Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. Isaac dropped to his knee, trembling,
Speaker 1: and bowed his head to receive the word of his
Speaker 1: father's god.
Speaker 2: Isaac, son of my servant Abraham, you have spent a
Speaker 2: life time following your father as he follow'd me. I
Speaker 2: come now to bless you to carry out the promise
Speaker 2: I made to your father through your lifetime.
Speaker 3: Thank you, My God will do all that you ask
Speaker 3: of me.
Speaker 4: My loved Isaac, mey, our God bless you and keep you.
Speaker 4: May you walk in His ways all the days of
Speaker 4: your life, and may you be the blessing to all nations,
Speaker 4: as God promis'd to me. May you inherit the land
Speaker 4: promis'd to us, and may your descendants be as countless
Speaker 4: as the stars in the sky.
Speaker 5: May the Lord.
Speaker 4: Establish his covenant with you and your offspring forever, and
Speaker 4: may his promises be fulfilled through your faithfulness and obedience.
Speaker 4: My dear Isaac, May you be a blessing to generations
Speaker 4: to come. And may our God be your God now
Speaker 4: and forevermore.
Speaker 1: Isaac was speechless of this beautiful speech, which formerly bound
Speaker 1: him to the precious promise made to his father. He
Speaker 1: swore to do everything in his power to uphold it
Speaker 1: and steward his part of their legacy.
Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 6: As Isaac's harvest flourished, so did the jealousy of his neighbors.
Speaker 6: But in each act of sabotage, Isaac found it deeper well,
Speaker 6: a testament to God's unwavering provision. Shallow my friends from
Speaker 6: here in the Holy Land, i'mya l extein with international
Speaker 6: fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People.
Speaker 6: Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible,
Speaker 6: stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the
Speaker 6: meaning of life. Let's begin. This cinematic story of Isaac,
Speaker 6: inspired by Genesis twenty six twelve to thirty five, is
Speaker 6: one of conflict and resolution, of wells dug and filled
Speaker 6: of God's faithfulness amid human strife. Isaac, a man of peace,
Speaker 6: plants seeds in a foreign land. The ground yields abundantly
Speaker 6: one hundredfold, but with great blessing come great envy. Enemies rise,
Speaker 6: filling Isaac's wells, closing off the source of life that
Speaker 6: Isaac digs again, he perseveres, and he finds water in
Speaker 6: desolate places. What does it mean? To persist in the
Speaker 6: face of opposition, to seek peace where others seek conflict.
Speaker 6: How do we respond when our own efforts are sabotaged,
Speaker 6: when our prosperity is envied? Can we, like Isaac, find
Speaker 6: peace through perseverance and faith?
Speaker 7: Deborah, did you bring us anything other than gossip from
Speaker 7: the city. I won't have you filling my son's head
Speaker 7: with useless nonsense from merchant's wives.
Speaker 8: Pardon me, Lady Rebecca, but if I didn't travel into
Speaker 8: the city for you, you would never know what was
Speaker 8: going on outside this caravan. You and Master Isaac are
Speaker 8: completely consumed with the tasks of running this caravan and
Speaker 8: the fields of crops and cattle, where our own city
Speaker 8: and our own rights. The merchant's wives should be coming
Speaker 8: to us for the latest gossip, Deborah. The news, Oh, yes,
Speaker 8: Master Jacob. The rumor in town is that a bimelec
Speaker 8: has seen how Master Isaac's wealth has grown. He has
Speaker 8: taken note.
Speaker 7: You see, Yes, our God has blessed us every seed
Speaker 7: sown in this land. We have reaped a hundredfold. We
Speaker 7: have had to hire hundreds of laborers just to keep up, and.
Speaker 5: Our wealth has surely only boosted the economy of Gerra.
Speaker 5: But tell me the nature of these rumors, ill or favorable.
Speaker 8: They are saying that a Bimelek in his court have
Speaker 8: grown envious of the wealth amassed by your father. It
Speaker 8: could mean trouble.
Speaker 5: Speaking of trouble, he comes Eso from his hunt.
Speaker 1: Sure enough, Esau was striding through camp with his latest
Speaker 1: kill thrown over his shoulder. He looked to be in
Speaker 1: a foul mood, fouler than usual to Jacob's eyes. Anyway,
Speaker 1: it had been nearly fifteen years since their grandfather's death,
Speaker 1: and since he had won Esau's birthright over a bowl
Speaker 1: of stew. The years had done nothing to cool his
Speaker 1: temper toward Jacob, and he kept his distance to be
Speaker 1: sure it never came to blows.
Speaker 9: Where is father?
Speaker 5: Greetings to you as well, dear brother.
Speaker 1: Both his mother and Deborah shot him a disapproving look
Speaker 1: at his whispered comment. They were not keen on seeing
Speaker 1: the two young men start a fight.
Speaker 7: He has not come in from the field all day
Speaker 7: to day. What is the matter, Esaw? You look upset?
Speaker 9: I am upset. They have done it again. Done what
Speaker 9: the wells they keep filling them with dirt?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 9: My Isau.
Speaker 8: Isn't that the third time we've caught them this month?
Speaker 7: You're sure they were men from Garar, servants of Abimelech.
Speaker 5: Yes, what did you do to them?
Speaker 9: I scare them off?
Speaker 5: Did you start a war with our hosts?
Speaker 9: No? I scare them. What's done is done. We must
Speaker 9: dig back the wells months.
Speaker 7: Of work, just like the others. I do not like it.
Speaker 7: Filling in the wells could be a simple defense of
Speaker 7: the land, preventing enemies from taking hold of water supplies
Speaker 7: that are remote, or it could be for more nefarious reasons.
Speaker 7: This sabotage, combined with the rumors from the city, I
Speaker 7: do not think we shall remain peaceful neighbors with Abimelech
Speaker 7: for long. We would be foolish to ignore these indicators
Speaker 7: to war. I doubt your father would go for that.
Speaker 7: We should see what can be done with diplomacy first.
Speaker 7: I will speak with your father when he returns.
Speaker 9: That's why I want father I coming to tell him
Speaker 9: about wells.
Speaker 5: Yes, but would you counsel a violent course of action?
Speaker 5: Would you lead us into war?
Speaker 9: You want us to do nothing?
Speaker 5: Oh, you forget we are not residents in this land,
Speaker 5: Esau provoking our host would leave us homeless. We must
Speaker 5: proceed carefully if we want to keep our livelihood.
Speaker 9: I forgot nothing.
Speaker 7: I enough, I said, I would speak with your father
Speaker 7: when he returns. You have delivered your news, Esau. Go
Speaker 7: see to your carcass. Your kill is making a mess
Speaker 7: at your feet.
Speaker 1: Esau huffed in response, but said nothing else as he
Speaker 1: stormed off to clean his kill.
Speaker 7: Oh must you always provoke him, Jacob.
Speaker 5: I cannot help myself. He just doesn't think. He craves violence,
Speaker 5: and you sing the way he lusts after the local
Speaker 5: Canaanite women. He forgets our ways.
Speaker 8: Ah, Master JP is not wrong, Lady Rebecca. I have
Speaker 8: heard troubling rumors about young Master Esau and some of
Speaker 8: the Hittite women. He has become very friendly with their
Speaker 8: people in his hunting and traveling. Master Isaac would not approve.
Speaker 7: And I would not either. But that is tomorrow's trouble.
Speaker 7: We must deal with a bimelec in these destroyed wells.
Speaker 1: First, when Isaac returned from the fields, Rebecca told him
Speaker 1: about the rumors in the city and the latest destroyed well.
Speaker 3: What would you have me do? I cannot keep maintaining
Speaker 3: these wells if a Bimelech is intent on sabotaging them,
Speaker 3: And what of the rumors of his discontent? Why should
Speaker 3: I trouble myself If a Bimelech is concerned about.
Speaker 7: My wealth, He's not concerned, Isaac, He's intimidated. A Bimelech
Speaker 7: is scared of your wealth, growing wealth. You're out growing
Speaker 7: this region.
Speaker 3: That's the opinion of one man.
Speaker 7: A king never holds the opinion of one He is
Speaker 7: the summation of his court, his advisers, and his people.
Speaker 7: His opinion was no doubt informed by the Council of Many.
Speaker 3: Speak plainly, Rebecca, I am tired.
Speaker 7: Go to him, get ahead of this before more than
Speaker 7: wells are destroyed.
Speaker 3: I will do as you ask.
Speaker 1: And so Isaac called an audience with Abemelek to see
Speaker 1: what could be done between their people. He traveled down
Speaker 1: the plains into the great city, where statues of past
Speaker 1: Abemeleks towered over the streets like gods. Isaac rolled his
Speaker 1: shoulders back, feigning a confidence he knew he should have.
Speaker 1: He entered the great halls of Abemelek, torches illuminated furs
Speaker 1: of past hunts and tapestries of past conquests. The room
Speaker 1: had a certain stench, one of incense burned to idols
Speaker 1: and rotten meat laid before hollow walters. A Beemelek was
Speaker 1: both lord and priest in his region, a god among
Speaker 1: his people. Every war lord and king from Canaan to
Speaker 1: Egypt thought they were the image of the gods. But
Speaker 1: Isaac knew better. He knew every man and woman was
Speaker 1: crafted in God's image. It's what gave him the confidence,
Speaker 1: the boldness to step before such an imposing man. He
Speaker 1: tilted his head down to a Beemelech and began.
Speaker 3: Oh, Greater Bimelech, I come to you concerning the wells
Speaker 3: that your men continue to fill. It is hard to
Speaker 3: not take such acts as slights against me.
Speaker 9: Go on.
Speaker 3: My counsel believes you are intimidated by my presence in
Speaker 3: the region, and that is why you continue to sabotage
Speaker 3: our water sources.
Speaker 9: There is truth in what you say. There is growing
Speaker 9: discontent with your wealth amongst my court. Isaac son of Abraham.
Speaker 3: Your Highness, there is really nothing I can do about that.
Speaker 3: I cannot hope that my God has seen fit to
Speaker 3: bless me.
Speaker 9: Indeed, I suppose that's true.
Speaker 3: But I recognize I am a guest in your lance?
Speaker 3: How can we live in peace? How can we live
Speaker 3: together as we did in the days of my father?
Speaker 9: It is as you say, you are a guest in
Speaker 9: my lance, But I cannot guarantee that my people's discontentment
Speaker 9: will not cause them to do something rash or raise
Speaker 9: their hand against you.
Speaker 3: What do you suggest to Mimelech. I am not a
Speaker 3: diplomat or strategist like my father. I am a simple man.
Speaker 3: Tell me what to do and I'll do it.
Speaker 9: Now, what have you leave us? You have become far
Speaker 9: too powerful.
Speaker 5: Leave did you have us go?
Speaker 3: Your highness?
Speaker 9: You should take your tents and your flocks to the
Speaker 9: valley of Garar. It is less populated and you would
Speaker 9: encounter fewer conflicts with my people there.
Speaker 3: If that will keep the peace er, I shall do
Speaker 3: as you say.
Speaker 1: Isaac departed from Abemelech and did exactly what he promised.
Speaker 1: Satisfied that the good faith of their move would resolve
Speaker 1: the conflict, Isaac sent out his men to restore his
Speaker 1: father's wealth. He also retained the names he had given them.
Speaker 1: His substantial caravan relocated to the main waddies of the
Speaker 1: Negev Desert. The place called Geira Valley. It was a
Speaker 1: large dry valley that would only see water if the
Speaker 1: rainy seasons ever returned. Isaac knew that to survive here
Speaker 1: apart from the city, they would need to find a
Speaker 1: water source, and soon Isaac sent out his men, who
Speaker 1: understood the ways of hydrology. They knew where rainwater and
Speaker 1: groundwater would be collected for his hurt. The men surveyed
Speaker 1: the land and suggested where Isaac's laborers could dig into
Speaker 1: the earth to find the water deep. Within months passed
Speaker 1: and still no water was found. That was until one
Speaker 1: morning when one such party on the far side of
Speaker 1: the valley found a hidden well of spring water.
Speaker 3: That's it, we sounded finely.
Speaker 5: And not a moment too soon, And keep your voice down.
Speaker 5: We've got company. What do you mean those herdsmen have
Speaker 5: Jirabin following us. I think they're letting us do all
Speaker 5: the work so they can swoop in and claim the
Speaker 5: water we find for themselves. You're probably right.
Speaker 3: Do you think they hurt me or lord that we
Speaker 3: found some.
Speaker 5: Oh, we heard you.
Speaker 4: And if you think we're gonna let you take that
Speaker 4: water for yourself, you have water on the brain, as
Speaker 4: opposed to.
Speaker 9: Win the ground you take my meaning. These are our
Speaker 9: hair ells, and any water here is ours.
Speaker 3: Go run back to camp and tell Master Isaac send
Speaker 3: a force here to defend the spring.
Speaker 1: The frightened herdsman did as the surveyor bid and ran
Speaker 1: back to Isaac's camp on the far side of the valley,
Speaker 1: telling him of the dispute over the water they found there.
Speaker 3: Is this going to happen every time we break ground
Speaker 3: in search of water. I will send a force back
Speaker 3: with you, But if they do the same, you must
Speaker 3: stand down. I have to seek peace. I will name
Speaker 3: this spring essek or the dispute raised there over it.
Speaker 1: The herdsman returned with the force eyes that provided, but
Speaker 1: the gear a herdsman had sent for their own defense.
Speaker 1: Isaac's men were forced to stand down and surrender the spring,
Speaker 1: and so the search for water continued. He saw among
Speaker 1: them poised to fight, but forced not to. Instead, they
Speaker 1: followed Isaac's commands and stood down. Frustrated and flustered, Esau
Speaker 1: returned to his father with a report.
Speaker 9: Father, our men in standstill with hertzmen of Gorar.
Speaker 3: Did they find water in the valley?
Speaker 9: Yes? Will you order to attack men from Garrar and
Speaker 9: be done with it. We could have entire valley by
Speaker 9: now if we fight. Why you not fight them.
Speaker 3: My father, your grandfather made a covenant with the Abimelech.
Speaker 3: There will be peace between our two nations. I certainly
Speaker 3: would not be the one to break it. Breaking a
Speaker 3: covenant is a grave offense.
Speaker 2: My son.
Speaker 9: We die without water. Better to have dead men from
Speaker 9: Gorar than our own people.
Speaker 3: No, no, No matter the opposition we face, we will
Speaker 3: wait on our God. He will provide the water we
Speaker 3: need to sustain us. If they put up a fight
Speaker 3: over this spring, we.
Speaker 5: Will back down.
Speaker 3: I will have no man say we broke our covenant.
Speaker 3: In fact, I will name this spring Sitna opposition, so
Speaker 3: it serves as a reminder that we did not act
Speaker 3: in violence, even in the face of great opposition.
Speaker 9: I do not understand you cannot he saw.
Speaker 3: I had hoped you would begin to understand the ways
Speaker 3: of our people, of our God. Ah. You will see
Speaker 3: in time and hopefully understand. Our God will make room
Speaker 3: for us in this land. You will see as a
Speaker 3: part of Abraham's legacy. You must understand these things.
Speaker 1: Years passed since they left the city of Gheira and
Speaker 1: Isaac's faith was rewarded. The next time his men dug
Speaker 1: underground and found water, they found no disputes, no opposition.
Speaker 1: Finally they were at peace. Isaac knew they finally found
Speaker 1: the room they had been searching for in this land.
Speaker 1: He named the well they dug Rahobeth, because his God
Speaker 1: had made room for them. Despite Esau's confoundment, Isaac knew
Speaker 1: that their prosperity in this land was only due to
Speaker 1: the hand of their God. He knew that the blessing
Speaker 1: on his family could not be hindered. Isaac gathered his
Speaker 1: family and household together to share this triumph with them.
Speaker 3: For now, our God has made space for us, and
Speaker 3: we will be fruitful in the land.
Speaker 1: The speech Isaac gave revitalized the faith of his household,
Speaker 1: but Esau could be seen shaking his head. He could
Speaker 1: not understand this inaction, this path of peace. Esau's hands
Speaker 1: were built for action, not diplomacy. He later made plans
Speaker 1: to go visit his friends, the Heathites. Rumors later swirled
Speaker 1: that he had gone to take a wife or two
Speaker 1: from these pagan people groups. From there, Isaac walked out
Speaker 1: of his caravan to Beershebber, as he and his father
Speaker 1: had done that fateful day nearly a lifetime ago. He
Speaker 1: brought wood, the means to build a fire, a knife,
Speaker 1: and a sacrificial animal so that he could build an
Speaker 1: altar to call on the name of his God. At
Speaker 1: least this time he came fully prepared. They secured at
Speaker 1: least one new water source free of conflict, but Isaac
Speaker 1: wanted to seek his God to ensure they were in
Speaker 1: the right place before they settled more permanently. He was
Speaker 1: still awaiting confirmation of the place his God would tell
Speaker 1: him about Ber Shebber was where his father had cut
Speaker 1: the covenant with the Abimelech. The journey took him about
Speaker 1: to day, and when he arrived that night, he prepared
Speaker 1: the altar and the sacrifice and waited on his God
Speaker 1: to see if he would speak to him. Sure Enough,
Speaker 1: the evening quieted around him, and all the world grew still.
Speaker 1: Isaac knelt and waited, as he had done the times before.
Speaker 1: This was the blessing of his father. It wasn't the wealth, status,
Speaker 1: and prosperity. It was moments like these, moments of connection
Speaker 1: and intimacy with the Creator.
Speaker 2: I am the God of your father, Abraham, do not
Speaker 2: be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless
Speaker 2: you and multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.
Speaker 1: Isaac sagged in relief to hear God's words. For all
Speaker 1: the faith he had displayed to his people, he did
Speaker 1: not realize until that moment how much he needed to
Speaker 1: hear the promise his God had given his father confirmed.
Speaker 1: The next morning, Isaac hiked back and brought his entire
Speaker 1: caravan to where he had built the altar to God Almighty.
Speaker 1: They pitched their tents and established a more permanent foothold
Speaker 1: in the region. Isaac also sent his men out to
Speaker 1: dig a well nearby to add to the others in
Speaker 1: the area. After some time in the area, Isaac's men
Speaker 1: spotted an approaching company from the city of Ghira. Isaac
Speaker 1: did not need to wait long until he received word
Speaker 1: that it was Abimeleg, his adviser a Huzzad, and even Fikor,
Speaker 1: the commander of his army.
Speaker 5: The abimlet with his adviser and his commander, we.
Speaker 7: Have no reason to think this is a declaration of war.
Speaker 7: We have surrendered the wells his people thought were theirs.
Speaker 5: Well coming here with his highest ranking officials, seems awfully
Speaker 5: to wrect. Don't you think I imagine he will not be
Speaker 5: cagey with his intentions.
Speaker 3: Indeed, Master Isaac, mister Rebecca, Master Jacob, I present His
Speaker 3: Highness of Gharah a Bimelech Oosth his chief adviser, and Fichael,
Speaker 3: the commander of a Bimelech's armies. You will most welcome.
Speaker 9: Your highness. Thank you, Isaac son of Abraham, and to
Speaker 9: you Lady Rebecca and Jacob son of Isaac.
Speaker 3: Your highness forgive my bluntness, But why have you come here?
Speaker 3: You hated me and sent me away.
Speaker 9: It is true, Isaac son of Abraham, we did send
Speaker 9: you away on account of your wealth and the power
Speaker 9: you were massed in our land. We have seen how
Speaker 9: your God has blessed you. He has truly chosen you
Speaker 9: as he chose your father.
Speaker 5: His Highness a Bimelic suggests an oath between two parties,
Speaker 5: us and you, just as it was with Abraham.
Speaker 9: Let us cut a covenant and renew the oaths between
Speaker 9: your father and my predecessor. For this new age.
Speaker 5: You will agree not to harm us, just as we
Speaker 5: have not harmed you, but have done only what was
Speaker 5: good to you, sending you away in peace.
Speaker 9: Please say you will accept our athor, Isaac son of Abraham,
Speaker 9: for we can see that you have been blessed by
Speaker 9: your God, and we wish to share in that blessing
Speaker 9: as well.
Speaker 1: Isaac took a moment to absorb what the king and
Speaker 1: his adviser was saying. This gesture was surely another affirmation
Speaker 1: of his God's promise. They recognized the blessing and wanted
Speaker 1: to be a part of it themselves. Isaac would not,
Speaker 1: and indeed had not gone out of his way to
Speaker 1: harm them, And if his God was going to share
Speaker 1: the blessing in return for protection from this foreign nation,
Speaker 1: then all the better.
Speaker 3: Ah, I shall accept your offer. I will swear an
Speaker 3: oath between our two nations. I will prepare a great
Speaker 3: feast for us, and we can cut the covenant and
Speaker 3: swear our oaths.
Speaker 2: In the morning. You will be my guests.
Speaker 3: Take a seat, and I will begin preparing for the
Speaker 3: great banquet. Oh, I will have my son he saw
Speaker 3: make his famous stew, will have fig butter, fresh bread,
Speaker 3: and oh a, my, it will be great, how wonderful.
Speaker 3: May this be the first of many meals? Of friendship
Speaker 3: together ha ha ha.
Speaker 1: Isaac's excitement entertained abimeleik. Isaac's simple charm endeared him to
Speaker 1: even his enemies. While his father Abraham stood as an
Speaker 1: imposing figure, tactician and diplomat, Isaac seemed to float around peacefully,
Speaker 1: allowing God's favor to do most of the work for him.
Speaker 1: They feasted with Isaac and his family, and true to
Speaker 1: their word, they arose early the following day to swear
Speaker 1: their oaths of peace, and so Isaac walked confidently with
Speaker 1: his God in the peace and prosperity he had been
Speaker 1: granted in the land promise to his father.
Speaker 6: The Abraham Accords a monumental moment in history. In twenty twenty,
Speaker 6: the United Arab Emirates joined hands with Israel, becoming just
Speaker 6: the third Arab nation to embrace the Jewish state in friendship.
Speaker 6: This treaty, more than a simple truth, is a radiant
Speaker 6: beacon of hope. It invites the exchange of knowledge in medicine,
Speaker 6: the fusion of innovation and technology, and the strengthening of
Speaker 6: bands and security. It opens doors to shared journeys and
Speaker 6: deep conversations. It builds bridges of peace, and it is
Speaker 6: a peace with a promise, a promise of prosperity for
Speaker 6: both nations well as in Israeli. My heart leaped with
Speaker 6: joy for the Holy Land. As an American, pride swelled
Speaker 6: within me, knowing that the US played a crucial role
Speaker 6: in this monumental achievement. As a mother, my soul found
Speaker 6: solace and envisioning a safer, brighter, and more peaceful future
Speaker 6: for all of our children. All of that brings us
Speaker 6: to today's episode, in which Abraham's son Isaac settles in
Speaker 6: the valley of Grar. There, Isaac finds three wells, originally
Speaker 6: dug by Abraham, and Isaac discovers that the Philistines who
Speaker 6: lived there had filled Abraham's wells with dirt. Isaac tried
Speaker 6: to redig those wells, but the Philistines again filled them
Speaker 6: with dirt. Isn't that strange? Here in the Middle East?
Speaker 6: I know how precious water is for life. These wells
Speaker 6: would have been life giving to both Isaac and his
Speaker 6: family and also to the Philistines. So we have to
Speaker 6: ask why did the Philistines try to sabotage them? Wouldn't
Speaker 6: they have wanted to see the desert made fertile well
Speaker 6: verse fourteen answers this question. It tells us that Isaac
Speaker 6: quote had so many flocks and herds and servants that
Speaker 6: the Philistines envied him end quote well. Because of their envy,
Speaker 6: the Philistines tried to send Isaac away until they came
Speaker 6: back looking to make a treaty with Isaac, who asks them, quote,
Speaker 6: why have you come to me since you were hostile
Speaker 6: to me and sent me away? And King Abimelech gives
Speaker 6: Isaac an answer that is important to every one of
Speaker 6: us as God's chosen people. Even today, Abimelech and the
Speaker 6: Philistines tell Isaac, quote, we saw clearly that the Lord
Speaker 6: was with you.
Speaker 5: Isn't that amazing?
Speaker 6: They changed their minds because they saw that God was
Speaker 6: with Isaac. Isaac who was acting in the tradition of Abraham,
Speaker 6: his father, who had originally dug those wells as part
Speaker 6: of a peace treaty, Isaac, who acted in a way
Speaker 6: that caused everyone to see that God was with him.
Speaker 6: It makes me wonder, how can we act in ways
Speaker 6: that will make it clear to everyone that God is
Speaker 6: with us. I'm sure you can relate to this idea,
Speaker 6: or I'm sure that you've noticed that some people just
Speaker 6: seem to flourish even in the harshest conditions. It's like
Speaker 6: seeing a flower bloom in the middle of a desert,
Speaker 6: and you wonder, how is that even possible. Isaac's blessings
Speaker 6: are a testament to God's faithfulness even in the midst
Speaker 6: of conflict, because even when it's hard, God promises very
Speaker 6: clearly stand firm. In the midst of scarcity, Isaac reaped
Speaker 6: a hundredfold because his verse twelve says the Lord blessed him,
Speaker 6: and in the midst of hostility, Isaac found peace. Now,
Speaker 6: Isaac didn't earn this favor by his own merits. He
Speaker 6: didn't receive these blessings because of anything he'd actually done. No,
Speaker 6: this was a continuation of the covenant that God made
Speaker 6: with Abraham, a covenant that was bigger than Isaac, a
Speaker 6: covenant that's bigger than any of us. And of course
Speaker 6: we all know that life brings struggle and strife in
Speaker 6: Bible times and today, for Isaac it was the philistine
Speaker 6: stopping up his wells, and for us it might be
Speaker 6: financial struggles or conflicts in our relationships, or personal failures.
Speaker 6: But one thing is so God's provision and protection are
Speaker 6: constant regardless of the challenges we face. We can't decide
Speaker 6: what situations were, but we can decide how we relate
Speaker 6: to it, and to know that God is with us,
Speaker 6: because like Isaac, God has blessed his chosen people. Here's
Speaker 6: a quote, There's no pit so deep that God's love
Speaker 6: is not deeper still. All of this talk of deep
Speaker 6: wells make me think of that quote. It's a quote
Speaker 6: by another godly person in history who faced great hardship
Speaker 6: but who stayed faithful. I'm sure you've heard of her,
Speaker 6: the righteous gentile Cory ten Boom. You might remember that
Speaker 6: during the Jewish people's darkest hour, the Sho'h the Holocaust,
Speaker 6: Corey and her Christian family hid Jews from the Nazis,
Speaker 6: which was a bold act of defiance and love that
Speaker 6: led to their prison in the deadly Nazi concentration camps.
Speaker 6: And in that backdrop of horror and inhumanity, Corey encountered
Speaker 6: the profound depths of God's presence. There is no pit
Speaker 6: so deep that God's love is not deeper still, she
Speaker 6: faithfully proclaimed. These words came out of the darkest abyss,
Speaker 6: and Corey's faith didn't just survive the camps. Her faith
Speaker 6: was refined there, shining more brightly against the backdrop of suffering.
Speaker 6: In the barracks, where flees plagued the prisoners, Corey found
Speaker 6: an unexpected blessing. The very fleas that tormented them kept
Speaker 6: the cruel Nazi guards away, which allowed Corey and her
Speaker 6: sister Betsy to hold clandestine Bible studies, spreading the light
Speaker 6: of God's word in that place of darkness. Henboom's life,
Speaker 6: like Isaac's, reminds us all that God's favor is not
Speaker 6: an exemption from struggles, but just as it was for
Speaker 6: these two godly people who came before us, God's presence
Speaker 6: and provision are there in the midst of pain as well,
Speaker 6: sometimes even more profound, more powerful, and more defined. God's
Speaker 6: blessings are intertwined with our struggles, not separate from them,
Speaker 6: and this story has many reflections in the Christian Bible.
Speaker 6: To speak more on that is our good friend, Bishop Paulinier.
Speaker 10: While others are talking in their famines obsessively about dying, well, no,
Speaker 10: God's talking about descendants, generations, your children, your grandchildren. And
Speaker 10: I love the verbs used of Isaac's life. Isn't that
Speaker 10: a strange thing to say. I love the verbs?
Speaker 5: What verbs act words?
Speaker 10: In the middle of a famine, Isaac settled as a
Speaker 10: verb settled in the land, and Isaac planted. Isn't this
Speaker 10: The stranger planted a garden in the middle of a
Speaker 10: famine and reaped a hundredfold from his faith that very year.
Speaker 10: And he built an altar unto the Lord, and he pitched.
Speaker 10: Noticed the order here this is significant. Here he built
Speaker 10: the altar, and then he pitched his tent. That reminds
Speaker 10: me of David. Does any who says, how can I
Speaker 10: sleep here when my God's house has not yet been built?
Speaker 10: He built an altar. Then he pitched his tent, and
Speaker 10: he dug a well. You know, there's a powerful story
Speaker 10: in the Christian scriptures in the tenth chapter of the
Speaker 10: Gospel of Mark. And actually Mark is the shortest of
Speaker 10: the four gospels, and actually the first to be written.
Speaker 10: Really is a foundation for the others as well, And
Speaker 10: it's actually the memoirs of Peter. Peter he's that action
Speaker 10: guy is and he's sometimes putting foot a into mouth
Speaker 10: b but we love him. And Peter said to Jesus, behold, Lord,
Speaker 10: we've left everything and followed you. Jesus said to him,
Speaker 10: I'm telling you something, Truly. Anytime you see the word truly,
Speaker 10: it's like underline this. So when you read truly, truly.
Speaker 9: Underline it twice.
Speaker 5: It's really important.
Speaker 10: Truly, I say to you, nobody's ever left their house,
Speaker 10: or their family, brothers and sisters, the mother, the father,
Speaker 10: or the children of farms, whatever your stuff is, nobody's
Speaker 10: ever left that for my sake or for the sake
Speaker 10: of the Gospel. That he will not watch this, that
Speaker 10: he will not receive a hundred times in that familiar
Speaker 10: our hundred times as much now, in this present age
Speaker 10: and in the age to come. Can I pray with
Speaker 10: you just a moment. I want to stop here and
Speaker 10: just I'm just asking now that God will make you
Speaker 10: make us gardners in the famines of our life.
Speaker 9: Amen.
Speaker 6: We began this episode by discussing the groundbreaking Abraham accords,
Speaker 6: a treaty that continues to bring much needed and much
Speaker 6: prayed for peace to the Holy Land, and this story
Speaker 6: came about because of Wells Doug during Biblical times by
Speaker 6: Abraham as a peace treaty. It reminds me of a
Speaker 6: teaching from Jewish tradition the Jewish sage is said that
Speaker 6: things that happen in the Bible, in addition to telling
Speaker 6: us what happened, then also hint to us what will
Speaker 6: happen in the future. Isn't that true? In this story,
Speaker 6: history shows us that the Chosen People often suffered in
Speaker 6: the countries where they lived, even though they contributed a
Speaker 6: great deal to those countries. And sometimes the Chosen People
Speaker 6: were even deported from some of those countries simply because
Speaker 6: of envy and hatred towards us. I'm speaking to you
Speaker 6: right now from the Holy Land, and i can tell
Speaker 6: you that that is one of the reasons that the
Speaker 6: Jewish people's return to our biblical homeland is so important.
Speaker 6: This is our true home, the home that God promised us,
Speaker 6: the home which God blessed us with, and the home
Speaker 6: where God wants us to be. It's the one home
Speaker 6: that we have a government and an army who will
Speaker 6: never again let us be kicked out. Thank you Lord
Speaker 6: for this blessing of Israel.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with the Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pray
Speaker 1: dot Com app to this prey Dog comp production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein.
Speaker 1: Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier,
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
Speaker 1: at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
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