her and Rachel meets her future husband. There was never
Speaker 10: a moment quite like that for Jacob Agan. She was
Speaker 10: so beautiful to him, she captured is hard and ultimately
Speaker 10: Rachel gave Jacob two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, and nobody
Speaker 10: had wonder how Jacob felt about those two boys, particularly
Speaker 10: because of their mother, Rachel.
Speaker 6: This is more than a love story. It's part of
Speaker 6: the ultimate love story, the story of God's love for
Speaker 6: his chosen people. In each of our stories, even the
Speaker 6: painful ones. God doesn't waste our pain or discard us
Speaker 6: because of our flaws. No, God loves us, and he
Speaker 6: promises to bless each one of us his chosen People.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Exstein
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Speaker 1: com app today. This pray dog comproduction is only made
Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Could,
Speaker 1: Tina max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the
Speaker 1: executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited
Speaker 1: by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced
Speaker 1: by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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