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Speaker 1: Let us pray, and Shechem said, unto her father and

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Speaker 1: unto her brethren, let me find grace in your eyes.

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Speaker 1: And what ye shall say unto me I will give

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Speaker 1: Genesis thirty four eleven. Dear God, as you are guiding

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Speaker 1: my life, I will make sure to only make the

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Speaker 1: move that You've designated for me. I will not try

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Speaker 1: to choose the easier path or the path that looks

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Speaker 1: more inviting. Instead, I will stay the course because I

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Speaker 1: know that every step that I take has already been

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Speaker 1: orchestrated for me and my future. Holy Spirit, as I move,

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Speaker 1: keep reminding me that where I currently am is not

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Speaker 1: my final destination. Remind me that as I take the

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Speaker 1: steps of faith needed to realize your promises for my life,

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Speaker 1: that you will keep me from harm and destruction. Thank

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Speaker 1: you Lord that even when I step off the track,

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Speaker 1: you are faithful to allow me to not miss a step.

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Speaker 1: When I come back and ask for forgiveness, I stand

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Speaker 1: with excitement because I am about to enter into my bethel,

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Speaker 1: the land and promise were you dwell in Jesus' name. Amen,

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Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for

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Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible in

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Speaker 1: a Year dot com.

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Speaker 2: Dinah and Sheikhar. Before this story, we learned how Jacob

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Speaker 2: feared the wrath of his brother Esau. He prayed to

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Speaker 2: God with great anguish to deliver him. That night, Jacob

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Speaker 2: wrestled with God himself and had his name changed to Israel.

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Speaker 2: Esau forgave Jacob and the two went their way. Now

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Speaker 2: we will learn about how Jacob's daughter Dinah was taken

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Speaker 2: advantage of and the response made by Jacob's sons Simon

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Speaker 2: and Levy, 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 prior reading, we

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Speaker 3: learned of Jacob's new name Israel, and of his repentant heart,

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Speaker 3: and that Jacob and Esau made peace with one another. Finally,

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Speaker 3: it was a wonderful story of God's provision, grace, and blessing,

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Speaker 3: and we saw more mature, obedient Jacob, who now seems

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Speaker 3: ready to follow the will of God for his life.

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Speaker 3: In today's reading, however, Jacob seems to take a step backwards.

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Speaker 3: As you listen, notice how Jacob once again shuns the

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Speaker 3: role of leadership to which God has called it. There

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Speaker 3: will be a great deal bill of bloodshed, pain, and

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Speaker 3: trouble that spreads through Jacob's family. Eventually, Jacob will wake

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Speaker 3: up to the tragedies and schemes his disobedience have created,

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Speaker 3: and then turned to God, truly turned to God for

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Speaker 3: helping guidance. God once again will prove his faithfulness to

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Speaker 3: Jacob and his family, because God is always faithful. Now

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Speaker 3: let's listen to today's scripture.

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Speaker 2: Jacob and his family settled in a place God had

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Speaker 2: not intended. He was supposed to return to Bethel, yet

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Speaker 2: remained in the land near Hemour. Dinah, the daughter of

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Speaker 2: Jacob and Leah, went out to visit some of the

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Speaker 2: women in the neighboring city a few miles away. She

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Speaker 2: walked with the innocent smile of someone painfully unaware of

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Speaker 2: just how dangerous a city like this could be. Shakam,

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Speaker 2: the son of Hamor, a prince of the land, saw

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Speaker 2: Dinah from Afar. Hidden by the shadows, he trailed her

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Speaker 2: at a distance. Sheacam found Dinah intoxicating. He drew closer

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Speaker 2: and closer, watching as she maneuvered through the busy streets. Sheakham,

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Speaker 2: like many young, rich rulers of his time knew if

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Speaker 2: he wanted something, he needed just take it for himself,

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Speaker 2: and he wanted Dinah. He burned with a self serving

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Speaker 2: and violent desire. Shea come suddenly and secretly seized Dinah

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Speaker 2: and drug her away. Flailing and fighting, Dinah realized there

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Speaker 2: would be nobody there to help her. Sheakham humiliated Dinah

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Speaker 2: and raped her. Dinah was sent on her way, humiliated

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Speaker 2: and defiled. Yet instead of releasing her with threats, Shekham

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Speaker 2: spoke tenderly and with gentleness. His soul felt drawn to Dinah,

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Speaker 2: and he mistook his twisted and selfish desires with actual

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Speaker 2: love and affection. So Sheakham spoke to his father Haymore, saying,

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Speaker 2: get me this girl for my warf word came to

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Speaker 2: Jacob about the assault of his daughter. A contemplative calm

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Speaker 2: came upon him. His sons were working in the field

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Speaker 2: with the livestock, and he needed time to think before

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Speaker 2: releasing the information to them. As Jacob waited in brooding silence,

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Speaker 2: Sheicam and his father Heymour came to Jacob to speak

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Speaker 2: of marriage. He would not be able to get a

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Speaker 2: word in before the sons of Jacob came racing in

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Speaker 2: with rage. A small army of men ran from the

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Speaker 2: fields as soon as they heard, and immediately met them

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Speaker 2: with indignant rage. Under no circumstances would they allow Shekam

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Speaker 2: to have their sister. Hamor. Finally able to speak after

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Speaker 2: the barrage of angry brothers, turned to Jacob and said,

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Speaker 2: Sheacam's soul longs for your daughter. Jacob, let us consider

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Speaker 2: a marriage, and all my land can be opened up

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Speaker 2: to you for trade, property and farming. Sheicam then began

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Speaker 2: to speak. There was a look in his eyes, a

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Speaker 2: look of genuine affection and love, yet behind them seemed

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Speaker 2: to be a mind capable of hideous things. It sent

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Speaker 2: an uneasy shiver down the spines of Jacob's brothers. He spoke, saying,

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Speaker 2: let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you

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Speaker 2: desire for me, I will give name your price, and

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Speaker 2: I will honor it. Just please let me have Dinah

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Speaker 2: as my wife. Jacob and his sons were men of

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Speaker 2: God and had set themselves apart from the rest of

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Speaker 2: the world. Yet their kindness was not weakness. They were

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Speaker 2: men of honor and loved their sister deeply. Their resolved

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Speaker 2: to protect her would not wane. The brothers answered Shekham

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Speaker 2: and Haymour, it would disgrace us to give our sister

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Speaker 2: to someone uncircumcised. Our only condition is that you and

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Speaker 2: all your men be circumcised. Then we will give all

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Speaker 2: our daughters to be with your men in marriage, and

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Speaker 2: we can become one people, sharing in all things. These

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Speaker 2: words pleased Hamour and Shecam. Not only did Shecam get

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Speaker 2: his desire, but the whole land would get to share

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Speaker 2: in the abundant resources of Jacob's family. Yet they rejoiced naively,

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Speaker 2: for Jacob's sons would not forgive what Shekam had done

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Speaker 2: to their sister. As promised, Hamour and Sheicam went to

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Speaker 2: all of the men in their land and had them circumcised.

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Speaker 2: Men young and old took blades to their foreskins. Haymour's

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Speaker 2: people did so gladly, though in a great amount of pain,

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Speaker 2: because they knew they were going to become rich and

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Speaker 2: Shekam would get Dinah. Sheakam took Dinah to his home,

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Speaker 2: and she dwelt there for three days under his roof,

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Speaker 2: captive and afraid. On the third day, the city was quiet,

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Speaker 2: the sun was making its way down towards evening. The

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Speaker 2: heat of the day was colliding with the cool breeze

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Speaker 2: of evening. The men of the land were resting, sore

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Speaker 2: and doing their best to not make any sudden movements.

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Speaker 2: The pain was nearly unbearable, but worth it for more

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Speaker 2: live stock and influence. While they all remained in their beds,

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Speaker 2: two pairs of footsteps can be heard coming through the gates.

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Speaker 2: Two sons of Jacob, Simon and Levy entered the city

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Speaker 2: with swords in their hands. No mercy, no politics or

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Speaker 2: chances to plead their cases, no negotiations or empty threats.

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Speaker 2: With ferocity and decisiveness, the two plunged their swords into

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Speaker 2: the flesh of all Haimo's men. They would try to run,

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Speaker 2: but they couldn't because they were still in pain from

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Speaker 2: the circumcision. This was their plan all along, get the

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Speaker 2: men weak so they could enter in and take their lives. Easily.

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Speaker 2: Picking up speed, the two brothers swung their swords with revenge,

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Speaker 2: making their way to the home of Haymoor and shekam

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Speaker 2: Hamor was the first to die. Eggs for mercy were

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Speaker 2: interrupted by Simon's right arm. Slowly gliding the blade against

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Speaker 2: his throat. The two brothers turned right through the hall

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Speaker 2: and burst through Shecum's door. There they saw him and

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Speaker 2: their sister pulling Dinah away. They pointed their swords lightly

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Speaker 2: on the chest of Shekom. They stared into his eyes.

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Speaker 2: The same eyes that had gazed upon their sister with

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Speaker 2: violence and lust now looked upon them with fear and

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Speaker 2: trembling no mercy. Shakum fell swiftly under the blades of

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Speaker 2: Simon and Levy. The only inheritance he would get from

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Speaker 2: his marriage to Dinah was iron, sinking into his lungs.

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Speaker 2: The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered

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Speaker 2: the city. They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys,

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Speaker 2: and whatever was in the city and in the field,

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Speaker 2: all their wealth, all their children and their wives, all

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Speaker 2: that was in the houses they captured and took back

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Speaker 2: with them no mercy. When they returned, Jacob was outraged.

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Speaker 2: He said to Simon and Levy, you have brought trouble

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Speaker 2: on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of

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Speaker 2: the land, the Canaanites and the Perizites. We do not

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Speaker 2: have the same numbers they do. If they gather themselves

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Speaker 2: against me and attack me. We shall be destroyed. Simon

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Speaker 2: and Levey regretted nothing. What should we have done, they said,

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Speaker 2: allow our sister to be shipped off like a piece

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Speaker 2: of property. Have a ravaged like a prostitute. Jacob, pressed

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Speaker 2: with fear and anxiety, went before God. God spoke plainly, arise,

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Speaker 2: go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar

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Speaker 2: for me as you did before you met with Esau.

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Speaker 2: So Jacob left for Bethel as he should have done

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Speaker 2: in the first place. He and his household came before God.

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Speaker 2: Cleanse yourself, change your garments, wash, throw away any idols

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Speaker 2: you may have, and purify your hearts. Jacob commanded his people,

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Speaker 2: A great danger threatens us, but we will arise to

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Speaker 2: Bethel to seek God, who has always answered me wherever

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Speaker 2: I go. So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods

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Speaker 2: that they had and the rings that were in their ears.

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Speaker 2: Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

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Speaker 2: They journeyed far, fearful for their lives, they rushed to Bethel.

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Speaker 2: God in mighty power caused a terror to fall upon

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Speaker 2: the cities that surrounded them. They would not pursue God's

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Speaker 2: chosen people. Jacob came to Bethel, back to the land

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Speaker 2: of Canaan, and there he built an altar and call,

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Speaker 2: and God said to him, I am God Almighty, be

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Speaker 2: fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations

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Speaker 2: shall come from you, and kings will come from among you.

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Speaker 2: The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I

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Speaker 2: will give to you, and I will give the land

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Speaker 2: to your offspring after you. God blessed Jacob and his

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Speaker 2: family the people of Israel, and he would not leave them,

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Speaker 2: no matter what hardship They found themselves captive.

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Speaker 3: To Jacob encountered, God wrestled with him and received his blessing.

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Speaker 3: He has now made peace with Esau and is free

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Speaker 3: to return to the place where God intends for him

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Speaker 3: to live with his family. But that's not the choice

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Speaker 3: Jacob makes. Instead of going to Bethel, he remains in

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Speaker 3: another land nearby, this rule by a man named Hamor.

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Speaker 3: Jacob's daughter Dinah visits the nearby city controlled by Shechem,

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Speaker 3: and as she is walking through town, Hamour's son, Shechem,

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Speaker 3: pursues and rapes Dinah. Then he begins to feel what

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Speaker 3: he considers love for this woman. Of course, this is

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Speaker 3: not a god honoring love. This is us. This is

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Speaker 3: a man who forced himself upon a young way. But

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Speaker 3: in his twisted mind he somehow feels some affection for

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Speaker 3: her and ask his father to secure a marriage with her. Jacob,

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Speaker 3: here's what happened to Dinah, and rather than acting, he

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Speaker 3: remains silent. He doesn't tell his sons of the rape either.

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Speaker 3: Perhaps he knew they were prone to violence, or maybe

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Speaker 3: he was slipping back into his old, complacent ways and

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Speaker 3: failing to lead his family. Whatever the reason, he does nothing.

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Speaker 3: But when his sons hear what happened to Dinah, their sister,

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Speaker 3: they intend to avenge her. When Haymour and Shechem come

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Speaker 3: to ask for Dinah's hand, Jacob takes a back seat

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Speaker 3: in the conversation. Haymore offers a political and financial alliance

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Speaker 3: if they will allow Shechem to marry Dinah. Jacob's sons

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Speaker 3: counter that all males in Haymour's land must be circumscised

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Speaker 3: before they will allow Dinah to marry Shechem. Their true

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Speaker 3: intention was never to bring these men into a relationship

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Speaker 3: with God. It was a mere ruse of war to

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Speaker 3: buy some time before their full plan was set in

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Speaker 3: action and perhaps cause Hamour and his men some serious discomfort.

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Speaker 3: In the meantime, Jacob's sons attacked these men when their

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Speaker 3: guard was down due to a negotiated treaty, and killed

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Speaker 3: them all and rescued Dinah. This may seem like justice,

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Speaker 3: but is far from it. They used a sacred act

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Speaker 3: ordained by God, not for a holy purpose, but for bloodshed, vengeance,

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Speaker 3: and plunder. Haymour and Shakum's actions were not honorable, but

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Speaker 3: neither were the actions of Simeon and Levi. And when

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Speaker 3: Jacob discovers what they've done, he is shaken out of

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Speaker 3: his complacency and once again attacked with fear. He knows

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Speaker 3: his son's actions could bring calamity upon his own family,

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Speaker 3: so once again he goes to God, and God tells

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Speaker 3: him to go to Bethel and build an altar to

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Speaker 3: him there. It was what he was supposed to do

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Speaker 3: from the beginn any and obedience to God, But now

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Speaker 3: he finally obeys, how often do you and I go

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Speaker 3: through unnecessary and unwanted troubles simply because we're not listening

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Speaker 3: to God? If we would only do what God says?

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Speaker 3: From the beginning, we would not face so many of

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Speaker 3: the trials and struggles and difficulties that we face. Before

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Speaker 3: he flees to Bethel, Jacob knows he and his family

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Speaker 3: must leave behind not just the land, but the gods

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Speaker 3: and idols they're holding on to instead of the one

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Speaker 3: true God who is always with them, always faithful. We

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Speaker 3: close today's story with another example of this faithfulness of

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Speaker 3: God to Jacob. He strikes fear the cities around Jacob,

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Speaker 3: so nobody pursues Jacob's family and he can safely arrive

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Speaker 3: at Bethel. God once again affirms the promise he's made

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Speaker 3: to Jacob and to Isaac and to Abraham before him.

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Speaker 3: He will give him this land, and from him will

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Speaker 3: come many nations and kings. And a key figure in

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Speaker 3: this plan is one of Jacob's son, Joseph, whose colorful

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Speaker 3: story will begin next time. Dear God, the God of Abraham, Isaac,

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Speaker 3: and Jacob, thank you today for what we have read

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Speaker 3: in your word and that it teaches us that obey

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Speaker 3: you is always the right plan, the best plan. Thank

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Speaker 3: you that when we fail to obey, there is forgiveness.

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Speaker 3: When we've turned to you in confession and repentance, because

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Speaker 3: you are always faithful to forgive and cleanse Us through

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Speaker 3: your son Jesus, and it is in his name that

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Speaker 3: we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible

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Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.

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Speaker 3: Download thepray dot Com app and make prayer a priority

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Speaker 3: in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it

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Speaker 3: with someone you love. By sharing this podcast, you can

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Speaker 3: make a difference in someone's life. And if you want

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Speaker 3: more resources on how to tap into God's power for

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Speaker 3: successful Christian living, be sure to visit Jaggraham dot org.

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Speaker 3: God bless.

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

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Speaker 1: solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.

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Speaker 4: Welcome to the Prey News podcast, where hope is our

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Speaker 4: only bias. Each day, we'll unpack the most prominent stories

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Speaker 4: happening in the news and offer a Christian perspective. We

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Speaker 4: won't shy away from the hard topics, and we won't

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Speaker 4: dilute the hopeful message of Christ. This is more than

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Speaker 4: a daily brief on the news. It's a way to

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Speaker 4: be informed and transformed. Listen to Prey News on the iHeartRadio, app,

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Speaker 4: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.