Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. I have not seen my
Speaker 1: brother in a long time.
Speaker 2: I will go to him.
Speaker 3: You will go to him. I'm not sure that's necessary.
Speaker 3: He's merely going to pass through and only wishes to
Speaker 3: have peace between the two of you.
Speaker 4: I go, I go now.
Speaker 1: He so gestured to a few of his men.
Speaker 2: Bring four hundred men. What did you do to this
Speaker 2: man to make him hate you so much? I wanted more.
Speaker 2: I was willing to do whatever it took to get it.
Speaker 2: Now I have it, and I fear it will be
Speaker 2: taken from me. If we are to survive his side,
Speaker 2: we must seek God most High. I'll return shortly.
Speaker 1: In the distance, through the mist, Jacob saw a trail
Speaker 1: lit by hundreds of torches.
Speaker 2: He saw, will be here by Dalla. What will I do?
Speaker 1: As Jacob considered these things, he felt a shift in
Speaker 1: the air. Someone was there with him. He turned and
Speaker 1: saw a figure walking toward him through the twilight haze.
Speaker 2: He saw, Ah, is that you?
Speaker 1: Jacob knew what he had to do. He felt sure
Speaker 1: that he had to wrestle with God himself and prevail.
Speaker 1: The two men converged, bodies clashing into each other like
Speaker 1: colliding waves. In a storm.
Speaker 2: Let me go.
Speaker 5: The day has broken.
Speaker 1: The man tugged his leg away, but Jacob refused to
Speaker 1: let go.
Speaker 2: Please, please bless me. I won't let you go until
Speaker 2: you bless me.
Speaker 3: Your name shall no longer be Jacob, shall be called Israel,
Speaker 3: for you have struggled with God and.
Speaker 1: Have prevailed.
Speaker 4: In the shadows past betrayals. Can two brothers find the
Speaker 4: light of reconciliation? Shallo, my friends from here in the
Speaker 4: Holy Land of Israel. I'm l Extein with International Fellowship
Speaker 4: of Christians and Jews and welcome to the Chosen People.
Speaker 2: Have you been.
Speaker 4: Impacted by this podcast? We'd love it if you could
Speaker 4: leave us a review. We read all of them and
Speaker 4: they help us gain a better understanding of who we're reaching.
Speaker 4: And if you're interested in learning more about the countless
Speaker 4: lives being helped here in Israel by my work at
Speaker 4: the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, you can visit
Speaker 4: IFCJ dot com. We are on the forefront of helping
Speaker 4: bring biblical prophecy to fruition and helping to save lives.
Speaker 4: Now let's begin. Have you ever feared meeting someone from
Speaker 4: your past? Genesis thirty three tells us such a story,
Speaker 4: one dripping with tension and redemption. Two brothers torn apart
Speaker 4: by betrayal stand on the precipice of reunion. Jacob and
Speaker 4: Esau names that echo through the ages. But this isn't
Speaker 4: just an ancient story. No, this is our story. It's
Speaker 4: a story of reconciliation, of courage, and effacing the broken
Speaker 4: places within ourselves.
Speaker 1: Every step stung, pain shot down Jacob's leg as he
Speaker 1: hobbled down to the valley. Each step, although painful, reminded
Speaker 1: him of his victory. With that victory in mind, Jacob
Speaker 1: descended to meet his brother. Jacob turned to Rachel and
Speaker 1: the rest of his family, eyes moistening with anxiety and hope.
Speaker 2: Remember to stay behind me, at least a few yards away.
Speaker 2: Do not come unless I beckon you. And what do
Speaker 2: we do if he attacks? Flee for your lives. Back
Speaker 2: to Laban the camel should be able to outrun his men.
Speaker 1: They marched together, her family built on life, eyes, deception, disguises,
Speaker 1: and stolen promises. But perhaps maybe God would go before them.
Speaker 1: Perhaps God would move the heart of Esau to show mercy.
Speaker 1: Esau's company finally materialized. Jacob squinted to see against the
Speaker 1: sun's piercing glow. Esaw marched with the same bear like
Speaker 1: stride he had always walked with. His hairy, broad barreled
Speaker 1: chest flexed with every breath as he quickened his pace.
Speaker 2: He's seen us.
Speaker 1: Jacob called out to his family behind him and gave
Speaker 1: them the signal to cease. Jacob's hip ached, but he
Speaker 1: quickened his pace toward his brother. Esau matched his speed,
Speaker 1: transitioning from a march to a stride. He was still large.
Speaker 1: His muscular frame shook the ground as he ran. Jacob's
Speaker 1: pace turned to a sprint. When he was only a
Speaker 1: few paces from his brother, Jacob slid onto the ground,
Speaker 1: fell on to his face.
Speaker 2: And bowed, have mercy on me. Brother.
Speaker 1: Jacob looked up. Esau didn't soften his footsteps. He continued
Speaker 1: to run with determined force.
Speaker 2: He isn't relenting.
Speaker 5: This might be the end.
Speaker 1: Then, to Jacob's dismay, Esau slid into the dirt and
Speaker 1: wrapped his brother up in his thick, furry arms.
Speaker 3: I've missed you, brother.
Speaker 1: Esau, squeezed the breath out of Jacob.
Speaker 6: Youugh, you what.
Speaker 2: You missed me?
Speaker 5: I missed you or my brother?
Speaker 3: And I missed you.
Speaker 1: Jacob couldn't help but laugh under the crushing weight of
Speaker 1: his brother's embrace. Slowly, with strained and weak arms from
Speaker 1: hours of wrestling, Jacob returned to his brother's embrace, and
Speaker 1: that's when it happened. The damn broke. For years, Jacob
Speaker 1: held the weight of his guilt for what he did
Speaker 1: to Esau. Jacob cherished his birthright and bless him, but
Speaker 1: he knew he cheated to get it. But now that
Speaker 1: he had wrestled with God, he was a changed man.
Speaker 1: Tears rolled down Jacob's face. The two of them wept
Speaker 1: in each other's eyes for a long while, content to
Speaker 1: let sobs fill the silence. Esau held Jacob's shoulders and
Speaker 1: looked him up and down. He placed a hand on
Speaker 1: Jacob's face and laughed.
Speaker 2: You finally grown a beer. Well, you had taken all
Speaker 2: the hair and had to travel to find some Uncle
Speaker 2: Laban probably had floodin despair. Yes, good one, dear brother.
Speaker 1: They laughed and wiped their faces. Esau looked behind Jacob's shoulders.
Speaker 1: Leah and Rachel stood a few paces away, with their
Speaker 1: children behind them.
Speaker 3: Who are these with you?
Speaker 5: My family? Rachel?
Speaker 2: Leah, come on, over.
Speaker 1: Jacob gestured for them all to come over. They dismounted
Speaker 1: their camels and carefully padded toward them. Jacob waved his
Speaker 1: hand to reassure them everything was all right.
Speaker 2: These are my children. God has been gracious to me. Yes,
Speaker 2: very very blessed. Blessed indeed, brother, and I sent gifts
Speaker 2: to share in that blessing.
Speaker 5: Why are the gifts, Jacob?
Speaker 2: To find favor in your sight? Brother, I have enough
Speaker 2: keep it no. Seeing your face is like seeing the
Speaker 2: face of God. You've accepted me when you could have
Speaker 2: killed me.
Speaker 5: Accept my blessing.
Speaker 1: Those were the words that Jacob needed to say, and
Speaker 1: Esau needed to hear. Jacob needed to give a blessing,
Speaker 1: and Esau needed to receive one. It was a beautiful
Speaker 1: moment of redemption, one that would have never been possible
Speaker 1: if Esau hadn't quieted his need for revenge. An eye
Speaker 1: for an eye would have given him a moment of satisfaction,
Speaker 1: but robbed him of the joy he had with his brother.
Speaker 5: Brother, come to my village, stay with me.
Speaker 2: We journey together.
Speaker 1: Jacob saw the excitement in his brother's eyes. There was
Speaker 1: a childlike glee and innocence contrasted with his manly and
Speaker 1: tough frame. Jacob sighed. He wanted to say yes, but
Speaker 1: knew he couldn't. He was on a mission to Canaan
Speaker 1: and his family couldn't endure the travel back to Esau's land.
Speaker 1: He had to move forward, not backward, especially after everything
Speaker 1: they had endured. His family deserved to step into Bethel.
Speaker 2: Many of my children are very young and unable to
Speaker 2: travel at your pace. There are many nursing flocks and
Speaker 2: herds under my care as well. If I drive them
Speaker 2: too hard, they won't make it.
Speaker 1: Jacob paused. Even after receiving a new name, Israel, some
Speaker 1: old habits died hard. The scoundrel within him that played
Speaker 1: loose with the truth took over, and he told another
Speaker 1: lie to his brother.
Speaker 2: You go on ahead, go at the pace that suits you,
Speaker 2: and we will pay slowly behind until we meet you
Speaker 2: and see her.
Speaker 1: Esau's grin softened, but the innocence in his eyes remained.
Speaker 1: With a warm squeeze of Jacob's shoulders, Esau.
Speaker 5: Replied, some of my men will stay.
Speaker 1: They help and protect.
Speaker 2: Oh, dear brother, there's no need. I've found enough favor
Speaker 2: in your sight.
Speaker 5: Okay, brother, I will.
Speaker 1: Go Esau embraced Jacob again, squeezing a few laughs out
Speaker 1: of him before turning to depart. As he left, Leah
Speaker 1: approached from behind.
Speaker 4: We aren't going to see her, are we?
Speaker 2: No, we are not. What a shame.
Speaker 4: It would have been nice to meet the twin who
Speaker 4: took all the good nature.
Speaker 1: The words stun but they were true. Jacob shook his head,
Speaker 1: ashamed that even after wrestling God and having his life saved,
Speaker 1: he still couldn't seem to shake his nature. Just then
Speaker 1: everything narrowed. Jacob heard the familiar voice of his God.
Speaker 6: Go to the land I have given you the place
Speaker 6: where I met you before return Israel to Bethel.
Speaker 1: Jacob led his caravan in the direction of Bethel, but
Speaker 1: paranoia nagged at him.
Speaker 2: You I have enough to dwell in Bethel and isolated
Speaker 2: from other clams and trade. What if we fall on
Speaker 2: hard times?
Speaker 1: God had clearly told Jacob to go to Bethel, but
Speaker 1: Jacob wondered if he could delay his obedience a little longer.
Speaker 1: He turned to his men and gave the command.
Speaker 2: Men set the course for suckof Why are we going there?
Speaker 2: Did God not tell you to go to Bethel? God
Speaker 2: wants us to thrive in Bethel. I can't go there
Speaker 2: until I know we've amassed enough wealth. Suckoth will be
Speaker 2: good for trade and partnerships. There's a city there, sketch him.
Speaker 2: I think it will be good for us, as you say.
Speaker 1: Jacob's people settled there and built booths for their livestock.
Speaker 1: Jacob intended to sell some of his herd and use
Speaker 1: the wealth to purchase more farming tools. If Canaan was
Speaker 1: going to be his permanent home, he needed to figure
Speaker 1: out how to farm sustainably. It didn't take long for
Speaker 1: the city of Shechem to take notice. Pymore, the city's chief,
Speaker 1: came galloping with his sons behind him. He wanted to
Speaker 1: survey Jacob's wealth to determine if he was a threat
Speaker 1: or not. Hamol was a white jawed man with eyes
Speaker 1: too close together. His sons were all tall, thin framed,
Speaker 1: and pompous looking. Jacob wasn't impressed or threatened. Haymore dismounted
Speaker 1: and greeted Jacob with a smile. His gray beard opened
Speaker 1: to a grotesque mouth moistened by fermented goat's milk and wine.
Speaker 6: It would seem a small kingdom has wandered into my land.
Speaker 5: Who are you and what's your business?
Speaker 2: I am Jacob, son of Isaac and Abraham. I've come
Speaker 2: to settle here on the outskirts of your city for
Speaker 2: a time. I don't come empty handed, as you can see,
Speaker 2: I have flocks to barter and wool to sell.
Speaker 6: It's been a while since the city saw such a
Speaker 6: large household enter at once. I have no doubt your
Speaker 6: presence will be beneficial, but there's still a matter of
Speaker 6: the price to pitch your tent on my land?
Speaker 2: Is the commerce I bring to your city?
Speaker 5: Not enough? You speaking hypotheticals.
Speaker 6: We don't know your value yet, son of Isaac and Abraham,
Speaker 6: whoever they are.
Speaker 1: Jacob turned back to his family. His eldest sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Speaker 1: and Judah stood behind him. They were sizing up the
Speaker 1: sons of Hamour, hitching for conflict. Jacob was done fighting.
Speaker 1: He wanted ease and peace. He turned back to Hamore
Speaker 1: and extended his hand.
Speaker 6: Name your price, one hundred pieces of silver upfront for
Speaker 6: the land, And if you don't prove yourself to be
Speaker 6: good for our people, then I'll have my sons come
Speaker 6: to shake more out of you.
Speaker 1: That would be unwise Jacob gestured to his sons behind him.
Speaker 1: Haymour's sons puffed out their chests.
Speaker 2: I don't want trouble, and I promise that whoever blesses
Speaker 2: me will himself health be blessed.
Speaker 6: We'll see about that son of Iglick, Admiral. I can't remember.
Speaker 2: Isaac and Abraham, my Lord Haymour, I pray you will
Speaker 2: remember when your city is more prosperous due to our presence.
Speaker 1: Haymoor rolled his eyes and gesture to his eldest son.
Speaker 6: This is my oldest Shechem. He'll be back to collect
Speaker 6: your rank. I suggest trading him to a meal every
Speaker 6: now and again when he visits.
Speaker 5: He's named after the city.
Speaker 6: And he will all be his one day, so you
Speaker 6: best be good to him.
Speaker 1: Shechem flashed a mocking smile. Jacob could feel his son's
Speaker 1: tensing at the sight of him. Hamer and his sons
Speaker 1: rode off. Jacob turned, looking at his family's bulking glass.
Speaker 1: Jacob wagged a finger and spoke to his boys.
Speaker 2: Give that man no reason to hate us, do you
Speaker 2: hear me?
Speaker 1: They nodded and left. Jacob sighed as he watched them go.
Speaker 1: He knew he shouldn't be here, yet fear kept him
Speaker 1: from moving forward. It would be his undoing.
Speaker 4: After years of running, after years of wrestling, not just
Speaker 4: with one another, but with themselves, with the past and
Speaker 4: with God. After all these years, they finally meet Jacob
Speaker 4: and Esau, these two brothers with a history of betrayal,
Speaker 4: anger and separation. And what happens not what we might expect,
Speaker 4: not bitterness or vengeance or retribution, but forgiveness and embrace tears.
Speaker 4: It's staggering, isn't it to see such fear and anger
Speaker 4: give way to love and mercy In a world where
Speaker 4: conflict seems never ending, where division is the order of
Speaker 4: the day. Bible story is so refreshing, and it's a
Speaker 4: story that makes me look in my own life at
Speaker 4: the grudges I hold, at the people I avoid, and
Speaker 4: I wonder, I ask myself, could I find the strength
Speaker 4: to embrace my enemy? Could I let go of the
Speaker 4: past with a heart that's actually wide open? It makes
Speaker 4: me long for that kind of healing, for that kind
Speaker 4: of transformation, to see the face of someone I'm afraid
Speaker 4: to face and say, as Jacob did, quote, seeing your
Speaker 4: face is like seeing the face of God.
Speaker 2: End quote.
Speaker 4: What would our world look like if we lived out
Speaker 4: this story? What would it look like if we met
Speaker 4: the people that we've wronged and the people who have
Speaker 4: wronged us with open arms instead of clenched fists. In
Speaker 4: the Anction story, I personally find hope, hope for reconciliation.
Speaker 4: That hope begins early in this story. Verse four is
Speaker 4: one I've always found very dramatic.
Speaker 2: Quote.
Speaker 4: But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him. He
Speaker 4: threw his arms around his neck and kissed him, and
Speaker 4: they wept end quote. Can you imagine that? What a
Speaker 4: moment Esau, who had given his brother Jacob so much
Speaker 4: pain and so much grief, dissolfs into tears. But you
Speaker 4: might ask, was Esau sincere? Had he really repented of
Speaker 4: his evil ways? Samson refetel Hersh, a great rabbi in
Speaker 4: nineteenth century Germany, had something so beautiful to say about this.
Speaker 4: He said, quote, one cannot cry unless one is genuinely moved,
Speaker 4: because tears to flow from one's innermost feelings end quote.
Speaker 4: He explained that Esau's tears and his embrace proved that
Speaker 4: he was more than a selfish, violent hunter. It showed
Speaker 4: that esau also came from Abraham and was capable of
Speaker 4: putting aside his feelings of hatred in favor of love.
Speaker 4: Maybe all of us today, in our evil, broken, dark
Speaker 4: world can find optimism in this teaching. If Esau can
Speaker 4: break into tears as he embraces his brother Jacob, maybe
Speaker 4: the evil doers in our own world can learn to
Speaker 4: regret their evil deeds and their evil ways. Maybe they
Speaker 4: too can learn to feel compassion. This story also makes
Speaker 4: me think of words of another one of our rabbis
Speaker 4: here in the Holy Land, way back in the first century.
Speaker 4: Simon Benzoma asked the question here in Israel many many,
Speaker 4: many many years ago, who is rich? And he answered
Speaker 4: it with most profound, spiritually attune, and connected answer, he
Speaker 4: who is happy with his lot. What I hear him
Speaker 4: saying is that it's not how much someone has that
Speaker 4: makes them wealthy or not, it's the joy that they
Speaker 4: find in what they have. There are those with abundant
Speaker 4: wealth who live in poverty, never satisfied, always wanting more.
Speaker 4: But then there are those of modest means who live
Speaker 4: in joy, who don't feel like they lack anything. And
Speaker 4: we see this in today's episode. Jacob and Esau stranged
Speaker 4: brothers meet after long years. Jacob, the father of our nation,
Speaker 4: sends a lavish gift to Esau over five hundred animals.
Speaker 4: That was a gesture of peace. An Esa, wealthy in
Speaker 4: the eyes of the world, says, quote, I already have plenty,
Speaker 4: my brother. End quote. Now listen to Jacob's words. Urging
Speaker 4: Esa to accept, he says, quote, for God has been
Speaker 4: gracious to me, and I have all I need end
Speaker 4: quote In Hebrew. The way he said this was yesh
Speaker 4: li kole, which means I have everything. Esau's wealth lay
Speaker 4: in the quantity of riches he possessed. He had plenty,
Speaker 4: but there was always room for more. But Jacob saw
Speaker 4: his wealth as divine provision. Jacob's wealth, hmm. It met
Speaker 4: his needs because it was given to him by God.
Speaker 4: I have everything, he said, and he meant it. He
Speaker 4: meant it because he lacked nothing. And isn't that kind
Speaker 4: of the same for us. Don't you feel that, even
Speaker 4: though if you would like or want more, that God
Speaker 4: gives us exactly what we need, and he provides so
Speaker 4: that we can fulfill His will in this world. My prayer,
Speaker 4: my friend, is that we all learn to be happy
Speaker 4: with our lot, and content with what we've got, with
Speaker 4: what God has given us, sink back to the garden.
Speaker 4: Adam and Eve hiding from God, the first rupture in
Speaker 4: human relationship with the divine, or to Caine, enable the
Speaker 4: tragic tale of brother against brother ending in bloodshed. But
Speaker 4: here in Genesis thirty three, we see a very different path.
Speaker 4: Jacob and Esau, who one seemed destined to follow that
Speaker 4: same destructive pattern, break the cycle. And I have to
Speaker 4: ask why why would Esa, who had every reason to
Speaker 4: hold a grudge, run to meet Jacob, embracing him with
Speaker 4: tears and joy. Well, because this is the story of
Speaker 4: God's chosen people, a story where reconciliation isn't just possible,
Speaker 4: but central to God's plan. Here, this ancient narrative shows
Speaker 4: us that healing isn't just a distant dream, but a
Speaker 4: very real and very attainable possibility. In Jacob and Esau,
Speaker 4: we begin to see God's plan revealed to mend what
Speaker 4: is broken, to heal what is hurt. It began in
Speaker 4: the garden, was marred by sin, but is always moving
Speaker 4: forward towards reconciliation and restoration. So what do we do
Speaker 4: with this Bible story? Well, let's be inspired to seek
Speaker 4: forgiveness and let's offer it freely. God's grace empowers us
Speaker 4: to heal and restore broken relationships. Think about those relationships
Speaker 4: in your life, the one is marked by tension, by silence,
Speaker 4: by pain. Identify them, name them, and then take steps
Speaker 4: to try to repair them. Do the brave thing, do
Speaker 4: the godly thing, reach out, seek forgiveness, offer forgiveness. How
Speaker 4: do we do that? We have to trust in God's
Speaker 4: healing power to restore and to renew. It's not just
Speaker 4: about them, it's not just about you.
Speaker 2: It's about us.
Speaker 4: It's about living out the story the destiny of God's
Speaker 4: chosen people. And it's the story of reconciliation. It's a
Speaker 4: story of grace. And yes, it's a story of blessing.
Speaker 4: And so I bless you this final blessing on you
Speaker 4: and your life and on everyone you love. May the
Speaker 4: Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make
Speaker 4: his face shine upon you. May he be gracious to you.
Speaker 4: May the Lord turn his face towards you and give
Speaker 4: you peace.
Speaker 2: Amen.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with you. Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the Pray
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated tea 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
Speaker 1: more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app,
Speaker 1: available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Speaker 1: If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please
Speaker 1: rate and leave a review,