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Speaker 1: And he said, thy name shall be called no more

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Speaker 1: Jacob but Israel. For as a prince, hast thou power

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Speaker 1: with God and with men, and hast prevailed Genesis thirty two,

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Speaker 1: twenty eight. Dear God, as I reflect on my life,

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Speaker 1: thank you Lord for the gift of reconciliation and forgiveness.

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Speaker 1: Thank you that even in my wrong doings you produce

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Speaker 1: grace moments for me. Like Jacob and Genesis thirty two

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Speaker 1: and thirty three, I choose to believe the words of

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Speaker 1: your angels that declare that here is the Lord's place.

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Speaker 1: I declare that my life is the Lord's place. I

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Speaker 1: declare that my business is the Lord's place, and that

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Speaker 1: my relationships are in the Lord's place. Therefore, I will

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Speaker 1: not be afraid of seasons. When I feel I am

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Speaker 1: wrestling for a new identity, a new blessing, and a

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Speaker 1: new beginning, I confess that I will hold on to you,

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Speaker 1: God until I receive my newness, and I will not

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Speaker 1: let go even after you bless me. You are my

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Speaker 1: way maker, and you are the God that makes old

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Speaker 1: things new. Thank you, Lord, that even in the midst

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Speaker 1: of dysfunction, you still allow your glory to settle my

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Speaker 1: differences and bring restoration to my life. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: a new name of victory and a new purpose for

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Speaker 1: my life, filled with all your many blessings in Jesus name. Amen,

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Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To

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Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the

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Speaker 1: Bible in a Year brought to you by Bible in

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Speaker 1: a Year dot com.

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Speaker 2: You are Israel. Before this story, we learned of Jacob

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Speaker 2: fleeing the service of Laban. He packed his family and

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Speaker 2: traveled back to Canaan. However, Laban would not let Jacob go.

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Speaker 2: Jacob and Laban bore their souls before one another, sharing

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Speaker 2: the anger that rested in both their hearts. Eventually, the

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Speaker 2: two made peace and Laban sent Jacob on his way.

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Speaker 2: Now we will learn about Jacob entering into his homeland

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Speaker 2: once again. Although he feared the wrath of his brother

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Speaker 2: Esau wrestling with God, Jacob will cling to the blessings

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Speaker 2: of God and get his name changed inspired by the

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Speaker 2: 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. Previously, we heard the story

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Speaker 3: of how Jacob fled from Laban, a man who had

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Speaker 3: wronged and deceived Jacob for many years. In the end,

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Speaker 3: the two men made peace, and Laban let Jacob go

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Speaker 3: to Canaan, the land of Jacob's father, the land of Promise,

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Speaker 3: and Jacob took with him his wealth and a large family. Today,

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Speaker 3: we'll see how Jacob enters his former homeland and seeks

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Speaker 3: reconciliation with his brother Esau. If you remember their story,

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Speaker 3: it was Jacob who was the cheater and trickster in

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Speaker 3: that relationship, and when he fled more than twenty years before,

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Speaker 3: Esau was filled with rage and murderous intent. As you

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Speaker 3: listen to this passage of scripture, imagine the fear with

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Speaker 3: which Jacob stepped into this dangerous territory to face his

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Speaker 3: brother Esau. Before he encounters Esau, He's going to face

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Speaker 3: another man. But this is not just any man, and

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Speaker 3: he isn't a stranger, as Jacob will discover. It is

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Speaker 3: an encounter Jacob must have before he faces Esau, and

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Speaker 3: it will be a light changing turning point in his

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Speaker 3: life and future. So pay close attention as Jacob and

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Speaker 3: Esau finally face each other again, will there be bitterness

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Speaker 3: and bloodshed or renewal and reconciliation. Let's listen to God's

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Speaker 3: word and find out.

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Speaker 2: A familiar breeze blew through the valley below Jacob. The

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Speaker 2: sweet summer air caressed the plains, causing the grass to dance.

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Speaker 2: Jacob smiled and turned his face towards the sun. He

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Speaker 2: was home again, still a few miles away from Canaan.

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Speaker 2: He then turned towards the hill he had set camp on.

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Speaker 2: Angels of the Lord had met him there already. Jacob

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Speaker 2: knew that something holy and peculiar was taking place. This

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Speaker 2: is God's camp, Jacob acknowledged. The last time Jacob was there,

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Speaker 2: he had run away in fear of his brother Esau.

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Speaker 2: Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, so he left in

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Speaker 2: hope that his brother's anger would subside. Jacob sent messengers

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Speaker 2: to go before him, saying, I have sojourned with our

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Speaker 2: uncle Laban, and have been there until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks,

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Speaker 2: servants that I wished to share with you. I say

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Speaker 2: all these things to find favor in your sight. Jacob's

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Speaker 2: servants had sent Esau the message and waited on the

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Speaker 2: outskirts of his land to see what his response would be.

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Speaker 2: Around the corner of the canyons, the messengers saw Esau

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Speaker 2: coming out to meet with Jacob. Only behind him was

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Speaker 2: four hundred armed men. A great fear fell upon Jacob.

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Speaker 2: He remembered how wild of a man Esau was, filled

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Speaker 2: with power and tact. Jacob did not have the strength

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Speaker 2: nor the men to defend himself. Jacob prepared for the worst.

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Speaker 2: He divided his camp into two parties and sent them

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Speaker 2: on opposite ends of one another. If Esau came to

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Speaker 2: destroy one of the camps, amps, the other would be spare.

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Speaker 2: Jacob trembled before God. Fear was overcoming him, and he

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Speaker 2: looked to heaven and said, God of my fathers, Abraham

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Speaker 2: and Isaac, you have told me to return. You desired

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Speaker 2: for me to be here so that you might bless me.

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Speaker 2: I am not worthy of your kindness or your provision. Jacob,

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Speaker 2: for perhaps the first time in his life, felt the

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Speaker 2: full weight of God's love for him. You have shown

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Speaker 2: me steadfast love and faithfulness. I began with nothing to

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Speaker 2: my name except a staff, and now I have two

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Speaker 2: camps that rely on me. Tears hit Jacob's trembling hands.

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Speaker 2: Please deliver me from the revenge of my brother. I

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Speaker 2: fear him, and I fear for all the people here

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Speaker 2: under my care. But you promised to bless me and

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Speaker 2: to expand my offspring. I will trust you. Jacob lingered

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Speaker 2: there for the night. He sent out droves of gifts

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Speaker 2: of cattle, goats, and other live stock before him to

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Speaker 2: gain favor with Esau. Yet there was no predicting how

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Speaker 2: Esau would receive his gifts, for he pursued Jacob with

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Speaker 2: four hundred men behind him. That same night, Jacob arose

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Speaker 2: with his wives and eleven children and sent them across

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Speaker 2: the stream of Jabok. He sent them away to be safe.

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Speaker 2: With everything else he had in his possession, Jacob was

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Speaker 2: left alone until a man sprang up from behind him.

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Speaker 2: Struggling in the mud and gravel, Jacob wrestled with this

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Speaker 2: man in the dead of night, sweat and blood dripping

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Speaker 2: from his body. Jacob fought for his life under the

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Speaker 2: weight of this unknown stranger. The night drew on and

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Speaker 2: the sun was beginning to rear its head between the hills. Jacob,

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Speaker 2: while endeavoring with this man, became increasingly more aware of

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Speaker 2: his divine nature. His wrestling men was not an assault,

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Speaker 2: but an invitation. This is God's camp echoed in his memory. Jacob,

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Speaker 2: the once timid tent dweller, found himself grappling on the

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Speaker 2: ground with God himself. Dawn peeked through the trees. The

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Speaker 2: man saw that he would not prevail against Jacob. He

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Speaker 2: touched his hip socket and jammed his hip out of

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Speaker 2: its joint. Jacob screamed and released his legs from around

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Speaker 2: the man. Yet he clung to him with his arms, refusing.

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Speaker 1: To let go.

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Speaker 2: Let me go, for the day has broken, the man said. Jacob,

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Speaker 2: who had spent his entire life making his own luck,

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Speaker 2: was face to face with the end of himself. He

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Speaker 2: had deceived his brother into selling his birthright, he had

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Speaker 2: tricked his father into blessing him, and he had swindled

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Speaker 2: Laban into making him richer. Yet now Jacob was faced

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Speaker 2: with God himself and had no means to trick his

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Speaker 2: way into victory. Jacob's eyes closed tightly, and he flexed

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Speaker 2: his arms firmly to the legs of this man, and said,

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Speaker 2: I will not let you go unless you bless me.

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Speaker 2: A slight smile came across the man's face. What is

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Speaker 2: your name? He asked Jacob, He shouted in pain. You

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Speaker 2: shall no longer be called Jacob, he said, but Israel,

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Speaker 2: for you have wrestled with God and with men and prevailed.

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Speaker 2: Please tell me your name, Jacob asked, Now a full

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Speaker 2: smile filled his face. Why is it that you ask

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Speaker 2: my name? He said, and he blessed him. So Jacob

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Speaker 2: called that place penial, saying, I have seen God face

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Speaker 2: to face, and yet my life has been spared. The

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Speaker 2: sun's rays reflected off of the stream beside Jacob, and

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Speaker 2: the warmth of the day began to dry the blood

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Speaker 2: and sweat off his body. Limping back to his camp,

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Speaker 2: Jacob felt ready for whatever would come next. With the

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Speaker 2: sun behind him, Jacob gazed upon the fields below. He

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Speaker 2: could see Esau and his four hundred men creeping closer

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Speaker 2: and closer. Still filled with an exhausted euphoria, Jacob hobbled

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Speaker 2: towards his brother, with his family traveling behind him. As

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Speaker 2: the two drew nearer, Esau began running towards Jacob. He

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Speaker 2: ran with fervor and power. The years had not taken

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Speaker 2: away Esau's strength. Before Esau could catch Jacob, he fell

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Speaker 2: to his knees and bowed before him as a bear wood.

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Speaker 2: Esau wrapped Jacob up in his arms and embraced him.

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Speaker 2: He kissed his neck and wept at the sight of

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Speaker 2: his twin brother. The years had wiped his bitterness away,

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Speaker 2: and all that remained was the affection of two twin

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Speaker 2: brothers united after decades apart. Esau lifted his eyes past

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Speaker 2: his brother towards Jacob's face. Who are these with you?

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Speaker 2: Esau said. Jacob then introduced his family to Esau, and

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Speaker 2: they embraced his kindred spirits. Why have you sent so

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Speaker 2: many gifts, Esau asked, to earn your forgiveness, brother, Please

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Speaker 2: take them. Esau refused them at first, but Jacob insisted.

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Speaker 2: Jacob knew that he had truly wronged his brother and

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Speaker 2: felt the depths of what he had done. The two

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Speaker 2: of them embraced again, and Esau forgave Jacob. Esau departed

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Speaker 2: that same day, and Jacob settled in a place near

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Speaker 2: Sheikha and built an altar to God called El elohe Israel,

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Speaker 2: meaning the God of Israel, and Jacob built a new

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Speaker 2: life for him and his family, a life of flourishing

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Speaker 2: and love. Though sorrow would not remain a stranger to Jacob,

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Speaker 2: God's love was present.

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Speaker 3: After years of self imposed exile, Jacob is finally going home.

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Speaker 3: He's now a wealthy man and much older, and he

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Speaker 3: has a large family. It seems that God's plan to

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Speaker 3: make a great nation from his family is beginning to

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Speaker 3: take shape. However, there matters to be dealt with first,

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Speaker 3: and Jacob is not expecting to return home to a

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Speaker 3: hero's welcome. Well, his brother Esau's anger remain or even worse,

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Speaker 3: could it have grown stronger and more bitter? Jacob had

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Speaker 3: run in fear from his problems. That's what he always did,

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Speaker 3: run because he was filled with selfish ambitions and deceptive

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Speaker 3: in all his ways. We've been there, haven't we. We

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Speaker 3: know when we have disobeyed God messed up, and then

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Speaker 3: there comes the time of consequences, the fact that we

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Speaker 3: can't hide our sin any longer, and it comes time

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Speaker 3: to face the music. God wants to remind Jacob that

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Speaker 3: even in this moment, he is not alone, so he

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Speaker 3: sends angels to meet him on the outskirts of Canaan.

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Speaker 3: Jacob sends messengers ahead to let Esau know that he's

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Speaker 3: returned and that he is ready to share his accumulated wealth.

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Speaker 3: Can you imagine the fear Jacob must have been feeling,

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Speaker 3: just waiting to see how Esau would react. But notice

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Speaker 3: at this time, rather than resorting to scheming and cleverness,

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Speaker 3: Jacob goes to God in prayer. He turns the problem

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Speaker 3: over to God. Jacob acknowledges God's presence and how unworthy

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Speaker 3: he was of the faithfulness and the blessing of the Almighty.

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Speaker 3: Then he made his honest petition, openly telling God of

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Speaker 3: all his fears and reminding God of his promise to

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Speaker 3: bless the nations through him. So now we're seeing a

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Speaker 3: much more mature and reverent Jacob than we've seen before.

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Speaker 3: He's now truly humble and knowing how much he owes

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Speaker 3: Esau for his treachery, Jacob sends three league parties ahead,

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Speaker 3: filled with gifts of livestocks to meet Esau. What he

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Speaker 3: does next is yet another sign of Jacob embracing the

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Speaker 3: mantle of leadership and role of protector of his family.

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Speaker 3: He guides him across the river and then returns alone

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Speaker 3: to Kem. It's only him now exposed and vulnerable. That

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Speaker 3: very night there is a battle, but not with his

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Speaker 3: estranged brother. The Lord himself wrestles with Jacob. Jacob stubbornly

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Speaker 3: refused to quit or to give up. Even after God

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Speaker 3: touched his hip and threw it out of socket, Jacob

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Speaker 3: would not relent or let go of his opponent. This

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Speaker 3: is one of the most fascinating scenes in all the Bible.

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Speaker 3: He doesn't recognize this stranger he is wrestling with as God,

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Speaker 3: but he knows there's something very special about him. In

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Speaker 3: the Gospel of Luke, we find a story of the

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Speaker 3: risen Christ walking on the road to Emmaeus. His traveling

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Speaker 3: companions did not recognize him for who he was, the

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Speaker 3: in Christ, but their hearts were strangely warmed. They knew

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Speaker 3: something was different. Was Jacob's heart also warmed. Jacob agrees

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Speaker 3: to only release his opponent if the man will bless him.

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Speaker 3: He cries out for the blessing of God. But before

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Speaker 3: God gives him the blessing, he gives him a new name.

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Speaker 3: And this new name has great significance. Jacob the Cheater

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Speaker 3: will now be called Israel, the Prince of God, because

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Speaker 3: he wrestled with God and did not quit. Jacob leaves

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Speaker 3: that encounter with a brand new name, but also a

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Speaker 3: limp as a reminder of that night. Forever when we

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Speaker 3: truly encounter God. It will change us in ways that

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Speaker 3: we cannot understand or even possibly sometimes imagine. And it

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Speaker 3: will bless us in ways we cannot foresee. That very day,

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Speaker 3: Jacob finally meets Esau and reconciliation occurs. The Lord God

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Speaker 3: had gone before Jacob. Now Israel not the shower of

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Speaker 3: gifts that softened Esau's heart, but God's grace. Jacob is

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Speaker 3: now humble and repentant, making no excuses for his actions. Esau,

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Speaker 3: for his part, makes no attempt to take advantage of

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Speaker 3: his upper hand. There's no more need for hate, no

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Speaker 3: more need for running, no more need for separation. Now

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Speaker 3: there is peace. The two brothers embrace, and Esau forgives Jacob.

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Speaker 3: As Esau departs, Jacob Israel builds an altar to remember

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Speaker 3: God's faithfulness. The altar is called the God of Israel,

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Speaker 3: for that is who God is, dear God of Israel

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Speaker 3: and of all nations, the God and Father of our Lord,

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Speaker 3: Jesus Christ. Thank you for being the God who wrestles

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Speaker 3: with his children and blesses them, just as you bless

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Speaker 3: Jacob for clinging to you. May you bless us as

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Speaker 3: we turn to you. Trust you and never let go.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for this beautiful story of unification between brothers

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Speaker 3: and the hope that shines through into our broken relationships.

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Speaker 3: Help us to trust you to go before us at

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Speaker 3: our relationships, just as you did for Jacob and Esau.

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Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, Amen, Thank you for listening to today's

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

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Speaker 3: Download Theprey 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 Jack Graham dot org.

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Speaker 3: God bless This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an

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Speaker 3: innovative healthcare solution for Christians to save money without sacrifice

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