Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Can you count the stars Abram.
Speaker 1: Abram shook his head uncertain.
Speaker 2: You cannot, for there are too many. It is impossible.
Speaker 2: It is to be the same with your offspring. The
Speaker 2: great nation I shall make through your air would be
Speaker 2: as innumerable as the stars in the night sky.
Speaker 3: I would have you seek out a wife for Isaac
Speaker 3: from the land of my family in Haram.
Speaker 2: He is ready, Master.
Speaker 3: He will make a fine husband, just as he will
Speaker 3: bear his inheritance well.
Speaker 1: For two weeks, Elieza had pondered how to fulfill his task.
Speaker 1: Now standing at heron's well, he devised a test. He
Speaker 1: closed his eyes and prayed silently to the God of Abram.
Speaker 2: God, must I, God of my master Abram, make this
Speaker 2: happen for me to day and show kindness to my
Speaker 2: master Abrahm.
Speaker 1: As he opened his eyes, a young woman approached her
Speaker 1: water jug, balanced gracefully on her shoulder.
Speaker 4: Please, my Lord, allow me to serve you.
Speaker 1: Rebecca ran home and promised to send someone back to
Speaker 1: meet them and escort them to her house.
Speaker 3: Let her be the woman that God Almighty has appointed
Speaker 3: for my master's son.
Speaker 1: Rebecca's heart soared in anticipation.
Speaker 4: Eliezer, who is that in the field coming out to
Speaker 4: meet us?
Speaker 1: That my lady is Master Isaac. Rebecca blushed and grinned
Speaker 1: like a fool.
Speaker 4: My Lord, I have traveled a long way to meet you.
Speaker 4: I am honored to become your wife.
Speaker 2: Oh no, no, Rebecca, it is I who am honored.
Speaker 5: From the quiet womb to the chaos of the world.
Speaker 5: Two brothers. Fate was intertwined with deep conflict and divine prophecy. Shallow,
Speaker 5: my friends, from here in the holy Land of Israel.
Speaker 5: I'm ya l extein with the International Fellowship of Christians
Speaker 5: and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. Each day
Speaker 5: we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible, stories
Speaker 5: filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning
Speaker 5: of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth
Speaker 5: that we are all chosen for something great.
Speaker 6: So take a moment.
Speaker 5: Today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling extra grateful
Speaker 5: for these stories, we would love it if you left
Speaker 5: us a review. I read every single one of them,
Speaker 5: and if you're interested in hearing more about the prophetic,
Speaker 5: life saving work of the Fellowship, you can visit IFCJ
Speaker 5: dot org let's begin under the shining stars of ancient skies,
Speaker 5: two nations with a mother's womb. The story of Isaac's
Speaker 5: offspring is a tale of destiny, rivalry, and divine promise.
Speaker 5: Today's dramatized Bible story, inspired by Genesis twenty five nineteen
Speaker 5: to twenty eight, asks us this, what does it mean
Speaker 5: to be chosen? When being chosen brings both blessing and burden?
Speaker 4: Ah, this thrashing about. I can't take much more of this.
Speaker 4: These babies will tear themselves from my womb before I
Speaker 4: can get them out.
Speaker 6: Oh, I know, my lady, you will soon be in
Speaker 6: your labors in earnest and we will bring them outside
Speaker 6: of you. Then you can rest.
Speaker 4: But then what violence will I have unleashed onto the world?
Speaker 6: Now, my lady, do not be so dramatic. They are
Speaker 6: only babes. They are just eager to be in the
Speaker 6: world with us.
Speaker 1: Rebecca groaned and then doubled over, gripping one of the
Speaker 1: poles of the tent as another contraction raged through her body.
Speaker 1: Real or false, she was not sure. The savage fighting
Speaker 1: of the two children in her womb had led her
Speaker 1: to cry out for the midwives twice before, only for
Speaker 1: her to be told it was not time for them yet.
Speaker 1: Just breathe and walk about, they had told her. She
Speaker 1: wanted to throttle them. No one understood the severity of
Speaker 1: the war being fought within her. What frustrated her further
Speaker 1: was that they would not confirm that it was twins.
Speaker 1: They said they could not say for certain, so they
Speaker 1: did not want to say at all. But what else
Speaker 1: could all this commotion be. Surely one babe was not
Speaker 1: at war with itself. It had to be two of them,
Speaker 1: Rebecca felt sure, and the oracle she had sought had
Speaker 1: proved it as well. She had not shared what she
Speaker 1: had learned with anyone. She was still not sure what
Speaker 1: to make of it. Herself. What she had thought might
Speaker 1: be a contraction began to subside, but that only seemed
Speaker 1: to spur the warring babes within to wage of fresh assault.
Speaker 1: They kicked and struck from within her, causing her to
Speaker 1: WinCE in pain. As she straightened, she clutched her side,
Speaker 1: and Deborah, her maid, gave her a helpless look that
Speaker 1: came to assist her in getting back to her bedroom.
Speaker 4: Ah, how long ago was the last one?
Speaker 6: If another one comes soon, my lady, I will call
Speaker 6: for the midwife. I fear she won't have anything new
Speaker 6: to tell you if we call her too soon.
Speaker 1: Rebecca exhaled sharply again as o Limb jabbed her in
Speaker 1: the side. Her retaliation came from the opposite corner. Half
Speaker 1: a heart beat later, Isaac timidly poked his head into
Speaker 1: her tent.
Speaker 2: Are you well, my love? Is it time yet? Should
Speaker 2: I send for the midwife?
Speaker 6: Master Isaac, I tell you the same as I told
Speaker 6: your wife. It is not time yet. Now you should
Speaker 6: not be in here. This is a woman. It's no mean.
Speaker 4: Thank you my husband for inquiring. But no, I am
Speaker 4: not well. I will not be well until I have
Speaker 4: delivered the boys.
Speaker 2: I hate this feeling. I wish there was something to
Speaker 2: be done.
Speaker 4: I want to help Rebecca, I really do. You're sweet, dear,
Speaker 4: but your words offer little comfort.
Speaker 1: Rebecca smiled weakly at Isaac. There was nothing to be done.
Speaker 1: The twins would indeed come when they were ready. But
Speaker 1: this was Isaac's way. He loved her. That was undeniable,
Speaker 1: as undeniable as his faith in the God of his father.
Speaker 1: His father told him to believe, and so he did. Yes,
Speaker 1: he was a man of great faith but also profound simplicity.
Speaker 1: Rebecca was so touched and grateful that he had gone
Speaker 1: to their God on her behalf and simply asked to conceive.
Speaker 1: She gathered that Abraham had never done that. When he
Speaker 1: and his wife could not conceive, they waited and waited,
Speaker 1: which had merits in and of itself, but Isaac had
Speaker 1: simply gone and asked. In that regard, Rebecca and her
Speaker 1: husband were much alike. Rebecca rarely denied herself anything, but
Speaker 1: outside of that, they could not be any more different.
Speaker 1: Just then, her powerful contraction racked her body. Eyes wide,
Speaker 1: she stared daggers at Deborah for minimizing her pain. Only
Speaker 1: moments ago. Rebecca knew that it was a real contraction,
Speaker 1: but she only glared because she found that speech was
Speaker 1: no longer accessible to her through the agonizing pain. What's wrong?
Speaker 2: What do I need to do?
Speaker 6: That's another contraction. The labor has begun in earnest. Now,
Speaker 6: Master Isaac, go fetch the midwife. I'll stay with my lady.
Speaker 1: Rebecca found her lungs at last and screamed out. As
Speaker 1: the contraction continued, Deborah had her lean back on her
Speaker 1: bed roll and grasped her hand tightly. The woman was,
Speaker 1: in truth, more of a mother to Rebecca than her
Speaker 1: own had ever been. Rebecca had often been praised for
Speaker 1: being bold enough to leave the house of her father
Speaker 1: and follow Abraham's servant through the desert to marry Isaac
Speaker 1: and join his family. Still, Rebecca knew that perhaps she
Speaker 1: had been so bold because she knew she would have
Speaker 1: a faithful companion in Deborah by her side, as she
Speaker 1: had been her own caregiver. She knew the woman would
Speaker 1: become like a grandmother to her own children. The woman
Speaker 1: vexed her sometimes, but she could not deny the love
Speaker 1: she felt for her. She knew her twins would come
Speaker 1: to feel the same.
Speaker 2: Someday.
Speaker 6: My lady, can you speak now?
Speaker 1: Rebecca gave her a stiff nod. Deborah, in turn, gave
Speaker 1: her a questioning look.
Speaker 6: Yes, talk to me, my lady, until the next contraction
Speaker 6: or the midwife comes. It will take your mind away
Speaker 6: from here.
Speaker 4: What should I speak of?
Speaker 6: Tell me how you learned you were pregnant, my lady.
Speaker 6: Also tell me how long you waited to become so.
Speaker 6: Remind yourself of the answered prayer.
Speaker 7: I was thought to be barren for so long, For
Speaker 7: over two decades. I wondered if I would ever know
Speaker 7: what it would be like to bear children. I wondered
Speaker 7: if Isaac had been right to choose me, if his
Speaker 7: God had been right to choose me.
Speaker 6: I remember it well, my lady, But you didn't give up.
Speaker 4: No. I finally asked Isaac to advocate for me and
Speaker 4: to go to his God, as we would have done
Speaker 4: with the old gods from back home.
Speaker 6: But this one answered, didn't he, my lady.
Speaker 4: He did, and he became my god that day, the
Speaker 4: day I learned I was with child, I was so
Speaker 4: happy that my decades of silence were finally over.
Speaker 7: But even now I am reminded every kick that my
Speaker 7: years of solitude and peace are behind me.
Speaker 8: Oh, my lady, you are right about that, And no
Speaker 8: more silence, no more sleep. The peace of mind you
Speaker 8: head will be replaced with the constant and incessant wailings
Speaker 8: of babes.
Speaker 6: But take heart, it's worth all the struggle I throps.
Speaker 1: Isaac found the midwife and hurried her along to the
Speaker 1: entrance of his wife's tent, the tent that had also
Speaker 1: been his mother's, the tent of the mistress of his household.
Speaker 1: As soon as the midwife opened the flap of the tent.
Speaker 1: Rebecca's screams hit him like a slap in the face.
Speaker 1: He could not enter, and he could not just stand
Speaker 1: there and do nothing at all. He had to go
Speaker 1: find something to do. He took off with renewed purpose.
Speaker 1: Eventually he spied an axe leaning against a pile of
Speaker 1: wood gathered from the sparse wilderness. He picked up the
Speaker 1: axe in one of his large rough hands and lifted
Speaker 1: the first branch from the pile with the other. He
Speaker 1: dragged it over to the clearing and set to his
Speaker 1: task of breaking it down.
Speaker 3: Master Isaac, I understand, Lady Rebecca has begun her labor.
Speaker 1: Isaac was startled and looked up to see Eliezer and
Speaker 1: his father standing before him.
Speaker 3: My son, this will be a day you remember forever.
Speaker 3: It was the same for me the day by Sarah
Speaker 3: bore you for me. Thank you Father, Thank you Eliza.
Speaker 3: You are quiet, Master Isaac, I confess I am surprised
Speaker 3: to see you so reserved on today of all days.
Speaker 2: Would you like to join us as we walk?
Speaker 3: Come, Elieza, we should leave Isaac to his task. My son,
Speaker 3: I will leave you to save the day ahead. When
Speaker 3: Rebecca bears your heir. We will will celebrate even now,
Speaker 3: Eliezar and I are seeing to the preparations.
Speaker 1: Thank you, father, Isaac nodded respectfully to his father as
Speaker 1: Abraham and his faithful servant took their leave mercifully. Rebecca's
Speaker 1: tent was too far away for him to hear her screaming,
Speaker 1: but he did hear the whimpering of another babe crying
Speaker 1: somewhere near by. To think, in a few short hours,
Speaker 1: Isaac could be hearing the sound of his own child.
Speaker 1: His stomach nodded in anticipation, and he again took up
Speaker 1: the axe and resumed his task, losing himself in his
Speaker 1: thoughts as his father knew he would. The crying child
Speaker 1: could belong to anyone, but most likely it was one
Speaker 1: of his half siblings or nieces or nephews. The camp
Speaker 1: was practically crawling with Abraham's many children and now their
Speaker 1: children's children from his second wife, Father of multitudes. Indeed,
Speaker 1: for a long time, he could not understand why he
Speaker 1: and Rebecca could not conceive. He felt like he was
Speaker 1: simultaneously failing her and failing to live up to his
Speaker 1: father's legacy. Isaac tried not to think of it at all.
Speaker 1: He placed the failure far away from his mind and
Speaker 1: into an unreachable place. That way, he could work hard,
Speaker 1: lead his family, and offer all a smile or joke,
Speaker 1: as he so often did. Rebecca was so different from himself.
Speaker 1: She was passionate and spoke her wants and desires in
Speaker 1: a way that Isaac never could. It was not that
Speaker 1: Isaac did not have a rich in a world. He
Speaker 1: loved to appreciate a good joke and be at ease
Speaker 1: with those he loved, but he also longed for the
Speaker 1: quiet walks on his property where he would commune with
Speaker 1: his God, Hoping to be half the leader his father was.
Speaker 1: He followed his father's ways, the way of God most High,
Speaker 1: and that was that he didn't question, or bargain or
Speaker 1: wrestle the way Rebecca did. She had tied his family
Speaker 1: and their culture with the strength that Isaac wasn't sure
Speaker 1: he would have been able to do if their roles
Speaker 1: had been reversed. But he also knew that her adoption
Speaker 1: of his God came slowly. He didn't see the understanding
Speaker 1: in her eyes until she finally received a miracle of
Speaker 1: her own. Isaac smiled at the memory of that, and
Speaker 1: then he recalled the day that had said it all
Speaker 1: in motion. She came to him in pain and anguish,
Speaker 1: and finally at her wits end of two decades of
Speaker 1: being unable to conceive. In response, Isaac did the only
Speaker 1: thing he could think of. He asked God, it had
Speaker 1: been so simple. How had he not thought to ask before?
Speaker 1: It had taken Rebecca's boldness to push into action, And
Speaker 1: he was so grateful that he did act, and he
Speaker 1: would be all over again if it all went well
Speaker 1: with Rebecca's labor. Isaac realized he had come to the
Speaker 1: end of the pile of wood, axe lifted high above
Speaker 1: his head, ready to strike at nothing. He laughed to
Speaker 1: himself as he lowered the axe and returned it to
Speaker 1: where he had found it. Isaac then wandered off to
Speaker 1: seek out another task to take his mind away from
Speaker 1: whatever was happening with Rebecca on her birthing bed in
Speaker 1: her tent.
Speaker 6: Breathe, my lady, breathe through it. It's not time to push.
Speaker 1: Yet, Rebecca screamed in the midwife's face.
Speaker 4: How could it not be time to push yet?
Speaker 7: I feel like I'm either going to bring this baby
Speaker 7: into the world or believe myself right here on the floor.
Speaker 1: Deborah squeezed her hand in a comforting but also slightly
Speaker 1: chastising way. Rebecca ignored the urge to scream at her
Speaker 1: as well. Another contraction ripped through her body, though, rendering
Speaker 1: her speechless until it passed.
Speaker 4: Ah, what is this happening to me? Oh?
Speaker 6: There there, It is not happening to you, my lady.
Speaker 6: It is just happening. The pain of birth has been
Speaker 6: the way of women since the ancient garden.
Speaker 1: Just keep breathing, The words slipped from her mouth before
Speaker 1: she realized the exact phrase had led her to seek
Speaker 1: a diviner to ask that question. When she started showing
Speaker 1: and she first began to feel what she initially thought
Speaker 1: was one babe within her, it quickly intensified to the
Speaker 1: point where she grew desperate enough to seek answers. Deborah
Speaker 1: had gone with her, of course, but no one seemed
Speaker 1: to understand the struggle happening inside her womb. She may
Speaker 1: have never carried a baby before, but every instinct told
Speaker 1: her this was abnormal. She didn't tell Isaac that she
Speaker 1: was seeking an oracle from a prophet. She knew he
Speaker 1: would disapprove of her. Returning to the ways of her people.
Speaker 1: But she was concerned that something was wrong. She was scared,
Speaker 1: and she wanted to learn more before risking disappointing him.
Speaker 1: She could not bear the idea of seeing that joy,
Speaker 1: that wide, creased smile of his that she loved, fall
Speaker 1: from his face. If she knew more, perhaps she could
Speaker 1: figure out what to do next. So Deborah had found
Speaker 1: the diviner and they went. The man had sought whatever
Speaker 1: deity he communed with, but she could sense that something
Speaker 1: was off. When he delivered the first message, it had
Speaker 1: a ring of falseness to it. But then the strangest
Speaker 1: thing happened. That same overwhelming sense of peace and presents
Speaker 1: that she had felt as a child when she drew
Speaker 1: the water for the camels, and again when she knew
Speaker 1: it was safe to go with Eliezza, came upon her.
Speaker 1: The diviner gave her a second oracle. This time she
Speaker 1: knew it was true.
Speaker 2: Two nasions are in your own. Two people will come
Speaker 2: from you and be separated. One people will be stronger
Speaker 2: than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.
Speaker 1: Another contraction writ through her lower abdomen, and the pressure
Speaker 1: of it all disrupted her memory. And brought her back
Speaker 1: to her birthing bed.
Speaker 6: It's time, my lady, It's time to start pushing. You're
Speaker 6: almost there. They will be here soon. Come, let's breathe
Speaker 6: together a good now, push me.
Speaker 1: The first tiny peal of a cry came from the
Speaker 1: first born as Rebecca panted with exhaustion, but she knew
Speaker 1: she was not done yet.
Speaker 6: My lady, you need to push again. There is another
Speaker 6: babe in your wall. I know there is one more. Push.
Speaker 6: He's right there. And look, you're first born. You can
Speaker 6: hold them both soon, but you're not done yet.
Speaker 1: Breathe, push, Rebecca bellow is the second. When finally emerged
Speaker 1: from her wound, she collapsed back in exhaustion. Deborah brought
Speaker 1: the first infantel and placed him on her chest. Delirious
Speaker 1: with exhaustion, Rebecca frowned at the tiny babe. He was
Speaker 1: a dull, blotchy red and covered with hair like a
Speaker 1: fur coat, like an animal. Did all babes look this
Speaker 1: way when they first emerged? She had seen countless infants,
Speaker 1: but never once so recently birthed.
Speaker 2: But no.
Speaker 1: The midwife now approached with the second, and he appeared
Speaker 1: as he should.
Speaker 6: Another boy, My lady, congratulations.
Speaker 1: Rebecca stretched her arm out for the second child and
Speaker 1: drew him to her breast. Her heart felt as if
Speaker 1: it would burst. The euphoria of emotions swelled inside her body,
Speaker 1: the pain of just names ago forgotten. Her world narrowed
Speaker 1: to the babies in her arms. They were hers. She
Speaker 1: did it, and now they were here. She hadn't noticed
Speaker 1: tears streaming down her face, or even that Isaac now
Speaker 1: stood beside her, bathing her in the glow of his
Speaker 1: face splitting smile. She blinked and was brought back to reality.
Speaker 1: He gently placed his arms around all three of them
Speaker 1: and gazed down at them with admiration and awe in
Speaker 1: his eyes. Rebecca could have wandered at his joy all day.
Speaker 1: That something was nagging in the back of her mind,
Speaker 1: some question she had. The birth had been a blur.
Speaker 1: Then her mind sharpened, piercing the post birth haze, and
Speaker 1: she remembered.
Speaker 4: What was it you were saying before a second twins born?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 6: It was his hand, my lady. He was grasping the
Speaker 6: heel of the first.
Speaker 4: What but how is that normal? With twins?
Speaker 6: His little fist grasped the first seal with such force,
Speaker 6: I thought he should pull him back inside you.
Speaker 2: Is that true? Whatever could that mean?
Speaker 1: Surely that is some sign of the future. Deborah caught
Speaker 1: Rebecca's eye in question. Rebecca shook her head. Not here,
Speaker 1: not now, But she could not help but think of
Speaker 1: the oracle.
Speaker 2: Lee older will serve the younger.
Speaker 1: This babe, beside his red and hairy brother, would surely
Speaker 1: grow to do incredible things one day.
Speaker 6: Master Mistress, what will you name them?
Speaker 2: Well, the first born has been born with such an unusual.
Speaker 6: Color, it will fade, Master Isaac.
Speaker 3: Yes, but perhaps we should mark its significance in his name.
Speaker 2: Perhaps it's a sign as well. We should name him Esau.
Speaker 4: Why, well, the name borrows for.
Speaker 2: The words read and harry.
Speaker 4: That's very clever, Isaac.
Speaker 1: He will grow into it.
Speaker 2: But this will help us remember how my boy's great
Speaker 2: legacy began. Now, what of the second born, Rebecca, what.
Speaker 6: Do you think?
Speaker 1: Rebecca took a moment to think. She could not help
Speaker 1: but think of the ominous prophecy about the babe in
Speaker 1: her arms. He came out fighting, but surely his life
Speaker 1: would be a battle until he finally achieved whatever formidable
Speaker 1: legacy was his own. He would need protecting if he
Speaker 1: was to succeed. She intended to be there to help
Speaker 1: shape it, and he would require the protection of their
Speaker 1: God too.
Speaker 4: Let's call him Jacob.
Speaker 3: Heel Grabber.
Speaker 1: Are you sure well?
Speaker 2: I suppose it's fitting.
Speaker 6: The name has many means.
Speaker 4: May God protect heel grabber.
Speaker 1: In the back of her Rebecca knew the other meaning
Speaker 1: of the name, trickster usurper. Even now, seeds of a
Speaker 1: plan to reverse the roles of her two sons were
Speaker 1: in motion. Thus Jacob became Rachel's precious child before Esau
Speaker 1: even had a chance to latch onto her breast. He
Speaker 1: was the second son in her eyes.
Speaker 3: Ah, It's settled Esau and Jacob.
Speaker 1: The years passed, and as their naming would inform, Esau
Speaker 1: became his father's joy and Jacob his mother's. The midwife
Speaker 1: was right. Esau's red coloring faded, but the hair remained.
Speaker 1: He was large and short of words, like his father,
Speaker 1: but he was more bare than man, as the hair
Speaker 1: would suggest. He would spend days in the wild and
Speaker 1: come back with an elusive game that proved his skill
Speaker 1: as a hunter. Even as a boy, his outdoorsmanship was
Speaker 1: far beyond the other boys his age. Esau would proudly
Speaker 1: trek his hills through camp and cook and serve them
Speaker 1: to his delighted father. With every meal, he cemented the
Speaker 1: love and favor of his father. Jacob, on the other hand,
Speaker 1: had a more robust in a world she could see
Speaker 1: it turning in his mind. Even from a young age.
Speaker 1: He kept to camp mostly and by design by his
Speaker 1: mother's side. Jacob had a cunning and quickness to him
Speaker 1: that his brother woefully lacked. He saw everything and understood
Speaker 1: things far beyond his years. He didn't always let on
Speaker 1: that he was observing and learning, but his mother recognized
Speaker 1: the same quiet cleverness that she possessed, and as her
Speaker 1: husband had chosen a favorite child, she chose Jacob.
Speaker 5: As Rebecca's cries echo through her tent, her agony in
Speaker 5: childbirth makes me feel the raw humanity of our ancestors.
Speaker 5: The journey of our people has always been marked by
Speaker 5: struggle and divine intervention, and this story is no different.
Speaker 5: The birth of Asa and Jacob speaks to the mystery
Speaker 5: of God's.
Speaker 6: Work in our lives.
Speaker 5: It's a beautiful, chaotic entrance into the world that will
Speaker 5: never be the same because Jacob and Asa have been
Speaker 5: born into it. That in and of itself changed reality forever.
Speaker 5: But you know what, my friends, Their story, much like
Speaker 5: our own stories, is filled with unexpected twists and profound pain.
Speaker 5: But just like this story shows, we are not alone
Speaker 5: in our struggles. Just as Rebecca found strength in her faith,
Speaker 5: so too can we find solace in the knowledge that
Speaker 5: we are all part.
Speaker 6: Of something greater.
Speaker 5: Scripture tells us that Isaac prayed for his childless wife, Rebecca,
Speaker 5: and then Rebecca became pregnant. But according to Jewish tradition,
Speaker 5: this wasn't as simple as it seems. Isaac and Rebecca
Speaker 5: prayed the same prayer for nineteen long years. For nearly
Speaker 5: two decades, they pleaded with God. This wasn't a quick
Speaker 5: sprint to the finish line. It was a prayer marathon.
Speaker 5: And doesn't this mirror our own experiences with prayer. Sometimes
Speaker 5: our prayers are answered right away, but more often than not,
Speaker 5: we pray without receiving an immediate response. It's easy to
Speaker 5: become disheartened to think about giving up after our prayers
Speaker 5: aren't answered, But Isaac and Rebecca teach us a powerful
Speaker 5: lesson that we must press on. We must pray and
Speaker 5: then to pray again, because that next prayer may be
Speaker 5: the one that finally opens the door. But sometimes that door,
Speaker 5: that light at the end of the tunnel, it seems
Speaker 5: like it will never appear, doesn't it.
Speaker 6: Do you ever feel that way?
Speaker 5: You're praying for something that you want so bad and
Speaker 5: it feels like it will never come. That's when prayer
Speaker 5: can start to feel like digging, like we're frantically hollowing
Speaker 5: out a tunnel between us and our goal. The picture
Speaker 5: that comes to mind is my childhood growing up in Chicago.
Speaker 5: My sisters and I loved going to Lake Michigan to
Speaker 5: build sand castles on the beach, And once we'd finish
Speaker 5: building a castle, we'd dig a tunnel right through it.
Speaker 5: I'd start on one end and my sister would start
Speaker 5: on the other. We'd dig and dig, and even when
Speaker 5: it seemed to take forever, we'd keep on digging, knowing
Speaker 5: that we'd break through and eventually reach each other. And
Speaker 5: you know what we always did. And so I look
Speaker 5: at this innocent, sweet, fun situation that I had with
Speaker 5: my sister on the beach from childhood, and I think
Speaker 5: prayer is a lot like digging, isn't it. We have
Speaker 5: to keep on praying, keep on going, No matter how
Speaker 5: long we've been praying or how impossible our situation seems.
Speaker 5: Like Rebecca, we have to pray and pray, and then
Speaker 5: pray again, to keep praying until we get our answer,
Speaker 5: just like I kept digging until I reached my sister's hand.
Speaker 5: In today's Bible story, Rebecca's prayers are answered and we
Speaker 5: find her in pain. But Rebecca's pain is not just
Speaker 5: the pain of a mother and labor, but the deep
Speaker 5: pain and rob beauty of a nation being birthed, the
Speaker 5: pain of a promise unfolding. Rebecca's cries are out of
Speaker 5: frustration and agony, but there's definitely more to her struggle
Speaker 5: within her womb to nations wrestle. You see, Rebecca has
Speaker 5: had a tumultuous pregnancy and she's very worried about what
Speaker 5: it all means. God has told her that the twins
Speaker 5: she will bear are two forces struggling in her womb,
Speaker 5: and this was directly related to the mission of the
Speaker 5: Chosen People. Until the end of days. There will always
Speaker 5: be evil in the world, embodied by tyrants who believe
Speaker 5: that they can achieve anything with force. The Chosen People
Speaker 5: and all those who love God and love his word
Speaker 5: have been commissioned to be the force of moral goodness
Speaker 5: based on God's word and the Bible that we are
Speaker 5: studying today together. And if you open up your newspaper,
Speaker 5: turn on your TV, or log into the internet right now,
Speaker 5: you'll see the struggle. You'll see it in front of
Speaker 5: your eyes. You'll see that it's still going on. And
Speaker 5: I must tell you here in Israel, we see it
Speaker 5: every day where those who only believe in death. Unfortunately,
Speaker 5: many of our neighbors have sworn to destroy the Jewish
Speaker 5: people who are living in our biblical homeland and only
Speaker 5: wanting life.
Speaker 6: We believe, with.
Speaker 5: God's help, we won't let that happen. We won't let
Speaker 5: the enemies who want and seek death destroy Israel. And
Speaker 5: I know that you support us with so much love
Speaker 5: in this great and very real struggle, a struggle we
Speaker 5: hear echoed in the cries of a mother's labor pains
Speaker 5: right here in the scriptures. And then twins are born
Speaker 5: Asa Red and Harry the hunter, Jacob the quiet one,
Speaker 5: grasping his brother's heel. Their birth is a sign, a
Speaker 5: symbol of the future conflict and the eventual triumph of
Speaker 5: God's chosen path. Esa represents the nation's powerful and wild.
Speaker 5: Jacob represents Israel smaller but destined for greatness through God's covenant.
Speaker 5: Isaac's naming of Esa and Rebecca's naming of Jacob is prophetic. Esa,
Speaker 5: the man of the field, is rough and impulsive. Jacob,
Speaker 5: the one who had become Israel, is one who wrestles
Speaker 5: with God and prevails. This naming is not just about identity,
Speaker 5: as you can imagine, it's prophecy. It's about God's hand
Speaker 5: shaping the future through the intimate, painful and miraculous moments
Speaker 5: of birth. As Rebecca holds her sons, she holds the future.
Speaker 5: She sees the conflict, the struggle, and also the promise.
Speaker 5: Her tears are not just for the pain she endured,
Speaker 5: there for the vision that she holds in her heart,
Speaker 5: the vision of God's people chosen and beloved, filling their
Speaker 5: destiny amidst the chaos of the world. This is the
Speaker 5: story of redemption. And to speak more on that redemption
Speaker 5: is my good friend, Bishop Paul.
Speaker 9: Leonier, thank you ya, earl. Here on this chapter twenty
Speaker 9: five that is so full and expansive, with its colors
Speaker 9: and its personalities, and its textures and rhythms, I'm really
Speaker 9: glad they were going to take our time and break
Speaker 9: it down into three separate covenant conversations. So let's began
Speaker 9: it it verse nineteen and go to the end of
Speaker 9: the chapter. Can I begin by just stating that I
Speaker 9: believe Isaac is one of the most remarkable, special, unique
Speaker 9: men of covenant conversations. To me, he is so honorable.
Speaker 9: And we'll talk about some of this a little bit later,
Speaker 9: but right now I'm thinking about something you and I
Speaker 9: talked about earlier in chapter twenty four that says that
Speaker 9: he loved Rebecca. And then this really moves me. From
Speaker 9: that love, your Bible says, and that all too familiar
Speaker 9: motif or theme. God had promised children, and here Rebecca,
Speaker 9: like Sarah, could not conceive. She could not bring forth
Speaker 9: the child, and in the anguish of her life, your
Speaker 9: Bible says in verse twenty one, her husband, Isaac, who
Speaker 9: loved her, prayed for her. In that beautiful he loved
Speaker 9: her and he prayed for her. Now, Sarah had also
Speaker 9: been barren, had not been able to bring forth a child,
Speaker 9: as God had prophesied over her life, but there's no
Speaker 9: mention that Abraham prayed for her. Now we know with Jacob,
Speaker 9: and he loved his Rachel, But when he discovered that
Speaker 9: she Rachael could not conceive either. Your Bible says that
Speaker 9: Jacob was angry why I don't know, angry for her
Speaker 9: when he saw her tears, angry for himself at what
Speaker 9: their intimacy was missing. But this Isaac who loved his Rebecca,
Speaker 9: prayed for her. Wow. And when this Rebecca did conceive,
Speaker 9: the Bible tells us that she had twins in her belly,
Speaker 9: and there was a great contention in her womb. And
Speaker 9: do you know the scriptures say that she inquired.
Speaker 2: Of the Lord. Wow.
Speaker 9: She's the only woman mentioned in Torah who explicitly salt God. Wow.
Speaker 9: I want to stop here. I want to pray for you,
Speaker 9: is that okay? I want to pray for the loves
Speaker 9: of your life. Maybe a spouse, a child, children, grandchildren.
Speaker 9: I don't know, but maybe there's anguish, there's longing, something's missing,
Speaker 9: your heart is hurting. Maybe the children, like the boys
Speaker 9: in her belly, are contending against one another, wrestling against
Speaker 9: one another. And I want to pray with you, Oh,
Speaker 9: my dear God, I thank you for the precious people
Speaker 9: listening now. I pray that you would bless their families,
Speaker 9: touch their husband or their wife, the children, grandchildren. In
Speaker 9: this contentious time of such wrestling and warring, hearts that
Speaker 9: are broken, and longings and things that are missing, would
Speaker 9: you peace them and let them feel Your loving presence
Speaker 9: now for all of this with thank you, Amen.
Speaker 5: So let us trust that God's plans are personal, that
Speaker 5: they are present, that they are relevant, and that they
Speaker 5: are good for us. Let us trust that God sees
Speaker 5: our circumstances and is at work in our life. Yes,
Speaker 5: just as He was intricately involved in the lives of
Speaker 5: Jacob and Esa, he is.
Speaker 6: Involved in yours.
Speaker 5: When you face challenges, conflict, pain, or even seemingly mundane decisions,
Speaker 5: remember that God is there right there with you to
Speaker 5: bless you. And here's my final blessing for you. May
Speaker 5: the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord
Speaker 5: make his face shine upon you. May he be gracious
Speaker 5: to you. Made the Lord turn his face towards you
Speaker 5: and give you peace.
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with you.
Speaker 1: Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the
Speaker 1: pray dot Com app today. This pray d com production
Speaker 1: is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Gattina, 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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