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Speaker 1: And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife, and

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Speaker 1: Jacob went in unto her Genesis thirty four. Dear Heavenly Father,

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Speaker 1: when I am close to my dreams, I will stay

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Speaker 1: mindful that I don't jump the gun and settle for

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Speaker 1: a counterfeit like Jacob. Instead, I will stay diligent and

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Speaker 1: focused so that the dream you have for me will

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Speaker 1: be the authentic dream and not a second hand blessing.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Holy Spirit, that as I step into this

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Speaker 1: new season of blessing and abundance, I will keep my

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Speaker 1: heart from falling into the same trap that Leah and

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Speaker 1: Rachael fell into. I decree and declare that greed, jealousy,

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Speaker 1: and envy will not have a place in my future.

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Speaker 1: I will rejoice and be glad with the dreams You've

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Speaker 1: allowed me to birth in my life. I will honor

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Speaker 1: and appreciate what I have for I know that as

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Speaker 1: I live to honor You, God, you will uphold my

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Speaker 1: life and my future. In Jesus name, Amen. Listening to

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Speaker 1: these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing

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Speaker 1: from the Lord by listening to Today's Bible in a

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Speaker 1: year brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.

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Speaker 2: Jacob's family. Before this story, we learned about Jacob's journey

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Speaker 2: to Laban. Jacob was affirmed by the Lord that he

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Speaker 2: would be blessed as his father Isaac was and his

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Speaker 2: father Jacob. Upon arrival, Jacob met Rachel and immediately fell

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Speaker 2: in love. In exchange for being able to marry Rachel,

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Speaker 2: Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years. Now

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Speaker 2: we will learn about Jacob marrying Laban's older daughter Leah

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Speaker 2: first before marrying Rachel, and the web of jealousy that

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Speaker 2: bore an entire nation inspired by the Book of Genesis.

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Speaker 3: Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we

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Speaker 3: learned that Jacob had fallen deeply in love with Rachel,

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Speaker 3: the younger daughter of his uncle Laban, and because of

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Speaker 3: his love for Rachel, he cuts the deal with Laban

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Speaker 3: to work seven years in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage. Today,

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Speaker 3: we pick up as his seven years of hard labor

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Speaker 3: are coming to an end, but what seems to be

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Speaker 3: heading toward a very happy ending takes a sharp turn

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Speaker 3: into deceited dishonesty. Rivalry and resentment. Jacob, who is the

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Speaker 3: consummate cheater himself, is going to get a dose of

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Speaker 3: his own medicine and learn that what goes around comes around.

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Speaker 3: As the cheater is now cheated, his own father in law,

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Speaker 3: Laban is going to get the best of him, trapping

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Speaker 3: Jacob in a marriage to his older daughter Leah. Jacob

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Speaker 3: will choose to marry both sisters, but only after Laban

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Speaker 3: makes him agree to another seven years of hard labor.

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Speaker 3: And just as Jacob experienced the affection of his mother

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Speaker 3: yet the rejection of his father, we'll see how he'll

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Speaker 3: now love one wife and despise the other. Spite and

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Speaker 3: favoritism will poison the whole family and bring about a

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Speaker 3: decade long feud. In many ways, Jacob is not even

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Speaker 3: the central character of today's story, but a sad pawn

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Speaker 3: in a war between sisters. It's a messy story, and

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Speaker 3: yet in all of this you are going to see

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Speaker 3: God's compassion and grace towards Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. So

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Speaker 3: let's listen now to today's reading.

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Speaker 2: Jacob had toiled the ground of Laban for seven years.

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Speaker 2: Jacob counted the months until he could finally be united

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Speaker 2: with Rachel as husband and wife. Daily he saw her

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Speaker 2: tending the sheep and pined after her. Their love and

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Speaker 2: desire for one another burned deeply even before marriage, and

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Speaker 2: as the time approached, Jacob's countenance grew brighter. Finally it

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Speaker 2: was time. Jacob, with his head held high, approach to Laban.

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Speaker 2: Seven years has passed and I have worked faithfully for you,

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Speaker 2: Jacob said, Now give me my wife so that we

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Speaker 2: can make love and build a life together. Laban wasted

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Speaker 2: no time and gathered together all the people for a

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Speaker 2: great feast. Jacob's dream to be with Rachel was finally

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Speaker 2: becoming a reality. Yet Jacob's wedding would not end the

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Speaker 2: way he thought it would, nor would his marriage be

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Speaker 2: the dream come true he expected. Late into the night

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Speaker 2: before the wedding was going to commence, Laban took his

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Speaker 2: oldest daughter, Leah and dressed her in a wedding gown

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Speaker 2: and veil to cover her face. For back then it

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Speaker 2: was custom for the bride to be covered. Lea was

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Speaker 2: not adorned with the same beauty as her sister. Rather,

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Speaker 2: she carried herself plainly and did not draw the same

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Speaker 2: attention as Rachel. In Jacob's excitement and revelry with wedding

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Speaker 2: music and wine. He took Leah as his wife. The

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Speaker 2: two of them were one, and Jacob went into Leah

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Speaker 2: for the first time, thinking it was Rachel. Jacob, the

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Speaker 2: man who had tricked his own brother and father into

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Speaker 2: giving up their birthrights and blessings, found himself in a

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Speaker 2: wedding bed with the wrong woman, tricked by his father

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Speaker 2: in law. The next morning, as the sun just began

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Speaker 2: to rise above the peaks in the horizon, Jacob awoke

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Speaker 2: the night before he had hardly remembered, but he did

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Speaker 2: remember that he was finally married to Rachel after seven

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Speaker 2: years of labor. He turned to his wife and was

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Speaker 2: bewildered to find Leah lying next to him, inconsolable. Jacob

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Speaker 2: bolted out of his tent in a fit of rage,

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Speaker 2: arms flailing and heart pounding. Jacob pinned Laban to the

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Speaker 2: wall of his tent. What have you done to me,

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Speaker 2: Jacob shouted? Did I not serve you faithfully for Rachel?

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Speaker 2: Why have you deceived me like this? Labon, knowing he

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Speaker 2: had gotten away with his plan, grinned it is not

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Speaker 2: custom for the younger daughter to be married before the

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Speaker 2: oldest daughter. He said nonchalantly. You can marry Rachel, of course,

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Speaker 2: but only if you have served me another seven years.

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Speaker 2: Jacob was distraught. The trickster had been outplayed at his

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Speaker 2: own game. Jacob agreed to Laban's terms. He had no

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Speaker 2: choice if he wanted to be with Rachel. He married

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Speaker 2: Rachel a week later, and then served Laban for another

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Speaker 2: seven years. Jacob and Leah had sex for children, but

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Speaker 2: Jacob and Rachel made love for passion. This would send

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Speaker 2: Leah into a spiral of insecurity and spite, a spiral

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Speaker 2: that would ultimately lead to a feud that lasted years.

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Speaker 2: God saw that Leah was despised by Jacob and Rachel

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Speaker 2: and had compassion on her. He opened her womb and

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Speaker 2: made her fruitful. Though Rachel was barren and left childless.

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Speaker 2: La conceived in Bora's son and called his name Reuben.

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Speaker 2: In her heart of hearts, she truly believed that if

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Speaker 2: she bore a son, Jacob would love her. So began

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Speaker 2: Leyah's desperate mission to fill a void in her life

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Speaker 2: left by her husband. She conceived again and bore a

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Speaker 2: son and named him Simon. She believed Simon was a

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Speaker 2: gift from God because her husband hated her. Leah bore

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Speaker 2: another son, Levi. After three sons, she truly believed that

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Speaker 2: Jacob would love her, Yet Jacob continued to love Rachel,

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Speaker 2: and Leiah fell deeper into depression. For a fourth time,

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Speaker 2: Leah conceived in Boora's son. His name was Judah, and

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Speaker 2: this time, instead of hoping that another son would make

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Speaker 2: Jacob love her, Leiah praised God, thanking him for his faithfulness.

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Speaker 2: After Judah was born, Leah ceased bearing children. Rachel knew

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Speaker 2: that she was barren and hated her sister for giving

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Speaker 2: Jacob's sons when she could not. Rachel's jealousy towards Leah

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Speaker 2: caused her to lash out at Jacob, give me children

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Speaker 2: or I shall die. Jacob's anger boiled up towards Rachel,

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Speaker 2: for he too was angry that they could not have

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Speaker 2: children together. Am I in the place of God, I

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Speaker 2: cannot open and close your womb. So Rachel devised a plan,

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Speaker 2: a plan that hearkened back to Sarah in the wilderness

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Speaker 2: of Canaan. Here is my servant Bilhah, Rachel said, go

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Speaker 2: in to her and she will have a child on

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Speaker 2: my behalf. So she gave Jacob her servant, and Jacob

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Speaker 2: gladly slept with her, repeating the sins of his grandfather Abraham.

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Speaker 2: Jacob and bil Hah conceived and Boora's son, named Dan.

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Speaker 2: Rachel was pleased, but wanted more, not because she truly

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Speaker 2: wanted children, but because she could not bear the thought

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Speaker 2: of her sister having more than her. Jacob and bil

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Speaker 2: Hah continued, and bil Ha had another son on Rachel's behalf.

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Speaker 2: With great struggle, I have triumphed over my sister, so

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Speaker 2: she named her second son, Naftalai. The cycle of jealousy

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Speaker 2: did not cease.

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Speaker 3: Leah.

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Speaker 2: To spite Rachel and gain the love of Jacob, gave

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Speaker 2: her servant to be with Jacob so they might have

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Speaker 2: more children. Her servant, nil Pah, and Jacob slept together

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Speaker 2: and bore gad. Yet Leah was not satisfied. She gave

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Speaker 2: Zilpah to Jacob again, and the two bore asher. Jacob,

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Speaker 2: caught in the middle of a civil war, made no protests.

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Speaker 2: He sat by and enjoyed the fruit of his wives insecurities.

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Speaker 2: He refused to care for their hearts or reassure them

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Speaker 2: of his love. No, Jacob had no such integrity a

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Speaker 2: quality he would soon be forced to possess. In the

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Speaker 2: days of the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found

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Speaker 2: some man drakes, a rare plant used for various medical

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Speaker 2: and recreational uses. They were rare and valuable. Rubin brought

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Speaker 2: them to his mother, Leah. Rachel wanted some of his

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Speaker 2: man drakes and asked Leah if she could have some.

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Speaker 2: Lea was in no mood to be generous with Rachel.

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Speaker 2: Isn't it enough that you have stolen my husband away

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Speaker 2: from me? Now you want my son's mandrakes, Leah protested.

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Speaker 2: In exchange for your man drakes, you can lie with

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Speaker 2: Jacob tonight. Will that satisfy you? Rachel said. At this point,

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Speaker 2: Jacob was a tool for Leah and Rachel's war against

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Speaker 2: one another. No more love and no more dreams. Only

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Speaker 2: spite marked Jacob's household. When Jacob was returning from the field,

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Speaker 2: Leiah came out to meet him. I have given my

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Speaker 2: son's mandrakes to Rachel so that you might lie with me.

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Speaker 2: So Jacob slept with Leah that night, and Leah conceived

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Speaker 2: a fifth son. They named him Isaka. The whirlwind of

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Speaker 2: Leah and Rachel did not cease. Layah bore Jacob another

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Speaker 2: son and named him Zebula. Now my husband must honor me,

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Speaker 2: Leah said. Leia was certain that six sons would prove

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Speaker 2: to be enough for Jacob's love. Yet again she came

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Speaker 2: back empty handed. Afterwards, Leah bore a daughter and named

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Speaker 2: her Dinah. God turned his eyes toward Rachel. He listened

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Speaker 2: to her honest cries for a son of her own.

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Speaker 2: Under the moon and blessings of God, Jacob and Rachel

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Speaker 2: made love. From that love came Joseph, a miracle from God.

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Speaker 2: Even though Rachel had conceived this miracle from God, she

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Speaker 2: still got caught up in the trap all humans get

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Speaker 2: stuck in, wanting more. Jacob was fruitful, and his sons

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Speaker 2: were growing to be strong and ready to begin lives

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Speaker 2: of their own. He decided it would be best to

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Speaker 2: return to the land of his father Isaac. He approached

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Speaker 2: Laban and said, I have served you, I have given

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Speaker 2: you grandchildren, and I have cared for your land and daughters.

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Speaker 2: Allow me to leave and return home. Laban enjoyed having

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Speaker 2: Jacob by his side. Jacob carried with him the blessings

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Speaker 2: of God, and everything Jacob did he did with excellence.

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Speaker 2: I will pay whatever it takes to have you stay here,

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Speaker 2: for I am blessed because you are here, he replied.

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Speaker 2: Jacob grew tired of Laban and greatly desired to leave

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Speaker 2: his presence. I have given you enough. Everything you have

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Speaker 2: given me to take care of I have increased. Allow

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Speaker 2: me please to depart with my own family. Laban agreed,

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Speaker 2: and the two set up arrangements for Jacob to leave

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Speaker 2: with a part of Laban's flocks. The agreement was that

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Speaker 2: Jacob would take the blemest sheep while Laban kept the

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Speaker 2: pure white sheep. Laban tried first to trick Jacob and

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Speaker 2: hid the speckled sheep so they would not breed and

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Speaker 2: increase in number. However, Jacob, over dozens of years serving

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Speaker 2: under Laban, had honed the craft of breeding and sheep

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Speaker 2: herding animals. Jacob specifically bred the pure sheep to produce

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Speaker 2: more speckled and blemished sheep. Jacob was able to produce

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Speaker 2: stronger and healthier sheep for himself in great number. Laban

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Speaker 2: had tricked Jacob once, but Jacob was the ultimate trickster

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Speaker 2: and would not be outdone again. So Jacob increased in

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Speaker 2: wealth and influence with his wives, children, and new found freedom.

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Speaker 2: Jacob ventured back to Canaan. Yet Laban would not let

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Speaker 2: Jacob go unpunished.

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Speaker 3: Jacob works hard for seven more years. Rachel is anxious

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Speaker 3: to marry the man of her dreams. Jacob comes to

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Speaker 3: Laban and reminds him of the deal. It's time to

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Speaker 3: pay up. He does not want to wait another moment

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Speaker 3: to marry Rachel. At first, everything seems to be heading

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Speaker 3: in the right direction, a storybook ending for the young couple.

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Speaker 3: Laban quickly throws a great feast with lots of food

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Speaker 3: and lots of wine, of which Jacob freely partook, no doubt,

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Speaker 3: Needless to say, he was fired up, perhaps in his

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Speaker 3: haste and with the fuzzy head of one who celebrated

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Speaker 3: too much. Jacob fails to realize that his bride that

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Speaker 3: Laban brings to him is not Rachel, but his older

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Speaker 3: sister Leah. Still, he unites with her, marries her, and

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Speaker 3: seals his fate with her, a fact he realizes with

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Speaker 3: horror and anger. The following morning, he forcefully can fronts

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Speaker 3: Laban and only then realize that he, the master of deception,

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Speaker 3: has been tricked. The trickster has been tricked. Leah is

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Speaker 3: now his wife, but he really loves Rachel, so Laban

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Speaker 3: agrees to let him marry her as well if Jacob

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Speaker 3: agrees to another seven years of hard work. Well, Jacob agrees.

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Speaker 3: Rachel and Leah become bitter rivals, but God sees Leah's

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Speaker 3: rejection and has compassion on her. He blesses her with

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Speaker 3: a fertile wound. She bears four sons with Jacob and

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Speaker 3: then stops conceiving. With each child, she holds out hope

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Speaker 3: that this new son will cause Jacob to love her,

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Speaker 3: but it never happens. Rachel, for her part, grows increasingly

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Speaker 3: bitter and demands Jacob give her a child lest she die.

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Speaker 3: Listen to Jacob's response, found in Genesis thirty verse two.

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Speaker 3: Jacob became angry with her and said, am I in

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Speaker 3: the place of God, who has kept you from having children?

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Speaker 3: This may seem at first to be an appropriate answer,

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Speaker 3: acknowledging God as the giver of life, but if you

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Speaker 3: look at it closely, Jacob is simply denying any responsibility,

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Speaker 3: even blaming God for Rachel's inability to conceive, rather than

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Speaker 3: pursuing God and asking for the blessing. Of a child

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Speaker 3: with Rachel. He simply says, is not on me, This

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Speaker 3: is not my fault. Rachel offers her servant to Jacob,

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Speaker 3: and he accepts just his grandfather did, and produces two

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Speaker 3: sons outside of his marriage. Leah fallows suits and offers

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Speaker 3: her servant. Jacob again accepts. Like his father Isaac, he

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Speaker 3: seems nothing more than a pon and a bitter war

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Speaker 3: between siblings. The Lord then looks on Rachel with a

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Speaker 3: tender heart of compassion and grants her the son which

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Speaker 3: she so desperately desired. This son, Joseph. He will grow

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Speaker 3: into a man who will help save many nations one day,

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Speaker 3: but not before the ugly consequences of this rivalry between

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Speaker 3: sisters and Jacob's lack of leadership rips this fractured family apart.

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Speaker 3: In life, there are many betrayals and setbacks, as in

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Speaker 3: the case of Jacob and his family, and the question becomes,

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Speaker 3: how will you handle setbacks in your life? How will

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Speaker 3: you handle the mess ups that you have made? Do

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Speaker 3: you keep your eyes upon God and trust in him

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Speaker 3: and repentance and faith as Jacob could have done should

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Speaker 3: have done. It is at this point in our story

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Speaker 3: that Jacob seems to wake up and realize he needs

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Speaker 3: to leave Laban's land and it is time to return

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Speaker 3: to Canaan, the land of Promise. Next time we'll learn

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Speaker 3: how Jacob escapes his entanglement with Laban. Dear God, there

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Speaker 3: are many times that things don't turn out like we

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Speaker 3: had hoped or expected. Sometimes it's our own fault. We

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Speaker 3: can be cheated or cheat others, take an advantage of,

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Speaker 3: or disappoint others, and be disappointed by others. Help us

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Speaker 3: to continue to trust You and act with integrity, not dishonesty.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for this lesson in your Holy Word. Amen.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot

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Speaker 3: com app and make prayer a priority in your life.

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Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love.

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Speaker 3: By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in

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Speaker 3: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how

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Speaker 3: to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be

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Speaker 3: sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless

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Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare

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